Island Refuge (Wildflower B&B Romance Book 1)

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  “Nice deflection.” He’d let her off, though. No sense in dredging up bad memories, and she must have some if her childhood was as bad as she’d hinted. “Sure. If Aiden doesn’t like it, he can have cold cereal.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  He set the platter by the sink. “You rinse, and I’ll stack.”

  “Though tempted to argue, I won’t. I appreciate the help. Thanks.”

  “That’s what bosses are for.”

  “Uh-oh. What did I do?” She paused. “Well, besides, not watching your nephew, and burning the bread?”

  “Don’t forget nearly taking out the side of my SUV the day you arrived and burning yourself and—”

  “Stop. I know my flaws quite well.”

  He scanned her face to make sure he hadn’t offended her and was pleased she looked amused. “I was thinking about what you found today.” He didn’t want to spell it out, since he had no idea whose ears might be listening.

  “And?” Zoe turned off the water and faced him with an expectant look in her eye.

  He lowered his voice and explained his plan. “I will announce at dinner tomorrow that I will be selling off the antiques. If she is a collector, I’ll rid myself of some old furniture. What do you think?”

  “I volunteer the stuff in my room.” She shot a disparaging look toward her room. “I hate Victorian antiques. What style will you be refurnishing with?”

  He shrugged. “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. I’m mostly interested in her response. This way we’ll have an idea if it’s the furniture she is interested in. Frankly if she wants to buy it, she’s welcome to, but I won’t place an ad for it.”

  “Oh. How does that solve the problem of her snooping?”

  “Because maybe all she wants is a memento.” Nick dipped his head and placed a cup on the top rack. He’d said too much. No one but him knew Rachel was carrying the grandchild of the previous owners, and he wasn’t going to break her confidence. Even if she was behaving oddly. “What do you say? You in?”

  Zoe shrugged. “Why not? You sure you don’t want to sell the bedroom set? Or better yet, confront Rachel about her snooping. Seems to me the direct approach would work best.”

  He chuckled. “I’d planned to do that, but let’s try this first. And your furniture isn’t that bad. I think there’s a chest that’s actually quite nice. It’s certainly better than the trash they left in the living quarters downstairs.”

  “Yeah, I noticed when I went down to check on Aiden. It’s awful.”

  Nick hid his surprise that Zoe had actually checked on his nephew. She’d made such a big deal of not watching him, it seemed odd that she’d even care. Maybe she didn’t hate kids, like he’d assumed. Perhaps it really was that she simply didn’t know what to do with one. Her veiled comments about her past were beginning to eat at his curiosity. He’d never been an overly nosey person, but somehow since he’d been on the island a new side of him was coming out.

  Zoe dropped a cup, and it bounced across the tile. “Grr.”

  “Relax.” He kept his voice soft as he bent and retrieved the runaway cup. “It’s plastic.” His cook was wound too tight tonight. Maybe he should leave her alone. Some people needed space. He put the cup in the dishwasher. “Looks like that’s the last of the dishes. Have a nice evening, Zoe.”

  “I’ll try. You, too.”

  He headed for the door leading to his personal space and hesitated before going down the stairs. Should he invite Zoe to join his family? No, she needed time to herself if her flash of frustration was any indication.

  ****

  ZOE SIGHED AFTER Nick left the room. He hadn’t yet said anything about her replacement, so maybe the employment agency hadn’t found the right person. Too bad tonight hadn’t gone more smoothly; she hated adding to his reasons for letting her go. Of course burnt bread really wasn’t that big a deal. Regardless, she’d spend the evening scouring the Internet for a new position in case the need for one arose.

  She fluffed up her bed pillow and propped her laptop on her legs. Laughter below distracted her from the unpleasant task of job hunting. Nick was lucky he had his brother. Clearly the two were close.

  At least her birth parents had been smart enough to have only one child. Even though she had missed the fun of having a sibling, she didn’t regret for one minute being raised as an only child if it meant saving another person from the upbringing she’d had.

