pork?”
“Nothing’s wrong with pork bacon if you don’t care about your cholesterol,” his mother said.
“No one ever worried about cholesterol until some health nuts started telling everyone it was bad for us.”
Jerry held his hands up to silence his parents. “Okay, you two. That’s enough. You never let us kids get away with arguing at the table, and I’m not going to let y’all do it. Let’s say our blessing and enjoy our food. If you want to argue later, fine. But not now.”
“Did you hear the boy?” Jerry’s dad grinned with pride. “He actually paid attention all those years.”
“So tell me more about the nesting turtles,” Jerry asked his mother.
“According to our neighbor, loggerheads make nests on the beach around this time every year.”
“Sounds interesting,” Jerry said. “I wonder if we’ll see them.”
Jerry noticed his dad intently eating his sandwich and pretending not to listen. His mother shot a glance in her husband’s direction then turned back to face Jerry.
“I certainly hope so. It would be a shame to miss something so special…so natural to this place.”
After lunch, both of his parents headed off to their room for naps. Jerry took his time cleaning the kitchen and trying to think of something his parents might enjoy later. Maybe Amanda would know of something.
When Amanda’s cell phone rang, she was tempted not to answer. One of the two people who ever called her was with her, and the other—her mother—was on a cruise with some friends.
“I hate it when people just let their phones ring,” Lacy said. “At least look and see who it is.”
Amanda pulled it out and saw a different area code, so she punched the T ALK button and said, “Hello?”
The sound of Jerry’s voice gave her an instant tingle. She rubbed the goose bumps on her arm and glanced over to see if Lacy noticed. The smile on her sister’s lips let her know nothing had gotten past her sister’s eagle eyes.
“I’m looking for something to do with my folks this afternoon. Any ideas?”
“Um…” She glanced over to Lacy, who watched with a smirk. “Can I call you back in a few minutes?”
“Sure, take your time.”
“It’ll only be a few minutes,” she said. “Want me to call this number?”
“That’s fine.”
As soon as she flipped her phone shut, she glared right back at Lacy. “Why are you looking at me that way?”
Lacy tilted her head back and laughed. “You should see the goofy look on your face when you talk to Jerry.”
“How do you know it’s Jerry?” She cleared her throat to get rid of the squeak in her voice.
Lacy was still grinning. “C’mon, Amanda. I can tell.”
Time to change the subject. “Okay, so I need to call him back with something for him and his parents to do this afternoon.”
Lacy lifted a finger to her chin as she thought about it. She really was a sweet person—just a little misguided about some things. “What do they like?”
“I’m thinking maybe a movie,” Amanda said.
“They can do that anywhere. How about one of the day cruises?”
“It’s probably too late for that,” Amanda replied. “But that’s a good idea for another day.”
“There’s always shopping.”
Amanda smiled. “Yes, and I need to call him back so we can finish ours.”
She pulled up Jerry’s number and punched Call. He answered before the end of the first ring. “What took you so long?” His chuckle let her know he was kidding.
“Why don’t you take them to a movie today and maybe to one of the day cruises tomorrow?”
“Good idea,” he said. “Any chance you might want to join us for a movie since your store is closed?”
“Sounds good, but I’m at the mall with my sister, and we probably won’t be back for another hour or two.”
“The folks are napping, so that sounds perfect.” He paused before adding, “That is, if you’d like to join us.”
“Okay,” she blurted. “Want me to meet you somewhere?”
“We can
“Nothing’s wrong with pork bacon if you don’t care about your cholesterol,” his mother said.
“No one ever worried about cholesterol until some health nuts started telling everyone it was bad for us.”
Jerry held his hands up to silence his parents. “Okay, you two. That’s enough. You never let us kids get away with arguing at the table, and I’m not going to let y’all do it. Let’s say our blessing and enjoy our food. If you want to argue later, fine. But not now.”
“Did you hear the boy?” Jerry’s dad grinned with pride. “He actually paid attention all those years.”
“So tell me more about the nesting turtles,” Jerry asked his mother.
“According to our neighbor, loggerheads make nests on the beach around this time every year.”
“Sounds interesting,” Jerry said. “I wonder if we’ll see them.”
Jerry noticed his dad intently eating his sandwich and pretending not to listen. His mother shot a glance in her husband’s direction then turned back to face Jerry.
“I certainly hope so. It would be a shame to miss something so special…so natural to this place.”
After lunch, both of his parents headed off to their room for naps. Jerry took his time cleaning the kitchen and trying to think of something his parents might enjoy later. Maybe Amanda would know of something.
When Amanda’s cell phone rang, she was tempted not to answer. One of the two people who ever called her was with her, and the other—her mother—was on a cruise with some friends.
“I hate it when people just let their phones ring,” Lacy said. “At least look and see who it is.”
Amanda pulled it out and saw a different area code, so she punched the T ALK button and said, “Hello?”
The sound of Jerry’s voice gave her an instant tingle. She rubbed the goose bumps on her arm and glanced over to see if Lacy noticed. The smile on her sister’s lips let her know nothing had gotten past her sister’s eagle eyes.
“I’m looking for something to do with my folks this afternoon. Any ideas?”
“Um…” She glanced over to Lacy, who watched with a smirk. “Can I call you back in a few minutes?”
“Sure, take your time.”
“It’ll only be a few minutes,” she said. “Want me to call this number?”
“That’s fine.”
As soon as she flipped her phone shut, she glared right back at Lacy. “Why are you looking at me that way?”
Lacy tilted her head back and laughed. “You should see the goofy look on your face when you talk to Jerry.”
“How do you know it’s Jerry?” She cleared her throat to get rid of the squeak in her voice.
Lacy was still grinning. “C’mon, Amanda. I can tell.”
Time to change the subject. “Okay, so I need to call him back with something for him and his parents to do this afternoon.”
Lacy lifted a finger to her chin as she thought about it. She really was a sweet person—just a little misguided about some things. “What do they like?”
“I’m thinking maybe a movie,” Amanda said.
“They can do that anywhere. How about one of the day cruises?”
“It’s probably too late for that,” Amanda replied. “But that’s a good idea for another day.”
“There’s always shopping.”
Amanda smiled. “Yes, and I need to call him back so we can finish ours.”
She pulled up Jerry’s number and punched Call. He answered before the end of the first ring. “What took you so long?” His chuckle let her know he was kidding.
“Why don’t you take them to a movie today and maybe to one of the day cruises tomorrow?”
“Good idea,” he said. “Any chance you might want to join us for a movie since your store is closed?”
“Sounds good, but I’m at the mall with my sister, and we probably won’t be back for another hour or two.”
“The folks are napping, so that sounds perfect.” He paused before adding, “That is, if you’d like to join us.”
“Okay,” she blurted. “Want me to meet you somewhere?”
“We can
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