Free Down and Out in Flamingo Beach by Marcia King-Gamble Page A

to be again. It was no fun eating chicken backs and necks 24/7 just so you could pay the rent.
    â€œHow long will a quilt like this take to make?” Derek asked, breaking into her musings.
    â€œIf I can find someone dedicated to doing it, I’d say a month. What will take time is selecting what you’d like to have on the quilt and transferring the images onto the material. And…” Joya took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s going to be expensive.”
    â€œHow expensive?”
    Derek was watching her intently. She was developing a shortage of breath that wasn’t normal when you were sitting and not exerting yourself. Joya named a figure and waited.
    Derek’s long low whistle told her clearly what he thought.
    She needed to make this work. Nana Belle and Granny J were friends and had been for a long time.
    â€œHow about we split the gift?” Joya suggested.
    â€œWhy?”
    Derek had suddenly gone all steely-eyed on her. She hadn’t meant to insult him.
    She rose and crossed over to the window. While she wasn’t sure she liked Derek Morse, that should have nothing to do with it. This was about the friendship between her grandmother and Belle.
    â€œYour great-grandmother and my granny are friends,” Joya said. “Since my gran would be giving yours a gift anyway, why not make it joint, memorable and something Nana Belle wants?”
    Derek rose, too.
    â€œI didn’t come here looking for charity.”
    â€œI’m not offering you charity.”
    â€œI’d prefer to pay for the quilt on my own,” he said more quietly.
    â€œAs you wish. I’ll talk to one of the guild and get back to you. You’ll need to discuss color schemes and fabrics, that kind of thing. I’ve just thought of something else.”
    â€œWhat?”
    This time Derek did come over to join her at the window.
    â€œI’m thinking that when you send out your invitations to some people special to Belle you could include a block. Have the invitee write a message and sign it using indelible ink, and then have them get it back to us by a certain time.”
    â€œWhat’s a block?”
    â€œA square of fabric that you’d sew together to make your quilt.”
    Derek’s long and meticulously clean fingers stroked his chin. “I like that idea. The quilt would be both a photo album and an autograph book.”
    â€œExactly.”
    â€œOn another note, did you have chance to talk to your gran about renovating the shop?” Derek asked, getting much too close. She could smell the soap on his skin.
    Joya took a step back, putting space between them. Why would Derek care? What was in it for him other than making sure he had work?
    â€œI did,” Joya answered, “And she’s finally agreed to take out a loan. When can we start construction?”
    From Derek’s startled expression she could tell she’d taken him by surprise.
    â€œI’ll need to speak with Preston Shore, the owner of my construction firm.”
    â€œWould you rather I talk to him directly? I’d like to make this happen sooner rather than later.”
    Derek shrugged. “As you wish. I’ll have Preston call you tomorrow. And you’ll get back to me tomorrow about that quilt and how soon it can be done?”
    â€œI will.”
    Derek stuck his hand out and wrapped Joya’s small hand in his. A bolt of electricity shot up her arm. Derek must have felt it too because he dropped her hand like a hot potato and quickly turned toward the door.
    Joya’s cell phone, clipped to the waistband of her shorts, rang, a welcome distraction. She glanced at the dial, frowned and hesitated.
    â€œAren’t you going to get that?” Derek said pointedly.
    â€œHello…Yes, Chet? Our alarm went off?…The cops are there?…I’m on my way.”
    Joya depressed the button cutting Chet Rabinowitz off before he could say another