by Debbie Mason
“Awesome!” She waved. “I have a meeting at Jolly Rogers.” More like a fairy godmother plan to put into action. The time for pussyfooting around was over.
“Order the Irish omelet. It’ll fill you up for the rest of the day. Knowing you, you’ll be running around and forget to eat.”
He was just the sweetest. She loved her girlfriends who owned businesses on Main Street, but she had a soft spot for the old-timers. She could talk with them for hours. One day, when she found the time, she planned to write their stories.
“Will do. I’ll tell Caleb you’re recommending it to everyone. See if I can’t get you a discount for next time you’re in.”
At the top of the hill leading down Main Street to the harbor, the bright morning sunlight danced on the copper-domed clock tower, drawing her attention to the time. Yikes, it was twenty to ten. She had to hurry if she wanted to be at the diner before Colin and Maggie arrived. She’d arranged it so they wouldn’t show up at the same time.
When she finally reached the diner, her breath was sawing in and out of her lungs, her throat was on fire, and her eyes watered due to the cold. Still, if she got Colin and Maggie to sit at the same table and exchange a few words, she’d consider it worth the discomfort.
She’d been doing a little digging and found out the couple hadn’t been within a hundred yards of each other in more than two weeks. Though she supposed the proximity of their houses qualified as… Didn’t matter. All she knew was she’d fallen down on her fairy godmother job.
A brisk wind off the Atlantic whistled through the bare branches of the trees behind the diner and Julia huddled deeper in her jacket. She reached for the door and tugged. It wouldn’t open. As she knew from past experience, it wasn’t exactly a light door to begin with, and the gale-force winds obviously weren’t helping matters.
Digging the heels of her red boots into the snow-dusted sidewalk, she grabbed the handle with both of her mittened hands and pulled. It didn’t budge. She tried again and got the same result. She pressed her nose against the glass and looked inside. The diner was definitely open. She knocked, trying to get the attention of the cashier and waitress.
She was just about to give it another go when an arm reached around her. Duckety duck, duck, duck. She recognized the weathered brown leather and his big, beautiful hand.
She slowly turned and looked up at Aidan. A glint of what looked to be amusement creased the corners of his eyes.
“Hey there. The door’s stuck.” Wow, she sounded incredibly calm given that her heart was racing. Emmeline must have passed on some of her acting genes to Julia after all. She patted Aidan’s chest. Whoa, it was really broad and hard. She resisted the urge to rub it and said, “Big guy like you must be starving. Why don’t you head over to Ship Ahoy? I hear they serve a great brunch.”
“You wouldn’t be trying to get rid of me, would you?”
She pointed to herself. “Who? Me? Gosh no, it’s just that… whoomph.” The breath was knocked out of her when the door suddenly opened, glancing off her back and sending her straight into Aidan’s arms.
“Oh, Julia, dear, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there,” Aidan’s grandmother said.
Taking advantage of the situation, Julia rested her head against Aidan’s chest for a minute and sniffed, disappointed when she didn’t get even a whiff of his alluring scent. She’d forgotten her nose was stuffed.
She glanced up. He was looking down at her, his brow furrowed. “You okay?” he asked, gently rubbing her back.
She was about to say no, because even though there wasn’t a chance for her and Aidan, she liked the feel of his hands on her. Still, she had no time to lose. She had to get rid of him before his father and Maggie showed up.
“I’m fine, thanks,” she said, and stepped back, turning to Kitty. Rosa was standing beside her on the sidewalk. Both women were dressed in their Sunday best. “It was my fault, Kitty. I shouldn’t have been standing there.”
“Tell the truth. You were enraptured by my grandson, weren’t you? He has a mesmerizing effect on women just like his father and brothers.”
Aidan groaned. “Grams—”
Since she was a tad enraptured by Kitty’s grandson, Julia thought it best to change the subject and hurry the three of them along. She cut off Aidan. “So, what are you two doing here? Don’t you usually have Sunday brunch at the manor?”
“Yes, but Rosa and I have decided to broaden our horizons.”