  She shook out her fisted hands. The computer screen lit before her. She focused on the listings and scrolled through the plethora of jobs, none of which grabbed her. Sure she could work at any of them, but she actually liked her current position. The quiet, slow pace was exactly what she needed right now. And bonus, she had no friends to stab her in the back.

  “What am I thinking?” She stood and put the computer on the dresser. No one in their right mind would celebrate having no friends and no life. One thing was certain, she enjoyed the isolation the island provided, and isolation from the rest of the world was exactly what she needed right now.

  She snapped her fingers. The caller from earlier had booked a room for the weekend after this coming one, and she hadn’t logged it into the reservation book. She padded out to the foyer where the burnt smell from earlier still hovered. She paused at the desk. “Where’s the book?” Had Nick taken it to his apartment? She couldn’t very well bother him with his family visiting. She’d wait and fill in the reservation tomorrow. A niggling in the back of her mind told her not to wait, but she ignored it. It was one reservation, surely it could keep until morning.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THE FOLLOWING EVENING, ZOE SERVED DINNER at the picnic table in the backyard. The white tablecloth ruffled in the light breeze, and the sun reflected off the clear glass vase in the center of the table that held a single sunflower from the garden. The look was simple and understated. Exactly what she’d been going for to accompany the chicken strips, arugula salad and rolls.

  Nick, along with everyone else, meandered toward her from the front of the house. “There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you forgot about us.”

  “With the amazing smell coming from the kitchen? How could you think such a thing?”

  “Thought you might have eaten it all yourself.” He winked and sat. Aiden slid in beside his uncle, which left Mitch and Rachel on the other side and a little room for Zoe on the end beside Nick.

  Zoe grinned. “Eat up while it’s hot.”

  After Nick said the blessing, Zoe handed the platter of chicken to him and wished she was sitting across from Aiden. She’d made the meal with him in mind and would give anything to see the child’s expression when he tasted her version of un-fried chicken—aka baked chicken. Sure she could’ve made the real deal, but there was no challenge in that when she could try for a healthy version that tasted as good—at least almost as good. She leaned forward and looked past Nick. “What do you think, Aiden?”

  He chewed with a serious look on his face. “Yum!”

  Zoe grinned. The sweet thrill of victory. Three more dinners to go.

  Nick set his cup down with a thump. “I agree. With meals like this it makes me want to convert the bed-and-breakfast to a restaurant. Zoe, you have talent.” He flashed his perfect white teeth. “Speaking of talent. Does anyone know anything about antiques? I’d like to begin selling off the stuff in the house and put my own touch on the place.”

  Rachel choked and reached for her cup.

  Nick’s focus never left his guest. He was probably afraid he would need to perform the Heimlich. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded and wiped tears from her eyes. “Swallowed wrong. You were saying?”

  “Yes, I’m going to slowly liquidate the antiques.”

  Rachel pushed the salad around on her plate. “Why? The house is perfect as is.”

  Zoe watched the interplay between the two, barely tasting the fresh dressing she’d mixed into the salad. Rachel definitely looked distressed over Nick’s announceme
nt. “Maybe you’d be interested in buying some of the pieces, Rachel.”

  The younger woman worried her bottom lip. “I’m not in a position to do that right now. You’re selling everything?”

  “If the price is right.” Nick brought a roll to his lips.

  Nick’s plan proved what they already knew. Rachel was interested in the antiques.

  Zoe sighed.

  “Something wrong, Zoe?” Mitch refilled his cup with water.

  “Tired I guess.” It was true, although not the whole truth. Before coming to the B&B, she’d been a night owl and slept in until nine most mornings. On top of the new schedule, she offered to keep an ear out for Aiden, so he wouldn’t have to go off with Rachel. Until she figured out why the woman had snooped in her room and stayed quiet about it, she couldn’t trust her with the boy. “How’s the roof coming along?”

  “Should be finished tomorrow.” Mitch nodded to Nick. “What happened to that guy you hired to help out?”

