Meet Me in Myrtle Beach (Hunt Family Book 1) (2 page)

"I'm not sure if I could pay you what Harris was offering, but I could really use some help, and it would buy you a little time to think about your next move."

I searched her expression, again trying to read whether not she was serious. She was. She was totally serious. "I'd love to help you out, but I just need to make sure I'd have enough to pay my bills. I guess I could keep my other jobs and come help you out during my off hours. Would that be okay?"

Before she could even answer, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief at the thought of hanging onto my other jobs instead of committing to a lifetime of cooperate 9 to 5.

She shook her head. "I was hoping to give you a break from working for a little while. That's the whole point. You'd still be working for me, but it won't be the same as punching a time clock somewhere. I don't think I'll have any trouble covering your bills, if that's all you're worried about."

I beamed at her. I was normally a cautious person, and I couldn't believe I was even considering it, but something felt right about going along with her proposal. Possibly it was because she was so sweet, and I wanted to help her out anyway I could, or maybe I just didn't want to work at Harris. Either way, I felt excited about the turn of events.

"I'd love to help you out for the summer," I said, still smiling.

She returned my smile. "Good. Pack your bags. We leave for Myrtle Beach in two days."

Chapter 2

"You can't just leave the state with a random person you know nothing about, Paige," my dad said when he came home from work that afternoon. I knew he wouldn't approve, but I wasn't really asking his permission. I was, after all, an adult who was capable of making decisions on my own. "And what happened to working at that restaurant supply place? I thought you were all excited about that."

"I was only excited about it because you were excited about it."

He stared at me as if I was an alien living in his daughter's skin—like he could find me in there somewhere if he looked hard enough.

"Dad, you're freaking me out. It's not that big of a deal."

"It sort of is, Paige. Interviews like that don't come around all the time. And what about the restaurant and Journeys? You're just planning on quitting your jobs to go gallivanting around Myrtle Beach all summer?"

"We're only going for a week, Dad, and we're not gallivanting. She goes there every year to see her family. She talks about seeing her grandbabies."

"And where do you fit into all this?"

I shrugged. "She said she could use my help. I don't really know what I'll be doing exactly. Maybe I'll be babysitting her grandkids while they go to dinner. Maybe she was just being nice by hiring me so I didn't jump right into a job I didn't even want."

"Why wouldn't you want that job, Paige?" he asked, with genuine confusion on his face. "It's everything you worked for."

I didn't have the heart to tell him that my degree was his dream and not mine. "I know, but I think I should just take a second to breathe and contemplate things before I jump right in to my career. Does that make any sense to you?"

He shook his head, still looking confused. "Not really, especially when you have bills to pay."

I let out a sigh, and he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Baby, I’m not trying to upset you. I'm just trying to be the voice of reason here. You have to understand that I've been working my whole life just to make ends meet, and I don't want that for you and Seth. It's choices like this that'll lead you down that road." He let out a long, defeated sigh. "That position at Harris had you starting out at about the same as I make now. Imagine that. I've been working my whole life just to make the same amount of money that you'd be getting right out of the gate."

"Now you're making me feel guilty, Dad."

"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, sweetie. I'm just proud of you, and I want you to have a better—an easier life than I had."

I stared at the floor and took a deep breath.

"Maybe you can call them on Monday and say you've reconsidered. I'm sure they'll set up another interview."

"I already promised Mrs. Hunt I'd help her out this summer."

"What does that even mean, help her out? What will you be doing?"

"I don't know, Dad. She hasn't really made that clear. I know I'll start by going to the beach for a week. I already told her I'd go, and I don't want to back out."

"How much is she paying you?"

"We haven't really talked about that, either. I told her I had bills to pay, and she said she'd make sure they were covered."

He closed his eyes and shook his head as if this were the most hair brained scheme he'd ever heard. "We know nothing about this woman, Paige."

"I'll be fine, Dad. It's not gonna kill me to take a summer off."

