Something niggled in the back of my mind, but just as I was grasping at it, we pulled onto the main drag and I saw Dylan leaning against the front wall of Beau’s new restaurant, talking animatedly to Beau.
“Looks like Dylan has already met Beau,” I said, smiling as I saw them both laugh at the same time. They’d make a handsome couple, all bronzed and well-dressed.
“Damn it. I wanted to be the one to introduce them. Leave it to Dylan to steal my thunder,” Cash griped, swinging the car into a spot right in front of the restaurant. The men looked over and smiled at us as we got out of the Jeep.
“Hi, Beau,” I said, smiling when he came over to pull me into a hug.
“Can you believe how freakin’ hot Dylan is?” Beau hissed into my ear, and my smile grew even wider as I looked up at Beau.
“Trust me, I get it,” I replied, and Beau shook his head in disbelief before turning to hug Miss Elva.
“Child, I’ve been meaning to come look at the renovations,” Miss Elva said after being introduced to Dylan, who looked at her curiously but refrained from commenting.
“Yes, please, come in. Sorry it’s such a mess in here, but it’s still a construction zone,” Beau explained, ushering us in and locking the door behind us. “Sorry to lock the door, but you know how the looky-loo’s are in this town. I swear Prudie hovers outside the front door, just waiting for a glimpse inside.” Beau gestured to where he had tacked up brown butcher paper over all the windows and the glass doors to prevent prying eyes from seeing inside.
“That woman is on my list,” I declared.
“Your hit list or your shit list?” Beau joked, then stiffened when I glared at him. The last thing I needed was for Dylan to think I actually went around trying to kill people.
“My shit list. She’s a mean old gossip,” I said, then turned to look at the space. “Holy crap, you’ve done a ton of work since I was last in here.”
The restaurant that had originally been Luca’s Deli had transformed from a small deli with a long counter and glass food case on one wall to a sleek, elegant, and slightly edgy restaurant. Beau had removed the counters, knocked out the back wall and added a second-floor kitchen. What had once been the back stockroom was now a wall of windows, opening the entire room to a view of cerulean blue waves crashing against a rocky beach.
“Beau, this is fantastic,” I breathed, walking around to look at the newly added second floor. “The second floor doesn’t even cut into the space at all.”
“Right? I really wanted to add that view. Plus, with moving the kitchen upstairs, I was able to get the view and add a small eating area outside as well,” Beau said.
“So will the waiters have to run up and downstairs withtrays of food?” I asked, knowing that if I was tasked with that job, I’d be dropping trays left and right.
I may be a wee bit klutzy.
“Nope, get this,” Beau said, leading me back to where a wall, about a foot taller than my head, separated an area of the room. Behind it, I found a serving station for drinks and a huge dumbwaiter tucked into the wall.
“A dumbwaiter! Makes total sense,” I said, approving it.
“I can’t wait to get into the design palette, but first the construction needed to be finished. I meant to ask you…could I commission you for the art? I want only your underwater photographs on the wall. But like huge…going all the way up the wall.”
I brought my hand to my mouth, surprised and flattered that he would want my photographs in his elegant restaurant.
“Really? You want my pictures in here? I don’t know if they’re good enough,” I began and Beau hushed me with a finger on my lips.
“They’re stunning. I just am going to have to decide if I want to do all black and white or if I want to do color,” Beau mused as we walked around the wall and back towards where the rest of the group was standing.
“Color what?” Cash asked.
“I want Althea’s underwater photography on the walls. Huge,” Beau said, gesturing at the walls.
“That’s a great idea, she has a fantastic eye,” Cash agreed and I turned to him, surprised.
“Really?”
“Really. I was going to commission a few of yourpieces for a club in Miami too, but haven’t had a chance to bring it up. We’ve been a little distracted today,” Cash reminded me.
Oh crap. Luna.
“Yeah, so, uh, what was that all about this morning, if you don’t mind me asking?” There was a slightly aggressive edge to Dylan’s tone, and Beau immediately planted his hand on his hips.
“What are you talking about?”