  Nick waved a fork in the air. “He called a bit ago and apologized profusely. Apparently he had unexpected business in Seattle. The good news is he’s going to help out with a couple of other items on my to-do list once you leave.”

  “I’m glad, but I was counting on the extra hands for the roofing. Guess we’ll have to step it up. Maybe work later into the evening.” Mitch shaded his eyes and looked up. “By the way, I like the shingles you chose. That steel gray looks nice against the white house.”

  “Which is getting painted as soon as we finish the roof. I hope by Monday this place will have a fresh and inviting appearance.”

  Rachel frowned. “You’re painting too?”

  “Yes. I’m surprised you didn’t notice since I hired crew to prep the house for painting. You seem more bothered about the paint than the roof. Is there a problem?”

  “No, not really. Will the fumes from the paint come into the house?”

  “No, but don’t open your bedroom window.”

  Relief shone in her eyes.

  Zoe added her observation to her list of oddities regarding Rachel. She looked around at the group and noted that everyone including Aiden had demolished their food. Pleasure shot up her spine. Wait until they tasted tomorrow’s meal.

  ****

  FRIDAY MORNING NICK waved as his brother and nephew drove away. The week had flown by. Now it was up to him and Chase to get the house painted. At least Mitch had helped clean up the mess from the roof and the house was prepped for painting. Chase would be here in the morning with the paint and power sprayers.

  A part of him was as giddy as a little boy at Christmas. It felt good to see their progress, but another part felt as tired as an old man. His body wasn’t used to this kind of labor. Muscles he hadn’t thought about since high school made their presence known.

  Jenna would probably have gotten a kick out of running the B&B. She’d never been completely happy being a housewife. Sure, she’d volunteered many hours at their church and had friends she often did things with, but it couldn’t have been easy on her with him working so many hours. Regret weighed on him. If only he could have a do-over. However, the past couldn’t be rewritten. But as Mitch had pointed out yesterday, he was the author of his future. He just had to determine what his story would be.

  Funny how his brother could be so philosophical, yet barely got through each day. At least things were looking better for Mitch than they had been.

  He turned and faced the house. Back to work. He tromped up the stairs leading to the front door and walked inside. “Zoe?”

  “In the kitchen.”

  Of course. He strode to the kitchen and found her scrubbing the sink. “You have a minute? We need to talk.”

  Zoe stood still. “Okay. Give me a second to finish up here. There’s fresh coffee if you’d like some.”

  He poured himself a cup and added a splash of milk then sat at the bar.

  Zoe moved slowly, methodically—definitely stalling. Her long wavy hair was bound in a clip at the base of her head. Would the silky strands feel as soft as they looked? He shook his head at his wayward thoughts. He couldn’t go there, especially right now.

  She finally washed her hands then turned from the sink. She poured herself a cup of coffee while standing at the bar facing him. “What’s up?”

  His pulse ratcheted up a notch. “Mitch brought something to my attention that we need to discuss.”

  She took a sip from her mug, but her gaze never wavered from his.

  “He felt like you were being less than kind regarding Rachel.”

  Zoe’s eyes narrowed, and her mouth stretched into a straight line. She placed the mug on the counter with a thud. “Do you agree?” She shook her head. “Stupid question. You do, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” No matter how hard she tried it was never good enough.

  Nick studied his coffee for a moment. He hadn’t intended to put her on the defensive. She was exceptional at her job, but he couldn’t have her being rude to the guests. Even if that guest was more like a resident. He raised his gaze to meet hers. “I’ll admit, your first few days here were rocky, and there have been a few rough patches since, but I wouldn’t get upset about it.”

  He checked his tone, and softened his voice. No sense in making her more defensive. “You’re a good worker and an exceptional cook. There is no arguing your abilities in the kitchen. For the most part, you do a great job. The house is always clean and smells nice. I appreciated you stepping in and keeping an eye on Aiden when he was here and for trying to keep him in mind with the meals, but I won’t tolerate unkindness toward the guests.”

