“I’ll take you up on that. Thanks.”
Ten long minutes later they were seated at the table, Nora at the head, Emma and Maddy across from him. Pippy sat attentively nearby, clearly hoping for a scrap of food.
After Nora said grace, Connor dipped his spoon into the hearty-looking chicken noodle soup. A taste of the savory stew proved him right. The tea was sweetened just the way he liked and adorned with a sliver of lemon.
He made small talk with Emma, and Nora caught him up on their grandmother’s excursions. He was glad Louise was having a good time with friends. She spent too much time alone. He hoped her granddaughters planned to hang around until her return.
They talked about their progress on the attic, and he offered his help once they got around to fixing the house itself. By then he’d have Cheryl’s position covered—he hoped. The résumés he’d gotten so far had been dead ends. He wouldn’t have trusted either applicant with a mop and a broom, much less a management role.
All the good summer help had been lined up weeks ago. He was going to have to broaden his reach with an online ad. He’d do that tonight, even if he had to do it after closing.
“So what is it that you do, Connor?” Maddy asked, pulling him from his thoughts.
The question itself was benign; it was her superior tone and the stubborn tilt of her chin that got under his skin. “I work at the marina, Maddy. Down at the end of Main Street.”
Just the thought of the long night ahead made him yearn for his bed. He smothered a yawn.
“You look like you need a nap worse than you need a meal,” Emma said.
“What d’you expect?” Maddy mumbled.
His eyes shot to hers. She watched her spoon dip into the bowl, come up with some silvery broth.
“I’m sorry—what was that?”
Her eyes flickered off his. “Well, when you stay out till all hours...”
“Maddy...” Nora gave Maddy a look that clearly said,What is wrong with you?
Connor studied Maddy for a long moment, watching her squirm and enjoying it a little too much. “And how would you know what hours I keep?”
A flush had risen to her cheeks. “My bedroom window faces your way. Your headlights wake me up when you come home.”
“Wait a minute...” Emma snapped her fingers. “Sullivan’s Marina... I saw the sign a few days ago. You must be the new owner.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Maddy’s lips thinned as she arched a delicate brow.
He gave her a tight smile. She’d done nothing but judge him from the moment she’d laid eyes on him.
“The food’s delicious, Emma.” He finished off the toasted turkey sandwich. It really was tasty, stacked with meat and tomato and slathered with a mayo-based spread.
“Thank you,” Emma said. “I love to cook, and unfortunately I like to eat what I cook.”
“Nothing wrong with that. If I cooked like you, I’d enjoy it too.”
Emma’s brown eyes lit up. “So, Sullivan’s Landing... the new restaurant on the docks—do you own it too?”
“Oh, I noticed that the other day.” Nora scooped up her last spoonful of soup.
His gaze toggled to Maddy long enough to see her haughty expression waver. “Technically it’s not new. It used to be the Crab Shack. But yes, I own it now.”
***
Heat prickled the back of Maddy’s neck, and she resisted the urge to unfasten the top button of her blouse. Was the air-conditioning broken? What was the temperature in here anyway?
“Maddy was just saying we should stop there and try it out sometime,” Emma said.
