Charleston Harbor Novels: Books 1 - 3 Page 3

  It always started out nice. The table would be set with the finest china and silverware. They would serve only the best food and wine and then they would go in for the kill, with her grandmother on one side and Auntie Patty on the other. Resisting these two old women proved to be impossible, and after an hour of badgering, she agreed she’d go out to dinner with Chad, Mrs. Palmdale’s nephew.

  “Thank you, dear. You are going to just love Chad. He’s such a gentleman. He is an attorney,” Grandma Lilly said, nodding her head toward Auntie Patty.

  Annie chewed her pork tenderloin long past its tenderness, trying to stall. She drew in a drink of water to help wash down the meat, and then stabbed the green beans with her fork like a three-year old.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” Auntie Patty asked.

  Annie put her fork down and clasped her hands, pushing the plate aside. “And say what? You two seem to have already decided my future. Who I’ll date, probably who I’ll marry, and most definitely what I name my first child.” She frowned at them both.

  Grandma Lilly sputtered and Auntie Patty sighed loudly.

  “That’s ridiculous. We let you run your own business and live on your own, even though we know your dad would have wanted you to live with us.” Grandma Lilly drew in a taste of her wine from her second, or was it her third glass? Annie had stopped counting. Grandma Lilly loved her wine. And then there was Auntie Patty’s choice of adult beverage—scotch with a splash of water.

  “Mary lives with you. You wouldn’t have room for me, too. Besides, I have Buffy, and you are allergic to dogs.” Annie pushed her chair back, her still clasped hands now lying in her lap.

  “Just give Chad a try. He really is a nice guy,” Auntie Patty pleaded.

  Annie drew in a deep breath through her nostrils. It was of no use. These old women ruled the roost. Man, she wished her dad was here. She really missed him. “I make no promises.” Annie stood.

  “I’ll make a promise to you,” Grandmother Lilly said.

  Under half closed lids, Annie listened on.

  “If Chad doesn’t work out, we’ll stop meddling.”

  Annie deepened her furrow. “Seriously? What’s the catch?”

  “No catch. I discussed with Patty your concerns, and we’re in agreement that you should be able to choose your own mate. Failure is just part of life.”

  “Oh, Grandmother Lilly, thank you. I’m so happy to hear you say that.”

  Grandmother slid her chair back and stood. “So keep us posted.”

  Annie already had ideas how to end the date before it even started. They’d never be the wiser. “I will.”

  “Time for my pills. If you’ll excuse me.” Grandmother hobbled out of site.

  Annie sat at the table with Auntie Patty, thinking about the conversation they’d just had. She looked over at Auntie Patty and smiled.

  “Don’t be fooled for a second that your grandmother did that out of the kindness of her heart.”

  Annie knitted her brows together. “What do you mean?”

  “She knows Mary will be home soon. She’s going to drive her crazy with the blind dates. You watch.” Patty took a sip of her drink.

  Annie sighed, heaving her shoulders up and down. “Well, all I can say is she better be careful. Mary is nothing like me. She’s so strong-willed and determined, she’ll probably run off and get married to the worst sleazebag in the world if you guys mess with her.”

  Patty turned to Annie. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’re one of the most determined women I know. You just approach it differently than Mary does.”

  Annie slid her chair back and came to Patty’s side. “Thanks for saying that. I love you.” She gave Patty a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “What am I? Chicken liver?”

  Annie looked up to find Grandmother standing in the doorway to the dining room. “Of course not. I love you, too.” Annie moved to where her grandmother stood and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly. “I must be going. I have an early day.”

  “Oh, Annie?” Grandma Lilly called out.

  Annie let out a sigh as she turned around, placing her hands on her hips. “What now?”

  “Calm down, child. I was just going to ask you if you’d heard from Mary.” Grandma Lilly squinted her eyes as she scowled at Annie.

  “No. No, I haven’t. I imagine she’s having the time of her life somewhere in Paris, or maybe Barcelona.” Annie recalled her recent conversation with Auntie Patty about Mary.

