Holiday at Magnolia Bay (Southern Born Christmas Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

constitutional. Jenna can fill me in on the details another time.” She rose from her chair at the end of the table opposite her godson.
    “Wait! You can’t just leave. I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours in an airplane so that we could discuss the financing of this project.” It seemed Imogene wasn’t a mute after all.
    “But not to spend time with your fiancé?” Miss Evie asked sweetly.
    Perry bristled beside Imogene, his eyes darting to Jenna’s. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard Drew gulp back a chuckle. There was nothing funny about the situation. Jenna was already under-employed at the Center as it was. Without a hatchery, she’d eventually have to move on to one of the larger facilities on the east coast—she was wasting her degree giving tours and working in publicity. Developing an international hatchery would finally validate her career with her family not mention keeping her in Magnolia Bay, the only home she ever wanted. But Perry’s ill-mannered fiancée may have just quashed the whole thing.
    One thing about Miss Evie that Jenna had learned years ago, she didn’t tolerate rudeness. Not from anyone.
    “Well, if it’s money you want.” Miss Evie’s face was inscrutable as she eyed Imogene. Drew had ceased his chuckling and become more alert at his end of the table. “Then we’ll have to get you some, won’t we? When I was a young woman, and we wanted something new that would benefit the entire town we had a party. We invited everyone who was anyone.” She eyed Imogene severely. “Especially if they had deep pockets. It’s been a while since we’ve had a party here.”
    “Aunt Evie…” Drew was on the edge of his seat now.
    Miss Evie ignored him, clapping her hands together. “Daisy and Camellia Bloom have been snooping around this old house for years. They’ll be pleased as punch to get an invitation. We can have an old-fashioned low-country boil right here on the beach.”
    “God, not those old biddies from the historical committee,” Drew murmured.
    “Miss Song, I don’t think you understand the magnitude of the project we want to discuss with you,” Perry interjected. “Small donations are fine for operating expenses, but—”
    The older woman ignored him. “Next week Thursday should work just fine. There’s no church or choir practice on Thursdays, so that will have to do. We can pass the hat around and you’ll have your hatchery in no time.” She headed out of the dining room calling to her assistant.
    “What does she mean by ‘pass the hat’?” Imogene asked Jenna while Perry vaulted from his seat to follow Miss Evie from the room. Imogene snatched up her bag and made for the door, but not before hissing over her shoulder. “I can’t just wait around this little hamlet for weeks on end. Perry promised this was a sure thing. He said you practically guaranteed it.”
    Jenna sat in stunned silence. Maybe this was all just a bad dream. She’d wake up any minute and today wouldn’t have happened yet. Perry wouldn’t be engaged. Miss Evie wouldn’t be acting as though she was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
    “All the more key lime pie for us, I guess.”
    And the sexy man who’d been harassing her all day would be gone.
    “You,” she practically shouted at him. “Everything was going fine until you showed up!”
    “By everything, do you mean your little ruse to con my godmother out of millions? Actually, I think the woman who’s engaged to your boss—who is or isn’t your boyfriend—pretty much screwed the pooch on that one.”
    Jenna was having trouble getting her mouth to work properly. How had everyone known about Perry except her?
    “Face it. They used you. It’s the price of being…passionate,” he drawled.
    Despite the fact it was true, Perry had used her, Jenna didn’t like the implication that she was somehow conning Miss Evie. They’d both worked on the plans for the hatchery together and the older woman had offered to