“Don’t worry about picking up the kids. I’ve got it handled.” Charley flipped Lily’s omelet.
“Thanks.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Trace, we need to go over the new booking system so you can start using it,” Lily said.
“Right. Sorry we haven’t gotten to it. It’s been . . . yesterday was . . . crazy.” His expression turned brooding, and Lily knew right where his thoughts had gone. Both of them had definitely stared at their ceilings most of the night. “Unexpectedly crazy,” he added. As if the one-two punch to emphasize that almost-kiss was necessary.
It wasn’t.
Ben crashed through the door in his usual full-throttle manner. “Lily, can I go to your house and see Megan before we leave for school?”
“No.” Trace gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Let her . . . it rest. You can feed them after school.” His brooding expression vanished. “Son, the doctor said Megan is really a boy.”
Ben’s shoulders drooped.
Trace nudged him playfully. “Come on, it’ll be fun thinking up a new name. Remember how much fun you had helping Lily name all the ducklings?”
Charley blinked twice, obviously not yet clued in on the ducks or the fact that one had been named after Trace’s ex-wife. She shook her head, dishing up Lily’s omelet. “I swear this place is like The Twilight Zone.”
“I’d explain, but I’ve got to go.” Trace glanced at his watch. “I’m already late.” He looked at Lily. “We’ll get to the new system soon.”
“Sorry, boss. Soon isn’t good enough.” Lily dug into the scrumptious mix, but before she forked a generous helping into her mouth, she said, “This week, okay?”
He angled his body half-in and half-out of the back door, and the brooding was back.
And darned if he couldn’t win a sexiest brooder alive contest. Really, People magazine should put his picture on the cover. Every year. Because Lily had yet to meet anyone who pulled it off quite as well as Trace.
Finally he nodded, said goodbye to his son, and let the door close in his wake.
As soon as they were alone, Charley said to the kids, “Go load up in the Jeep. I’m right behind you.”
With backpacks strapped to their shoulders, both kids hurried out in a frenzy of excitement to start a new school day.
Charley crooked all four fingers at once in a give-it-up gesture. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Lily said around a mouthful of omelet. She swallowed. “Nothing at all is going on with me and Trace. We’re just friends.” Her own words took her by surprise. “I mean we’re not really friends. He’s my boss, and I’m his employee, and it’s strictly professional between us.”
Charley folded her arms. “I meant what’s going on with the duck.”
“Oh.” Lily’s foot bounced against the barstool. “I found a bunch of orphaned ducks on the road when I was riding a tricycle from the ferry.”
Charley’s mouth fell open.
Once Lily started, she couldn’t stop. “Trace was good enough to keep it a secret at first because I must’ve looked ridiculous, but then Ben named one Megan.” She gobbled up more omelet. “Trace caught me trying to take Megan to the vet on a bicycle, and she turned out to be a male, so that sort of made up for the name, and then . . .” Lily bit off the part about her and Trace almost kissing. “So can I have a ride into town?”
It took Charley a minute to absorb everything. Finally, she recovered. “Do you have any idea how much I need a friend like you?” She pulled a large tray of pastries from a storage cabinet and set it on the counter. “You’ve managed more adventure in your life in less than two weeks at the Remington than I’ve had in the last year.”
Lily could use a little less adventure at the moment.
Charley went back for a second tray of pastries. “Come on. We’ll drop the kids off at school, I’ll take you wherever you need to go, and then we can deliver these to my friend.”
“Thanks.” Lily picked up one of the trays. She very much wanted to meet Charley’s friend. Lily had her fingers crossed that Charley and her friend could solve the food service problem at the resort. If it worked out, all she’d have to do was get Trace’s stamp of approval.
Work. Work was her lifeline. She and Trace had already swerved way too far into the personal zone, so from now on, they would focus on work and nothing more.
She’d just keep telling herself that because she was her mother’s daughter. Denial would help her cope with the growing chemistry between Trace and her that had become impossible to ignore.