  Grandma Lilly nodded. “I just worry about her. When is she due back?”

  Annie glanced at her watch. “Hmm. I think she returns on the twenty-fourth, but I’ll double-check. I’m picking her up at the airport.”

  “Keep us posted, dear. We love you girls.”

  “Yes, Grandma.” Annie relaxed her stance. “Try to stay out of trouble, you two.” She winked.

  Annie finished baking all the cupcakes before her regular deadline. She’d just taken off her apron when the door swung open. It was Jack.

  She pulled her eyebrows in and pursed her lips. “Hey, I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “I know. I couldn’t help but think about you in that green bikini.” He winked at her causing her to fidget.

  “Oh, you noticed, did you?” She lowered her eyes to the floor.

  “I wanted to know if you were free later today. I wanted to take you on a drive.”

  Annie poked her head up and locked gazes with him. That’s right, he was a professional driver. Of course, he’d like to drive.

  “I wish I could, but my grandmother and auntie have set me up on another blind date.”

  “Oh, I see.” He ran his hand across his chin.

  “It’s not like that. It’s not serious at all. It never is, except for them. They are constantly trying to set me up with men they feel will be my best choice. They don’t think I have a mind of my own.” Annie made a humph sound.

  “Okay, another time, then.” Jack took a few steps backward toward the front door.

  “I’d like that, Jack, I really would. Can I get a rain check?” she said, her lips parting slightly and her limbs tingling with anticipation.

  He gave her a back wave. “Sure, I’ll get back to you.”

  She watched him as he exited the shop, his head hanging down. She’d disappointed him. No … Grandmother and Auntie had!

  Chapter 5

  Just as she’d predicted, the date with Chad was anything but memorable. Well, except for the fact that she had to listen to him talk about himself endlessly, the entire time with spinach stuck in his teeth.

  “Okay, so it didn’t work out with Chad,” Grandmother Lilly said over tea and scones.

  “He wasn’t interested in me at all,” Annie said exaggeratingly.

  “A promise is a promise. No more dates, no more setups. You’re free to make your own choices.” Lilly raised her chin, pointing her nose upward.

  “It’s all good. We are going to remain friends,” Annie said, trying to smooth things over.

  “There’s always Mary. She’ll need some help in finding a nice young man,” Grandmother said under her breath.

  Annie had already got wind of this harebrained idea from Auntie Patty. “Haven’t you learned your lesson? I know you keep spouting about how you’re doing this for Mom and Dad, and you have to protect our interest, and all of that baloney, but to tell you the truth, all you’re really doing is putting a wedge between all of us.”

  Maybe she’d said too much. Now both women were picking up their hankies and dabbing their eyes. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Annie crossed over to them and extended her arms, giving them a big bear hug. “Please, for the love of God, just get a hobby. Find your own dates!”

  “Okay, I’ll tell you what. Bring Jerry—”

  “Jack!” Annie interrupted.

  “Oh, yes, Jack … bring him over for tea.” Auntie Patty twisted her mouth as she looked over to Grandma Lilly for approval. “Lilly,” Auntie Patty shou
ted.

  “Oh, okay, bring him over, but I probably won’t like him.”

  “How can you even say that without meeting him?”

  “What did you say he did for employment?” Auntie Patty asked.

  Annie wasn’t prepared for this line of questioning, not just yet. She pulled her hair back off her shoulders and straightened her back. She glanced at her watch as she said, “I must be going. I’ll let you know when he can come.”

  Annie moved across the living room toward the long hall that led to the front door. She could hear the shuffling of feet with the sound of canes tapping as they followed behind. She reached for the doorknob, and as she turned the knob, feeling the freedom of her exit, Grandma Lilly called out.

  “You didn’t answer. What does Jackson do for a living?”

  Annie whirled around. “His name is Jack. Just Jack. And I didn’t say what he did for a living.”

  Grandma Lilly glanced quickly over to Patty and then back to Annie.

