Lighthouse Reef (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 4) Page 10

  “Oh Scott. They are not. After they see me check groceries and pound on a piano, I’ll be lucky if they trust me enough to make copies of their will let alone write one.”

  “Overall, this town is a good little place to live. But even I know that sometimes the people in it need a good swift kick in their backside to accept newcomers. Be patient with some of them. They resist a changing of the guard. But there’s a new girl in town.”

  She gave him a quick smile. “Thanks. I guess I needed to hear that right about now. My confidence is a little on the low side lately.” She glanced at her watch again. “But right now I need to grab something to eat and then beg a ride from Jordan to take me into town.”

  “Jordan’s happy to get you there. Nick can take care of the kids.”

  When she started walking back, she turned, saw him still standing in the same spot. Kinsey stopped as if she’d just thought of something else. “You were there, weren’t you? At The Pointe last night, looking out for me? I felt—a presence. You should’ve moved a glass or something. Sam Wheat would have.”

  “Maybe I’ll work on that. Did Donnelly renege on his bet?”

  She shook her head. “He paid up the next day. Nice job by the way.”

  Grinning widely, Scott gloated, “It’s one of the perks I never tire of getting to use.”

  “Do you think he’ll ever come around? He dropped me off at work last night and seemed troubled, even sulky.”

  “That pretty much nails the guy’s attitude.”

  “He’s keeping something back, isn’t he?”

  “Patience, Kinsey. The man needs a ton of it from the people around him.”

  Kinsey walked through the back door to see Jordan busy at the kitchen counter. The same spot where she’d left her the night before.

  “The Isaksens checked out last night,” Jordan announced as she filled a sippy cup with milk for her son. Baby Scott sat in his high chair gleefully pounding a spoon against the plastic tray. With each smack Scott seemed to get a kick out of the clamor.

  “It was just a matter of time before they left. They were still grumbling about asking for a refund yesterday at breakfast,” Kinsey revealed, taking a seat on one of the bar stools.

  “Which they got,” Nick offered. “It was worth it to stop the complaints.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t brought the whole thing up they would be none the wiser. Who knew they would be so upset they’d want their money back?”

  “I got the impression they wanted an excuse for a free stay,” Jordan disclosed. “I overheard them talking outside at one of the tables where they took their lunch yesterday. It happens in this business.” Jordan turned to Nick. “Do you want me to tell her about the apartment?”

  “Go ahead,” Nick said.

  “What apartment? There are no apartments in Pelican Pointe.”

  Nick grinned. “Oh I don’t know there’s at least one. As it happens it’s vacant.”

  “Really? Where?”

  “Studio living at its finest,” Jordan teased. “The apartment over the garage. We affectionately call it Studio 45. You know, the reverse of 54.”

  “Private joke,” Nick declared. “I lived there when I first came to Pelican Pointe. As a matter of fact, so did Hayden.”

  “Scott said…” Kinsey stopped short.

  Nick exchanged glances with Jordan.

  “Doesn’t matter, I’ll take it,” Kinsey said flatly.

  “Don’t you want to check it out first?” Jordan asked.

  “If it’s good enough for Hayden, it’s good enough for me. I am curious about it though. When can I look at it?”

  “It’s across the courtyard. It won’t take but five minutes. Run over there and check it out. The door’s unlocked.”

  Kinsey hopped down off the stool, danced in place. “I’m sorry to have to ask but I need a ride—”

  “I’ll take you into work,” Jordan offered. “Logan mentioned to Nick your car wouldn’t start. Now go check out your new digs. On the drive into town, maybe we can come up with a new décor. Pick a color and we’ll slap some paint on the walls.”

  “Really? That sounds fantastic. What is the rent though?” Kinsey asked, prepared to negotiate a deal.

  Nick threw out an incredibly low number.

  “That’s…unbelievable. Are you doing this because my car conked out?”

  “We’re doing this because we don’t want you getting frustrated and heading back to the Bay area.”

  Kinsey’s eyes got bleary as she dashed over to hug Jordan. “How can I ever thank you both for helping me?”

