Serena's Choice - Coastal Romance Series Read Online Free Page A

smell the herbs in her memory. She
missed her mother so much.
    And then her tears began to fall.
Tears for her mother, for her childhood, for her grandmother. Jeff
put his arm around her and pulled her to his chest. She wept against
him as he stroked her hair. “I’m sorry,” he said.
    Finally, Serena quieted and
pulled away from Jeff. He had never, in their six months of knowing
each other, put his arm around her. It was a new and different
feeling and she didn’t quite know what to make of it.
    “ Let’s go back to the porch,”
Jeff said, taking her hand.
    They sat on the porch drinking
wine late into the night. Jeff told her about his grandmother, who
spoiled him rotten. He told her about his childhood in Philadelphia,
law school at Emory in Atlanta, and his work for the big firm now.
    Serena told him about growing up
on Luna Bay and learning to cook in the diner. She told him how her
grandmother and mother had encouraged her to go to culinary school
and have a career. They had scrimped and saved and sacrificed for
Serena. She told Jeff about Bridgewater’s and Daniel and how
difficult he was.
    By the time they went to bed,
Serena and Jeff knew a lifetime about each other.
    “ I’ll see you in the
morning,” Serena said at the door to Jeff’s room. “Thank you so
much for coming.”
    Jeff kissed her goodnight. “See
you tomorrow,” he said, closing the door to the spare room.
    Serena woke up to the rich smell
of coffee brewing. She had slept heavily through the night and felt
refreshed for the first time in days. She quickly dressed in jeans
and a light sweater before she went downstairs.
    Jeff and her grandmother were
sitting at the kitchen table, both holding cups of coffee.
    “ There you are, sleepyhead,”
Nonna said.
    Serena blushed.
    “ We were waiting on you to get
up before I started breakfast,” Nonna said.
    “ Let me get breakfast,”
Serena said.
    “ No, no. You sit down and have
some coffee,” Nonna said, getting up and walking to the stove.
    Serena sat down and looked over
at Jeff. He smiled at her.
    “ Elena has been telling me
about the early days on Luna Bay,” Jeff said.
    “ Oh?” Serena said, stirring
her coffee.
    “ It’s interesting how the
highway system after the war created new businesses,” Jeff said.
    “ I didn’t realize you knew
anything about highways,” Serena said.
    “ I majored in modern American
history in college,” Jeff said. “It’s interesting to talk to
people who lived it.”
    A few minutes later, Nonna
brought plates of scrambled eggs and bacon and toast to the table.
Serena spread her toast with butter. Halfway through the meal, Nonna
got up and poured fresh coffee into everyone’s cup. When they were
finished, she gathered the plates and put them in the sink. She
wouldn’t let Serena or Jeff help her.
    “ I guess I’d better get on
the road soon,” Jeff said. “I’ve got to be at work bright and
early in the morning.”
    “ I hate to see you go, Jeff,”
Nonna said.
    “ Me too, Elena. It’s been
good to meet you.”
    Jeff went upstairs and came down
a few minutes later with his duffel bag. He hugged Elena, then held
her hands in his.
    “ Thank you for coming,” Nonna
said. “I hope to see you again sometime.”
    “ You will,” he said. Nonna
smiled at him.
    “ I’ll walk you out,” Serena
said following Jeff to the door.
    She stood with him beside his
car.
    “ When do you think you’ll be
back in Atlanta?” Jeff asked her.
    “ I’m not sure. I know the
restaurant is probably falling apart with Daniel in charge, but I’ve
got some things to take care of here. Nonna needs my help.”
    “ Will you let me know when you
get back?” Jeff asked.
    “ Of course I’ll let you know.
Thank you for coming. It’s meant a lot of Nonna and me.”
    Jeff kissed her lightly on the
lips before getting in his car. Serena watched him drive off down the
quiet road. She watched until she could no longer see his car.
    Nonna was washing the