  “Nor should you. Why are we having this conversation? I’ve never been unkind to any of the guests.” Her nose scrunched, and for the first time he noticed light freckles sprinkled across it.

  “Mitch felt like you were gossiping about Rachel.”

  Zoe’s jaw jutted out. “I disagree, but if Mitch felt that way, I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what he thought he saw or heard.”

  “It had to do with Aiden.”

  “Oh that. I can’t believe he complained. I was concerned for your nephew’s safety and suggested he not allow Rachel to be alone with his son. We don’t know anything about her. What if she’s a serial killer with a penchant for antiques?”

  A laugh bubbled from his lips, but he quickly sobered at the intense look on Zoe’s face. “Seriously?”

  She lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. “She keeps to herself most of the time. What else am I to think?”

  “I can think of several other options.” Zoe was being uncharacteristically uncharitable. What had come over her? “Why are you so suspicious of others?”

  “I’m not. How can you sit there and tell me everything is normal with her when we both know she was snooping around in my room? Who knows what else she’s done when no one was around.”

  Nick pressed a hand to his forehead. With all the excitement of having his family visit and working on the house he’d pushed the pictures to the back of his mind for the past few days, but Zoe was right. He needed to deal with that issue once and for all. “I’ll talk to her.”

  “Good.” Zoe took a step toward the sink. “Are we finished?”

  He bristled at the challenge in her tone, but knew better than to push things with her. He’d made his point, and the last thing he needed was her walking out on the job. Besides, she had the right to expect her personal space to remain private. “Yes.”

  He strode to the door leading to his apartment. He’d deal with Rachel, but not until the time was right. Right now, he had something more pressing.

  ****

  ZOE REFILLED HER coffee mug and sat in the spot Nick vacated. Irked didn’t even come close to describing how she felt. She took a gulp of the brew and rested the mug between her hands. A cool breeze fluttered the white curtains hanging from the kitchen window, making her grateful for the warmth of the cup. She should probably close it, but she enjoyed the scent of the flowers and fresh ai
r.

  She sipped her coffee. Perhaps Nick was right about Rachel. Zoe certainly had trust issues and it wouldn’t be the first time she’d been wrong about a person. She swirled the coffee around in the mug and stood. Time to find out the truth. She was done waiting around for Nick. She’d confront Rachel herself.

  She poured a second cup, grabbed the plate of cookies she’d prepared for afternoon tea, and placed everything on a tray, then trekked up to Rachel’s room. Standing before Rachel’s door, she took a bracing breath then tapped a friendly beat on the door.

  “Come in.”

  Rachel sat at the table beside the bay window. “Hi, Zoe.”

  “If you don’t mind I thought we could both use some girl-talk. I brought treats.” She raised the tray slightly.

  “Looks delicious.” She stood and cleared the tabletop. “Come join me. That’s really nice of you to think of me. I have to admit I’m more than a little surprised you want to chat.”

  Zoe swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She hadn’t meant to deceive Rachel. Maybe she should come right out and state her real purpose for being here.

  Rachel motioned to the space she’d cleared. “The view here is amazing. When I look at the Sound I forget about all my problems.”

  Zoe placed the tray in the center of the table and claimed her mug, then reached for a peanut butter cookie. “You have problems?” She tried to soften the words with a smile.

  “Excuse me?” Rachel stopped mid-reach for a cookie with confusion clouding her expression.

  “Sorry. That didn’t come out right. It just seems to me like someone who is able to spend the summer vacationing in a B&B must live a perfect life.”

  “I suppose that’s what it looks like.” Her forehead furrowed. “I guess to an extent that’s exactly what I’m doing, but there is more to me than that.”

  Zoe raised a brow and took a bite from the perfectly crisp cookie.

  “If you must know, I’m here trying to figure out some things. My life took an interesting turn a couple of months ago, and now I need to fulfill a promise and come up with a plan.”