by Jan Moran
“Howdy, ladies. What can I do for you?”
“This is Jim Boz,” Ivy said, introducing them. “Marina is Ginger’s daughter.”
“From San Francisco, I understand.”
“That’s right. Bennett suggested I start here for permits. I’d like to sell my homemade food at the farmers market and have pop-up dinners at Ginger’s cottage. Maybe a few times a week. After the concept is proven, I’d like to expand as a cafe.”
“You’re smart to ease into that.” Boz shook his head. “Rough times for restaurants right now in this town.”
“Why is that?” Marina asked.
“Our neighboring community approved some major chain restaurants last year,” Boz said. “They’re advertising heavily and offering deals that our local restaurants can’t match. Though their food isn’t nearly as good, the big boys have brand recognition. Tourists flock there, leaving our restaurants empty.”
Ivy nodded in agreement. “At the inn, we refer people to local cafes and diners, but the chain deals are pretty attractive. Visitors can get far better meals at local restaurants.”
“It’s herd mentality,” Boz added. “It’s a big problem this year. And I don’t know if many of our local folks can hang on much longer. The chains are already sniffing around here to buy or lease property from those that fail.”
Marina found this disturbing. “That would destroy part of what makes Summer Beach unique.”
“That’s the problem,” Boz said. “Besides hurting a lot of our local people. Java Beach, the Starfish Cafe, Rosa’s fish taco stand. These are just a few that have seen business decline.”
“Sounds like my timing could be better,” Marina said. All the more reason to start small, she decided. The shift in the market was concerning, not only for her but also for local restaurateurs and their clientele. She wondered what could be done about it.
“I see that Nan got you started with the business license.” Boz pulled out another sheaf of forms. “We’ll have to do an onsite inspection. How’s tomorrow?”
“Wow, so soon.” Immediately, Marina thought about how much cleaning she’d have to do. Not that the kitchen was dirty, but would they look behind the refrigerator? Or old Myrtle, the vintage red oven?
Boz arched an eyebrow. “Any problem with that?”
From the tone of his voice, she could tell he already had questions. “Will you perform the inspection?”
Boz clicked his pen a couple of times. “We have a contract vendor who’ll meet you at the house. I know where the cottage is, but she might not. Address?”
“Oh, right,” Marina said, feeling flustered. She’d have to tear the place apart for a good cleaning this afternoon.
The phone on the counter buzzed, and Boz picked it up. “She sure is. Shall I send her over?” He glanced at Ivy. “The big guy’s ready for that pastrami sandwich.”
“I’ll see you later, Marina, “ Ivy said. “Thanks for the lift.” She hugged Marina and walked out toward Bennett’s office.
Boz scanned her application. “Any experience with this kind of business?”
“No, but I’ve been cooking with Ginger all my life.”
“You’ll have to pass a food handlers and safety certification exam and follow the California Health and Safety Code Guidelines.” He slid a packet of information across the desk. “This contains the details you’ll need.”
Suddenly, her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it. A text from her agent floated across the screen. Call me at once. Re: Hal.
Marina sighed. Thoughts of that vermin clouded her mind. Irritated over Hal, she let out a huff. “How long will all this take? I was hoping I could get started at the farmers market this week.” She pressed her lips together. She hadn’t meant that to come out sounding quite so snippy.
Boz slapped another form on the desk. “In that case, you’ll need a Temporary Food Facility Permit.”
Annoyed at the mounting forms, Marina blew a wisp of hair from her forehead. She couldn’t believe all the details she’d have to address to sell a few loaves of bread. And she still had to calculate her costs to determine her profit margin. And test recipes. And create menus. Not to mention photographing food for the website and social media. “You’ve got to be kidding. All I want to do is sell some bread.”
Boz raised his eyebrows and inclined his head. “I don’t make the rules, ma’am.”
Marina pressed her fingertips against her temple. This was suddenly starting to seem like too much. She’d never run a business before. “And if I want to expand the patio area?”
