Page 51 of Summer Tease
“I can almost forgive her that awful last name,” Grams says with a disgusted turn to her mouth.
“Hi,” I say, reminding them I’m still here and they have yet to acknowledge me. I’m not too broken up, though, that after greeting me, their main interest is discussing the scene they just read. Not only is it highly entertaining to hear these old ladies talk romance, it’s a welcome alternative to being cussed out.
Grams’s knee and hip are doing a bit better, but she’s still got the walker placed near her chair. When I ask her about physical therapy, she goes on a tirade about paying people to hurt her.
By the time I leave, the ladies’ noses are back in their books, and they’ve been joined by two other women and one man who are also part of the retirement center’s book club. I hear a cackle of laughter from Gram once I’m outside, and it makes me smile. Spending some time with Beau Palmer is worth that sound. Grams has been alone for so long that she deserves the constant companionship she has here.
It’s even worth the whispered conversations and stares I get from some of the Palmerites as I walk through the halls and lobby to the golf cart. I don’t know nor do I care why they’re staring and talking about me. I’ve got just seven more days until I can leave it behind again.
I stop by the general store on the way home to grab a six-pack of La Croix for Cat Keene. While I’m at it, I get a couple things from their incredibly small selection of home decor to spruce up the kitchen area for pictures later.
Cat shows up at one o’clock, hair pulled back and cleaning supplies in hand.
“You are alifesaver,” I say, letting her in and refusing to glance at the Palmers’ house, but I see in my peripheral vision that Beau’s cop cart isn’t in the driveway and Tristan’s cart is. I give Cat a quick rundown on what needs cleaning. “Obviously, you can prioritize what you think is most needed,” I say as I show her the bedrooms. “Kitchen, living room, and bathrooms will get the most scrutiny, I assume.”
“I’ll start with the kitchen,” she says. “I’ll probably have time for that and both bathrooms today. I can finish up the rest tomorrow. I’ll get it all done, though. Don’t worry.”
“Perfect.” I lead the way downstairs and to the kitchen. “I’m hoping the house will sell quickly. It’s hard to know, though, when so few properties on the island go up for sale.”
“Yeah, most people tend to stick around. The Daineses next door only sold a couple of years ago, though, and if I remember right, the house got snatched up pretty quickly.”
“That’s encouraging,” I say.
“How long ago did your family move away, again?”
“About fourteen years.” I open the fridge to check whether her drinks are cold yet.
She starts pulling supplies out of the bins she brought in. “I can’t believe it’s been that long. And I can’t believe they’re trying to fund a new pool after all the drama with the old one.”
I pause with my hand on the can. “What?”
Cat looks at me, her brows up. “Oh. I figured you’d have heard. Yeah, they’re trying to figure out how to raise money for a new community pool since the council was too divided to allocate city funds to it.” She pulls on her gloves.
I scoff. “Unbelievable. And yet so very believable. As long as the Palmers got what they wanted, right?” They got their retirement center, the island will get their pool, and the Sawyers are pushed out in the process. Everyone wins except us. We’re just collateral damage.
Cat grimaces and runs her sponge under the tap. “Sorry. I really thought you already knew.”
“I’ve kept to myself since being back, so it’s not surprising I haven’t heard anything.” I frown as I shut the fridge door and set the can on the counter. “I’d have thought Grams would’ve said something. It’s not something she’d keep quiet about.”
Cat smiles and sprays cleaner along the island countertop. Like anyone who knows Grams, Cat realizes there’s very little that falls into the category ofWhat Virginia Sawyer will keep quiet about. “But you seem to be on decent terms with Beau, right?”
I snort and lean my back against the counter opposite the island. “If bygood terms, you mean I haven’t strangled him yet, yes. I’ve needed his help to prevent his family from kicking Grams out of Seaside Oasis, so now I’m paying my dues by helping him with a little work project.”
“It’s not easy working closely with someone you dislike,” she says.
“You sound like a woman with experience. I take it you and Olivia Belacourtdidn’tmake up after we left the island?” The two of them had a short-lived friendship that turned sour before we moved away. It sort of tainted the whole Belacourt family for her—that and their obscene amount of wealth.
“No,” she scrubs hard at the grout between the countertop tiles. “It got way worse.”
“And now you’re working with Noah,” I say sympathetically. “Is he as bad as his sisters?”
“Is anyone?”
“The Palmers,” I say.
She laughs. “I should’ve known better than to ask.” Shepauses her scrubbing and cocks her head to the side. “Noah’s definitely not like his sisters. But he’s still a Belacourt, you know? So rich it’s hard to relate.”
“No wonder they and the Palmers are friends. Two families used to getting their way. Maybe Beau can marry Olive or Bree.”
