“Um, sure.”
“Andy, would you like to come too?”
He shook his head and swallowed the last bite of the meal. “No, thanks. I’ve got two finals tomorrow that I have to study for.”
Dan stepped toward Andy. “Have you found a job for the summer yet? Brian mentioned you were looking for one.”
“Uh, not yet. I figured I’d start asking around on Saturday.”
“Well, if you’re interested, I could use some help at my hardware store in town. The young man who’s been working for me for the last few years has a chance to study in England for the summer semester, so I’ll be shorthanded for the next two months.”
Andy glanced at Tess, then back to Dan. “Um, what would I be doing?”
The man shrugged. “Stocking shelves, helping customers find things, cleaning up, letting me know when some stock is low, stuff like that. Pays fifteen dollars per hour—thirty-two hours per week. I would need you on the weekends, but you’d have Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays off.”
Tess gave her brother a subtle nod, encouraging him to say yes. She knew he would put off lookingfor a job until the last minute, despite her urging. Although he didn’t seem thrilled about it, Andy replied, “That sounds okay. When would you need me to start?”
“Is this Saturday all right with you? Eight to four? Jimmy can train you for two days before he has to leave.”
“Sure.”
Dan smiled. “Good.”
“That will leave you some time each week to do some volunteer work too,” Tess reminded her brother.
“I can volunteer in the fall, after I go back to school.”
She knew better than to argue with him, especially in front of other people. At least he had a paying job for the summer. One out of two wasn’t bad. She trusted him to get the other stuff done, too, since he knew how important it was for the scholarships he wanted to apply for. As long as he had it done before the end of the year, it would still qualify. “Well, then, on your days off, you can take the driver’s ed course and get your provisional license.”
While he’d been eligible to get it for a while now, he hadn’t seemed to be in a rush to take the course after getting his permit, so Tess hadn’t pushed him. But last week, he’d expressed his interest in it, so she figured it was time.
“Really?”
“Of course.” Once he completed the class and had over sixty hours of supervised driving under his belt,she wanted to buy him a safe used car, so he wouldn’t have to borrow hers. But that wouldn’t be for another few months. For now, he kept his bicycle in the storage shed beneath the house and could use it to get to and from work every day, since it was only about seven or eight blocks into town. That made things easier on Tess—she wouldn’t have to chauffeur him around for most of the summer.
She pointed to the table. “Do me a favor and clean that up while I take a walk. Just put the dishes and glasses in the sink, and I’ll wash them when I get back.”
A few minutes later, she enjoyed a pleasant barefoot stroll down the beach with Dan, Bonnie, and Grace. Jinx was on a leash now, a ball clamped proudly in his mouth as he darted back and forth along the edge of the surf, dancing away each time the waves chased him up the sand. The sun was sinking to the west of Whisper, its low light spilling across the sky in streaks of rose and gold. Out over the water to the east, the horizon was darker, with a pale wash of lavender and silver where the waves caught the last of the light. The sand was cool now beneath her feet, the breeze lifting her hair and carrying the briny scent of the tide. Seagulls wheeled overhead, their cries sharp but somehow peaceful against the steady cadence of the surf.
Her companions were all friendly and quite the matchmakers, it would seem. Their conversations on different topics always seemed to include Brian in some manner. It was obvious, even to her, that theywere talking him up. She could have told them not to bother since the man was clearly not interested in her for more than a brief fling—if that—but she didn’t. Instead, she found herself entertained by their stories of him and his brothers. They were a tight-knit family, and that caused a small ache in her chest. At least the Malone brothers’ uncle had been there for them after their parents died. Tess and Andy only had each other, and she’d been thrown into the role of parent to boot.
When they returned to the beach house about a half hour later, Dan handed her a business card for his hardware store. “My cell number is on the back. If you need anything, just give me a call or let Brian know.”
“I will. Thank you again for everything. You, too, Bonnie. The food you left for us is delicious.”
The older woman gave her a motherly hug. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. If you’re free on Saturday and would like to have lunch with us, stop by my shop on Main Street—it’s called Petals. Dan’s hardware store is a few doors down, and Grace’s physical therapy office is across the street, so we tend to meet at my place for lunch at noon on most days.”
“Thank you. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it this Saturday, but I’ll try. That’s the day when I usually do laundry. I hope you don’t mind me giving the washer and dryer a workout.”
Dan waved her off. “Don’t worry about it.”
She bid the trio farewell, then headed to the kitchen to do the dishes. As the sink filledwith hot water, she wondered if Brian stopped by Petals for lunch on Saturdays too.
Shoving the unwanted thought from her head, she shook her head and chastised herself.
Stop daydreaming about the guy who doesn’t do relationships! Besides, you don’t have time for one either. Someday, but not now.
Chapter 10
