Seb scrubbed at his face and gave her all the honesty he could. “Yes. It’s complicated.” Seb walked toward the kitchen, needing some distance. “We’re running behind and the paperwork is snowballing.”
Holly followed him, her flip-flops slapping softly. Wasn’t it too cold for bare feet? Apparently not for her. Setting Digby down, she leaned against the counter, her eyes full of concern. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks. I just need to hit pause on the whole getting-to-know-Brookwell thing. This will be over in a few days. Whatever we had planned needs to wait.”
“I see.” Her gaze turned as cool as those two words. “If there’s something that will impact the town, please tell me now. Don’t let me find it in a public record three months from now.”
Seb sighed and forced himself to stop avoiding eye contact. He looked at her—at the sincerity in her blue eyes and marveled at the way she’d integrated herself into his life in a few short days.
He wanted to warn her. He wanted to tell her not to believe whatever might crop up about the lighthouse parcel. He wasn’t hiding the ownership records for any nefarious purpose. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
So why did he suddenly feel as if the ghost of her father was lurking between them? She’d told him how Brookwell had turned on her mother. He expected word was spreading that she wasn’t hanging around him for the upcoming feature in theBugle.
But if he told her and the merger failed, folks on the other side of the country would bear the brunt of the fallout. And though it shouldn’t feel anywhere near as vital, she’d kick him to the curb, another charming stranger who’d lied to her.
“Good,” she said, not sounding the least bit convinced. “I’ll let you get back to work then.”
“Please don’t sweat it.” Seb pulled down a cup and poured her a coffee. “It’s just business NDAs and red tape.” A shadow of doubt flickered in her eyes and he hated himself for putting it there. “Have coffee with me. I could use the break.”
“All right,” she agreed. “I’ve dealt with my share of legal meetings. They can definitely be an energy drain.”
He appreciated her effort and suggested they sit at the sunny banquette with a view of the river sparkling beyond the pool.
“I should’ve brought strudel.”
He chuckled. “I can’t make that an everyday thing.”
“True, but it might’ve softened the real reason for my visit.”
Suddenly he regretted not pulling her into his arms and kissing her at the door. With every minute they were further from the sweet magic of that moment and he feared he wouldn’t have another chance. “So, I have missed an appointment.”
“Not exactly, but I feel obligated to make sure it doesn’t happen.” She sat up straight. “The next music festival planning meeting is tonight at the Pelican Pub.”
Seb smiled at the mention, recalling a story Lucy had shared about the pub’s owner, Reed Davis. “Is this meeting about auditioning new talent?” That could be a fun time. He imagined how good it would feel to dance with Holly and struggled to keep his mind in the present.
“I’m sure he’ll have entertainment,” she said absently. “After the meeting. It’s a meeting you need to attend.”
“Holly—”
She cut off his excuses with a sharp glance. “You need to be there. To be seen and to listen. I’ve spoken with Grace and a few other folks on the committee. The Marion family was involved, Seb. Their commitment to the community has been missed. They extended that invitation for a reason.”
“I’m not the Marion family,” he reminded her. “I don’t know anything about festival planning of any kind. I need to focus on getting this merger done.”
“It’s a couple of hours,” she said. “Your presence would do wonders.” Her smile was intoxicating. “Just show up, be friendly, maybe name-drop Lucy and Wish Blender. That’s sure to give you the right credibility.”
“Fine.” Marv would have a fit. Another solid reason to attend: to prove his lawyer was wrong.
“Great.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’d ask you to come out early for dinner, but I can tell you’ll say no.” She squeezed his hand. “And that’s cool. Business is important.”
He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her palm. “And what about this? Are we keeping it under wraps?”
“Probably for the best,” she admitted glumly. “I’ll be there in an official capacity. But post-meeting, if the music is good, you could ask me to dance.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Her cheeks went pink and her eyes heated. “Well. Um.” Seeing her flustered was good for his ego. “I’ll go so you can work.” She carried her coffee cup to the sink and rinsed it out.
He followed. “Thanks. Just one more thing.”
