Read Online Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida by Debby Mayne - Free Book Online
Authors: Debby Mayne
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reminding Amanda of when Lacy first hit puberty. “Don’t talk to me like that, Amanda. I’m sick of it. You’re always telling me what to do.”
Amanda started to argue that someone needed to tell her what to do then thought better of it. She shook her head. “Sorry about that.” She minimized the window on the computer then stepped around from behind the counter. “Did you need something?”
“Why would you think I need something?” Lacy pouted and scrunched her forehead, further enhancing the prepubescent look.
“I dunno,” Amanda replied, “maybe because you came by in the middle of the day when you’re supposed to be sick?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I thought you and Jerry make a cute couple.”
Amanda sputtered before she was able to talk. “Um, first of all, we’re not a couple. He’s simply a customer who wanted something to do. I thought it would be fun to go to the festival. His mother invited me to have dinner in their condo, and, well, I just thought that might be a little too uncomfortable.” Whoa. Too much explaining was always a sign of guilt.
“So you’re in tight with his parents?” Lacy asked.
Amanda glared at her sister. “We’re all friends. That’s all.”
Lacy’s pout turned to a sly grin. “If you want to believe that, fine. But I saw how he looked at you.”
“Don’t imagine something that doesn’t exist,” Amanda warned.
Lacy did a double take at something outside, so she turned to see what her sister was looking at.
Chapter Four
The second their gazes met, Jerry felt a thud in his chest. He’d been standing outside the shop for a few seconds, trying to decide whether to go inside or act like he was on his way to somewhere else. He didn’t have a reason to be there—other than to gawk at Amanda. But that didn’t seem like enough.
A smile slowly spread across Amanda’s lips, and she waved. Now that he’d been caught, he couldn’t very well keep going.
His mind raced for a reason to be there as he pushed open the door and walked in. “I had a great time yesterday,” he said.
“Yeah, me, too.” Amanda’s face reddened as her sister snickered.
The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her in front of her sister, so he blurted the first thing that came to mind. “I just wanted to stop by and ask if there were any good churches around here.”
Amanda’s sister frowned then turned to Amanda. “I’d better get going. See ya tonight.”
After she left, Amanda cleared her throat, blinked a couple of times, then looked him squarely in the eyes. “There are several churches,” she said. “It all depends on what you’re looking for.” Was that a tone of defensiveness in her voice?
“I want the pure gospel of Christ,” he replied as he squared his shoulders.
She pursed her lips then looked him in the eyes. “We have several in the area.” Her attention went to the door, so he turned around in time to see Lacy looking back at Amanda.
He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he hoped he hadn’t caused a problem between the sisters. “Did I come at a bad time?”
“No, not at all.” Amanda offered a smile as she focused all her attention on him. “Now about church. Do you like contemporary or traditional?”
His parents had moved to a more contemporary service when he and his siblings became teenagers, and they seemed to enjoy it. “Contemporary would be nice.”
She drummed her fingers on the counter for a moment, as though she wasn’t sure what to do. He was about to let her off the hook and tell her never mind when she looked up. “I go to Treasure Island Community Church. A lot of tourists are there every week, so you might like it.”
His heart sang just knowing she went to church. “Just tell me when and where, and we’ll be there.”
“Let me write it all down for you,” she replied. “We have two services because it’s kind of small and the regular membership is growing. We’re looking for a bigger place,
Amanda started to argue that someone needed to tell her what to do then thought better of it. She shook her head. “Sorry about that.” She minimized the window on the computer then stepped around from behind the counter. “Did you need something?”
“Why would you think I need something?” Lacy pouted and scrunched her forehead, further enhancing the prepubescent look.
“I dunno,” Amanda replied, “maybe because you came by in the middle of the day when you’re supposed to be sick?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I thought you and Jerry make a cute couple.”
Amanda sputtered before she was able to talk. “Um, first of all, we’re not a couple. He’s simply a customer who wanted something to do. I thought it would be fun to go to the festival. His mother invited me to have dinner in their condo, and, well, I just thought that might be a little too uncomfortable.” Whoa. Too much explaining was always a sign of guilt.
“So you’re in tight with his parents?” Lacy asked.
Amanda glared at her sister. “We’re all friends. That’s all.”
Lacy’s pout turned to a sly grin. “If you want to believe that, fine. But I saw how he looked at you.”
“Don’t imagine something that doesn’t exist,” Amanda warned.
Lacy did a double take at something outside, so she turned to see what her sister was looking at.
Chapter Four
The second their gazes met, Jerry felt a thud in his chest. He’d been standing outside the shop for a few seconds, trying to decide whether to go inside or act like he was on his way to somewhere else. He didn’t have a reason to be there—other than to gawk at Amanda. But that didn’t seem like enough.
A smile slowly spread across Amanda’s lips, and she waved. Now that he’d been caught, he couldn’t very well keep going.
His mind raced for a reason to be there as he pushed open the door and walked in. “I had a great time yesterday,” he said.
“Yeah, me, too.” Amanda’s face reddened as her sister snickered.
The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her in front of her sister, so he blurted the first thing that came to mind. “I just wanted to stop by and ask if there were any good churches around here.”
Amanda’s sister frowned then turned to Amanda. “I’d better get going. See ya tonight.”
After she left, Amanda cleared her throat, blinked a couple of times, then looked him squarely in the eyes. “There are several churches,” she said. “It all depends on what you’re looking for.” Was that a tone of defensiveness in her voice?
“I want the pure gospel of Christ,” he replied as he squared his shoulders.
She pursed her lips then looked him in the eyes. “We have several in the area.” Her attention went to the door, so he turned around in time to see Lacy looking back at Amanda.
He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he hoped he hadn’t caused a problem between the sisters. “Did I come at a bad time?”
“No, not at all.” Amanda offered a smile as she focused all her attention on him. “Now about church. Do you like contemporary or traditional?”
His parents had moved to a more contemporary service when he and his siblings became teenagers, and they seemed to enjoy it. “Contemporary would be nice.”
She drummed her fingers on the counter for a moment, as though she wasn’t sure what to do. He was about to let her off the hook and tell her never mind when she looked up. “I go to Treasure Island Community Church. A lot of tourists are there every week, so you might like it.”
His heart sang just knowing she went to church. “Just tell me when and where, and we’ll be there.”
“Let me write it all down for you,” she replied. “We have two services because it’s kind of small and the regular membership is growing. We’re looking for a bigger place,
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