“Depends on what you plan to build. Will you be using a contractor?”
“I think so.”
“I’d recommend it, ma’am.” He slid yet another form across the desk.
“Wow.” Marina didn’t mean to be rude, but going into business was a lot different from showing up for a job that she’d been doing for years. “Thanks, I guess.”
“If you have any questions, give us a call,” Boz said cheerfully. “We’re here to help, not hinder your efforts, even though it might seem that way now.”
With a grimace, Marina bundled up the paperwork and headed back to her car. Thankfully, the cheerful Nan was away from the reception desk. Marina could stand only so much help in one day. Yet, she was here to build a business.
In the parking lot, she paused by her car, breathing in to calm her frustration. Remembering the text that Gwen had sent, she tapped her agent’s number. Her call went straight to voice mail. If this was concerning Hal, it couldn’t be good. She left a message, shuddering just at the thought of her old boss.
Pausing, Marina looked out over the community from her vantage point. The sunshine warmed her face, and the expansive view of the ocean from this hilltop soothed her spirits. As each day passed, she felt a little lighter. So far, she had to admit that life was good in Summer Beach.
No more Hal, no more Babe, no more Grady. She had a chance to reboot her life. She chuckled to herself. Not that she had much choice. Her agent had made that clear.
But now, she was determined to be proactive and make the best of her situation.
Pulling her phone from her pocket, she dialed the contractor’s number. He picked up right away.
“Axe here,” came the confident, upbeat answer. “What can I do for you?”
Marina quickly explained who she was and what she needed. “When could you come over to look at the patio?”
“How about this afternoon?”
Deep voice, baritone, Marina noted. A voice meant for radio or voice-overs. “Sure. I’m on my way there now.”
“Then I’ll meet you there in half an hour,” Axe said.
Marina agreed and got into her car. There was a simplicity to life here that she found appealing.
When Marina arrived at the Coral Cottage, she saw Kai outside sunning herself. She had a broad floppy hat protecting her face and a gold-colored, retro bikini that showed off her toned body and long legs. Dancing in her musicals kept her in great shape.
Marina had kept her figure out of necessity for her job, although she’d noticed a little weight creeping onto her hips as she baked and sampled recipes. But she didn’t care. She liked the way she looked now. Not as gaunt and much happier. Here, she could be whoever she wanted.
Preferably, herself.
She walked toward her sister. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jack on the front porch of the guest cottage. He was bent over his laptop computer working, and Scout was snoozing by his feet. A funny feeling tugged at her, and she quickly shifted her attention back to Kai, who was humming along to a song in her head.
“Hey, you,” Marina said, tapping her shoulder. “Company is coming.”
Kai lifted an edge of the hat. “Are my services needed?”
“I have a contractor coming over to look at the patio. He’s going to give me a bid for work. I want to finish what we can on our own to keep the costs down.”
“And who, exactly, is this we of whom you spea
k?”
Marina perched on the edge of Kai’s chaise lounge. “Me, Brooke’s boys, and you.”
Kai raised herself on one elbow and reached for a thermos beside her chaise lounge. She sipped and arched an eyebrow at Marina. “First time I’m hearing about this.”
“Come on, Kai. It’ll be fun.” Marina held her hand out for the thermos. “I’m parched. Share your water?”
Kai hesitated. “It’s juice.” She passed the thermos.
Marina took a big sip and sputtered. “Wow, what is that?”
Laughing, Kai said, “It’s Shelly’s specialty. A Sea Breeze cocktail.”
“You didn’t tell me it had vodka in it.”
“Surprise. Just like you surprised me with the patio work.” Kai reclined and pulled her hat over her face.
“Come on, Kai. Think of all the times I’ve helped you with things like homework.”
“Are you going to hold that over my head forever?” She reached out a hand and wiggled her fingers. “May I have that back, please?”
Marina took another sip. So refreshing. She took one more sip and handed the thermos back to Kai.
