Driftwood Bay (Hope Harbor #5) - Irene Hannon Page 0,4
disappeared around the hedge that separated their properties, but she never looked back.
Just as well.
Once upon a time, a beautiful neighbor would have been a major distraction. Especially if she was friendly.
But he had plenty of other distractions that took precedence these days—and Jeannette Mason hadn’t exuded one ounce of friendliness.
Expelling a breath, he shut the door as Toby galloped into the foyer, skidded to a stop beside Molly, and plopped on his haunches.
The two of them watched him, as if they were waiting for the next act to begin in a three-ring circus.
An apt analogy.
And unless he managed to get a handle on all the moving parts fast, the new life he’d hoped to create on the Oregon coast could end up being a total bust.
“Jeannette! Wait up!”
At the summons, Jeannette halted her trek to Charley’s wharfside taco stand and swiveled around.
The Hope Harbor Herald editor jogged toward her from across the street, the sun glinting in her red hair.
Jeannette tamed the twitch tugging at her lips. As long as Marci Weber—no, Garrison now, since her marriage five months ago—was around, the town would never have an energy shortage. Nor lack for a champion. A woman who’d relaunched a defunct newspaper and spearheaded a successful campaign to save the Pelican Point lighthouse was a formidable civic asset.
The editor screeched to a stop beside her, tucking a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m glad I caught you. I have a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about, if you can spare a minute.”
Jeannette braced. When Marci had that gleam in her eye, she was usually on some sort of quest—or soliciting volunteers for her latest project.
And saying no to the vivacious redhead wasn’t easy.
Which was why Jeannette had found herself attending the first lighthouse meeting last year—along with hordes of other Hope Harbor residents who’d succumbed to Marci’s earnest, eager enthusiasm.
“I can give you two. Maybe even three.” She tried for a teasing tone—but hopefully Marci would pick up her underlying note of caution.
“Wonderful. First, thank you for renewing your standing ad for the tearoom in the Herald. Without steady advertisers like you, we’d be in deep doo-doo.”
“It’s my pleasure—and it’s a win/win situation. I can’t tell you the number of customers who say they found out about me from that ad.”
“Glad to hear it. Will you be back at the farmer’s market in May when it opens for the season?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Excellent. I’m going to be doing a feature on a different vendor in each issue, and I’d love to showcase Bayview Lavender Farm.”
“All publicity is accepted with thanks.”
A savory whiff of grilling fish set off a rumble in Jeannette’s stomach, and she slid a glance toward the white truck with colorful letters above the serving window spelling out “Charley’s.” She needed to get over there before the taco-making artist’s muse beckoned and he closed up shop to hurry back to his studio north of town.
“Smells good, doesn’t it?” Marci grinned and flapped a hand toward the truck that was a permanent fixture on the wharf.
“Better than good—and that’s my next stop.”
“I’m in the mood for tacos myself, but I have a standing Thursday lunch date with Ben that’s sacrosanct. Sort of like our local clerics’ Thursday golf game.”
“Nice tradition.”
“I agree—but it’s about to come to an end, now that my husband has managed to round up a doctor to replace him as director of our urgent care center.”
Jeannette arched an eyebrow. “I hadn’t heard that.”
“I put a small item in the Herald two issues ago. Easy to miss. But I’ll be running a longer story once the new guy takes over. Ben’s enjoyed filling in there, but he’ll be happy to devote full-time to his orthopedic practice in Coos Bay.”
“I can imagine.” Stitching up cuts and treating stomach viruses wouldn’t be much of a challenge for the former army surgeon who’d married Marci.
“Actually, I thought you might have met the new doc. He bought the place next to yours. Logan West.”
Jeannette blinked.
Her new neighbor was Ben Garrison’s replacement?
That was news.
She did her best to feign nonchalance. “I’ve met him, but it was a brief conversation. We didn’t discuss our professions.”
“I haven’t had the pleasure myself, but Ben says he’s nice.” Marci gave her an expectant look, as if she was hoping for another take on the new man in town.