Sunset on Moonlight Beach - Sheila Roberts Page 0,39
write-off. So, how about you manage it for me for the first six months. Then I’ll sell it to you and you can start making payments. Whatever profit above your salary that you bring in during that time can go toward paying for the shop.”
“Sounds like a good deal for one of us,” she said.
“It’s a good deal all around,” he said easily and held out a hand. “Shake on it?”
“You bet!”
They shook hands. Then he said, “Once my deal with Susan goes through I’ll get the papers written up and we can sign our agreement.”
“You are something else,” Courtney said gratefully.
“So I hear. See you later.”
Then he was gone, leaving Courtney half wondering if she’d dreamed what had just happened. But no, she hadn’t. There’d been three cookies left on the plate. Now there were two.
She grabbed her cell phone and called Annie, who was home prepping to cater a Kiwanis luncheon the next day. “You’ll never guess what just happened,” she said breathlessly.
“What?”
“Brody Green bought Beach Babes and he’s going to resell it to me for dirt cheap.”
“Oh, my gosh. Seriously?”
“Seriously. I am so shook.”
Annie chuckled. “So much for Susan not wanting to sell it to you.”
“So much for Susan, period.”
“Pretty funny,” Annie said. “Here she thinks she’s been so clever and really Brody’s made a total fool of her.”
“Not to her face. I’m going to be managing it for the first six months with the option to buy. By the time it’s mine Susan will be long gone.”
“So no pouring salt in the wound.”
“I don’t need to,” Courtney said. “Karma will get the old sour lemon without any help from me. I don’t need to be part of that.”
“You’re right. You don’t. I’m glad for you. But are you going to have enough inventory to fill the place?”
“It’ll take a while. I’ll have to stock it with some other brands as well. And I’ll have to tell Patricia I won’t be selling in her gift store anymore.”
“She’ll miss that, but I know she’ll be glad for you, too,” Annie said.
“I still can’t believe it,” Courtney said happily.
“Really generous on Brody’s part,” said Annie.
“He’s something else.”
No wonder Jenna had finally settled on him. Maybe they would be a good match. They both sure had a lot of heart.
Courtney ended the call, hugged her sketch book and twirled around. “My own shop!” Now the beach really did have everything she’d ever want.
* * *
Cinco de Mayo came, bringing another birthday for Jenna. Forty-four. She was getting old.
“I remember when I used to like having birthdays,” she said to Aunt Edie.
“You’re just a baby,” Aunt Edie scoffed. “You have lots of life left to live.”
Aunt Edie was right, but it was hard for Jenna not to focus on how much of hers had already slipped away. Not to mention how much of it she was still wasting by keeping herself in love limbo.
Courtney tried to ease the pain by planning a surprise party for her at Sandy’s, where they were offering specials on mojitos. Celeste came down and brought Mel, and all Jenna’s friends from the chamber of commerce showed up. She received enough chocolate from everyone to put her in a diabetic coma, along with flowers from both Seth and Brody. Brody’s bouquet was bigger.
Not big enough to hide the fact that she was another year older. Ugh.
“You’re not getting older, you’re getting better,” he assured her later when it was only the two of them, parked in his car at the beach, watching the moonlight dance on the water. “According to scientists, you’re hitting your peak sexually. I may not be able to keep up.”
That made her laugh. “Yeah, right, I’m believing that.”
“But I’ll try,” he added, and kissed her. Oh, yes, the man had more sizzle than a pan full of bacon. “You’re killing me,” he said when she broke away before clothes could start getting shed right there in the front seat. “Come back to my place and let’s make this worth our while. You know you want to.”
She did. And yet something kept holding her back.
Fear. She gave Seth such a bad time about being a chicken, but it turned out he wasn’t the only clucker in Moonlight Harbor.
“Just a little more time,” she said. “I need to be sure.”
He looked hurt. “Seriously? What are we doing, then?”
“Making sure. I know I’m being a flake but...” Her voice trailed off. How long before you recovered from a divorce, anyway? “I keep thinking, what if something