IN FOR A PENNY (The Granny Series) by Nancy Naigle, Kelsey Browning

made to the play. Creating the backdrops had given her a chance to use her tools and get creative too. Maybe next year, she’d talk her daughter, Pam, into letting little Clint and Chloe come to Summer Haven for a couple of weeks before July Fourth so they could participate in all the festivities. God knew, little Miss Chloe would eat up the stage like a spoonful of honey. And the thought of having her grandkids around here put a big smile on Maggie’s face. Without the responsibility of the hardware store, grandma time would be even more fun.
    She rose from the table and washed out her bowl. She had a little time this morning to work on those trash bags of lottery tickets, but if she had help it would go even faster.
    Time to give Sera another project.
    Sure, Sera’d entertained the children during play practice, but Maggie still wasn’t sold on Lil’s decision to let her stay at Summer Haven. And rather than setting up camp close to the house, Sera had insisted on parking her van down by the creek at the back of the property. Who voluntarily went without indoor plumbing?
    Woman was a lug nut shy of a hubcap.
    Regardless, the more she helped with the scratch-offs, the closer Maggie came to moving into the carriage house. Reason enough to be friendly.
    Rooting around in the pantry, she pulled out a box of bran cereal with raisins and tucked it under her arm. Then she poured milk in a plastic container. No telling if Sera had anything fresh in her camper. By the time she made it across the back lawn, up a little rise and down the hill that tumbled into the creek, she was puffing like the little engine that couldn’t. She tried to moderate her breathing, but her chest was still rising and falling too rapidly by the time she made it to the front of Sera’s VW.
    “Sera,” she called. “I brought you a little breakfast.”
    There was no answer, so Maggie poked her head around the camper. Sera had the van door pulled back and a cute little camp set up under a tarp. Maggie couldn’t help but reach out and shake the nearest pole. Surprisingly sturdy.
    Okay, maybe she isn’t as dippy as I thought.
    A splash came from the direction of the creek. Maggie turned to see Sera wade out of the water, naked as the day her momma’d given her breath.
    Lord, Jesus! Something hot and tight lodged in Maggie’s chest.
    Surprise? Embarrassment? No, that was pure-D jealousy.
    The woman’s skin was the same lovely golden color all over. Her long wet hair streamed over her shoulders.
    Lordy goodness, was that a belly button ring? Tattoos, a belly ring and naked as a jaybird. Why couldn’t Maggie have aged that well? Sera’s hips were a little wider than they’d looked in those stretchy pants yesterday, and if Maggie squinted hard enough, she was pretty sure she spotted a patch of cellulite right there on Sera’s thigh. But a woman Sera’s age with breasts that perky? God just wasn’t fair.
    Then again, if Maggie looked like that, she might just go skinny-dipping, or for that matter, parade through Walmart without a stitch on.
    “Hey there, Maggie.” Completely unselfconscious, Sera smiled and pulled a towel from her clothesline. Rather than wrapping it around her body, she dried her face and twisted it turban-style around her head.
    Maggie tried not to gawk, she really did, but not only did Sera have that cute little swirly tattoo around her ankle, she also had an intricately inked angel on her right shoulder blade. “That’s so pretty.”
    Sera glanced over her shoulder, but her sunny expression dimmed a little. “Different times.”
    Finally, she stepped into some flowing pants and a tank top. No bra. Okay, Maggie might as well suck that one up because it didn’t matter how much weight she lost, she was never going to be able to walk around without strapping those puppies up as tight as she could. “I brought you breakfast.”
    “How nice.” Then Sera saw what was in Maggie’s hand. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I don’t eat