"Maybe not, but what happens at the end of the summer when Harris has already filled the position and they've replaced you at your other jobs?"

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there, Dad."

"Just sleep on it tonight," he said. "There's no shame in changing your mind."

***

Two days later, I was in a car with Diane Hunt, making the four-hour drive from the north side of Charlotte to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

My little brother, Seth, wanted to use my car while I was away, so Diane agreed to pick me up at my house. My dad came out to meet her when she arrived, which was only slightly embarrassing. Apparently, she passed his inspection, because he kissed me on the head and said he hoped I had fun on the trip. He gave me a wad of cash, which I thanked him for but didn't count before putting in my pocket. He made me promise to check in regularly.

Diane was driving a Volvo SUV, and she threw me the keys. I assumed by her gesture that driving was part of my duties, so I got into the driver's seat without question. We talked about my family during the first part of the trip. She asked questions about my parents and brother, and about my goals in general.

I was honest with her about my life, even though it wasn't necessarily glamorous. My mother was an addict who had walked out on us when Seth and I were young, and my dad had done his best to provide for us. I told her he had been reluctant about me passing up the job at Harris, but tried to be understanding even though he thought it was a bad idea. She took up for him, saying he only wanted what was best for me, which I already knew.

She asked me tons of questions—things about my likes and dislikes, and questions about my opinions both political and spiritual. It seemed important to her to learn that I was a Christian, which made me feel slightly better about us leaving the state together. I would have just about jumped out of a moving vehicle if she said she was part of some religious cult or something.

The conversation during our trip felt a bit like a job interview, but I was completely comfortable around Mrs. Hunt and didn't mind sharing about myself. Besides, she'd already agreed to hire me for the summer, so the interview (if there had been one) was technically over. We were somewhat stuck with each other at this point, which was okay because we had a lot in common despite our age difference.

After we talked about my family, she told me about what to expect at the beach house. The 'June trip', as she called it, was something she and her family did every summer.

"So you have three kids?" I asked, trying to wrap my brain around everything she'd just told me.

"David, Dan, and Denise. They're all married with children. I have six grandbabies and two great-grandbabies. David, the oldest, has one son. Danny has two boys and a girl, and Denise has a son and a daughter."

"And they'll all be at the beach house?"

She sighed, which made me glance at her from across the console.

"It's a mandatory vacation. It's the same week every year, and I try my best not to give them an option about coming." She paused and let out another long sigh. "Denise and her family are out in California, though. She hasn't come right out and said they were coming this year, so I'm not a hundred percent that her crew will make it."

"Where do the others live?" I asked.

"David and Dan are both still in Charlotte. They'll all meet us there tomorrow. I always come a day early to get groceries and make sure the house is ready."

And this is where I come in
, I thought. I pictured myself scrubbing toilets and making trips to the grocery store with a long list.

"I'm not a bad cook, but I'm not promising anything," I said as soon as it crossed my mind that she might want me to cook for her family.

She laughed. "If I would have wanted someone to cook, I would have asked a chef to come along."

I glanced at her before quickly refocusing on the road, and she reached out and put her hand on my arm.

"You need to relax, Paige. Just think of it as a vacation."

***

I was astounded by the size of the gorgeous beach house she led me to. It was a soothing shade of seafoam green with white accents and shutters. It was hard to tell with the way it was set up on piers, but it seemed to be at least three stories with a huge staircase leading up to the main entrance.

"This is amazing," I said staring at it through the driver's side window after I put the Volvo in park.

She opened the passenger's door without hesitation. "Six bedrooms," she said. "I thought we'd never grow out of it, but it gets smaller and smaller as the grandkids get bigger and bigger." She turned and smiled at me with a hint of regret. "I hope you don’t mind sleeping on a couch. I have some really nice sofas with memory foam cushions."

"I don't mind sleeping on a couch at all," I said.