In the distance, Marina saw a truck turn onto the lane that led to their property. “I think that’s the contractor. Get up. Besides, you’re burning.”
“No, I’m not. Wake me when it’s over.”
The truck came to a halt beside Marina’s car, and a tall, Montana-sized man stepped out. His sun-bleached hair was brushed back, and aviator sunglasses obscured his eyes. Axe wore a sport shirt with nice-fitting jeans and boots. All that was missing was the cowboy hat.
Marina poked Kai in the ribs. “You might want to see this.”
“Leave me out of this.”
Axe strode toward them. “Are you Marina Moore?” His deep voice matched his build.
Marina rose. “I am. And that’s my sister under there.”
Kai peeked out from under her hat. “Well, hi there,” she said, surprise evident in her tone.
“Hello.” Axe touched his forehead with a finger as if a hat often sat there.
Cowboy hat, Marina bet.
Marina saw Axe’s eyes flick toward Kai—she was a difficult vision to resist—but to his credit, he snapped his gaze back to Marina. “Where’s this patio?”
“I’ll show you,” Marina said.
Beside her, Kai sat up abruptly. “I’ll come, too.”
“You don’t have to, Kai. We’ve got this.” Marina smothered a laugh.
Kai stood. Or rather, she tried to stand. All of a sudden, her sister crumpled toward the ground, and her sunhat rolled off.
“Whoa, there,” Axe said, catching Kai before she fell.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Kai said, flushing even beneath her sunburn. “My legs went to sleep.”
“Or maybe that juice got to you,” Marina remarked.
As Kai shook out her legs, Axe stood beside her, supporting her while trying to keep a respectable distance. “You might want to sit down, ma’am.”
Kai turned a radiant smile toward him. “My sister’s the ma’am. I’m quite a bit younger, so I’m still a miss.”
Marina rolled her eyes. “My sister is a stage actress. Can you tell?”
“I’ve heard you were in town again this summer,” Axe said as he bent down to retrieve her hat. “Years ago, I used to sing and act in a little summer stock myself. Now, about this patio?”
With a rich voice like his, Marina could just imagine. And she saw Kai visualizing that, too. “The patio is this way.” After Kai shot her a scathing look, Marina started for the patio, with Kai limping behind them.
“Kai, dear, you might want to put something over that.” Marina motioned toward Kai’s barely-there bikini. “You don’t want to burn, and our guest has already seen the merchandise.” She wanted Axe’s full attention on the patio job. And she couldn’t resist teasing Kai a little more.
“Oh, Marina, really!” Kai tore off her hat and flounced inside.
While Marina described what she envisioned, Axe walked around the small patio. “We’d have to grade the property or extend the space with a deck.”
“A deck sounds nice, and I’d like to string up lights overhead to give it a cozy ambiance. Under the stars and softly lit. And maybe a firepit, while we’re at it.”
“We can do whatever you want.” Taking off his sunglasses, he flipped open a small photo book he’d brought with him. “Here are several that we’ve done. You might like one of these, or if you have images or photos of something you like, we can probably recreate it.”
As Marina glanced through the photos, she raked her teeth over her bottom lip. “I’m afraid my champagne taste might exceed my budget, though. I’d hoped that I could do some of the finish work, string up the lights, that kind of thing.”
“Sure, I’d be happy to work with you on that.” Axe’s eyes crinkled at the corners.
Marina guessed that he was about Kai’s age. Mid-to-late thirties. “You’ve done a lot of work. Have you been in Summer Beach long?”
“Long enough to call it home now.” He grinned. “My folks still live in Montana, and I go back to see them on the ranch and get in some snow skiing nearby, but it’s a different life.”
“They must miss you,” she said.
“I’ve got five brothers and sisters still there. My folks don’t have time to miss me much. And they come to visit when the snow gets too deep there.”
Idly, Marina wondered if he were married. Not for her, of course. She didn’t see a ring on his finger, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
Marina tapped a photo. “I like this deck.”
