Page 89 of New Day at the Beach House

“Good luck. I can’t even imagine writing a whole book.” Patty took out her order pad. “Have you decided what you’d like to eat?”

Conrad shook his head. “Sorry, we haven’t even looked yet. Are there any specials we should know about?”

“We’ve got two this morning. The Farmer’s Plate, which is three eggs any way, three strips of bacon and a split buttermilk biscuit covered in sausage gravy. Then there’s the Dieter’s Delight, which is an egg white veggie omelet served with fresh fruit and whole wheat toast.”

“Thank you,” Margo said. She reached for two creamers and added them to her coffee, along with a pink packet of sweetener. “I still need a minute.”

“Same here,” Conrad said.

Patty nodded. “Take your time. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Margo smiled at Conrad. “We’d better be careful what we say or someone’s going to call the police on us.”

“Wouldn’t that be something?” He laughed. “Probably be the first time I made it into the Gazette as the subject of an article instead of the writer. Although, you know, that wouldn’t be a bad way to promote the book once it’s out. Imagine the buzz we’d create.”

She rolled her eyes but all in good humor. “You would think that getting arrested might lead to sales.”

Smirking, he looked at his menu. “We’d better figure out what we’re going to eat.”

She picked up hers and had a look as well. “I’m in the mood for something unusual. Something that I wouldn’t normally get.” Her gaze strayed to the pancakes, but that was a bad idea. All those carbohydrates would make her sleepy and go straight to her lower half.

Sadly, the pineapple upside-down cake pancakes sounded even more delicious.

She sighed. “What are you getting?”

“The Breakfast Sampler.”

She found that on the menu. Two eggs, two slices of bacon, and two pancakes, any style. “That does sound good.” Maybe she’d do that, too. Better two pancakes than a stack of three, which was what came in a regular order. And having them with some protein would help.

She put her menu down. “I’m getting the same thing. What kind of pancakes are you getting?”

“Blueberry. You?”

“Pineapple upside-down cake.”

His brows shot up. “You are living on the edge today. Is that what the prospect of murdering someone does to you?”

Patty returned at that very moment. “I did it again, didn’t I?”

They both laughed. Conrad nodded. “Yes, you did and, yes, we were talking about the book again, I swear.”

They ordered their meals and went back to talking.

Conrad sipped his coffee. “So your conversation with your daughters about the new house went well?”

She nodded. “Far better than I anticipated. Telling them about my plans has helped a lot. I still think it’s a lot to take on. In fact, I know it is. But I no longer feel like it’s such an impossible task. I’m truly excited about it now. Eager, even.”

He turned his head slightly, giving her a dubious look. “Does that mean you’d rather shop for decorating selections than write?”

“No, not at all.” She smiled. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to taking a quick trip this afternoon to that tile place you mentioned yesterday.”

He laughed. “Good, because I wouldn’t mind having a look around there, either. All this remodeling talk has got me thinking that it’s finally time to redo my master bath. I’ve wanted a walk-in tile shower for years. Not sure what I’m waiting for.”

“That is exciting.” She’d only seen his master bathroom once, when he’d first given her a tour of his place, but she remembered it being a standard, one-piece insert sort of thing. “What colors are you going to do?”

“Neutrals, probably. Maybe white and gray. I like that with a touch of blue. Not sure if my budget includes Carrera marble, but wouldn’t that be nice?”

“It would.” She lifted her coffee cup. “Here’s to writing and remodeling, then.”

---