"Are you going to do that renovation at the new bookstore in Christmas Town?" Mom asked Maverick.
Maverick made a face, playing with the label on a water bottle Mom had set out for guests. "I don't know."
"I thought this was a big renovation, and you wanted to be the one who did it."
Maverick shifted on his chair. "It is a big job, and it would be a great thing to have on my portfolio. I just don't know if I want to deal with the owner."
Mom paused, and looked at him. "What's wrong with Belle Beckett?"
"She'll probably make a million changes in the middle of the project. I know her type."
Mom placed her hands on her hips. "And what type is that?"
Morgan made a siren noise as he walked into the kitchen. "Warning. Abort."
Maverick waved his hand. "You know, she's rich and entitled. She thinks she can have anything she wants."
Mom placed her hands on her hips. "Maverick Sterling, I taught you better than that. If it's a good job, you should do it. Don't make excuses because you think she's entitled. You're probably wrong about her anyway."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I like Belle. I think she's a sweet girl. So if you think she's difficult and demanding, then you don't know her at all."
"Growing up, she had everything she wanted, and her parents paid for her to go to college. She has no problem opening a bookstore and is doing all these renovations. You know she got the money from her parents. She didn't work for it."
"You have no idea where she got that money from. Don't judge someone before you get to know them."
"Yeah," Morgan said, and Maverick glared at him.
"And besides, who cares where she got the money from?" Mom said.
None of us liked being on the receiving end of Mom's wrath, but she had a point. Maverick was judging Belle, and I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was a simple personality clash. "You want one of us to handle it?"
His shoulders lowered. "I'll deal with her."
Morgan smacked his shoulder. "Don't mess this up. Christmas Town is our biggest project, and we can't afford to piss off any of the owners."
"I know."
"The stonework is going to look amazing on the website when it's done, and when anyone asks who did the work, she'll say it was you. The location is ideal for word-of-mouth referrals," Morgan reminded him.
"I can't wait for the patio to be installed. It's going to be a nice place to relax," Mom said.
When Dad joined us, conversation moved away from Maverick's issues with the new bookstore owner, and I counted down the minutes until I could leave.
After dinner, Mom took me aside to hand me a box of desserts. "Be nice to her."
I rolled my eyes. "When am I not nice?"
Mom's stern expression didn't falter.
"Of course I'll be nice. I like her, remember?"
Mom shook her head. "I thought I raised you boys right, and then Maverick goes and says crazy stuff about that Belle. I just don't understand it."
"They were in the same year in school. I wonder if there's a history there," I murmured, trying to think back, but they were younger than me.
Mom's eyes brightened. "I hadn't thought about that. I'll have to get to know her better."
