Mistletoe Bay by Marcia Evanick

talk.
    â€œWouldn’t you be?” Felicity wasn’t in a forgiving mood. It seemed all she ever did was forgive her nephews for one thing after another. After another. Today might have been the final straw. Tucker not only had ruined most of her makeup, written on walls, and totally trashed her closet. The little brat also had destroyed her favorite dark green tank top—the one that not only matched the color of her eyes but also pushed up her boobs and made her look like she had some cleavage for once.
    Sam had really liked that top.
    Felicity cracked a smile as she remembered the way Sam’s tongue seemed to get tangled up in his words every time she had worn that particular top. She wore that stretchy green top at least once a week just to watch Sam sweat.
    â€œSee, it isn’t that bad.” Jenni gave her a bright, big smile back and started to wrap the bars of bayberry oatmeal soap with Mistletoe Bay labels. “We’ll go shopping this weekend for a new blouse and we’ll replenish your supply of makeup while we’re at it.”
    Felicity mulled that over and continued to wrap the bars of the newest fragrance produced by the Mistletoe Bay Bath and Body Company: Snowflake. She loved the fresh, clean smell of the soap and had already confiscated a few bars for her friends at school. Jenni looked at the freebies as free advertising and test marketing. Everyone at school loved Jenni’s products, and a couple of the local shops were now stocking Mistletoe Bay merchandise to cater to the new, younger customers.
    â€œThe last time I went shopping with you, I ended up wearing Corey’s chocolate ice cream cone and we lost Chase in the bookstore for half an hour.” She would rather do sit-ups in front of the entire boys’ gym class in a two-piece bathing suit than go to the mall with her nephews.
    â€œThey’ll behave this time.” Jenni refused to meet her gaze. Felicity’s sister-in-law kept her head bent and her fingers busy wrapping a label around each bar of soap before placing it into the appropriate box.
    â€œCoop isn’t going to find you nearly as attractive if your nose keeps growing.” Felicity thought it was cute the way the UPS guy kept coming around. She just wished he wouldn’t come around as much when Sam was visiting.
    Over the past several months Felicity had become used to being ignored by her mother, who never seemed to have enough time for her anymore. Her nephews terrorized her and invaded her privacy every chance they got. Only Jenni paid her some attention, when her sister-in-law had a minute to breathe, like now. Sam, on the other hand, had been all hers. Or at least he had been until the former high school football star started showing up on their doorstep and talking about stupid things like shovel passes and flea-flickers.
    Whatever in the hell they were.
    She missed her friends at her old school and on most days hated the fact that she’d had to move to the coast and away from everyone she knew back in Augusta. If it wasn’t for Sam, she would seriously consider asking her mother if she could go live with Brittany and her family back in Augusta until she went to college. Kara’s family, or even Michelle’s mom would take her in.
    â€œI’ll ignore that comment about Coop, and my nose isn’t growing.” Jenni rubbed her nose, as if she was checking to see if indeed it had grown. “What I meant to say was, I would try to make them behave.”
    â€œHow? Are you packing a Taser stun gun I don’t know about?”
    Jenni tried to cover up her chuckle with a cough. “I don’t believe in using violence to control the boys.”
    â€œThat’s your first mistake.” She got up and reached for another tray of Snowflake soap to wrap. Jenni must have been busy today cutting all the bars. It was her job to apply labels not only to the bars of soap but also to the assorted body