“Sì, we dumped Dr. Bishop, and now we’re looking for a new man. Men,” she quickly corrected herself.
Now that they’d confirmed what Julia had suspected had been behind the water dumping incident at the manor, she felt like doing a happy dance. No more feuding over Dr. Bishop meant she wouldn’t have to intercede on Kitty’s behalf by dating Paul.
But just to be on the safe side and ensure they didn’t go after the same man again, she said, “Oh my gosh, that is so awesome. You have to let me help. I’ve got some great matchmaking books in stock. Stop by tomorrow, and we’ll get started.”
“You know, we’re quite the matchmakers ourselves, dear. Rumor has it a certain couple I’ve set my sights on were seen dancing together yesterday afternoon. Anything you two want to share?”
“Grams.”
“Oh now, don’t get all growly. I just want you to know you have my blessing.”
For one teensy-tiny second, Julia allowed herself to be immersed in the fantasy. She was standing with Aidan on their way to brunch, and his grandmother had just given them her blessing. They smiled at each other, and then Aidan got down on bended knee, right here on the sidewalk…
He killed the fantasy with the next words out of his mouth. “It’s not happening, Grams. Not now, not ever, so put that idea out of your head.” He moved around Julia to reach for the door.
She positioned herself in front of it. “You know, I nearly fell on black ice earlier, so you should probably walk Kitty and Rosa to their car. Just to be safe, you know.”
He gave her a look when his grandmother and Rosa each latched on to an arm.
“I left the car parked at the church and Rosa walked,” Kitty told her grandson.
“How perfect is that. Ship Ahoy is just a few doors down from the church. Enjoy your breakfast, Aidan. See you tomorrow, ladies.”
A man walked out of the diner, and Julia quickly slipped inside before the door closed. Owner Caleb Malone stood behind the stainless-steel counter. He’d taken over from his grandfather a few years before. Rumor had it the elder Malone wouldn’t step foot in the restaurant since Caleb had renovated, going with a sleek sixties diner look instead of the inside of a pirate ship. The old look had appealed to Julia more, but the food was so much better she doubted Caleb had many complaints.
“Reserved the back booth like you asked, babe. You want the usual?”
Then again, the lack of complaints were probably due to the fact that Caleb was a total hottie. The man with the dark blond hair and inked muscular arms had fueled several of Julia’s bad-boy fantasies before Aidan moved to town.
“Nope, Mr. O’Malley recommended your Irish omelet. I’ll just have coffee until my party arrives.” She dug in her messenger bag for her wallet and pulled out a few dollars. “Put this toward his breakfast the next time he’s in.”
Caleb laughed and shook his head. “You’re a soft touch, you know. The old man probably has more money than we do. His generation always cries broke.”
“That’s okay. He’s a sweet old guy.” She left the money on the counter. “Did you get your Christmas lights up?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be turning them on at six thirty sharp just like you ordered.” He looked over the crowded diner. “I should be able to get away for a couple hours this afternoon to give you a hand.”
They talked about the holiday events that were scheduled over the next few weeks until Caleb was called back to the kitchen. Julia said hello to several people she knew as she walked to the far end of the diner.
/> Never gets old, she thought, smiling to herself as she settled in the red pleather booth. She loved knowing so many people and feeling like part of the community. It was why, even though she was burning the candle at both ends, she didn’t resent heading up the Christmas committee.
She sat where she could see the customers entering the diner. That way she could tuck Maggie in the corner—she was supposed to arrive first—and Colin wouldn’t know until he got back here that Maggie was with her. He was too polite to do anything other than join them.
“Thanks.” She smiled at the waitress who brought her a coffee and took a grateful sip.
She hadn’t had time to grab one this morning. She’d been writing, and her Rudolph timer hadn’t gone off to give her a forty-five-minute warning. She sat back, enjoying being able to chill for even a few minutes. She looked at the mural of Harmony Harbor that covered the entire wall and wondered if it was Maggie’s work. It looked like she could ask the older woman herself, At that moment Maggie walked into the diner wearing a winter-white cape that set off her flaming red hair and pretty face.
