Page 32 of Sunsets at the Beach House

Juicing sour oranges was next. Even more than the wedding cake, she hoped these pies came out perfectly. They could mean a lot to the bakery, and she felt the pressure.

Trina got the car started and the air conditioning on, then put her seatbelt on as her mom did the same. “I can’t believe we’re going back to Port St. Rosa.”

“Me, either,” her mom said. “But it’ll be good to get some more of our things. Your grandmother gave me a whole list. Basically, she wants her entire closet.”

Trina laughed. “Of course she does. How do you think she and Miguel are doing with the house hunt?”

“No idea.” Roxie pulled out her phone and looked at it. “I thought we’d hear something, but she’s been quiet.”

Trina pulled out of the driveway and headed for the highway. “What do you think that means?”

“Hard to say with your grandmother.” Roxie put her phone into the cupholder. “It could mean they’ve found nothing, and she’ll come back in a bad mood. Or it could mean things are going great, but she doesn’t want to text because she’d rather tell us in person.”

“She knows we’re going to be gone for a while getting your car.”

Roxie nodded. “She does, but she’ll wait. She loves a big reveal. She might not even tell us until tonight.”

“You think?”

Roxie nodded. “Yep.”

“I’m going to miss having Mimi around, but I can understand her wanting her own place to live with Miguel. They are going to be newlyweds.”

Roxie let out a soft groan. “I really don’t want to think about what that means.”

Trina laughed. “I understand. It’s weird to think about you kissing Ethan.”

“Then don’t think about it.”

Trina snorted. “I try not to, but easier said than done.” She grinned at her mom. “You know I’m just teasing. I’m super happy for both of you.”

“I’m happy for you, too. And I’m really glad your talk with Miles went so well at breakfast.”

Trina smiled. “So am I, so much. I really like him, Mom. And it seems like he really likes me. I feel like this talk moved us forward in a new way. I was scared to have it, but it was the right thing to do.”

“Now that you’re not breaking up with him, when are we going to meet him?”

“At least at the wedding. Sorry it hasn’t been sooner. Things have been busy.”

“I know they have. And they’re only going to get busier.”

Trina nodded. “I didn’t tell Miles this, but his ex-girlfriend came into the shop to interview for the receptionist job.”

Roxie made a face. “How do you know she was his ex-girlfriend?”

Trina explained about meeting Liz at Coconuts and how she’d texted after seeing the ad online on the Gazette’s job board. She also shared what Miles had told her about what went wrong in their relationship, that Liz came from money and she and her family looked down on him for being a paramedic instead of a “real” doctor.

“Hmph. Doesn’t sound to me like she comes from that much money if she’s looking for work. How did the interview go?”

“It went okay.” Trina didn’t want to be mean, but she wasn’t going to lie, either. “She doesn’t have much work experience at all. She had two summers of being a camp counselor and two summers of being a cart girl. Part-time. Nothing in the last seven or eight years, though.”

“What’s a cart girl?”

“Apparently, it’s the girl who drives the snack and beverage cart around the golf course and sells stuff to the golfers. She worked at Sand Hills Country Club. Her family are members. She made sure to point that out.” Trina shook her head. “Something’s up with her. Something she didn’t tell me. But there’s got to be a reason she’s looking for a job now.”

“Probably,” Roxie agreed. “Your instincts about people are usually pretty good. Maybe her parents cut her off.”

“Could be.”

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