My already bright smile goes up three hundred watts. “Hey.”
I walk over to the counter, and he walks up to the other side, and we both lean forward. He reaches up and cups the side of my face as he kisses me. It’s slow and sweet and PG-13 but I’m still loving it.
“Awe!” Nova says again. “Between you two and Mr. Butterfield and Meredith, my heart is literally going to explode.”
Logan pulls back with a look of confusion on his face. “What?”
“Long story,” Jake says. “More importantly, who are you and what have you done with the brooding, grump-ass dude that used to inhabit this body?”
“Funny Maverick,” Logan flips him the bird.
“Customers, Logan!” Terra reminds him sharply.
“They’re photoshoot extras paid in lobster meat, not real customers,” Logan reminds her. “And they’re all leaving anyway.”
He’s right, there’s only a couple of people left, and they’re putting on coats. Logan looks at his family. “And you guys get your coats too. The restaurant is mine tonight.”
The bell above the door jingles, and without turning around, Logan calls out, “Sorry we’re closed!”
“I get a pass,” a voice says. Logan spins and I see his mom there, tugging off her mitts.
“Ma! Sorry,” Logan says and looks instantly sheepish. She ignores him completely and walks right over to me. “How did it go?”
“Great. I think you’ll be very pleased, Mrs. Hawkins,” I tell her.
She grabs both my hands in hers and smiles up at me excitedly. “I knew I liked you when I met you. You have to call me Lucy since you’re not just a study buddy for Terra and this isn’t just a work relationship.”
Logan blinks. “You know?”
“I’m sorry! You told Charlie I just assumed…”
“Jake you are worse than Mrs. Green!” Logan huffs, but he’s not really mad, even I can tell. He turns to his mom, who is grinning at me. “I was going to tell you.”
“I know,” Lucy nods. “I’m just happy you’re happy Logan. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”
Lucy squeezes my hands. I just smile. Logan is almost blushing and chuckles. “Okay Ma, let go of her, and I mean this respectfully, please go away.”
Lucy pretends to look shocked, but then she laughs. “Okay Romeo. No need to get ornery. I just came to drive Nova home. Declan was supposed to come and get her. He dropped her off this morning, but he’s busy.”
“Busy? Doing what? Thinking up new ways to annoy us with his marketing genius?” Finn quips, and Lucy, without missing a beat, reaches over and whacks him on the butt. Finn yelps.
“Actually, smarty-pants, your brother and I have been working hard all day on a new recipe for the festival,” Lucy explains, and her eyes light up. “He came up with this amazing recipe for lobster eggs benedict, and I’m telling you, we might have something here.”
I’m shocked by her words.
“He was messing around with it until almost two in the morning,” Nova adds smiling innocently. “It’s on a hash brown instead of an English muffin, and it’s pretty good. Really good actually, but you know Declan. He’s a perfectionist.”
Wait a minute…
“He puts lobster bisque in the hollandaise too. But we haven’t gotten the balance just right yet,” Lucy says.
My eyes fly to Logan, not just for confirmation of what I’m thinking but because his mood shifts so suddenly and intensely—like a Nor’easter blowing in—that I can feel it. “That son of –”
“Do not finish that sentence,” Lucy warns, the humor in her eyes disappearing.
Logan scrubs his face with his hand and looks over to me. “I am so sorry. He stole your recipe.”
“It’s just a coincidence, Logan,” I say because it has to be. I mean, I’ve never met Declan. But Logan shakes his head.
