Bikinis in Paradise (Tj Jensen Pardise Lake Mysteries) by Kathi Daley
Authors: Kathi Daley
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booked solid for the summer, so I thought we might need to hire some extra help.”
“Dad said something about that before he left. I can put some ads out to social media sites, if you want.”
“Guess you should wait to talk to your dad about it when he gets back from Florida.”
“I hope the girls are having fun at Disney World. I was thinking I’d call them when I’m done eating. They’ve only been gone one day and I already miss them so much.”
Ben stood up. “Give them my love. I think I’ll skip the buffet and head over to make sure things are ready for the Tropical Tan staff. I guess they plan to tell the models about Tonya when they arrive. I figured I’d set something up in the activities room.”
Tj watched her grandfather walk away. She thought about what he’d said about Hunter. When he had first broken up with her nearly seven years ago, she’d been hurt and hadn’t wanted to consider his offer of friendship. But as time passed and her wounds began to heal, she’d developed a relationship built on mutual respect and caring with the man she’d once believed she’d marry. In the past year, their friendship had grown into something more than just sharing a common history. Tj didn’t think either she or Hunter really understood the feelings that had grown between them. They’d talked about it, and both had agreed that they didn’t want to damage their friendship, so they’d decided it was best to continue things as they were. Tj knew that the people in her life whose opinion she valued were split as to where, if anywhere, her relationship with Hunter should progress. There were those, like Ben and Jake, who felt that the pair was meant to be together and should get back on track as a couple, and there were others, such as her dad and Jenna, who had witnessed how deeply Hunter had hurt her and felt it was best for Tj to move on to someone new.
Tj knew that Hunter’s decision to end things with her had had more to do with pressure from his mother than his feelings toward her. Tj and Cora Lee had never really gotten along. Cora Lee had big aspirations for her only son, aspirations that did not include his being married to the tomboy daughter of a local resort owner. Cora Lee had wanted Hunter to go into politics. She dreamed of him leaving Serenity behind to work at some prestigious teaching hospital. She still yearned for him to marry into a family with important business and political ties. But, in the end, Hunter had grown up, and in so doing, he’d managed to break free from his mother’s influence to carve out his own path. Maybe now that Hunter had made it clear that he was staying in Serenity, there could be a future for them. And then again, maybe things of the past were best left in the past. Tj realized that her love wouldn’t be resolved in a day. She was debating the timing of her call to the East Coast to speak with her sisters when Amber walked up and nervously stood in front of her.
“Good morning , Amber.”
“Mornin ’, Miss Tj.”
“Just Tj.”
“Uh, sure.”
“Did you need something?” Tj waited as Amber fidgeted around , trying to work up the courage to tell her something.
“If’n you hear something that someone said , but they don’t know you heard them say it, is it gossipin’ if you tell what you heard to someone else?”
“Probably,” Tj answered. “Please have a seat.” She motioned to the chair Ben had just vacated. “ Why don’t you tell me what you heard, and then we’ll decide if it’s something that should be told.”
“It’s about the missin ’ girl.”
“Kiara?” Tj asked.
“No. The other one. The one who was supposed to come on the bus.”
“Tonya Overton ?”
“Yes , ma’am. I was helpin’ to clear tables in the bar last night while the models were there. I overheard a group of them sayin’ that Ms. Overton had gotten herself into big trouble when the tour stopped in Las Vegas a while back. They made it sound like
“Dad said something about that before he left. I can put some ads out to social media sites, if you want.”
“Guess you should wait to talk to your dad about it when he gets back from Florida.”
“I hope the girls are having fun at Disney World. I was thinking I’d call them when I’m done eating. They’ve only been gone one day and I already miss them so much.”
Ben stood up. “Give them my love. I think I’ll skip the buffet and head over to make sure things are ready for the Tropical Tan staff. I guess they plan to tell the models about Tonya when they arrive. I figured I’d set something up in the activities room.”
Tj watched her grandfather walk away. She thought about what he’d said about Hunter. When he had first broken up with her nearly seven years ago, she’d been hurt and hadn’t wanted to consider his offer of friendship. But as time passed and her wounds began to heal, she’d developed a relationship built on mutual respect and caring with the man she’d once believed she’d marry. In the past year, their friendship had grown into something more than just sharing a common history. Tj didn’t think either she or Hunter really understood the feelings that had grown between them. They’d talked about it, and both had agreed that they didn’t want to damage their friendship, so they’d decided it was best to continue things as they were. Tj knew that the people in her life whose opinion she valued were split as to where, if anywhere, her relationship with Hunter should progress. There were those, like Ben and Jake, who felt that the pair was meant to be together and should get back on track as a couple, and there were others, such as her dad and Jenna, who had witnessed how deeply Hunter had hurt her and felt it was best for Tj to move on to someone new.
Tj knew that Hunter’s decision to end things with her had had more to do with pressure from his mother than his feelings toward her. Tj and Cora Lee had never really gotten along. Cora Lee had big aspirations for her only son, aspirations that did not include his being married to the tomboy daughter of a local resort owner. Cora Lee had wanted Hunter to go into politics. She dreamed of him leaving Serenity behind to work at some prestigious teaching hospital. She still yearned for him to marry into a family with important business and political ties. But, in the end, Hunter had grown up, and in so doing, he’d managed to break free from his mother’s influence to carve out his own path. Maybe now that Hunter had made it clear that he was staying in Serenity, there could be a future for them. And then again, maybe things of the past were best left in the past. Tj realized that her love wouldn’t be resolved in a day. She was debating the timing of her call to the East Coast to speak with her sisters when Amber walked up and nervously stood in front of her.
“Good morning , Amber.”
“Mornin ’, Miss Tj.”
“Just Tj.”
“Uh, sure.”
“Did you need something?” Tj waited as Amber fidgeted around , trying to work up the courage to tell her something.
“If’n you hear something that someone said , but they don’t know you heard them say it, is it gossipin’ if you tell what you heard to someone else?”
“Probably,” Tj answered. “Please have a seat.” She motioned to the chair Ben had just vacated. “ Why don’t you tell me what you heard, and then we’ll decide if it’s something that should be told.”
“It’s about the missin ’ girl.”
“Kiara?” Tj asked.
“No. The other one. The one who was supposed to come on the bus.”
“Tonya Overton ?”
“Yes , ma’am. I was helpin’ to clear tables in the bar last night while the models were there. I overheard a group of them sayin’ that Ms. Overton had gotten herself into big trouble when the tour stopped in Las Vegas a while back. They made it sound like
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