Sunset on Moonlight Beach - Sheila Roberts Page 0,73

gold and some are brass.”

“I’m not sure he even qualifies for brass,” Jenna said. More like wood. No, not even wood. Cow pies?

“This bath oil looks lovely.”

Jenna glanced at the picture. “It does. Oooh, lemon verbena.”

“It comes in gardenia, too. I think I’ll order some,” Mel said. “And maybe I’ll buy the face peel as well.”

“Yeah, that face peel looks good,” Jenna agreed. They were only on the first couple of pages. Yep, Winston wasn’t going to lose money on this visit.

A few minutes later Jenna saw his car—a shiny new SUV—drive off, and it looked like her wish was going to be granted and they wouldn’t see anything of Winston and company. But no, come dinner time, just as they were all about to sit down at the kitchen table, there was a knock at Aunt Edie’s front door.

“That’s probably Scotty,” Sabrina said, and ran off to let him in.

Scotty. Yes, it’s probably Scotty, Jenna told herself. Deep down she knew it wasn’t.

Sure enough, she could hear Winston’s voice booming from all the way down the hall. “Thought we’d drop in and say hi to everyone.” Then there he was, in the doorway, his wife and son behind him.

“Hello, Winston,” Aunt Edie said.

It wasn’t the world’s warmest welcome, but Winston soldiered on. “You’re looking good, Aunt Edie.”

Actually, she wasn’t. She looked tired and pale. After baking cookies she’d actually spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch. Jenna and Sabrina had made dinner, which had consisted of fried chicken and potato salad from the grocery store deli, along with French bread and a tossed salad.

“That all looks good,” Winston said, pointing to the feast on the table.

Not that there was room at the table. With Pete present there were already four of them seated around it.

The last thing Jenna wanted was to have to feed her moochy cousin. “There’s no room here at the kitchen table,” she pointed out.

“That’s okay. We’ll sit in the dining room,” Winston said. “Plates still in the same place in the cupboard?” He walked over and helped himself. “Family don’t need to stand on ceremony.”

And, she supposed, family needed to be fed when they showed up. Even when they showed up uninvited.

Kelly reached across the table and helped herself to a chicken leg. “It’s kind of you to feed us,” she said to Jenna. “Thanks.”

As if Jenna had any choice. But at least Kelly thanked her.

“That’s what family’s for,” Winston said. Sabrina’s eyes got big as he heaped a mountain of potato salad on his plate, practically emptying the container, and grabbed two pieces of French bread. “No breasts left?”

“We weren’t expecting company,” said Pete, glaring at him.

For once, Jenna and Pete were on the same page.

Winston’s brows lowered and studied him. “And you’re...?”

“Pete. I work around here.”

Sometimes.

Winston nodded. “Ah. Well, nice to meet ya, Pete. Jenna can probably use the help. It’s not easy running a place like this, especially when you haven’t had any experience.” He then turned his attention to his son, who’d picked the last piece of bread from the platter, and piled Winston Junior’s plate almost as high as his.

“So that’s the great-nephew, huh?” Pete said to Aunt Edie in disgust as Winston and family settled in the dining room. “What a mooch.”

Ah, irony.

Winston finished up the last of the potato salad and then got back to the kitchen in time for ice cream. “The old inn’s not looking too bad these days,” he said to Aunt Edie.

She smiled at Jenna. “Jenna has done a wonderful job bringing it back to life. She’s also on the city council now. Did she tell you?”

“Trying to be a mover and shaker, huh?” he said to Jenna.

“Doing my part,” she replied.

Doing important business, like voting on whether or not to enact a leash law. She’d been one of the ones who voted in favor of it at the last meeting, thinking it would be safer for the town’s dog population and make their owners more responsible. The people who loved to let their dogs run free on the beach hadn’t been happy with her.

“I guess next you’ll be running for mayor.” How did Winston manage to make something that should be a compliment sound like an insult? “Did I tell you what I’m doing now, Aunt Edie?” he asked.

“No, Winston. I haven’t heard from you since Christmas.”

“Oh, well, yes. I’ve been busy, you know. Anyway, I’m in car sales. Working at a car dealership. I just started last month and I’ve