Angel Fire Falls Elementary School was bustling as they waited in line to drop off Ben and Sophie.
“It’s bigger than I thought it would be,” Lily said.
“This is a great place to raise kids.” Charley inched the Jeep forward. “That draws people to the island. Keeping them here is another thing.” She shrugged. “Small-town life isn’t for everyone. Jobs are mostly based on tourism, so it’s not always easy to make a living here.”
That fact had become painfully clear to Lily already. Experience in the hotel industry told her the resort would eventually sink unless she turned things around. Part of the Remington’s success would be finding a solution to its food-service problem. Fingers crossed, Charley and her friend who owned the food cart would consider the proposal Lily planned to pitch to them when they dropped off the pastries.
Two kids tumbled out of the car in front of them, so Charley inched forward.
“There’s my teacher!” Ben shouted from the back seat.
A midtwenties woman with blue-tipped hair greeted the kids in the unloading zone.
Seemed like the perfect kind of person to help with the children’s summer activities calendar Lily wanted to develop. She made a mental note to contact the school soon.
When it was their turn, Ben shouted a goodbye and scrambled out of the Jeep.
Sophie leaned through the front seats and gave her mom a kiss. Charley hugged her. “Have a good day, sweetie.” She leaned back to peek through the open door as Sophie climbed out. “Hi, Miss Etheridge!”
The young teacher waved as Sophie shut the door.
Charley pulled away from the school. “My friend won’t get to her food cart for another forty-five minutes. Any place you need to go first?”
“I need a few groceries,” Lily said. “My fridge and cupboards are pretty bare.”
Charley drove to the grocery store, where they wandered through the small market. It was mostly filled with healthy organic choices, and Lily loaded her cart.
“So you and Trace . . .” Charley walked beside the cart. She left the statement open-ended.
“There is no me and Trace.”
“Uh-huh,” Charley said, unconvinced.
They walked down the hygiene aisle, and Lily grabbed shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
Charley stepped in front of the cart, bringing it to a halt. She grabbed a box of SECOND SKIN condoms and read the package. “Warms to the touch.” She tossed it in the basket.
“Hey!” Lily snatched them up. “I do not need-”
A woman in her fifties wearing a T-shirt that said GOT MORALS? pushed her cart past and sniffed.
Lily waited for her to turn onto the next aisle. “I do not need condoms,” she whispered.
“I’ve known Trace all his life. Trust me when I say he’s never looked at any woman the way he looks at you.” Charley snatched them out of Lily’s hand. “Not even his ex-wife.” She tossed the purple box back into the cart like it was a basketball free throw. “Score.” She waggled both eyebrows.
Heat singed the tips of Lily’s ears. “Seriously. I can’t get involved with my boss again—”
Dammit.
Charley’s expression went from sly to sympathetic. “For the record, Trace is a really good guy, but I don’t blame you for not wanting things to get personal at work.”
That sounded like the voice of experience.
“Still, there’s something
between you two, even if there isn’t,” Charley said. “Know what I mean?”
Did Lily ever. She couldn’t stop her body from going up in flames every time she and Trace stepped into a room together.
Charley nodded to the box of condoms in the cart. “Never hurts to plan ahead. Just in case.”
“Let’s get outta here.” Lily pushed the cart to the register and looked away when the male clerk rang them up with a quick, knowing look in her direction.
They loaded the bags into the back of the Jeep and got in.
“Need to go anywhere else?” Charley asked.
“Actually, if you’re ready to deliver the pastries, I want to meet your friend. I’d like to run an idea by both of you.”
“Sounds intriguing.” Charley turned right onto Marina Boulevard, which ran straight through town.
Lily took in Angel Fire Falls for the first time in daylight. It had been almost dark when Trace had driven her to and from the vet, and her full attention had stayed on the duck. And what Trace would’ve tasted like if they’d actually kissed. Sightseeing had been the last thing on her mind.
