Summer at Seaside Cove Read Free Page A

you—she’s completely pissed off the beef and vegetable suppliers with her attitude.”
    â€œI know she can be difficult”— difficult, abrasive, snobby, and oh, yeah, a backstabbing Judas —“but you need to find a way to deal with her because for now the restaurant is out of my hands.”
    â€œYour father is turning over in his grave to hear you even whisper such a thing. You know that’s not what he wanted.”
    Jamie gritted her teeth. Her mother had already heaped a ton of guilt on her. The last thing she needed was more guilt—and pressure—from Patrick. Nor did she need any reminders of her dad.
    Even after three years, grief still wrenched her heart at the mention of him. The pain had dulled with time, but it still cut deep. And no, Tom Newman wouldn’t have wanted her to walk away—even temporarily—from the restaurant he’d founded thirty-five years ago and where she’d worked in one capacity or another since she was fourteen. Just one more burden for her to deal with. Which was why she’d had to get away.
    â€œDad’s not here,” Jamie said quietly, “and I have to do what’s best for me.” For the first time in my life. “I’m sorry, Patrick, but I’m off the clock until the end of August. Call Nathan again. Call Laurel or my mother. But don’t call me.”
    â€œBut, Jamie—”
    â€œI can’t help you. Good-bye, Patrick.” She ended the call, then pulled in a slow deep breath. Before she’d even fully exhaled, her phone rang again. The only name she wanted to see on her caller ID was Jack Crawford. Unfortunately that’s not what she saw. That’s what she got for turning the damn phone back on. She was once again sorely tempted to ignore the call, but she sucked it up and answered.
    â€œHi, Mom.” She braced herself—Maggie Newman attracted drama like bees to honey, and this phone call no doubt would bring some form of commotion.
    â€œJamie! Finally. I’ve been so worried, honey. I sent you half a dozen texts. Are you all right?”
    â€œOf course. I texted you when I landed.”
    â€œYes, but that was ages ago. Are you in Seaside Cove yet?”
    â€œI just arrived.”
    â€œHow’s the house?”
    â€œIt’s”—her gaze darted around the bedroom and she winced—“perfect.” In her mind’s eye she pictured the decapitated flamingo. “Gorgeous. A veritable palace.”
    She looked upward, praying she wasn’t about to get sizzled by a lightning bolt for that whopper. But there was no way she could tell her mom the truth. One of Mom’s many, many arguments against Jamie leaving New York and going to Seaside Cove for the summer had been that any rental available on such short notice and for such a cheap price had to be a dump.
    Damn it, she hated it when Mother Knew Best. Granted, it didn’t happen often, but still. Galling. Especially in this case.
    â€œOh, well I’m glad,” Mom said, not really sounding glad at all. “I was afraid it would be awful.”
    â€œNope. It’s great. How are you doing?”
    Her mom hesitated. Uh-oh. A sure sign something was wrong. Which meant Drama Time. “I’m fine.” The cheerful tone would have led anyone other than Jamie to believe her words. “I just miss you.”
    â€œI’ve only been gone since this morning,” Jamie teased.
    â€œI know. But you’re so far away. And Newman’s simply isn’t the same without you.”
    â€œMom—please. Don’t go there.”
    Jamie heard an unmistakable sniffle—the sound that meant Mom tears were on the way—and guilt smacked her. Her mom didn’t cry often, yet it seemed that over the past week, she’d shed an enormous amount of tears. Jamie’s heart squeezed, knowing her situation and decisions were the cause.
    â€œI understand why you