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

so.”

“Oh, is your mother one of those?” Pat asked as nicely as possible.

“My mom is crazy nosy. She butts into everyone’s business and always thinks she knows best about everything. She can sew a dress without a pattern and makes the best lasagna you’ll ever taste. And she’d throw herself in front of a bus for anyone she loves.”

“She sounds like a wonderful person.”

“She is. She’s my best friend, well, besides my best friend Kate. You know how they say wait till you’re thirty and then all of a sudden your mom becomes the smartest person you know? Lucky for me I was only twenty-five when I figured it out so I’m five years ahead of everyone else.”

“Lucky for her, too. Does she have plans for you to move back to Tampa someday?”

Jenna chewed this over. “Not really. I mean, she just wants me to be happy, wherever that might be.” Of course, her mother’s version of happiness included a man.

“And are you? Happy?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I have a great job and my aunt Viola is here, too, so it’s not like I don’t have some family around.”

“Family is important,” Pat agreed.

The buzzing sound of a cell phone interrupted their conversation. “Is that you?” Jenna asked pointing to the phone on the counter.

“Yeah, that’s mine.” Pat glanced at the screen, but instead of picking up the call, she hit the reject button.

“Telemarketers,” said Jenna. “Ugh! It used to be they only got you on landlines but now they’re everywhere.”

Pat didn’t smile or say anything, giving Jenna the impression that something wasn’t right. “Is everything okay?”

She looked away. “It’s not a telemarketer. It’s Carl.”

“Does he need you to work tonight?”

A soft little whimper escaped her. “No, it’s not that.”

Jenna put her arm around the older woman who still wouldn’t meet her gaze. “What’s wrong?” Then she remembered the look Carl gave Pat at The Bistro, and everything suddenly made sense. Including Pat’s resistance to move to Miami. “So it’s like that, huh?” Jenna said gently.

Pat sniffled and managed a nod. “He wants to marry me, but…it won’t work out.”

“Why not? I mean, if that’s what you want, too?”

“More than anything in the world.”

“Does Ben know?”

Pat shook her head vehemently as she wiped her eyes off with the edge of her shirt. “No. And he’s not going to find out, either.”

“I don’t understand. Doesn’t he like Carl?”

“He likes him well enough. But don’t you see? Ben gave up everything for me and Jake. He even put off college to join the army so he could help support us. And now that he’s made a big name for himself with that firm in Miami, I can’t ask him to give that up.”

“Let me get this straight. Ben’s life is in Miami and Carl’s life is in Hopalinka?”

Pat nodded. “Carl makes a decent leaving with the Stop and Go, but he doesn’t have enough saved to retire yet. Maybe in a few years he can sell the place and move to Miami, but right now…it’s just not feasible.” She straightened to her full height and put on a brave smile. “It’s okay. It’s Ben’s turn now. I’m going to be there one hundred percent for him and Rachel. I owe them that. And more.”

It didn’t seem fair. To be forced to choose between the man you loved and your son and granddaughter. There had to be a better solution than the one Pat had chosen, but at the moment, Jenna couldn’t think of one. She wished she had something wise to say, but maybe this was one of those times when it best to say nothing. At least, for now.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The following morning Jenna was in her office, trying to enjoy her new ergonomic desk, when Ben called with the bad news. “We Gotcha, Inc isn’t cooperating. Apparently, this Stuart Malloy is a real pain in the ass.”