The Summer Retreat by Sheila Roberts

Author:Sheila Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIRA Books
Published: 2019-02-15T20:12:04+00:00

* * *

“I guess that party’s over,” Bethany said as she and Hyacinth watched Celeste vanish into the crowd on the beach.

And her date didn’t look any too happy about it. Poor Paul, thought Hyacinth. Celeste Jones couldn’t even handle a party with the members of his congregation. If that wasn’t a clue that she wasn’t right for him, Hyacinth didn’t know what was.

He was moving in their direction, making his way to Jimmy Williams and Horace Ringwald, and as he passed with a pleasant nod for the two women, Bethany asked, “What happened to your date, Pastor?”

Hyacinth saw the disappointment on his face. He’d wear that expression a lot if he stayed with Celeste Jones. “She wasn’t feeling well. She decided to go home.”

“That’s too bad,” Bethany said, then the moment he’d passed them, she said to Hyacinth, “Trouble in paradise. I knew it wouldn’t last. She’s already tired of him.”

“Or maybe she really doesn’t feel good.” Hyacinth had been hoping and praying things wouldn’t work out between Paul and Celeste—selfish yes, but there you had it. Still, she doubted her prayers would be answered that quickly.

“She was okay when they got here,” said Treeva. “That was a fake headache. They’re not a fit, Hy. This proves it.”

“So get over there and move in on him,” advised Bethany.

Hyacinth balked. “He’s in the middle of a conversation.”

“He’s always in the middle of a conversation. Honestly,” Bethany said in disgust. “You have to put yourself out there so he knows you’re interested. Send the right signals.”

“I bet Celeste Jones didn’t have to send any signals,” Hyacinth muttered. No bitterness here.

“Are you kidding? She’s a walking cell phone tower. Go make conversation,” Bethany said and gave Hyacinth a nudge.

Hyacinth still resisted and Bethany turned the nudge into a shove, leaving her no choice but to move her legs. They probably looked like middle-school girls at a dance. This was stupid. What was she supposed to do, walk over and interrupt the men’s conversation?

She took her time, stopping to get a soda, then asking one of the older women who was a frequent customer how her quilt was coming. That delayed her by a good fifteen minutes, because once avid quilters started talking about their projects, it was hard to stop. Quilting, gardening and baking—all topics Hyacinth could converse easily on. It made her hugely popular with a lot of the women in the church. And made her well qualified to be a pastor’s wife.

“You look lovely today,” Susan Frank told her as she walked past.

“Thank you,” she murmured. She’d thought she looked pretty cute in her white jeggings and red top. Until she’d seen Celeste in her red shorts.

Paul had now moved away from the men he’d been talking to and was in the house. She saw him at the table, helping himself to a piece of barbecued chicken. Food. There was a topic she could manage.

Except when she was around Paul. She took a plate and edged up to him, her mind as empty as her plate.

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