  “Don’t worry. He has an honorable position with a family business. It’s been around for years. Have a great afternoon.” Annie took off down the steps and down the walk that would lead her to her car. She sat in the driver’s seat, breathing heavily. She slammed her head back onto the headrest, staring at the car's headliner. She shook her head slowly. “Those old women are going to plan my entire life if I don’t get a handle on things now.” She started the engine and zoomed down the road, not caring about the thirty-five miles per hour speed limit until she saw the black and white car positioned on the corner. She pumped the brakes a couple of times, slowing down the car, and then stopped at the stop sign. She looked over at the officer and smiled and then proceeded to drive home.

  Annie immersed herself in baking cupcakes. She even indulged in the sugar sweetness, satisfying both her sugar craving and her desire to cheer herself up after her recent visit with her grandmother and auntie. She purposely did not call Jack, because what could she say? I’d like you to come to tea and meet my very judgmental relatives? Or how about, can you come to my grandmother and auntie’s house and be judged and ridiculed for being a limo driver and not a high priced Charleston lawyer? “Oh, yeah, both of those things would go over really well for any decent fellow,” Annie muttered as she cringed.

  Annie looked up when she heard the bakery door open. In dashed Morgan. “Hello,” Annie called out as Morgan brushed by her.

  “Sorry, I’m late.” She grabbed an apron off the hook.

  “No worries, but I did want to speak to you.” Annie lined up the cupcakes row by row.

  “I’m really sorry for being late,” Morgan repeated.

  Annie giggled. “I know, you said that already. I wanted to ask you about working extra hours. I went over the books. We’re making a profit each month— a substantial one. Now, I know you can't work a lot more with your school schedule, but even if you could give me just four more hours, I’d be grateful.”

  Morgan tied the apron around her waist. “I think I can handle that. When were you thinking?”

  “Oh, that’s great. Well, right now, you’re coming in on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for two hours each day. I’d like to increase Saturdays to six hours, since I seem to be busiest on weekends and you won’t be in classes. You can pick which other days work best for you for any additional hours you might be able to work.”

  “Okay, Annie, let me double-check a few things, but I think that’ll work just fine.” Morgan crossed into the kitchen to retrieve a pan of baked cupcakes. “What icing do you want me to make?” she called out.

  “Salted caramel,” Annie shouted back. “It’s the favorite again this week.”

  “I haven’t heard from you in a few days. Is everything all right?” Jack asked.

  Annie paused before answering, happy they were speaking on the phone and not in person. “Yes, I’ve just been swamped at the bakery. I even increased Morgan’s hours.” That wasn’t a lie.

  “That’s great, Annie. I’m happy for you. I think you have the perfect business for our area.”

  Annie walked into her living room and plopped down on her sofa, resting her feet on the glass coffee table. She leaned back into the sofa cushions. “I wanted to ask you something. Feel free to say no.”

  “Okay.” Jack chuckled.

  “My grandmother and auntie would like to meet you. Are you up for tea?”

  “Tea? Seriously? You mean with china cups and saucers?” Jack asked.

  “I’m afraid so,” Annie whispered.

  “Well, I guess so. If it’s that important to you.”

  “It’s just that they are always setting me up with their friends’ grandsons or nephews and I’m tired of it all. The last date was another disaster among a long line of disasters. I just thought if they met you they’d leave me alone.”

  “What have you told them about me?” Jack asked.

  “Nothing, really. Just your name.”

  “Ahh, okay. Let me ask you this. What do you want them to know about me?”

  “Just your name.” Annie laughed when she recalled them getting his name wrong.

  “If your grandmother and auntie are anything like mine, they are going to grill me for more than my name.”

  “Now, remember, they are going to call you everything but Jack. Don’t take it as they don’t like you. It’s just who they are,” Annie said, already making excuses for them.

  “You mean a bit on the snobbish side?” Jack ran his hand through his hair and then straightened his shirt.

  “Are you nervous?” Annie asked.