  “You haven’t seen the place yet,” Nick said.

  “It doesn’t matter. I love it already.”

  Once Kinsey walked through those double doors at Murphy’s Market, she wore her store uniform with an air of pride. Whether or not it was Scott’s influence, she didn’t know. Or it might’ve been Jordan’s pep talk on the drive into town. Her hostess had almost echoed Scott’s words verbatim. Give the town time. Give the people a chance to accept her. Things would work out.

  She’d known when she’d packed up her stuff back in San Francisco that it wouldn’t be easy establishing herself in a new place. But she’d hoped and she’d dreamed of starting over. While she certainly didn’t plan on failure here, she had to believe that they were all correct. Scott and Jordan and Nick, even Hartley, all seemed to agree it just took time.

  Kinsey Wyatt was more than willing to give the town the time it needed. After all, she had a place to live now. With her extra income, she would have more money coming in. She didn’t want to head back to the Bay. She wanted to be a part of bringing the town back from the dead. Oddly, she wanted to see her new little town thrive.

  But who was she kidding? Those dreams of making it as lawyer might have been a little too fancy for someone who didn’t really have a conventional law degree. With some resignation Kinsey realized she might’ve been deluding herself. At some point, she might have to consider that maybe checking groceries is all she was ever meant to do. Maybe all this time she’d been trying to reach too high. Maybe her expectations were just a little too grandiose.

  If all she had to offer Pelican Pointe was a cashier at the store, she’d have to be happy with that.

  After all, there wasn’t a thing wrong with working hard to earn a living, or wearing a uniform to do it.

  This one was pretty simple in its design. Murphy had issued her a green apron with the store logo to be worn over a white pocket shirt embroidered with the logo on the left side. Murphy also provided a pair of khaki pants. She looked like a mannequin on display right out of the Gap store.

  One thing she learned within the first hour though. The townspeople were curious about her. Working at the only grocery store in town she got to meet the residents, one by one. In Kinsey’s lane alone it soon became apparent the line stretched out longer and longer. They pretty much all wanted to know the same thing. By ten o’clock she’d answered the same question more than two dozen times. Why had the newly hired lawyer already given up on her job with Aaron Hartley to run the checkout stand at Murphy’s Market?

  At this rate it was only a matter of hours before one of them ran back to Aaron, in Paul Revere mode carrying the news about her extracurricular weekend activity. At least one of them.

  “Maybe with the next round of curiosity seekers, I should make an announcement,” Murphy suggested, once the store had cleared out from the first wave. He stood in front of the bank of windows facing Main Street and scratched his chin in amazement. “I can’t believe everyone in town ran out of milk at the same time this morning.”

  “How on earth did they know I was here?”

  A sheepish look crossed Murphy’s face. “I guess I might’ve mentioned to a few people I’d snagged an experienced cashier. Look, you stepped into this without me having to train you. That’s a big deal for this old grocer. Next batch of nosy busybodies, and I’ll set them straight.”

 
“Do you think it will do any good?”

  “It might. It couldn’t hurt,” Murphy said with a shrug.

  About that time another group walked through the double doors. All seemed to gawk in the direction of Kinsey.

  She sighed and glanced over at Murphy. “I think you should. This is fairly ridiculous.”

  Murphy walked to the little customer service counter in front of the store. He picked up a microphone. Over the intercom, Kinsey heard the words, “Now listen up, people. All of you damn well know I’m short-handed here since Alma Parker high-tailed it out of town with Clive Chester leaving me high and dry for a second cashier. For the time being, Kinsey has graciously agreed to help me out. Kinsey Wyatt is still very much employed as an attorney at Aaron Hartley’s law office. Now, if you don’t want to have to stand in a long line to check out at one check stand every time you come into shop, I suggest you refrain from asking her a bunch of stupid questions and start treating Kinsey with a little more respect. Try acting a whole lot nicer than you have been. Capiche?”

