“None of my business,” he muttered as he began cutting up the chicken into pieces and placing them in the bowl of buttermilk. With any luck, he’ll get all the parts marinating, get the pot of potatoes on to boil, and have the vegetables ready to roast before his daughter got there.
It was mindless work, but he didn’t mind. Basic meals like this weren’t a big deal, but when he opened his new restaurant, the menu would be way more upscale and gourmet. For the next few minutes, he thought about what he wanted the place to look like—the decor, the interior, the kitchen—and where his ideal location in town would be. There was a diner that closed a year ago and was vacant, but it would take too much time and money to renovate it to be the kind of place he envisioned.
“Talk to Harlow,” he said quietly, dropping chicken parts into the bowl. “And not just in passing or casually. Talk to her for real.”
As if on cue, Harlow came through the door with a big smile on her face. “Set two more places for dinner!” she said excitedly.
Don’t look too eager…don’t look too eager…don’t look too eager…
Looking up at her, he smiled back. “Not a problem.”
She stepped up to the table and looked around. “Ooh…fried chicken. Yummy! You seriously make the best fried chicken, Connor. I don’t know how you do it, but it’s incredible.”
“Thanks.” He put the last of the chicken in the bowl and made sure every piece was submerged. Turning, he quickly washed his hands before facing Harlow again. “So, I’ve been thinking…”
Holding up a hand to stop him, she shook her head. “Please don’t make me regret convincing Lexi to join us. I’m not going to give you any information about our conversation.”
“Um…that wasn’t what I was going to say.”
But good to know that everyone thinks I’ve got a one-track mind…
“Oh. Okay. Cool. What’s up?”
“I think I’m ready to get serious about a restaurant in town. I know about the diner, but that’s not what I’m looking for. Are there any other properties you think I could turn into what I have in mind?”
Her smile turned dazzling. “Off the top of my head, I can think of two. Do you have any free time tomorrow?”
Grinning, he nodded. “How about an early morning meeting? Like after I drop Annabeth off at school? I can come right to your office and we can go from there.”
“It’s a date!”
It was hard to believe that she’d been dreading dinner because she was having a great time. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, Jonah was running around with Connor’s daughter, and it was hard not to get swept up in the overall excitement about the upcoming grand opening. For the most part, she simply sat back and listened. There were multiple conversations going on, but she was sitting next to Slater and across from Maisie and loving all the banter.
Connor was down at the opposite end of the table. He acknowledged her with a simple nod and a small smile as he helped serve all the food. It wasn’t nearly as awkward as she had feared it would be, and it was a tremendous relief to be able to enjoy a good meal and reconnect with friends.
“So what’s the plan for you two?” Maisie asked.
“Um…” Glancing over at Slater, Lexi shrugged. “I guess I should ask that too, huh?”
Luckily, he grinned. “I was thinking tomorrow we’d start with just taking a tour of the property so you can see everything we’ve done and the new activities we’re hoping to implement. Jonah can tag along with us and feel like he’s going on an adventure.”
“Thank you. Walker and I talked about potential childcare scenarios, but we had to wait to get here first. I think we should be okay with Jonah being with me for the next few weeks until the resort opens, but once guests start arriving, I promise to have a plan in place. I need to check out daycare options in the area.”
“I know it may not be exactly what you want to hear,” Maisie gently interrupted. “But Connor just hired a nanny for Annabeth for after school. Maybe she could also help with Jonah? You know, depending on what you find, it could be a solution. She could come here and then take him with her to pick up Annabeth or…” She shrugged. “I know he was thorough in doing a background check and everything. Or maybe she knows someone who would work?”
Sharing childcare costs would definitely be helpful, just…not with Connor. That was a step she wasn’t ready to take.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Maisie,” she said with an appreciative smile.
“I’m sure it’s all overwhelming right now. The move, a new job, and trying to make sure your son is well taken care of,” Maisie went on. “Just know we’re all here and willing to help. Even if it’s just with getting information.”
“I think Jonah’s going to have fun trekking around with us,” Slater assured her. “There’s a lot of ground to cover, and we’ll stop and check some things out, maybe make a game out of some of it so he won’t be bored, and we’ll see how it goes.”
“He knows I need to work, and I’ll be honest with you, I’m a little nervous that he’s not going to be as cooperative as we need him to be.”
“The good news is a lot of what we need to do can be done pretty much anywhere on the property. Once you see everything, you can work in your cabin, or in the office up here that we have for you.”
“I have an office?” she asked with a nervous laugh. “I…I just thought I’d be…” Another laugh. “I don’t even know.”