  “A little bit. I feel a bit like I’m walking into a lion’s den.” He peered at her through half closed lids.

  Annie lowered her gaze.

  “I am. I’m walking into a lion’s den, right?” Jack frowned.

  “Just follow my lead, and everything will be fine.” Annie tapped on the front door with the brass knocker.

  The sounds of leather soles on wood floors and low mumblings from the old women gave clue they were approaching the door. “Here they come, breathe.”

  “Good day, dear.” Grandma Lilly opened the door wide.

  “Grandma, this is Jack.”

  Grandma Lilly’s eyes widened as she took the young man in by the hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, ahh …”

  “Jack,” Annie prompted.

  “Why, yes, Jack. Please come in.”

  Annie raised her brows as she focused on Jack’s eyes. “Sorry,” she whispered.

  Auntie Patty stood in the doorway that led to the formal living room. She took a few steps back so the group could enter the room.

  “Auntie Patty, this is Jack,” Annie said.

  She extended her hand to Jack. “You can call me Patty.”

  Annie led Jack to the Queen Anne style sofa while Grandmother Lilly and Auntie Patty each sat in a high-backed chair. Annie saw the china tea service sitting on the tea table nearby.

  “Be a dear and pour us some tea,” Grandma Lilly said as she gazed toward Annie.

  Annie jumped up to pour the tea, trying to keep an ear on the conversation. She heard her grandmother ask him about his parents.

  “Here we go. One for you, and one for you,” Annie said as she handed her grandmother and then her auntie each a cup. “Jack, what do you like in your tea?”

  “Cream and sugar, please.”

  Annie hurried over to the tea service and poured their cups. She plopped down next to him, handing him his cup. She smiled at him quickly, putting her hand up to stop her quivering lips. “Jack’s family has lived in Charleston for ages. Isn’t that right, Jack?” Annie drew in a sip of her tea.

  “Yes. My great-great grandmother was from the Kiawah tribe. My family is deeply rooted here in Charleston.”

  “How nice,” Grandmother Lilly said.

  “Our family has lived in Charleston for generations, too. This house was built in the 1800s and has been handed down ever since. It will be Annie’s someday.” Auntie Patty smiled.


  “It’s a beautiful house.” Jack glanced around the very ornately furnished room.

  “Yes, it is. Our parents lived here and before them, well …” Patty trailed off.

  “After our husbands died, we decided to live together. It’s worked out rather well, don’t you think, Patty?” Lilly asked.

  “Yes, indeed. We are sisters.” Patty stiffened her back and lifted her chin.

  “What do you do for a living?” Lilly asked.

  “Grandma, that’s not really important, is it?” Annie asked, trying to shield Jack from the twenty questions that would soon be fired at him.

  Jack turned toward Annie and furrowed his brows. Annie pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulders. It was no use. He would tell them everything they wanted to know. She sighed.

  “I’m part owner of Powell’s Transportation Service. We have four vans, two limos, and we also rent out bicycles, mopeds, and Segways for those who like to tour the city by themselves. We also have a vacation rental business. My sister handles that.”

  Annie drew in a deep taste of her tea as she awaited the sighs from her grandmother and auntie. She held the cup to her mouth, and when she didn’t hear any sounds of disapproval, she removed the cup. “Isn’t that wonderful? His family has been in business for years.” Annie nodded while grinning.

  “Yes, it is. What is it you do for the company?” Lilly asked.

  Annie glanced at her watch. “Oh, gosh, Jack, we have to run. Our movie is starting soon. We don’t want to be late.” Annie removed Jack’s cup from his hand and set it down on the table. She reached over and grabbed his hand, pulling him up from the sofa. The puzzled look on his face told her he was confused, but he went along with the charade.

  “Thank you for the tea. It was so nice meeting you,” Jack said as Annie pulled him along toward the front door.

  “I’ll talk to you soon.” Annie rushed toward the front door and pulled it open. She practically shoved poor Jack out onto the front stoop. She gave a haphazard wave to the old ladies and then pulled the door shut.