Page 7 of Starfish Cottage
Pearl twisted in the passenger seat to look at her friend. It was Pearl’s turn to ride shotgun, so Leena was in the back. “I agree. The cottage seems to be coming along, though.”
“It sure does, but I thought Frank was going to be working on it.” Leena gave Rose a pointed look.
Even though Rose was driving and couldn’t see Leena, she grimaced. She knew what her old friend was getting at. “He’s sick.”
“Uh-huh.” Leena settled back in the seat. “He seemed fine when I saw him this morning at Ocean Brew.”
“Came on sudden,” Rose said.
“Rose! Are you playing matchmaker?” Pearl asked. “You know Dex already has a girlfriend.”
“I know, but don’t you think he’d be cute with Maddie?” Rose asked. She didn’t care much for Dex’s girlfriend, Lorelei. She’d tried to like her because she wanted to be supportive of Dex. She wanted Dex to be happy, but the truth was she didn’t think Lorelei would make Dex happy. She wanted Dex to move away to Portland, and she knew Dex would hate it there. Not to mention that if Dex moved away, Rose would be very unhappy. The two of them were close, and she’d miss him terribly.
“I think it’s a good idea.” Leena shoved a five-dollar bill over the back of the seat. “I’m putting five on them.”
With not a lot to do in Shell Cove, the three ladies had taken to making small bets on things going on around town. Potential romances were their favorite.
Pearl took the money and shoved it into the glove box. “Don’t forget you lost the Nules bet.”
They’d also taken to combining the romance-interest names as a shortcut. Nules was Nick who worked in the bank and Maddie’s cousin Jules.
“Not yet. I haven’t seen anything official from them,” Leena said.
“Young folks don’t exactly send out announcements or wear the boy’s pin like back in our day. They’ve been seen on various dates. I think you have to admit you were wrong and they are going to be a couple,” Rose said.
Leena smiled. “Well, they do look happy together. Fine. You guys win.”
“I’m not taking your bet on Maddie and Dex, though,” Rose said.
“You mean Mex?” Pearl seemed pleased at her shortcut name for the couple. “Me either. We want them to get together.”
“Well, that’s no fun. Can’t have a wager if we’re all on the same side.” Leena shoved her hand in between them and motioned for Pearl to return the bill. “I don’t really care for Lorelei anyway, so I kind of do hope he ditches her and goes for Maddie.”
“Yeah,” Pearl agreed. “Dex is a sweetheart, and Lorelei doesn’t treat him very well. She’s kind of bitchy.”
Rose and Leena both looked at Pearl in surprise. She rarely used unkind words.
Pearl straightened her blouse. “What? She is.”
“Can’t argue there,” Leena said. “Besides I think I might still be on to win the Chukeena bet.”
“Chuck and Deena?” Rose asked. “There’s no way those two are breaking up.”
“I don’t know. You said yourself their kids aren’t for it.”
“Hmm, true. They might have to stand up to them. They can’t let their kids run their lives,” Rose said.
“The kids don’t even live in town. Deena’s daughter doesn’t know Chuck, and Chuck’s son doesn’t know Deena. They need to meet and give them a chance,” Pearl said.
“Maybe we should suggest that,” Rose said. “Now that we have a nice motel in town, the kids could come for a visit and see how happy their parents are together.”
“Sounds like meddling. Maybe we’d better stay out of it,” Leena said. “Besides, if Maddie doesn’t come up with an event to bring people to town, we’re going to have bigger things to worry about than other people’s love lives.”
Chapter Five
Maybe it was a silly thing, but Gina was proud to show off her chocolate cream pie to her cousins. She’d taken great pains on the presentation, and the dish was piled high with whipped cream sprinkled with shaved chocolate. Jules and Maddie both made a big deal of it, and they cut their pieces, grabbed a bottle of wine, and sat on the porch of the Beachcomber.
Life was strange, Gina mused as she rocked in her chair, eating the pie and looking out at the ocean as the sun set behind them, lighting the sky with pastel pinks and blues and glinting off the tops of the waves. When she’d first inherited the motel with her cousins, she hadn’t even intended to stay in town. But now, she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
