The Summer Girlfriend (Heart Beach, #1)(90)
He was ready to say that he’d stick around for moral support. But Noelle glanced past him, and her expression became strained once more. He turned and followed her line of sight. Percy was standing in the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee. Jeremiah turned to Noelle again, but she’d gone back to focusing her attention on the girls.
“Uncle Miah, you have to leave now,” Ashley said. “This is a serious, closed practice.”
“You’d better listen to them.” Noelle managed a smirk. “I’ll come find you later.”
He was reluctant to leave her, but he didn’t want his nieces to bite his head off either.
“Let me know if you hear back from your advisor,” he said, and she nodded.
Officially exiled, he returned inside. Percy was still in the kitchen, and when Jeremiah walked past him, Percy glanced up and opened his mouth like he was going to say something. Jeremiah paused, but Percy cleared his throat and fell silent. Percy might not have been the most talkative person, but he’d certainly never struggled to articulate his thoughts. Jeremiah raised an eyebrow.
“Morning,” he said.
Percy cleared his throat again. “Good morning.”
Before Jeremiah could ask what was up, Celeste breezed into the kitchen, wearing a cover-up over her bathing suit. Her sunglasses were perched atop her head, and she was holding a thick fashion magazine in her hands. It looked like she was ready to go relax by the pool. But her drawn expression didn’t indicate any hint of impending relaxation. With pinched brows she glanced between Percy and Jeremiah. Jeremiah frowned again. What was going on with everyone?
“What time do you and Noelle plan on leaving today, Miah?” Celeste asked.
“Later. I wanted to take her to the Oceanfront for dinner,” he said. “Why?”
“I’d like us to have dinner together as a family on the patio tonight,” she said. “And afterward, there are some things I want to discuss with you and your brother and sister. Can you change your dinner plans?”
Alarm bells instantly rang in Jeremiah’s head. He thought of Pop and the heart problems he’d kept from everyone. He stepped closer to Celeste, eyes sweeping over her in concern.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine, sweetheart.” She gently patted his cheek. “Nothing’s wrong with me, I promise.”
Jeremiah eyed his mother. He glanced at Percy, who continued to stand nearby, quietly drinking his coffee.
“Of course we’ll stay for dinner,” Jeremiah finally said.
Because Amara had locked herself away upstairs to paint, and Robin wanted to spend most of the day sleeping, and Danny had already returned to Philly, Jeremiah spent the majority of the afternoon alone. He went for a run, and afterward, he lay on the beach and tried to read book three in Clara Crawford’s pirates series. The plot was entertaining, and it would have kept his attention if he wasn’t so preoccupied with wondering about what was going on with everyone. What did Celeste want to discuss at dinner? Why had Percy suddenly become tongue-tied in the kitchen? And then there was Noelle. She was upset about forgetting to schedule a meeting with her advisor, which he understood. But that didn’t explain the way she’d looked at Percy.
Eventually, he put the book aside and went to submerge himself in the ocean. The sound of the crashing waves drowned out his thoughts.
* * *
Celeste hired Chef Amir to cook dinner again. The Smiths sat around the outdoor table on the patio and ate together as the sun began to set. Harper and Ashley led most of the conversation, sharing their hopes to place at the talent show. Robin talked about how she took the twins and Ciara and Zoe shopping for their outfits. Jeremiah glanced to his right at Noelle, who ate quietly beside him. She’d been quiet most of today; she still hadn’t heard back from her advisor. She’d pulled her braids into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck with a light pink scrunchie that matched her dress. She looked pretty and sun-kissed. She speared a shrimp with her fork and then sent an apprehensive glance across the table at Percy, who didn’t lift his eyes from his plate.
“Hey,” Jeremiah leaned over and whispered in Noelle’s ear. “Did Percy say something that upset you? Do I need to talk to him?”
Noelle quickly shook her head and rubbed his thigh in reassurance.
“No, it’s okay,” she whispered back. “I’m fine.”
She didn’t seem fine. Neither did Percy. And neither did Celeste, who was hardly participating in the conversation as she focused on slicing her scallops in half.
“Okay, what’s up with everyone?” Jeremiah finally asked. “Can someone tell me what’s going on?”
Celeste and Percy sported matching expressions of unease.
“I promise we’ll talk later after dinner,” Celeste said.
Jeremiah shook his head. He’d been stressed over the strange tension all day. He didn’t want to be in the dark for a second longer. “Please. Just tell me now.”
Celeste hesitated. Her fork and knife were poised in her hands as she looked at Jeremiah. She let out a slow, even breath and placed her utensils to the side.
“So, the first thing I want to share is that I officially plan to retire next year,” she said as she looked around the table. “Originally, Percy and I had agreed that he would step into the CEO role after my departure.” She paused. “But very recently we were approached by Avid Foods with a lucrative offer to buy Smith’s Sweets.”