“You can keep the cost down by buying a ready-made firepit.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Anything for Ginger,” Axe said. “She’s done a lot for the community.” His phone buzzed, and he turned it off. “You can let me know if you see something else, and I’ll send you a proposal for this one.”
“I will, thank you.”
As Marina watched him get into his truck, Kai emerged from the house. She’d put on a partly sheer flowing caftan with kitten heels, brushed her hair, and put on makeup and perfume.
Kai saw Axe’s truck pulling away. When he saw her, he waved but didn’t stop. “Why didn’t you keep him here?”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to.”
“You knew I’d be back. Some sister you are.”
“Sorry, I left my lasso in San Francisco. But aren’t you engaged?”
“The ring is in my purse, not on my hand.” Kai flopped down on a step, picked up a stick, and drew a squiggle in the sand. “You must think I’m silly, and maybe I did have too much to drink in the sun. Or maybe I’m addicted to attention.” She passed her hands over her face.
Marina sat beside her. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sorry that I teased you. But I can’t blame you; Axe is a good-looking guy.”
“Was I being too obvious?” Kai asked, leaning her head on Marina’s shoulder.
Marina smiled. “Just a little.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Kai let out a little scream. “I always do that. And it chases them away.”
“I can’t imagine you chase away too many men.”
“A couple of them have called me clingy.”
Since Kai was young when their parents died, Marina imagined a therapist might link that behavior. It wasn’t surprising. And of all the sisters, Kai had spent more time at Summer Beach with Ginger than she or Brooke. But then, they had families to look after.
“It’s okay,” Marina said, patting Kai’s arm. “If the price is right, he’ll be back to build a deck.”
Kai sniffed. “I have to make a decision for Dmitri, don’t I?”
“No, you have to decide for yourself.”
Chapter 12
Jack called for Scout, who’d run ahead of him on the path up the ridgetop chasing a squirrel.
“Dang dog.” As Jack trudged through the brush, the scent of wild, rambling r
osemary crushed underfoot rose in the air. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled—the piercing whistle he used at baseball games.
That did it. Scout stopped and spun around with a funny little backward jump. Fixated on a spot obscured by brush from Jack’s vision, the dog whimpered. He paced back and forth as if he had a critter cornered.
“Come on, boy.” Jack huffed as he climbed higher through the underbrush. He was determined to restore his lung capacity as much as he could.
A voice cracked the quietness. “He’s got a rattlesnake.” A woman’s voice, calm and steady. “Don’t move.”
Jack whirled around. Ginger sat on a massive boulder, staring out to a shimmering blue-gray sea in a sort of meditation. She wore jeans and a windbreaker.
The wind up here was bracing. Jack zipped up his sweatshirt.
“How do you know it’s a rattlesnake?”
“Listen for it, farm boy.” She winked at him. “Or has it been too long?”
“Ouch.” But he grew quiet. And there it was—a soft, distant sound like a sprinkler sizzling to life. Instead of water, venom waited to spurt into your veins. As a boy, he’d once been rushed to the hospital in a race against a snake bite.
Ginger signaled for him to come over. “Impressive whistle. But call him slowly.”
Jack did, and when Scout saw Jack, he left the snake with reluctance and padded toward his human with his funny gait.
Jack eased onto the edge of the massive, flat rock that looked like it had been heaved toward the sea by some ancient volcano but just missed its mark. Around them, brilliant orange poppies with silky petals swayed on slender stalks, their dark eyes turned toward the sun. Yellow goldfield flowers and purple lupine bloomed in tandem, spilling along the hillside like paint on a palette.
“What an extraordinary perch,” Jack said, still catching his breath. Ginger was almost twice his age, and yet, there she sat, perfectly composed, long legs outstretched, her spun-ginger hair like a halo around a barely lined face.
“I’ve been climbing this hill for almost six decades,” she said. “In between traveling the world with Bertrand.”
“What was it like here then?”
