Sunset on Moonlight Beach - Sheila Roberts Page 0,17
gene skipped me and went straight to my daughters,” she explained to K.J., who was Elizabeth’s sister and the other owner of the shop.
“But you have the kindness gene,” Jenna said to Mel. Her mother truly was the sweetest woman she knew, and her inspiration.
They’d barely gotten home and started making dinner when Mel got a call from Zelda.
“Oh, my goodness,” Mel reported. “Three offers and the top one is ten thousand more than I was asking.”
It was really happening. Mom would be moving to Moonlight Harbor. Jenna felt light as a balloon.
“That is fabulous,” said Aunt Edie.
“Yay, Mom!” Celeste said. “And once Henry and I get a house down here we’ll all be together.”
“Here’s to being together,” Jenna said, raising the cup of tea she’d just made herself.
“To new beginnings,” Aunt Edie echoed.
“To new beginnings,” Mel murmured. Her smile looked a little sad. Until she added, “And to making new memories.”
“We’re going to make some wonderful ones,” Jenna promised the next afternoon as she and the other women in the family all walked her mom to her car.
“Yes, we will,” Mel said, and hugged each of them.
“Call me when you get home,” Jenna said as Mel dropped into the driver’s seat. Silly to worry. Unlike Aunt Edie, the terror of the streets, her mom was a good driver. Still, it was a long way and her car was far from new.
“I will,” Mel promised.
They stood and watched as she backed up and then drove out of the parking lot with one final wave.
“I can hardly wait ’til she’s down here full-time,” Jenna said.
“I hate that I won’t have her close, but I’m glad she’s going to move here. It’s the perfect place to retire,” said Celeste.
“It’s the perfect place to live, whether you’re retired or not,” Jenna said.
Celeste nodded. “You’re right. Now I really want to get down here. I want to raise Edie in a small town, surrounded by her family.”
“How does Henry feel about that?” Jenna asked. “He loves his houseboat.”
“So did I when we were first married, but we’ve got a baby now. We can’t live on a houseboat forever. We need a bigger place and we’re going to need a yard.”
There was nothing Jenna would have liked better than to have her whole family with her in Moonlight Harbor, but she hesitated to encourage her sister in this idea if Henry wasn’t in agreement. He sure wouldn’t thank her for it.
“Henry can write from anywhere,” Celeste continued, “so it’s not like we have to stay in Seattle.”
They went back inside, played a game of Hearts with Aunt Edie and Sabrina. Then Edie woke up from her nap and it was time for Celeste to go home.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave already,” Aunt Edie said to her.
“We’ll be back for Memorial Day,” Celeste promised. “Maybe sooner, if I see a great place for sale.”
“It’s a good thing her husband is doing so well,” Aunt Edie said after she left. “Our girl is definitely on a spending spree.”
“If they’ve got it to spend, she has my blessing,” Jenna said. “She’s waited a long time for her happy-ever-after. I’m glad she found it.”
“Now we just need you to find yours.”
Jenna knew where this conversation was going. Aunt Edie was determined to see Jenna properly settled, as she called it, while she was still alive.
“I’m very happy,” Jenna assured her.
“You could be happier,” pointed out Aunt Edie.
“Don’t worry. I’ll sort things out,” Jenna promised.
That night, as Brody drove her home after the usual Sunday evening line dancing, sorting looked pretty darned easy to do. They’d been doing things together for so long that she felt a little bit like an old married couple. They were in his slick convertible—top up since it was still cold at the beach—and the heat was on. Adele was crooning softly in the background. Jenna could smell his cologne and it smelled good.
“Guess that takes care of your exercise for the week,” he said as they pulled into the Driftwood Inn parking lot.
“When are you going to be brave and go out on the dance floor with me?”
He smiled at her. “When they do the kind of dancing where I can get my hands on you. Maybe then I can convince you to take what we’ve got to the next level.”
Right then she wanted nothing better than to grab him and kiss him. But once she started she wouldn’t want to stop. And if she didn’t stop, then they’d be at the