Fiona's sister Elizabeth was in the middle of interpreting Fiona's dream from last night in which she'd been falling. Elizabeth was spouting some rubbish about how Fiona must be feeling unsupported.
“Excuse me, please,” Fiona cut in. “I need to go and welcome the newcomers.” She hurried forward in her giant sun hat, pulling her rolling basket behind.
Before reaching Gemma, Fiona spotted several promising characteristics. Gemma wore wide-legged jeans and a gorgeous ivory crewneck sweater. She liked her style. And that red hair! That skin! Gemma's body looked as though it could handle childbearing with ease—ideal because (should Gemma turn out to be wonderful for Jude) Fiona wanted grandchildren.
For reasons that were incomprehensible to Fiona, Remy was not in a rush to marry Jeremiah even though it was abundantly clear to everyone that he was ready for that step. Remy didn't seem to have a functioning biological clock. If Gemma did, that would be stellar because many of Fiona's siblings were besting her on the grandparent front. Which was completely unjust seeing as how Fiona's two children were the most attractive in the bunch.
“Welcome,” Fiona said, a little breathlessly. She pulled off her clam-digging gloves and tossed them in her basket. “I'm so pleased that you were both able to join us.”
“Thank you for having us,” Max said smoothly. “I'd like to introduce Gemma Clare.”
“I'm Fiona, Jeremiah and Jude's mother.” They shook hands. Fiona piled her free hand on top of their joined ones and gave a few extra affectionate pats before they stepped apart.
“Gemma's a perfumer,” Max said.
“A perfumer!” Fiona exclaimed.
“And a business owner like yourself,” Max told Fiona. “We've just come from her shop in Bayview, where she sells her own line. It's called Perfumes by Gemma Clare.”
“Why, that's extraordinary. I've heard of your line. All good things.” Had Jude told her the whole truth when he'd said he wanted to learn about exclusive perfumes for “a case”? Maybe he'd been learning about perfumes because of Gemma. “We have something in common because I deal with fragrances at work, also. I own a company that sells scented hand creams.”
“I know all about Lavish,” Gemma said. “I have one of your creams in my purse right now! I'm a big fan.”
“Thank you.” Well, that was gratifying. A child-bearing bodyandgood taste in hand creams. “I'll freely admit to you, though, that I didn't design the fragrances. I worked with a nose.”
“Your collab was a great success.”
“I like to think so.” She turned to Max. “Earlier, when my father learned you were coming, he mentioned how much he was looking forward to chatting with you.”
“I'll head over and say hello to him.” He took Fiona's unsubtle hint and moved off.
Now that Max was no longer eyeballing her, Fiona had a golden opportunity to be as honest as she wanted to be with Gemma. “How about we get you fixed up with boots, gloves, and a basket?”
“That would be great.”
They made their way to the carts containing supplies. Gemma exchanged her shoes for rubber boots, collected gloves, and set a hoe into a rolling basket identical to Fiona's. Fiona led her to a quiet patch of beach.
Harvesting clams this way required little expertise. Spot a hole in the sand, dig down about a foot, get clam. Fiona was no stranger to it. Nor was Gemma, based on the ease with which Gemma went to work.
“Jeremiah tells me that you're a friend of Jude's,” Fiona said.
“I am.”
“How long have you two known one another?”
“More than two months.”
And Fiona was just now meeting her? Slightly insulting. “Has Jude told you much about his childhood and teenage years?”
“I'd love to know more. But no. He's not told me much.”
Again, that ruffled her feathers. But if she let everything ruffle her feathers that threatened to ruffle her feathers, she'd be a very agitated chicken. “We just met, so what I'd like to say to you may seem like oversharing. But I've no idea when I'll get you alone again and I'm not one who likes to miss my chances.”
Gemma laughed. “I don't like to miss my chances, either. And both the giving and receiving of oversharing comes naturally to me. Feel free to say whatever's on your mind.”
“Details of Jude's upbringing that might give you insights into him. That's what's on my mind.”
Gemma stilled with her hoe in the sand, her attention sharp with interest. “Okay.”
