Page 90 of New Day at the Beach House

He picked up his cup and clinked it against hers. “I’ll drink to that.”

“It’ll be good motivation to get our writing done,” she said before taking a sip.

He nodded. “I agree. It gives us a bit of a deadline, too, and I know from personal experience that I work better with a deadline.”

Margo wasn’t sure she loved the pressure of a ticking clock, but what was done was done. “I guess I’ll know today if the same is true for me.”

Jules arrived at Jesse’s place exactly at ten. She’d dressed casually but comfortably in a pair of white knit capri-length joggers and a cute blue and white striped T-shirt with a vee neck. Flipflops and a small amount of makeup and jewelry completed her outfit.

He opened the door in an old pair of corduroy board shorts and a Chauncey’s Surf Shop T-shirt with a band of hibiscus blooms across the front. Shiloh was next to him, smiling her doggy smile and wagging her tail. The welcome scents of bacon and coffee drifted out.

Those smells put Jules into an even better mood than she’d been in two seconds ago. She grinned as she looked him over. “All you need is a mustache and a Detroit Tigers hat and you’d be Magnum, P.I.”

He laughed. “Yeah, well, I don’t have a Ferrari, either.” He stepped back so she could come in.

“Neither did Magnum. That belonged to the guy who actually owned the house.” She walked in, stopping in front of him and giving Shiloh a scratch on the head. “Morning, pretty girl.”

“I forgot he didn’t own that car,” Jesse said. “What do you think? Should I buy one?”

“Only if I get to drive it.” She grinned. “Morning to you, too.”

He leaned in and kissed her. “Morning. Hungry?”

“Yes. What’s on the menu?”

“Quiche.”

She blinked in surprise. “Wow. I did not expect that.”

He held his hands up. “Don’t be too impressed. In the interest of full disclosure, I bought it premade from Publix. All I’m doing is heating it up.”

“Ah,” she said, amused by his confession. “That seems much more realistic.”

“Hey,” he said as they walked through the foyer and into the rest of the house with Shiloh leading the way. “I can cook. But not quiche. That seems more complicated than burgers on the grill.”

“Safe assumption, but I don’t mind that it’s not homemade. I’m sure it’ll be good.”

“I’ve got some cut up fruit and I’m making some bacon, too—which I need to check on—then I’ll show you around the house, if you’d like.”

She nodded, already looking around. “I’d love a tour. This place is amazing.”

It was different than what she’d expected. For some reason, she’d thought his place would be modern. All glass and steel cable railings and white everything.

But it wasn’t like that at all. It was an eclectic mix of old and new, with some modern pieces, but a few that might have been mid-century. Except for the obviously well-used dog bed in one corner and the antique jukebox against the far wall, there was a kind of hip, cosmic age, Sixties surfer thing going on with lots of lime green, turquoise, and wood tones. Accents of brushed gold brought more of that feeling, as did the sleek lines of both the new and antique pieces.

She gestured toward one of the walls. “I love the starburst clock. That has to be vintage, right?”

“It is,” he said. “It used to hang in my grandparents’ living room, if you can believe that. I was also so impressed with it as a kid that they passed it down to me.”

“Very cool.”

“The chandelier over your head was theirs, too.”

She looked up and saw a satellite-style light fixture that immediately brought to mind the same vibe as the rest of the design scheme. “I love it. Very groovy.”

“That is exactly the right way to describe that light.” He was flipping the bacon over. “Kind of Jetsons-meets-I Love Lucy.” He laughed. “I know. I have strange tastes.”

“Not strange at all. Very hip and cool and you.”

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