Read Online Welcome to Serenity by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sherryl Woods
Tags: Contemporary
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new decorations. That had left dealing with prospective vendors for Jeanette.
“Tom, you’ll work with her on that, right?” the mayor said, to Mary Vaughn’s obvious disappointment.
“Of course,” the town manager said, giving Jeanette an impudent wink.
“Then I’d say we’re well on our way to having the best Christmas festival Serenity has ever seen,” Howard chirped cheerfully. “Good job, everyone. Same time next week.”
“We’re meeting weekly?” Jeanette asked, horrified.
“Well, of course we are. We have to stay on top of this, don’t we?” Howard replied. “I might be Santa around here, but I can’t do this without my little elves.”
Tom looked as if he wanted to jab his ballpoint pen straight into the mayor’s heart. Jeanette understood the emotion.
“He’s not worth the time in jail,” she murmured as she passed by.
To her surprise, his lips twitched. “You sure about that?”
“Now that you mention it, no. Check with me again next week. I might supply the pens.”
5
When Jeanette finally made it back to The Corner Spa, she was edgy and more annoyed than ever with Maddie for getting her involved in the Christmas festival. Two hours wasted every week from September all the way until the event itself in early December! Ridiculous. On top of that, Maddie had gently chided her just now for her attitude toward Tom on Sunday night. She’d expected it, but that hadn’t made the experience any less annoying. She was still muttering about it when she ran into Helen in the café.
“Ah, there you are,” Helen said cheerfully. “How did the committee meeting go? I hear the new town manager is very hot.”
Jeanette scowled at her. “Not you, too,” she grumbled, turned on her heel and marched into her office. “I’ve heard all the rave reviews I can bear from Dana Sue and Maddie.”
Along with that humiliating lecture on her rudeness Sunday evening and how inappropriate it was for someone in business in Serenity to be unwelcoming to the new town manager.
Before she could shut the door, Helen stepped in behind her. “Okay, I obviously said the wrong thing. Mind filling me in on why?”
“Here it is in a nutshell,” Jeanette said, working herself back up to a full head of steam. “I do not want to be fixed up. I do not want Maddie, Dana Sue and you getting any crazy ideas about me and Tom McDonald. If and when I decide I want to date, I’ll find my own man.”
Helen’s shrewd eyes twinkled with amusement. “Got it,” she said.
Jeanette’s scowl deepened. “You are not taking me seriously. Why don’t any of you take me seriously?”
Helen’s expression sobered at once. “Oh, sweetie, we do. Believe me, when it comes to anything you have to say about running a spa, we take you very seriously.”
“But not about this,” Jeanette accused. “Not about my love life.”
“It’s just that you sound so much like we did right before we landed in marital bliss,” Helen said. Jeanette sighed heavily. “Yeah, that’s what Dana Sue said, too.”
“We’ve all been there.”
“Where?”
“In denial.”
“How can I be in denial? I’ve crossed paths with Tom McDonald three times. He’s not my type. He’s a little too uptight and stuffy.” The comment was far from the truth, but there was no way she was going to say he had a cute dimple and a charming way about him: it would only add fuel to the fire.
“That’s not how Maddie described him. Or Dana Sue, either.”
“How did they describe him?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Tall, handsome, smart and sexy. He has a dimple. I think it was Maddie who noticed that.”
“Oh, I never noticed,” Jeanette lied. “But anyway, I don’t think that’s enough on which to base a lifelong commitment.”
“Probably not,” Helen concurred. “Did I mention rich?
Word is, his family’s loaded. I think I’ve crossed paths with his parents at some charity events in Charleston.”
“That is not a
“Tom, you’ll work with her on that, right?” the mayor said, to Mary Vaughn’s obvious disappointment.
“Of course,” the town manager said, giving Jeanette an impudent wink.
“Then I’d say we’re well on our way to having the best Christmas festival Serenity has ever seen,” Howard chirped cheerfully. “Good job, everyone. Same time next week.”
“We’re meeting weekly?” Jeanette asked, horrified.
“Well, of course we are. We have to stay on top of this, don’t we?” Howard replied. “I might be Santa around here, but I can’t do this without my little elves.”
Tom looked as if he wanted to jab his ballpoint pen straight into the mayor’s heart. Jeanette understood the emotion.
“He’s not worth the time in jail,” she murmured as she passed by.
To her surprise, his lips twitched. “You sure about that?”
“Now that you mention it, no. Check with me again next week. I might supply the pens.”
5
When Jeanette finally made it back to The Corner Spa, she was edgy and more annoyed than ever with Maddie for getting her involved in the Christmas festival. Two hours wasted every week from September all the way until the event itself in early December! Ridiculous. On top of that, Maddie had gently chided her just now for her attitude toward Tom on Sunday night. She’d expected it, but that hadn’t made the experience any less annoying. She was still muttering about it when she ran into Helen in the café.
“Ah, there you are,” Helen said cheerfully. “How did the committee meeting go? I hear the new town manager is very hot.”
Jeanette scowled at her. “Not you, too,” she grumbled, turned on her heel and marched into her office. “I’ve heard all the rave reviews I can bear from Dana Sue and Maddie.”
Along with that humiliating lecture on her rudeness Sunday evening and how inappropriate it was for someone in business in Serenity to be unwelcoming to the new town manager.
Before she could shut the door, Helen stepped in behind her. “Okay, I obviously said the wrong thing. Mind filling me in on why?”
“Here it is in a nutshell,” Jeanette said, working herself back up to a full head of steam. “I do not want to be fixed up. I do not want Maddie, Dana Sue and you getting any crazy ideas about me and Tom McDonald. If and when I decide I want to date, I’ll find my own man.”
Helen’s shrewd eyes twinkled with amusement. “Got it,” she said.
Jeanette’s scowl deepened. “You are not taking me seriously. Why don’t any of you take me seriously?”
Helen’s expression sobered at once. “Oh, sweetie, we do. Believe me, when it comes to anything you have to say about running a spa, we take you very seriously.”
“But not about this,” Jeanette accused. “Not about my love life.”
“It’s just that you sound so much like we did right before we landed in marital bliss,” Helen said. Jeanette sighed heavily. “Yeah, that’s what Dana Sue said, too.”
“We’ve all been there.”
“Where?”
“In denial.”
“How can I be in denial? I’ve crossed paths with Tom McDonald three times. He’s not my type. He’s a little too uptight and stuffy.” The comment was far from the truth, but there was no way she was going to say he had a cute dimple and a charming way about him: it would only add fuel to the fire.
“That’s not how Maddie described him. Or Dana Sue, either.”
“How did they describe him?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Tall, handsome, smart and sexy. He has a dimple. I think it was Maddie who noticed that.”
“Oh, I never noticed,” Jeanette lied. “But anyway, I don’t think that’s enough on which to base a lifelong commitment.”
“Probably not,” Helen concurred. “Did I mention rich?
Word is, his family’s loaded. I think I’ve crossed paths with his parents at some charity events in Charleston.”
“That is not a
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