“Here you go.” Jett handed him a brown sack, weighted down with ten of Warren’s finest halibut tacos and all the fixings. Liam paid and headed back to the truck.
A small sense of relief came over him when he saw Tessa still in the passenger seat. It wouldn’t be unlike her to grab her suitcases and flee. But he’d lifted those bags of hers, and wondered if she’d stashed a couple of dead bodies in one of them. Doubtful she’d want to lug those all the way across town and up that last steep hill in her impractical shoes.
“How did you know I would be eatingwithyou?” Tessa asked, eyeing the oversized bag when he climbed into the truck.
“I didn’t.”
She dipped her head to peer inside as Raven stirred from her slumber, nose lifted into the air before her eyes peeked open one at a time. Her ears perked and her nose wiggled a little, but she wasn’t one to beg for table food. “There has to be enough in here to feed a family of four.”
“You’re lucky I’m sharing. You know Warren’s halibut tacos are like currency around here.”
“As if I could forget.” A ghost of a smile crossed Tessa’s lips. Enough to make him hope the rift between them could be repaired. He had so many things he wanted to show her. “I don’t suppose he’s gone public with that sauce recipe?”
Liam laughed. “Yeah, right.”
“Why aren’t we eating here?”
“Because Raven and I have a better lunch spot.” He wasn’t sure how long Tessa would really stay this time, but he’d been waiting years for her return. Liam wasn’t about to waste a single minute.
Judging by the recognition that flashed in her eyes, it didn’t take Tessa long to realize where they were headed. The road that snaked along the rocky mountain wall on one side and the coast on the other was one they frequented years ago. Though their special spot was tucked out of plain sight and hard to get to if one didn’t know where to go.
“Here?” The word hardly escaped Tessa’s lips, but he heard the whisper.
“Raven likes to lounge out in the sun.” It was the truth. Never mind that the reason the dog loved it so much was because it was a normal part of their routine since he adopted her earlier that spring. “Plus, it’s only a couple minutes from my shop.”
“Your grandpa’s shop?”
He put the truck in park and hopped out, ignoring that question. Could it be it was driving her crazy not knowing everything he’d been up to? Would it also cause her distress to learn that Grandpa Bill passed away two years earlier? It seemed kinder to let her think the man retired.
“C’mon, let’s eat.” He let Raven leap out the driver’s side before he closed the door. The dog trotted to the faded blue picnic table they frequented, running a circle until she lay down in the grass.
From the table, their view included a breathtaking display of the bay and the mountains in the distance. The road to get even this far wasn’t one most cars could travel safely anymore. Too many falling rocks had beaten up the asphalt, and the town hadn’t deemed the repair expenses a priority.
As a result, benches were worn down. Others broken. Tree branches and rocks littered the once-smooth sand they lounged on as teenagers. But Liam loved this spot the same, if not more, for the quiet it now offered.
“Does Warren still run his restaurant?” Tessa asked as Liam spread out the contents of the bag. Jett packed enough napkins for a roomful of toddlers being introduced to spaghetti. He set the pile on the table and anchored them with his fountain drink.
“Yep.”
“Hmm.”
He recognized the skepticism in her eyes. She’d worn it often her first couple of weeks in Sunset Ridge, always expecting everything to be too good to be true. He understood it then, as Tessa’d lost her mother only months earlier. But over time, those hard edges had softened. He hoped they could again.
“You’re not so New York City that you’re too good for Warren’s Taco Tuesday, now are you?” He gave her a playful smile, mostly because he’d pushed a button.
“Give me one of those tacos.” She made quick work of unwrapping it and bit into it before he could get in another jab. The hesitation that lingered in her gaze a moment ago evaporated. Tessa let out a soft moan of delight, her eyes falling closed. These had been her favorite once, he remembered.
“Still good, huh?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“You know, Warren’s Sea Shack wins Best in Alaska for plenty different restaurant categories every year.” He said that too, to push another button. “The halibut tacos are legendary. Tourists in Anchorage and Fairbanks get told to make the drive for them.”
“Really?”
“It’s no five-star restaurant,” he said, unwrapping one for himself, “but I challenge you to find one of those fancy places that can make halibut tacos like these. The fish come right out of this bay, you know.”
“I forgot that.” Her next nibble was smaller, slower. She savored the bite, rolling the flavor around in her mouth as though trying to identify ingredients. She’d always done that. That was how he knew she was destined to be a great chef, even before she applied to culinary school.