I turned off the engine and stepped onto the driveway, stretching once I got out. I couldn’t help but gawk at the beautiful house. I'd never in my life stayed in such a nice place. I wasn't sure if I'd ever even seen one up close.

"Is this a timeshare or something?" I asked as we grabbed our bags out of the back of the SUV.

"It's mine," she said, "—although my kids and their friends use it more than I do. My late husband bought it for me as an anniversary present. He knew how badly I wanted a place where we could get the whole family together. Even though most of us live in Charlotte, we only get to see each other in passing or during the holidays. It's nice to be stuck together for a whole week. There's something to be said for that. I figured a place on the beach would keep them coming back year after year."

I stood in the driveway and peered up at the beautiful mansion. I couldn't see it from where I was standing, but I could both smell and hear the ocean. "This place would certainly keep me coming back year after year," I murmured nostalgically.

"Well, come on, what are you waiting for, then?" she asked, walking ahead of me. She unlocked the front door, and I followed her inside. The place was spotless. It smelled clean and inviting, and all the visions I had of scrubbing toilets were completely wiped from my mind.

"There's a big family room on the third floor," she said, gesturing to the stairs. "One of the bedrooms is up there too. You can sleep in the bed tonight, but if Denise and her crew decide to grace us with their presence, which I'm sure they will, you might get kicked out onto one of the couches."

"I'm fine with a couch," I said. "I might just go ahead and claim one of them if it's all the same to you."

"Make yourself at home up there. There's a little kitchenette with a microwave and mini-fridge. We'll go to the store in a little bit to stock up."

"Sounds perfect," I said. "I'll put my things away and meet you back down here in a few minutes."

"Take your time," she said. "And make yourself at home."

"Thank you!" I called from over my shoulder as I started up the stairs. I peered into the second floor briefly, but really didn't stop to take it in before heading up to the third.

I rounded the corner of the staircase, and could see that the third floor consisted of a giant family room just as Diane described. There were four couches and a couple of oversized chairs spread across the room. Some of them were facing the giant television, and some of them were facing the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the back wall, overlooking the ocean. I walked toward the back of the room, staring dazedly out the windows. It was hard to believe that I'd be staying in this house for a whole week. It was even harder to believe that she may or may not be paying me to do so.

A fifth couch was tucked away in its own little area by the back windows. It was out of the way, thus it was a no-brainer that I'd choose it as a place to set up camp. I had a small suitcase and a duffel bag with me, and I set them both next to the nearby end table before plopping down on it with a sigh.

For the next few minutes, I just sat there taking in my surroundings. Then, I finally fished my phone out of my purse and composed a text to my dad.

Me: "We made it. It's a mansion. I'm sitting on a couch on the third floor, staring at the ocean. No regrets. She's a nice lady. I love you."

I didn't even wait for a response before texting my brother (who was also one of my best friends).

Me: "Hey bubs. You should see my digs for the week. I'm pretty sure Brad and Angelina live next door. I'm staring at a giant TV with at least two game consoles. Wish you were here."

I heard from Seth almost instantly.

Seth: "Shut-up! Send pics. Love u."

I was snapping a picture to send when I heard back from my dad.

Dad: "I'm glad you had a good trip. Thanks for letting me know. Please check in often. Have fun, sweetie. I love you, Dad."

I smiled, thinking about how many times I'd told my dad he didn't need to sign his name to a text.

I stood up and took several pictures of the room, including a few of the ocean view. I was deciding which ones to send when I heard footsteps running up the stairs. I barely had time to glance toward the staircase when I saw a small child burst into the room and throw herself onto one of the couches.

"I beat yooou!" she called in the most adorable baby-talk voices I'd ever heard. She startled me at first, but I figured it was one of Diane's grandkids who had gotten there before expected.

"I don't want to scare you," I said, cautiously as I tiptoed over to the couch where the munchkin was lying.

She smiled at me when she first caught sight of me, but her face fell as soon as she realized she had no idea who I was.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm your grandma's friend. My name's Paige."