Page 15 of Sea Glass Serenade

“Say something to him!” Alexis mouthed, jerking her head in Jacob’s direction.

Hazel shook her head, suddenly feeling as chicken as Alexis had accused her of being the other day. “Not right now,” she mouthed back, shaking her head.

Alexis put her hands on her hips and gave Hazel a significant look.

“Do it,” Alexis whispered, her voice barely audible.

“What was that?” Jacob asked cheerfully without turning around.

Hazel cleared her throat loudly. “Oh, nothing. Just trying to get rid of this frog in my throat.”

He chuckled and kept working, clearly unaware that there was a silent conversation going on behind his back. “So far what I’m seeing is that I’ll need to replace this pipe. Looks like there’s a crack in it, which could explain the sounds you’re hearing. And we don’t want it to burst.”

“No,” Hazel said as she tried to shoo Alexis out of the kitchen. “We definitely don’t want that.”

Instead of leaving the kitchen, Alexis kept gesturing to Jacob. “Do it now,” she mouthed.

“No!” Hazel whispered. As much as she did agree with Alexis that she should say something to Jacob about how she felt about him, doing it with her sister secretly watching on the sidelines was not what she had in mind.

“What?” Jacob asked, starting to half turn around. Alexis ducked out of sight behind the refrigerator.

Hazel quickly feigned a cough. “Sorry, my allergies are starting up with a vengeance.”

“Mm, I hear that. Have you tried nasal spray? It did wonders for me. My ears used to get kind of stopped up from the sinus pressure. Everything sounded like I was under water, but I never knew why.”

“No, I haven’t tried it. That’s a good idea, thank you,” Hazel said as she tried to drag Alexis out of the kitchen.

“Just talk to him more,” Alexis whispered into Hazel’s ear. “Be more flirtatious!”

Hazel was about to gesture with frustration, since Alexis’s constant silent comments had been preventing her from interacting with Jacob in the way she wanted to, but at that moment, Samantha skipped into the kitchen.

“Oh, hi, Jacob,” she said. “Aunt Alexis, why are you whispering to Mom?”

Jacob turned around, surprised, and Alexis froze for a split second before smiling at the handyman with the utmost poise. “Good morning, Jacob! I was just asking Hazel if she wanted me to run out and get everyone coffee.”

Jacob seemed to buy this explanation without question, and he smiled. “Coffee maker covered in Saran wrap too, huh?”

“No, but Alexis likes to treat people to coffee every now and again,” Hazel said, grinning. “You want some coffee, Jacob? Our treat.”

“Sure. I’d take some black coffee. Sounds great, thanks, Alexis.”

“And I’ll take a lavender latte, thank you, sister.” Hazel grinned, pleased that she was at last going to be successful in getting Alexis out of the kitchen.

“Can I have coffee?” Samantha asked hopefully.

“No, but I’ll get you a hot cocoa or a steamer,” Alexis said, smiling at her niece. “You can come along with me and pick your drink out.”

Alexis waved goodbye to Hazel, and a moment later, she and Samantha disappeared through the back door.

“That’s sweet of her to get everyone coffee,” Jacob said, shining a flashlight inside the hole he’d made in the drywall.

“Mm. Yup, it is.” Hazel grinned quietly to herself.

“Yeah, I definitely need to replace this pipe. Would you be able to take the piece of drywall that I’ll hand you in a little bit? I don’t want to just drop it, and that’s easier than coming all the way back down the ladder.”

“Of course! Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.”

Jacob turned around and smiled at her for a moment, and his smile was so sweet and affectionate that the moment he turned around again, she placed her hands on her cheeks, feeling weak at the knees.

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