4
As Bennett approached Nailed It, the hardware store next to Java Beach, one of the owners called out to him.
“Hi, Mr. Mayor,” Jen was struggling to lift a large patio chair into a customer’s van.
“Need some help with that?”
“I won’t say no,” Jen said, letting Bennett take the wrought-iron chair. “With the sun breaking through the clouds, we’re having an early run on patio furniture.”
“That’s good. But where’s that husband of yours?”
“George is visiting our furniture supplier in Mexico,” Jen said, hitching up her blue jeans and sweeping her long highlighted hair from her face. “The artisans there do such beautiful work—we wanted to arrange our shipments early this year. I can usually manage fine on my own. But these pieces are heavier than I realized.”
Turning to her customer, Jen
