Can't Stop the Feeling (Whispering Bay Romance 6)

Jenna came to halt. “You checked Ben’s picture out on Google?”

“And his law firm website. Why didn’t you tell me he’d gone to Harvard?” Her mother sounded as excited as a teenage girl being asked to the prom. “Of course, there is that pesky business with that Tiffany McAdams. She’s very attractive, in a flashy sort of way. But honestly, honey, what man wouldn’t pick you over Tiffany? You’re beautiful, smart and the entire country hasn’t seen your breasts. I do have to admit, though, Tiffany does have some very nice perky ones. Do you think they’re fake?”

“Mom, please don’t tell me you looked up Tiffany’s Playboy pictures.”

“How else can I measure up the competition? I know it might seem insurmountable, especially considering how many pictures there are of the two of them together floating around in that cloud. But don’t forget when you were eleven, the Tampa Bay Italian American Club named you Little Miss Italy, and the competition was very fierce.”

For the first time in her life, her mother had rendered her completely and utterly speechless.

“No need to say anything. I don’t have to know all the details of your love life. Just let me know when things progress to the point that I need to defrost a pot roast. We want Ben’s first dinner with us to be memorable.” There was a pause. “He isn’t a vegetarian, is he? Never mind, we’ll figure something out. Gotta go, hon!”

There was nothing to do after that phone call except eat. Preferably chocolate. And lots of it. The Bistro by the Beach was just a short jog ahead. One of Lucy’s delicious muffins would have to suffice until she could get to the Piggly Wiggly and buy out their Snickers inventory.

“Good morning, Jenna!” Lucy chirped from behind the counter. “Gorgeous weather, isn’t it?” She took Jenna’s order then handed her a large mug of coffee.

Jenna took a long appreciative sip of the java. Maybe if she drank enough coffee she’d wake up to realize that the phone call from her mother had been nothing but a dream. She checked out the recent calls log on her phone and cringed. Nope. Not a dream.

“Interesting meeting last night, huh?”

“Apparently so,” Jenna muttered.

“I have to admit,” Lucy said in a low voice so that they wouldn’t be overheard, “there’s a part of me that wouldn’t hate it if there was a little more commercial build up in the area.”

“Really?” Jenna couldn’t hide her surprise. Lucy had always struck her as the artistic type. But everyone had to make a living, and Lucy and Sarah had just bought The Bistro. They probably had a significant loan payment.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Lucy said, “I wouldn’t want the beaches overrun with condos, but you know Luke Powers has that awesome environmental engineering firm. There’s no reason you can’t build responsibly. Right?”

“True.” She thanked Lucy for the muffin, then scanned the small café for an empty table, but there were none. She wouldn’t mind sharing a table with someone, but since it was Saturday, the crowd was a little different than the usual weekday customers. Mostly tourists and unknowns.

Then her gaze hit a familiar face. Ben’s mother. Also seated at her table was a man Jenna didn’t recognize. Pat Harrison waved her over. “Come join me!” She introduced Jenna to her companion.

His name was Carl Russell. He was about sixty and bald. He wore jeans and a leather motorcycle jacket and appeared to be in good shape for a man his age.

“Nice to meet you, Jenna,” he said warmly. “Pat has been telling me all about how you found Rachel the other night. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. That little girl means the world to me.”

“It’s lucky I was in the right place at the right time.”

“I’ll say.” He smiled, then turned his attention back to Pat. “I should probably go now.” He hesitated. “Will I see you tonight?”

Pat nodded meaningfully. Carl left, and Jenna took his vacant seat.

“Thanks for sharing a table.” So, this might be a little weird having coffee and muffins with the mother of the man you just had crazy monkey sex with a couple of nights ago. She’d try not to think of that. “Carl seems nice.”

“He is. He owns the Stop and Go where I work. Or, rather, where I used to work.”

“So he’s your ex-boss, huh?” The lingering look that Carl had given Pat seemed a lot more than boss to employee.

“And a good friend as well.”

“I don’t mean to sound nosy, but I couldn’t help but be curious about that last comment of his.”

“Technically I suppose I’m no longer employed at the Stop and Go, but I still like to help out when I can. So since we’re still in the area…” She shrugged.

Jenna took a sip of her coffee. “Will you miss it when you move to Miami?”

Her answer was immediate. “Yes.” Pat’s eyes widened at her admission. “Don’t tell my son I said that. If it was up to him, the instant he passed the bar exam I would have quit my job and gone to live with him.”

“Because he doesn’t want you to work or because he doesn’t think working at the Stop and Go is fancy enough?”