Chapter 46
Jenna disconnected the call and glanced out her solitary office window. The sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. It
was another beautiful summer day. Too bad she was stuck in her office.
The gym where they hosted the MWF basketball program for elementary kids had a plumbing issue. There was an inch of water
in the gym, which meant she spent all afternoon trying to locate another venue. Finally she’d found one.
Before that she’d had to deal with two minor injuries that had happened during their programs this week—and all the insurance
paperwork that went along with them. Nancy had been a great help guiding her through the process. She’d known her job would
entail this kind of work; she just hadn’t known it would absorb her entire day.
Hopefully this week was just an aberration. Nancy had told her that once she finished the necessary office work during the
week, she would go to the activity sites and oversee the sports programs and their coaches.
But it seemed as though there was no time for that unless she worked beyond the forty-hour workweek. And since she was on
salary, that hardly made sense. Despite that, she’d stopped by various activity sites each evening this week to get the lay
of the land. And also to eke a little enjoyment out of her job.
It was already nearly six o’clock and she’d just finished the office work.
She’d planned to stop and observe the adult volleyball league tonight, but her brain was fried.
She’d been under fluorescent lights all week.
Her stomach gave a hard rumble. She’d brought in food, thinking she could work through lunch and free up some time to catch the afternoon senior yoga session. So much for that.
The office was quiet as she exited the building. Nancy and her assistant had already left for the day. Jenna locked up and
headed to her car. On her way home she stopped at a drive-thru because she hadn’t had time to shop for groceries this week.
After parking her car she made her way to her apartment, breathing in the scent of hot pavement as the sounds of passing traffic
filled her ears. She missed the smell of the ocean and the sounds of the breeze rustling the tree leaves. She missed the local
restaurants where she could pop in and spot a friend or neighbor. She missed the glorious sunrises, the windswept beaches,
the shimmering bays. She missed the sight of wild ponies grazing in the salt marshes and the familiar rock of her kayak.
Jenna shook the thoughts away. She’d made her choice. She had to make the best of this.
Once inside her apartment she devoured a salad with cold chicken while she caught up on sports. When the Braves recap came
on, she turned it up. They’d just swept the Phillies in a three-game series. She grabbed her phone to text Tyson, a ready
smile on her lips.
Then her smile wilted. She kept forgetting they were taking space from each other. She put down her phone, that familiar sinking
sensation weighting her stomach.
She hated this. She missed him so much. He was the one she talked sports with. This summer he’d become the one she talked to about everything. And now she was just supposed to quit him cold turkey?
Her insides ached. She wanted to tell him about her disappointment with her job and hear his encouragement. She wanted to
share about her visit with Gordon and the way he and her mother had patched things up. There were a dozen things that happened
on any given day that she wanted to tell him. And that didn’t even touch on how much she missed being held in the safety of
his arms.
She hated not knowing what was going on in his life. Was his health back to normal? Was he running calls again? What had become
of the bet with his brothers? Of the situation with Marissa?
Did Tyson miss Jenna as much as she missed him? Or was he hanging out with Britt here and there? Possibly testing out the
idea of a reconciliation?
No. She would not go there.
She scrapped the rest of her salad, then put this morning’s dishes in the dishwasher. This week she’d taken Sofia’s advice
and made an appointment with an online counselor. It wouldn’t be easy, but she had to work through her fear. Trust that she
was strong enough to get through it. Sofia’s belief in her buoyed Jenna’s spirits. She was already getting glimpses of the
truth: Tyson was the right person—but she had to deal with her own issues to make it the right time.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She dried her hands and told herself it wasn’t Tyson. But her heart didn’t listen. It thrashed
around as she checked the screen.
Disappointment swept through her at the sight of Miss Molly’s name. Even so, Jenna managed a small smile as she greeted the
woman. “Well, hello, Miss Molly. How are you?”
“I’m doing all right, I suppose. And how are you doing, dear? All settled into your apartment and new job?”
“I guess you could say that. Although it might take a little more time to get my feet under me.”
“Well, there’s a learning curve with every new job. I’m sure you’re doing great.”
“I haven’t had any complaints yet at least.” She pictured Miss Molly pushing her glasses up with a slender finger and suddenly
missed her and everything about her old job. She could almost hear the water rippling against the pilings and the flag pole’s
hardware pinging in the breeze. “How’s the business going? How’s Mr. Paul? Catch me up on everything.”
“The business is doing great. You know how it is in July.”
“I remember. Your busiest week is yet to come.” Pony Penning Days was absolutely crazy. Everyone wanted a peek of those beautiful
wild ponies emerging from the water in glorious fashion, and the channel view was unbeatable.
“We’re gearing up for it. Paul’s helping out where he can, but he’s got that bad back, and as you know he’s not so great with
customers.”
“He can spray down the kayaks like a pro, though.”
“That he can.” Miss Molly cleared her throat. “Listen, honey, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. But there’ve
been some recent developments with my daughter Lisette.” Her tone was sullen.
“Oh no. What’s wrong?”
“That surgery she had didn’t take well. She’s going to need permanent help with the children.”
“Oh, Miss Molly, I’m so sorry. Will she be okay?”
“She’ll be all right, but she won’t be able to manage on her own while David’s at work. So Paul and I will be moving to Asheville
as soon as possible.”
“Of course. I’m sure Lisette will be so glad to have your help.”
“We’re sad to leave the island, but this is the right thing to do. The hardest thing is . . . I have to sell my business. This will be a permanent situation, and I can’t see running it from afar.”
Jenna winced. “I know that must be very hard for you. It’s your baby.”
“Well, I suppose it had to happen sometime. I’m no spring chicken, but I’d planned to put in a few more years at least. Thing
is, Jenna . . . I wondered if you might be interested in buying it.”
Jenna froze. Blinked.
“I know you just started a new job and the timing isn’t ideal. I’m not sure of your financial position, but I’d be willing
to work with you on that if you’re interested. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather take the reins than you.”
“Miss Molly. I’m so honored you thought of me.”
“Of course I’d think of you. No one else has the kind of passion you do for sharing our island’s history. You know the business—you’ve
worked it from the bottom up, and you’ve got a business degree to boot. You’re ideally suited for this, Jenna.”
She was. She absolutely was. Her pulse raced now, but for a much better reason. She could run Coastal Currents. But could
she earn enough to afford island life? Mr. Paul and Miss Molly had a nice life and a beautiful little inland home. But they’d
been a dual-income family, so it was hard to know how profitable the kayak company was.
“I’ve caught you unaware. I understand this is a big decision with a lot of moving pieces. If you’re interested at all, I’ll
send you the financials, and we’ll talk about what I’m looking to get out of the business. I’m flexible with the buyout. Paul
and I don’t need to be paid out all at once. But all of this is irrelevant if you have no interest.”
“No, I’m interested,” she blurted.
Miss Molly chuckled. “Well, I always knew you were a bright girl. I can send you the financials tomorrow and you can look them over. How does that sound?”
“It sounds great, Miss Molly. I—I can’t even wrap my mind around this. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“Oh, honey, who else would I think of?”
The woman’s teasing voice echoed in Jenna’s head as she set her phone down in a daze. Could this really work? Buying her out
might not be as difficult and lengthy a process as Miss Molly thought since Jenna had her grandma’s trust.
If the financials looked good, it wouldn’t be money holding Jenna back from grabbing the opportunity. It would be the thought
of sharing the tiny island with the man she loved.