I stopped loading things into a basket and stared at him. ‘It’s a tattoo, Ray. What did you expect it to feel like?’
He grumbled something indecipherable, studying the freshly inked tattoo on the outside of his bicep. It was a design he and Taylor had come up with together, to represent his lifetime on the lobster boats. A sturdy anchor, with a little lobster perched on one of the upper branches of the stock. It wouldn’t be my choice, but it was perfect for Ray.
‘I need another sherry,’ he said, nudging his glass across the bar. ‘For the pain.’
I suppressed a smile. ‘Of course.’
Moira arrived back from the bathroom in a blur of movement and color and noise, and climbed up onto the barstool next to Ray. I was still getting used to her being the mother of my girlfriend, and not just my landlord.
‘Where’s Taylor?’ she asked, leaning over the bar to pluck an olive out of a jar.
I moved the jar out of her reach. ‘Those are for the drinks of my paying customers,’ I pointed out. ‘And you’ve already eaten half a dozen.’
She pouted. ‘I’m hungry.’
Fiona put a menu down in front of her. ‘So, order some food.’
Moira laughed. ‘Fine. I’ll have the landlubber’s pie, please, Fiona. I’ve been meaning to try that. What do you want, Ray?’
‘Depends if I’m paying full price or if I get a friends and family discount.’ Ray scowled. ‘There’s got to besomeperks to your niece dating the owner of the best restaurant in town.’
A warm glow filled my belly at his words, and I looked around the room. The place was busy, the tables and booths packed with people enjoying food, each other’s company and the atmosphere. Outside, the December day was gray and chilly. Patches of fog still hung over the harbor, and the road was still slick with the rain that had drizzled throughout the night. Inside, the fireplace in the center of the room was stoked up, its heat permeating right through to the corners of the room. In one corner stood a large balsam fir tree that Taylor and I had picked ourselves from the Everpine Hollow Christmas Tree Farm. We’d spent a wonderful evening decorating it with Moira, Ray, Fiona, Oscar and Taylor’s friend, Megan. We’d also hung tinsel, fairy lights and ornaments around the walls. The place looked jolly and festive, like Santa’s grotto.
‘It is pretty good, isn’t it?’ I said, agreeing with him.
‘All these tourists certainly seem to think so,’ he said, scowling again.
‘Please don’t scowl at my customers,’ I told him.My customers.I still hadn’t got used to calling them that, but that’s what they were, now that I owned the building and business. Hannah had tried to sell it to me for less than what it was worth but I’d insisted on paying full market value. The size of the loan had been daunting, but the fact that I had a business tenant move into the upstairs apartment had helped take some of the stress off.
‘WhereisTaylor?’ Moira said. ‘The studio upstairs is all closed up.’
‘She decided to take her birthday off,’ I told her, checking my watch. ‘I’m meeting her soon.’
‘You guys are still going to come to the house for dinner, right?’
‘I think we can manage to walk the hundred yards over from the cabin, yes.’
‘Great. I’m cooking Taylor’s favorite.’
Ray brightened. ‘Blueberry pie?’
‘Blueberry pie,’ Moira confirmed.
He sniffed. ‘Maybe I’ll come.’
‘Were you planning on sitting on your chair in the next room and ignoring us?’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Of course you’ll come. I hope you’ve bought Taylor a present.’
He pointed to his tattoo. ‘I paid her to do this to me. That’s present enough.’
‘You love it,’ Moira teased.
‘I suppose it’s not bad,’ he said begrudgingly, although it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was proud of it.
I finished packing the basket and reached for my coat. ‘I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Fiona, you’re in charge.’
‘Roger that.’ She took my place behind the bar.
I lifted my jacket off the coat stand and shrugged my arms into the sleeves. ‘Watch these two don’t eat all the olives and drink all the sherry,’ I warned her. ‘Don’t listen to any sob stories they might give you. They might be family, but they still have to pay just like everyone else.’
