He wasn’t lying. Unlike some of his cousins, he had a great relationship with his parents and honestly enjoyed spending time with them.
Matt: I’m in Maine right now.
A frown emoji appeared on the screen as he finished his coffee.
Mom: Will you be coming home soon?
Matt knew his mom was referring to California and not Florida. And while he had a house there, he hadn’t considered California home in a long time. Actually, even though his driver’s license claimed he was a resident of Florida, he didn’t really consider any place home—a fact he didn’t spend much time thinking about.
Matt: Not sure when I’ll be out there.
Matt typed the word “but,” then stopped to reconsider the offer he’d been about to make. The likelihood of his mom accepting his invitation to visit him in Maine was next to zero, so it seemed pointless to even make it.
Matt: I’ll let you know.
Mom: Okay. Love you.
Returning the device to the table, he considered his plans for the day—or rather, his lack of plans. If it were late June or July, he’d go down for a swim, but while it might look inviting, he knew from experience that the water up here in May remained cold. A hike, something he hadn’t gone on since the fall, would be a great way to spend the day. Unfortunately, he had an appointment at Atlantic Marina this afternoon at one o’clock. If he’d been smart, he would’ve made the appointment for earlier in the day. A day out on the water would be another perfect way to spend a few hours, but he didn’t have a boat up here, hence his appointment with Atlantic Marina.
What options did that leave him with? Matt drummed his fingers against his thigh as he considered and dismissed ideas. A hike in Acadia might be out, but he could still drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain and enjoy the breathtaking view. Afterward, he could grab a late lunch and stop in the bookstore to see if they had Curt Hilton’s newest release. No one outside his immediate family knew it, but Matt was, and had always been, a bookworm, and Hilton was one of his favorite contemporary authors.
Liv’s eyes strayed away from the food Libby Horn had ordered for her sister’s upcoming baby shower and once again looked at the clock mounted on the restaurant’s wall.
How was it possible that only ten minutes had passed since she last looked at it? Had someone hit a giant slow-motion button, grinding the movement of time to a slow crawl? Although not possible, it sure as heck felt that way this afternoon. And if only ten minutes had passed, then her grandfather and dad had just gone into their meeting with the Worm, aka Fredrick Waldman.
She’d never liked Fredrick—don’t even think about calling him Fred, because he’d correct you before you could inhale. Although he didn’t live in Orchard Harbor, he spent a month there with his grandparents, one of the nicest and most well-liked couples in town, every summer growing up. He’d also visited with his family during the holidays. Back then, he’d been a spoiled punk who always had to get his way. While he no longer spent weeks at a time in town, he came around often enough for Liv to know that although his looks had improved, his personality hadn’t.
Oh, who was she kidding? Fredrick might have been an awkward-looking child and teenager, but he’d turned into a demigod. He could easily compete in the looks department with Hollywood’s hottest actors. Unfortunately, Fredrick was a spoiled demigod who only cared about the person he saw in the mirror every morning. That was why she turned him down every time he asked her out—something he’d done at least four times now, but who was counting? And if the rumor were true, he would soon be throwing a wrench into not only her family’s business but also her life.
It’s just a rumor.
She’d told herself that more times than she could count over the past few days. She’d also reminded herself that rumors were a dime a dozen in Orchard Harbor, as her grandmother would say. Maybe if she kept telling herself both these things, they would prove true.
The sound of an oven timer, which happened to be her text message alert, pulled her out of her thoughts. Liv crossed her fingers and hoped the message was from her dad as she flipped the device over.
Unfortunately, it was her friend Emma and not her dad.
Emma: Can you talk?
At the moment, the restaurant was empty, and with the lunch rush over, she didn’t expect business to pick up again until dinner, at least not this time of year. In another two weeks or so, when tourist season really got underway, it would be a different story.
Liv: Yep.
No sooner had she sent the message than “Loving You” by Eclipse erupted from her phone.
“Have you heard anything yet?” Emma asked.
“I would’ve called you if I had.”
While it would affect Liv and her family significantly if the rumor that Fredrick planned to sell the building that housed the restaurant, her aunt’s bookstore, and Liv’s apartment proved true, Emma’s livelihood might not go unscathed, considering who was rumored to be interested in the property. Liv had never formally met Rick Desmond, but the property developer had acquired numerous buildings up and down the East Coast for his company, which then promptly tore them down and built luxury condos, hotels, and spas. If Fredrick was selling and Rick was interested, she knew without question the same would happen here, and Orchard Harbor would never be the same again.
“What time was the meeting?” Emma asked.
Liv reached for her iced tea as she checked the clock again. It looked as though the silly hands hadn’t moved. They must be stuck. Or maybe it needed new batteries. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d replaced them.
“Three.”
“Oh, I thought it was this morning,” Emma said.
