That Thing You Do (Whispering Bay Romance 1)

“Where’s your friend Jordan?” Allie demanded

Claire’s nervous gaze darted through the room. “She’s here somewhere.”

“And her parents?”

“I think…her mom’s outside by the pool.”

“Wonderful,” Allie said. “Let’s go meet her.”

“No, Aunt Allie, please, don’t make a scene.”

“You’re just lucky your dad’s not here.”

At the mention of Zeke, Claire’s eyes widened. Allie gave Hipster Boy a steely glare before they headed down to the pool area, where they found a slim blonde woman in her forties lying on a recliner, reading a magazine and sipping what looked like a margarita, complete with salt around the glass rim. Allie fought the urge to snatch the drink from the woman’s perfectly manicured hands and either toss it into the pool or gulp it down herself.

“You know you got kids drinking inside the house?” Tom said.

The woman slowly folded herself out of the lounge chair. She wore a tight white tank top emphasizing a set of knockers that probably cost the equivalent of six months’ worth of tips at The Blue Monkey. Her denim skirt was almost as short as Claire’s. “Who are you?” she demanded.

“I’m her aunt,” Allie said, pointing a finger at Claire. “And she’s barely sixteen.”

The woman didn’t even blink. “Are you her guardian?”

“No, that would be her father, the police chief of Whispering Bay.”

“Police?” The woman made a frowning motion but her brow remained frozen in an obvious case of plastic surgery overdose. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Yeah, well, you have about ten minutes to clear it up before he gets here,” Allie said. Tom raised a brow. Okay, so she was bluffing. But Jordan’s mom didn’t have to know that.

“I suggest you round up the kids and have them call their parents. Underage drinking in your home is one thing. But letting these kids drive while under the influence is asking for trouble. Not to mention all the law suits that could come out of it.” Tom gazed around the ritzy pool area. “Of course, seems to me you could probably afford it.”

Jordan’s mother appeared shock. “You mean, the kids are drinking liquor?”

“No, they’re having milk and cookies upstairs,” Allie said.

The woman barely glanced at Allie but she gave Tom a more generous perusal. “Good idea about getting the kids to go home. Ever since my divorce, it’s just been me and Jordan and I’m afraid I’ve let her get away with too much. Maybe you could stay to help me?” she asked Tom, batting a set of eyelashes that had be extensions. As if she was fooling anyone! Was there any part of her that was real?

“Sorry, but my husband’s busy,” Allie said. Maybe a shove in the pool would bring this woman back to reality. Except Allie had a feeling Jordan’s mother wouldn’t mind a little wet T-shirt action. Especially not if Tom was around to witness it.

The woman’s gaze honed in on Allie’s left hand. “The two of you are married?”

“It’s a modern marriage. We don’t believe in rings.” Allie grabbed Tom’s hand and led him back through the house and out the front door. She glanced back briefly to make sure Claire was following, which thankfully, she was.

Claire meekly took a seat in the mid row of the minivan and buckled herself in.

Allie turned to Tom. “Can you believe that woman? And by the way, you can thank me later for saving you from that…Botoxed barracuda back there.”

The corner of his mouth twitched up into a half grin. Then he glanced around and the grin disappeared. “Um, I think we lost the boys.”

“What?” She whipped around. Tom was right. The boys were MIA. It was official. She was world’s worst adult. “Captain Crunch,” Allie muttered.

“In this case I think I would have gone with something a little stronger.”

She shrugged. “If I could, I would.”

“Right. You stay here with Claire and I’ll go back in the house and find them.”

As she watched Tom walk away she couldn’t help but yell, “Watch out for the water!”