Page 39 of New Day at the Beach House

“You have lots of time to get stuff done then.”

Trina nodded. “I do. It just gets a little overwhelming when I think about how much there remains to be done.”

“Yeah, I get that. It’s a lot. But you’re doing a great job.”

“Thanks.” Trina smiled. It was always nice to hear that from her mom.

“You want some breakfast? I was thinking about making some protein pancakes. They’re low-carb and better for you. Not sure how they’ll taste, since it’s a new recipe.”

“I’m game to try them. Do you think you can make them without waking Mimi up?”

“I’ll shut her door, but I don’t think anything will wake her up until she’s good and ready.”

Trina giggled. “Oh, Mimi.”

“You can say that again.” Her mom stood up to go inside.

Trina got up, too. “I’ll come in with you. I could use another cup of coffee.”

“Same here.”

They went in and refilled their coffee cups. Trina hovered nearby as her mom pulled everything together to make pancakes.

Her mom shot her a look. “Don’t you have work to do?”

Trina shrugged. “I was going to help with breakfast.”

“Nope. I can do that. You work on your to-do list.” Her mom winked at her. “If you’re going to be a boss, you have to learn how to delegate.”

Trina rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Right. Okay. I’ll get my laptop and bring it out here.”

“I’ll be right here, fixing your breakfast, Ms. Thompson.”

Laughing, Trina went off to her room to get her laptop, her binder, notebook, and a pen so she could jot down any notes she needed to. When she returned, her mom was already mixing ingredients in a big mixing bowl with a handle and spout.

She set up on the sofa and went to work, pulling up the websites that offered beauty tools to salons. She might not be able to talk to the sign people just yet, but the internet was twenty-four-seven. She could at least get the tools ordered.

She went through the various types she’d need for the shop, ordering six of each, and putting them all in her shopping cart. She repeated that on each website so that she could compare what she was spending.

They were all within fifty bucks of each other, but then she did a quick search, found a coupon code for one of the sites that would get her free shipping and twenty percent off. That sealed the deal. She put in her grandmother’s credit card info and hit the Order button.

Just as she was printing out the emailed receipt, there was a knock at the front door. No one ever knocked at the front door. Not unless they’d ordered pizza.

She and her mom both looked in that direction. Trina got up. “I’ll get it. You’re busy.”

“Thanks. I hope they didn’t wake your grandmother.”

Trina nodded and went out to see who it was. A man in a red and yellow uniform stood there with several large envelopes in his hands. “Are you Wilhelmina Pasternak, Roxanne Thompson, or Claire Thompson? I need a signature from the last two but not the first.”

“None of the above,” Trina said. “But Wilhelmina is my grandmother. She’s still asleep. And I can get Roxanne for you. Claire is up one floor.”

He handed her one of the envelopes. “I’ll wait for Roxanne.”

She went back to the kitchen. “Ma, it’s for you and you have to sign.” She put the other envelope on the counter. “That’s for Mimi.”

“Okay.” Her mom wiped her hands on a towel and came out. Trina trailed behind, watching as her mother scrawled her signature across the little hand-held machine the man took off his belt, then he handed her the envelope.

They went back to the kitchen.

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