  There was some grumbling at first. Some muttered how Murphy was a damn fool for taking it upon himself to make a big deal out of their natural curiosity. But not long afterward, the questions slowly ground to a halt as people went about their shopping or left the store without purchasing a single item.

  By the time Logan came down for breakfast, it was almost nine. He had the dining room to himself, which he knew was a rarity with so many guests for the weekend. Jordan brought him a cheesy, bacon-filled omelet with a mug of vanilla bean coffee.

  “I guess I slept late. Everyone seems to be gone already.”

  “Ben and Sheryl went on a hike since this is their last day. The honeymooners are down at the cove sunbathing. And the Whitney sisters seemed to have a thing for the area’s flora and fauna. They’ve gone wild with their camera phone.” She snickered before going on, “There’s no time schedule here, Logan. If you wanted to sleep till eleven, I’d still fix you something to eat when you got up. That’s the beauty of running and staying at a B & B. Personal service.”

  “I guess after her date, Kinsey is sleeping in, too.”

  Jordan eyed Logan, studied his face. “Kinsey was up at first light. She’s in town. Working.”

  “On a Saturday? She’s a dedicated lawyer, I’ll give her that. How’d she get into town anyway? Her car needs an alternator.”

  “I dropped her off at Murphy’s Market. She has a weekend job there checking groceries. Today’s her first day.”

  Logan stopped chewing and stared at Jordan. “Checking groceries? Why?”

  Jordan stared at the renowned artist. Were there really people who lived in an alternate universe, who didn’t realize the real world sometimes involved making ends meet anyway they could? It hadn’t been that long since Jordan had been a member of the club. Did Logan simply not understand how money problems could wedge into real life, cripple your self-confidence and leave you depressed? “Why does anyone get a job? I assume Kinsey needs the extra income to fatten her bank account. I do know her mother had a lengthy bout with cancer, died last year from it. I think Kinsey has medical bills to pay off. And it seems Hartley didn’t crack open his wallet very far when he offered her the job here.”

  “She mentioned her mother died. If she’s having money problems, it’s a damn shame about her car.”

  “It’s never a good time to have expensive car repairs pop up.” Jordan sighed. She and Nick may have solved Kinsey’s housing problem, but the car thing was another matter entirely. She’d have to talk to Wally and see if he’d consider working a discount for her. Jordan didn’t want to see Kinsey unhappy after only three weeks in town.

  “Well, all I know is she had a hot date last night. I dropped her off at The Pointe at six-thirty to meet up with some guy. Least he could’ve done was come out here to pick her up. Why are women always attracted to that kind of rat?”

  Jordan hadn’t known Kinsey’s destination. But since she didn’t know why Kinsey had spent her Friday night at The Pointe, Jordan wasn’t going to elaborate. It wasn’t like Kinsey to evade, but last night the woman had done just that. Of course, Kinsey was entitled to her privacy. “What makes you think she had a date?” Jordan finally asked.

  “Are you kidding? She was dressed to the nines when she left out of here. Perfume, heels, the hair up on her head twisted in some sophisticated knot. And that little black dress said first date to me.”

  “Hmm. The Pointe? Logan, did she actually say she had a date?”

  Logan frowned. Had she? “Not in so many words but she acted like she did. Why else would a woman dress like that?”

  “Maybe she had dinner with a new client.”

  “Some client. I think I should switch lawyers. My attorney sure never went to the trouble to look like that for a meeting. Mine’s short, balding, and pushing fifty.”

  “I’m sure Kinsey would consider taking you on as a new client,” Jordan joked.

  “Something to think about,” Logan muttered as he began to replay the trip last night into town. If she’d been going to dinner, why then, had she eaten on the trip there? She couldn’t be waitressing in that black dress. Or could she?

  “Have you ever eaten at The Pointe?” He asked Jordan.

  “Sure.”

  “What does the wait staff wear?”

  “Black pants and a white shirt with a black apron. Why?”

  “Then it had to be a date because she damned sure wasn’t going there to wait tables in that get-up.”

