you want something to drink, Nina?” Theresa Kennedy, one of her mother’s old friends, tapped a pencil against her pad of paper. Theresa’s family had owned Mandy’s for years.
“Just water, but I’ll take a cup of the chicken noodle soup right now.”
“You got it. So, are you really going to fix up the old place? We could use another B and B on the island.”
“I am, but I’m going to take my time, so I hope you’re not in any hurry.”
“It’ll go faster with my help.”
Theresa stepped back to allow Jase to sidle up to the table. “Are you going to help Nina get the place back on its feet?”
“Starting tomorrow.”
Theresa poked Jase in the chest with the eraser end of her pencil. “I hope that doesn’t cut into your writing time, Jase.”
Nina raised her eyebrows. Had the guy spilled his life story all over town? Perhaps the connection she’d felt with him had been nothing more than Jase being Jase. “I’ll have plenty of time, Theresa.” He winked. “A man’s gotta eat, too.”
“Oh, go on. You could come in here and I’d feed you anytime of the day or night. It would just be like having my son home again when he was studying for the bar. Anyway, I think it’s a good idea for you to lend a hand to Nina.”
“Nina needs help and I need work, so it’s a perfect fit.”
“Nina does need help.” Theresa cocked her head to one side like one of the birds from the island’s sanctuary. “But for the life of me, I still can’t figure out why she abandoned her exciting life in LA for this old place.”
“Sometimes we all just need a break. Maybe Nina needs a break.”
“Hello.” Nina waved her hands between Jase and Theresa. “I’m right here. No need to talk about me like I’m not.”
Theresa clucked her tongue. “I’ll get you that soup, Nina. Jase?”
“I’ll take some soup, too.” He patted the back of the banquette across from her. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Her gaze flicked to the table of locals still bunched together. “Is your audience going to miss you?”
“Them?” He snorted. “They’re on to the next tall tale.”
“And you?”
“Tall tales? I’ve told my share.” He slipped into the booth across from her. “Did you finally warm up?”
“I did a little work around the house and then took a warm bath. That did the trick.”
“Any more news about your sister?”
“Stepsister. I was going to ask around town tonight if anyone has seen her today.” She rubbed her hands together when she spotted Theresa backing out of the kitchen with a cup of soup in each hand. “But not before I had some sustenance.”
Theresa placed the soup in front of them, along with a basket of crackers. “Do you want to order now?”
Nina didn’t have to look at the menu. “I’ll have the fish-and-chips.”
“I’ll have the same.” Jase tapped the edge of the plastic menu on the table. “And another beer, Theresa, that pale ale.”
“You got it. Just water for you, Nina?”
“That’s it.”
When Theresa took their menus and walked away, Jase asked, “You don’t mind if I have a beer, do you?”
“Why should I?” She blinked and then planted her elbows on the table. “You don’t think I’m an alcoholic, do you?”
“No.”
“Because I leave all the drinking in the family to my stepsister.”
Jase raised a spoonful of hot soup to his lips and blew on the puddle. “Just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable in case you’re a rabid teetotaler.”
She was no rabid teetotaler, whatever that meant, but the way Jase’s lips puckered made her plenty uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat and busied herself with the wrapper on a package of crackers.
“Drink all you want. Be my guest.”
“I’d like to be your guest.”
Her soup went down the wrong way and she coughed. Pressing a napkin to her lips, she asked, “What?”
“You run a B and B, don’t you?”
“We’ve established that.” She sniffed and dabbed her eyes. “But you’ve seen the condition it’s in. It’s hardly ready for prime time.”
“It would work out great for me—and you. I could stay in one of the rooms, do work around the place every day and get my writing done in a much better setting than my current location at The Sandpiper.” He crumbled a cracker into his bowl and then dusted his hands off over a napkin. “You could pay me in room and board instead of cash. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
“Although I already hired you, I still want to do a background check on you.” After months of being on edge, how had she allowed Jase to lure her into feelings of security already? She still needed to remain vigilant. Simon could be anywhere.
“Check away.” He thanked Theresa for the beer and took a swig from the bottle. “My life’s an open book.”
She wished she could say the same. Keeping her pregnancy a secret from Jase and everyone else in town was silly. They’d find out soon enough. She ran a finger along the inside of her tight waistband. Like in about two days when she made the switch to maternity clothes. She’d already done a little shopping in Seattle on her way to the island.
Theresa delivered their platters of fish-and-chips and conversation came to a dead halt as they busied themselves with lemons, vinegar and tartar sauce.
Nina bit into the crispy coating of the fish and closed her eyes as the salty, tart tastes flooded her mouth.
“I think this meal alone is worth coming all the way out here for.” Jase swept a French fry through a mountain of ketchup on his plate. “Is this why you returned to the old homestead?”
“Mandy’s fish-and-chips?” She laughed. “Yeah, that’s it.”
They finished their meal and split the check. How had Jase known that’s exactly how she’d wanted to handle it? If he’d insisted on paying, it would’ve felt too much like a date—and it already felt too much like a date.
When they hit the sidewalk, she thrust out her hand. “You’re coming by tomorrow to go over the necessary repairs, right?”
“Sure.” He took her hand but didn’t release it. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Car?” She raised her eyebrows. “I’m not in LA anymore. I walked over here.”
His grip tightened on her hand. “Really? I’ll walk you home, then.”
As her eyes traveled over his shoulder to take in the dark curve of the sand dunes that marked the turn toward the B and B, she said, “That’s not necessary,” but her voice didn’t hold the conviction she’d wanted.
Would Simon track her down here? If he wanted to speak with her, he should just approach her like a normal person. But Simon hadn’t been normal the past few times she’d seen him—not normal at all.
He shrugged. “I don’t mind the walk.”
“It is a nice walk.”
They turned together and after two blocks the sidewalk ended in sand. He put his hand on the small of her back. “Be careful.”
She appreciated