Read Online Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire - Free Book Online

gone,” Lacey said softly, hating that the loss she felt could be heard in her voice. “And so are my grandparents.”
    “Then you should respect their memory,” Charity said.
    But Granny Dot always wanted a B and B. She’d been the one who’d planted the idea in Lacey’s head years ago. But Lacey wasn’t about to share that with these two old witches.
    “You don’t have your facts straight, Patti,” Lacey said. “And you’re jumping the gun. I’m not sure at all what I’m going to build on my property. For the most part, I’m just happy Ashley and I survived.”
    Charity sniffed. Patti crossed her arms. So much for the sense of community and helpfulness that had arisen after the storm. But for one minute, in the face of expressions that looked a lot like her mother’s most disapproving scowl, Lacey considered changing her mind.
    Was this dream worth getting the doyens of MimosaKey riled up and ready to wreck her life? Was it worth fighting for?
    Behind her, the bell dinged with a new customer and all Lacey could do was exhale with relief. At least now she could pump her gas.
    “Mornin’, Strawberry.”
    The words went into her ear, down her spine, spun through her belly, and gave her knees a little push.
    “Strawberry?” Charity choked.
    “It is you, isn’t it?” He put two strong and solid hands on her shoulders and slowly turned her around. “Yeah, I’d recognize that hair anywhere.” He closed his eyes and sniffed. “And the scent.”
    Oh, Charity ought to have a field day with that. “What are you doing here?”
    “I’m addicted to gas-station coffee, so I thought I’d get us some.”
    Us.
    “Introduce your friend, Lacey.” Charity tapped impatiently on the counter. “As if we don’t already know who he is.”
    Lacey gave him a secret eye roll and silent warning. “Clay, this is Charity Grambling and Patti Vail, sisters and owners of the Shell Gas Station and Super Mini Mart Convenince Store, also known as the Super Min. Ladies, this is Clay Walker.”
    “The architect,” Patti said. “We’ve heard
all
about you.” She threw a smile at Lacey that gave the distinct impression that
all
they’d heard came right from Lacey herself.
    “Mornin’, ladies.”
    Charity’s gaze wandered up and down Clay’s T-shirt and jeans. “You don’t look like an architect.”
    “Looks are deceiving,” he said, stepping toward the coffee station. “Man, that smells good.”
    “So are you rebuilding Blue Horizon?”
    He gave Lacey a questioning look.
    “That’s what my grandfather called the house,” she said, even though she suspected his unspoken question was more along the lines of
Am
I rebuilding it?
    “If you are, you better familiarize yourself with this very important piece of historical documentation.” Charity lifted the binder. “We have rules against certain-sized buildings and nothing can be, you know, gaudy.” Charity dragged out the word and wiggled her fingers. Like those talons weren’t the gaudiest things that ever came out of Beachside Beauty.
    “I’m not building anything gaudy,” Clay said as he filled two large cups.
    Patti stepped forward. “ ’Course you couldn’t build that big a place. Your land isn’t that sizable, after all. Unless you’re planning to buy Everham’s and that plot on the other side of yours.”
    The Tomlinsons’. Yep, that was exactly what Lacey was planning to do. But she just gave a noncommittal shrug.
    “That’d be quite a piece of land if you pulled that off,” Patti said, proving that speculation was all she needed to turn something into fact.
    At the coffee machine, Clay glanced at Lacey. “How do you take your coffee?” he asked, their eyes connecting in silent communication.
    “Cream and sugar.” She could kiss him for not responding to Patti. Oh, she could kiss him just for standing there like a golden, gorgeous, glorious god, too, butmostly she loved that he didn’t take the bait these two were throwing