Julia raised a hand to wave her over. She frowned, wondering why Maggie wasn’t smiling. She always smiled. Something must be wrong. As soon as Maggie started walking toward the booth, Julia spotted the problem. Colin had just walked in the diner… with Aidan.
Duckety duck, duck, duck.
Julia could swear, okay, fake-swear, all she liked, but that wouldn’t cut it. She had to come up with something fast. Her body was overheating, her forehead damp. She wondered if it was caused by a fever or nerves and then realized she’d yet to take off her jacket. Good. She was just hot. No nerves involved. She wasn’t nervous about dealing with a ticked-off Aidan. Nope, not all.
She’d go all Gillian Connelly on him. She’d invented the heroine from the Warrior’s trilogy, so it stood to reason that deep down inside Julia there was a kick-butt woman dying to come out.
As Julia undid the zipper on her jacket, she forced a wide, confident smile for Maggie. She stood up to hug the other woman. “I’m so glad you made it. Come, sit down.”
“Colin’s here,” Maggie whispered.
“I know. Isn’t that great? You scoot in the booth.” Julia turned with a wide and welcoming smile for Colin… and Aidan. Well, him she tried to ignore. But it was a little hard because his eyes felt like laser beams, and she couldn’t look away. “Colin! So glad you made it. Oh, Aidan, hi. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I’m sure you didn’t. So, what’s going on here?”
“Just a meeting of the Christmas committee, you know. Really boring stuff. It looks like there’s a spot for you at the counter.”
“Nah, there’s lots of room here. I’ll join you guys. You scoot in over there, Julia, Maggie.” He held Julia’s gaze, letting her know by repeating what she’d said to Maggie that he knew exactly what she was up to. By the time Aidan had the table organized, Colin sat across from Maggie.
“It’s a little warm in here, isn’t it?” Julia said, finding the silence oppressive. “Do you mind?” She raised her eyebrows at Aidan as she tried to shrug out of her jacket. He was sitting too close. Instead of sliding down, he helped her out of her jacket.
His gaze moved over her, and he murmured, “That explains a lot.”
“What explains…?” She trailed off when she noticed Maggie and Colin were looking at her too.
She didn’t understand what was going on until Maggie said, “I didn’t know you were a writer, Julia.”
She looked down at herself. In her hurry to get out of the apartment, she’d pulled her jeans over her sleep shorts but hadn’t thought to change her long-sleeve purple T-shirt, which read I’M A WRITER. WHICH MEANS I LIVE IN A MAKE BELIEVE WORLD AND HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.
“I dabble,” she said, hoping that would be enough.
“What are you working on now?” Maggie asked.
Of course Maggie would be interested. She was a creative person. It also got her off the hook from talking to Colin.
“A children’s book,” Julia said, because she had played with the idea. And then to give Aidan a jab, she added, “It’s about a mermaid. Her name’s Millie.” She looked at him and smiled. “You remember Millie, don’t you?”
“Yeah, sure do. I won’t be forgetting about her anytime soon. So, Julia, what’s the meeting about? Dad said it was important.”
She should have known better than to poke the beast. “It is. It really, really is. But we should probably order first. In case you want a recommendation, Mr. O’Malley says to go with the Irish omelet.” She smiled at the waitress who’d just walked over. “That’s what I’ll have, thank you.”
“Cal’s got something special in mind for you,” the waitress said with a wink.
“Really? That’s so awesome. I’m excited.”
Aidan crossed his arms and angled his head. “You’re not stepping out on your boyfriend with Caleb Malone, are you?”
“Caleb and I are just friends. And either you’re hard of hearing or you tune me out, but I’ve repeatedly told you that I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“You might want to tell that to Benson.”
Colin looked from Julia to Aidan. “I had no idea you two knew each other so well.”
Aidan gave her a look before saying to his dad, “We don’t.”
At almost the same time as Julia said, “We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well.”
“Is that right?” Colin said with a smile for her and a pointed look at his son. “I’m really glad to hear that, Julia. My son could use a friend.”