  Chapter Nine

  That afternoon when four-thirty rolled around, Kinsey punched out with two hours to kill. Since she didn’t have a car to make it back to the B & B, she decided it was just as well after what had happened last night when she’d tried to make a quick turnaround only to get caught answering a dozen questions.

  That’s why she’d brought a change of clothes with her, an emerald green dress with a V neck and three-quarter sleeves, heels to match, a leftover from her mother’s eighties wardrobe. The outfit was a tad retro but then she thought it might work for the older dinner crowd. At least she wouldn’t risk running late again. Murphy knew about her third job and had agreed to let her come back as time got closer to use the ladies room to change clothes. Kinsey just had to find something to do to fill two hours.

  But first she had to talk to Wally Pierce at the gas station about her Nissan. She started walking—and thinking.

  Last night, once she’d started playing the nerves had vanished. She was almost as surprised as most of Perry Altman’s diners had been. Some she had recognized. Like the veterinarian, Bran Sullivan, and his wife, Joy. They had been having dinner with their daughter, Donna, and her husband Ricky Oden. Ricky played guitar and mandolin in his own bluegrass band, Blue Skies. As if in a show of support, the fellow musician had made a point to give her a thumbs-up right before dropping what looked like a twenty dollar bill into her tip jar.

  Marabelle Crawford and her sister, Ina, who had to both be nearing the sunny side of eighty, had done the same, albeit in a much smaller denomination. But it was the gesture that touched Kinsey the most.

  After her first number ended, it had embarrassed Kinsey that Wade Hawkins, the retired history professor with a wild head of white hair, had put down his fork to applaud and kept doing so until others had followed his lead.

  Reverend Whitcomb and his wife, Dottie, had made a point to slip her a note that she’d be welcome at the Community Church anytime to play backup piano for Etta Mae Searcy, who’d had the job for at least a quarter of a century.

  Now that she thought about it, as the evening had progressed, the diners seemed to linger longer. Whether it was her playing or simply kicking back to celebrate the end of the week, they had ordered second bottles of wine, stayed to indulge in dessert, and linger over their conversation.

  As she went back over everything from last night, she decided Scott had been right. So had Jordan. Kinsey just had to give people time to get to know he
r.

  By the time she reached Wally’s her attitude was so much better, she sailed into the little office where Lilly, Wally’s wife of almost a year, sat behind the counter. The previous June, Lilly had married Wally Pierce, the service station owner and the best mechanic around. Wally had even adopted Lilly’s kids, Kyra and Joey.

  “Hi,” Lilly said in greeting. “How’s it going, Kinsey? How was your first day at Murphy’s?”

  “Hi, Lilly.” Kinsey went into a detailed account of her first hour on the job and the curious townspeople. When she got to the part where Murphy had used the intercom for his announcement, Lilly cracked up.

  “Yay, Murphy!” Lilly exclaimed. “But if you’re here about your car, Wally hasn’t had a chance to get to it yet. He’s been swamped.”

  “What are you talking about? I need Wally to tow it into town. My car wouldn’t start up last night. It probably just needs a new battery or wires or something. Even though, Donnelly the great sculptor, thinks it’s the carburetor.” Kinsey rolled her eyes.

  “Logan’s the one who called Wally out to Promise Cove. Wally towed it here this morning around ten. Logan said it was the alternator. Wally seems to think he’s right.”

  “My car’s here? Donnelly already called Wally?”

  “Yep. Couldn’t have fixed it anyway though, Kinsey. We had to order parts from Santa Cruz. Should be delivered first thing Monday. Your car’s on the lift now though, will stay there over the weekend. But like I said, Wally got sidetracked with one of the farm trucks for Cord Bennett’s crew. They need it for deliveries ASAP.”

  Kinsey did several quick calculations in her head before asking, “How much does an alternator run?”

  Lilly tossed out an amount.

  “Phew! With my new jobs, I can handle that. I’m still trying to understand why Donnelly took it upon himself to call Wally though.” She wasn’t sure if she should be grateful or pissed. “That man’s only been here four days and is already so infuriating to deal with, especially getting past that superior attitude he has. Have you noticed his habit of talking down to people?”