The small tourist town was every bit as picturesque as the pictures she’d found online before she’d moved. It was nestled on the far eastern coast of the island where the landscape dipped into a valley between the soaring cliffs to the south and the rolling hills to the north.
If the landscape and harbor were gorgeous, the town itself was just as charming with its colorful clapboard buildings lining both sides of the main street. The flower boxes and hanging planters weren’t in bloom yet, but it had to be breathtaking in its full summer glory.
This early in the morning, not many people were out and about on the main strip, home of numerous shops mostly geared to tourists. They parallel parked along the curb close to an old pink-and-white VW van that had been converted into a food cart. BRILEY’S BURGERS & BREWS was painted on the side.
“Best burgers on the West Coast,” Charley said. “Briley will be inside setting up.”
They carried both pastry trays to the back door of the van. Charley tapped out the knock-knock jingle, and the door slid open.
A woman about Lily’s age—with black hair and an A-line haircut framing her beautiful face—greeted them. “Morning!”
“Briley, this is Lily. She’s working at the Remington.”
“Nice to meet you. Come on in.” She disappeared inside the van.
They followed her, but Charley stood in the open door because there wasn’t enough room for all three of them. Lily was impressed with Briley’s ingenuity. On the outside, the van had wheels with a metal skirt all the way around to secure it to the street. On the inside, everything remotely related to an automobile had been gutted, including the floor so there was enough headroom to stand up and move around. It was a small space but so efficiently laid out that it worked as a full-service kitchen.
“This is remarkable.” Lily took in the setup.
“Thanks.” Briley shrugged. “It’s not fancy, but it’s mine. Between Charley’s pastries and my burgers, we do pretty well.” Briley poured three coffees from a commercial-grade travel container.
“I’m certain you do.” Lily took one of the coffees. “I’ve had Charley’s doughnuts.” She sipped from the cup.
Lily ran a fingertip along the rim of the cup. “You two are pretty resourceful. How would you feel about teaming up with the Remington?”
A look passed between Briley and Charley.
“I assume this has something to do with you finally getting Mrs. Ferguson to retire?” Charley asked.
“Oh, I didn’t get her to retire.” Lily smiled. “I reassigned her to a different department that I think will be a better fit.”
One of Charley’s brows arched.
“Which leaves the Remington’s kitchen and dining hall available for an independent restaurateur to rent the space.” Lily took another sip, then let the cup hover at her lips. “At a very affordable price.” She let the two ladies digest the idea, then added, “You’d need to be open for business by the Remington’s summer kickoff weekend. Until then, you’d have to continue providing morning coffee and doughnuts for the guests. It’s the only source of food left at the resort now that Mrs. Ferguson has other responsibilities.” She sipped and swallowed. “Can you manage that?”
Charley and Briley shot each other another look that said this might be the opportunity they’d been waiting for.
Charley lifted her coffee cup in a toast. “I like the way you think, Lily Barns.”
Briley joined her. “You’re exactly what this island needs.”
Lily took another drink and stared at their cups for a beat before lifting hers.
The sip of coffee didn’t go down as smoothly this time. Charley was becoming a friend, and it didn’t feel right to hold back the truth from people she was starting to care about.
And she was definitely starting to care about the entire Remington family.
Chapter Eleven
LILY’S LIFE LESSON #11
Everything that comes before the “but” is total bullshit.
Two weeks on the job and Lily was slaying her to-do list.
Lawrence was thrilled. Trace, on the other hand, was avoiding her, and they still hadn’t gone over the new system because he’d come up with a new excuse each day.
Change was hard. Maybe he was as afraid of change as much for himself as he was for Ben.
So their conversations had taken place mostly over text or phone. Considering the circus-animal flips her insides did when he was around, avoiding him wasn’t a bad thing, except communicating by phone and text slowed her progress.