Aidan shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face. Julia thought she heard him say “You have got to be shitting me” before he lowered his hands and gave the waitress his order.
“All right, so I guess you’re probably wondering why I asked you to meet with me, Maggie and Colin.”
Sharing a nervous glance, the couple missed Aidan leaning in to her and whispering, “Nope, I know exactly what you’re up to, and you better cut it out.”
She ignored him, waiting for Maggie and Colin to look her way before continuing. “I had this vision come to me yesterday, and it was so cool. I just knew I had to somehow incorporate it into the plan for Main Street. And—”
“How does that work exactly? The vision thing?” Aidan asked, pretending to be interested, but she could tell he was silently laughing at her.
“We don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll explain it to you later,” she told him, moving her foot to gently step on his.
“Ow, jeez, that hurt.” He bent down to rub his foot, his head under the table.
“What’s wrong? You all right, son?”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Julie said. Ducking her head under the table, she whispered, “You’re a big faker. I barely touched you. And it was an accident. Maybe if you weren’t sitting nearly on top of me, it wouldn’t have happened.”
“You only have yourself to blame. Next time think twice before you go up against me.”
“This is not about you. All I’m trying—” She broke off at the sound of someone clearing their throat. She glared at Aidan, pasted a smile on her face, and peeked her head above the table. “It’s okay… Paul, wow, what a surprise.”
Aidan’s body shook with laughter, and she stepped on his foot, harder this time.
“Okay, that did hurt,” he muttered. Obviously forgetting he was under the table, he bumped his head as he came up from under it. Rubbing the back of his head, he scowled at her before giving the man standing at the end of the table a chin lift. “Chief.”
“You’re welcome to join us, Paul,” Maggie said, glancing at Julia as though checking to see if she wanted her to shift over and let Paul sit beside her. Which, under the circumstances, would probably be smart. But Julia didn’t trust Aidan and gave a subtle shake of her head.
Aidan snorted and then moved his foot before she could step on it.
“Yes, please join us,
Paul. I’d like your opinion too.” Julia smiled at the older man, whose eyes had narrowed at Aidan.
“On?” Paul asked, as he slid in beside Maggie and turned his attention to Julia without his usual wide smile.
“Yes, Julia, tell us about your vision,” Aidan said just as the waitress returned with their orders.
“I’ll take a coffee, thanks,” Paul said, looking at the platter the waitress placed in front of Julia, a beautiful golden omelet filled with corned beef hash and caramelized onions, and topped with Swiss cheese and hollandaise sauce. As a special treat, Caleb had added a slab of Canadian bacon and hash browns too. “On second thought, bring an extra plate. Julia will never be able to eat all of that. Will you, darlin’?”
“No, of course I won’t,” she said, wondering if anyone noticed the whimper in her voice.
It didn’t seem to matter that her throat was sore; she was starving and everything looked so good that she really didn’t want to share. She twisted her Sugar Plum Fairy earring while trying to figure out a way not to give Paul her bacon and hash browns. The omelet was big so she didn’t mind giving him half… maybe a quarter.
“I don’t know about that. I’ve seen you put away more than me. You should probably just order your own, Chief.”
Julia stared at Aidan. She couldn’t believe he’d just said that. He had no idea how badly he was messing things up—for him and for her. And if that wasn’t bad enough, either Paul’s flat stare or hers seemed to egg him on, and Aidan put his arm around her.
“Now, don’t be embarrassed. There’s nothing wrong with having a healthy appetite, sugarplum.” He rocked her against him with a grin, then made an oomph sound, and his leg jerked.
This time it wasn’t her who stepped on his foot. It appeared to be his father, who then did his best to draw Paul’s attention away from Aidan. Maggie got with the program, too, and Julia knew why. She’d seen the brief glance the couple had exchanged. They were joining forces to protect Colin’s idiot of a son. It was a beautiful thing, and Aidan seemed oblivious to the fact he was responsible for bringing the couple back together. Okay, so maybe that was overly optimistic, but they were in a much better place than they had been a few days before. Julia at least had something to work with now.
