The Shell Shop Secrets by Cindy Nichols

Author:Cindy Nichols
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sarah Collins

CHAPTER 19

The sun had almost risen by the time Julia decided that Kelsey wasn’t going to get up and walk the beach with her. She glanced at her youngest daughter’s closed bedroom door one last time, then pulled on her visor and headed for the water.

As she walked down Pearl Beach toward town, she ran over her conversations with Kelsey the night before, which took all of five seconds.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” was all Kelsey had said before she stomped upstairs with her suitcase and slammed the door of her bedroom.

So, all Julia had was speculation. It had been over a week since Hurricane Hazel had ripped through southern Florida and Kelsey had come down from Fort Lauderdale to do remote weather hits for the network. And had gotten stuck over by the marina before it got damaged and had had to shelter in place through the remainder of the storm.

But that hadn’t been her fault. It was the TV station who’d sent her out with just a camera person for company in a network van. True, there’d been no evacuation notice issued, but it was very clear that the hurricane was going to do some pretty major damage.

And it had. Julia shook her head as she passed the marina. She waved at Frank, the caretaker, without expecting a wave in return. She waved at him every day and never got one back, but since the hurricane he seemed a little grumpier than usual.

“Hey, Mom,” Dillon said as she passed the dive shop. He looked up the beach and raised his eyebrows. “No Kelsey?”

Julia nodded at Dillon’s best friend, Owen, when he poked his head out of the dive shop.

“Good morning. No, she got in late last night and went right to bed. I tapped on her door to see if she wanted to walk, but she never came out.”

“Is she all right? Dillon mentioned she got fired. Why?”

Julia shrugged. “When she called, she didn’t want to go into it, either. So, I really have no idea yet.”

“Well, that stinks,” Owen said. “She’s a great weather girl. I’m sure she’ll find something else.”

“Meteorologist,” Dillon said, and Julia could tell he was trying not to laugh.

“Come on, Dillon. Have some sympathy. She loved that job, it was her dream. So, no teasing. Not for a while, anyway.”

Dillon rolled his eyes, but agreed. “Okay. For a while. I mean, if she ever gets out of bed.”

Julia nodded and glanced back up the beach toward the Shell Shop. “Right. I waited as long as I could, but didn’t hear a peep. So, I went ahead. I’ll get some bagels from Trish and Ted and take them back. Sorry, Dillon, I know I said I’d make breakfast, but I guess not today, with everything that’s going on.”

Dillon shuffled his feet and Julia could swear his cheeks turned a little pink. He looked up at Owen, who’d leaned against the side of the dive shop and folded his arms. The smile on Owen’s face made it pretty clear there was something Dillon wasn’t telling her.

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