The owners still weren’t utilizing the booking program, and Lawrence was bringing on new employees every day to accommodate the approaching tourist season. Training the entire staff had to be a top priority.
Starting with Trace, no matter how busy Mr. Resistant-to-Change might be.
Lily posted FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANT COMING SOON! and CHECK OUT OUR SUMMER KIDS’ CAMP ACTIVITIES CALENDAR! to social media and the new website. When she was done, she pulled out her cell and sent Trace a text.
Need to meet about the booking system.
His response was swift.
Maybe tomorrow.
You’re avoiding me.
Funny how their roles had reversed.
No, I’m not. Been busy hauling supplies.
Another problem she could help him solve if he’d meet with her.
New system isn’t hard. Promise.
He didn’t respond as quickly that time. Finally the dots started to jump.
It’ll have to wait. Landing in a few with guest.
She smiled to herself, clutched her phone, and pushed back from her desk. A photo of a new guest stepping off the resort’s plane would be great for social media.
She slid on a pair of retro Ray-Bans as she left through the front doors. The sun had finally come out, and the blue sky, the chirping birds, and the scent of the spring flowers she’d asked the groundskeepers to plant were divine. She rounded the corner and waved to Spence.
From his ladder, he nodded a greeting, then went back to rolling a new coat of paint onto the building’s wood trim.
She made her way to the dock and took in the beauty of the property. The smooth water reflected the sky like a mirror. She slowly spun in a full circle and drew in a satisfying breath at the transformation. The Remington’s appearance was fresher, more inviting, and she was proud of her work.
If she could accomplish that much in such a short time, then surely she could convince her boss to learn the new booking system.
And ducks could fly without feathers.
She snorted considering the ducklings were still covered in fuzz, but Ben had put different-colored Velcro bands around their legs, claiming it would prevent them from flying away. Lily knew it was so she could tell them apart. At school, he’d conveniently made a chart that listed each duck’s name along with the color of its ba
nd.
The kid had color-coded a bunch of ducks. Pretty clever, especially for an eight-year-old.
A buzzing noise sounded in the distance, and Lily shielded her eyes as she stared into the sky to find Trace’s plane. A speck appeared, the bright sun glaring off the metal when it got closer.
She pulled up the new booking app on her phone and thumbed through it to find the guest’s name. Ronald Parker was staying through the weekend. Alone. She pulled up the vacant rooms and assigned one to him.
Then she recorded Trace’s plane coming in for a landing. It skipped across the water and slowed to a stop. As he guided it toward the dock, he came into view through the front windshield.
The plane coasted right up to where she stood, and Lily’s breath caught. Trace’s aviators, his headset . . . not to mention the shadow of stubble on his face . . . were simply gorgeous.
“Hey, Lily.” Elliott came from behind and secured the plane to the dock.
From the pilot’s seat, Trace took off his headset. She couldn’t see his eyes from behind the sunglasses, but Lily could feel his gaze licking over her skin like fire. He climbed out of the plane and opened the door for the passenger.
She lowered the phone and stopped recording.
A man, who looked to be in his late thirties, stepped out.
“I’ll get the bags,” Elliott said to Trace, who went to retrieve his things from the cockpit.
Lily stepped over to greet the guest. “Mr. Parker?” He was dressed in a trendy suit that was too slick for an island vacation.
“That’s correct.” His tone was smooth.
A chill slithered up her spine, and she disliked him instantly. She plastered on a smile. “I’m Lily, the hospitality manager. Welcome.”
Mr. Parker’s attention stayed more on Trace, even when he spoke to Lily. “Thanks.” Stopping Elliott, Parker took charge of his carry-on.
Trace got his things from the cockpit and turned to walk toward her. His black polo stretched taut across his broad shoulders and muscular pecs. Each step he took made her thighs quiver a little more.
Professional, professional, professional.
“Is Mr. Parker’s room ready?” Trace came to a stop in front of her.
Dare Me Once Page 12
