He wasn’t sure he’d be welcomed or served inside Scoops, There It Is.He stuck out his hand. “Deal.” He fought the urge to grip her delicate fingers tight and pull her close. A surge of warmth swept through him from the handshake. Letting go was never his choice.
She slipped her hand free and turned toward the front entrance.
He followed in silence. Being with her had always been enough. While she was exuberant and entertaining, she drained herself with her schemes. He liked the quiet times, too. Her company was enough.
A valet held open the front door for Ashley.
Christopher stepped back to let her pass first. As soon as he entered his lobby, he lost his grip on his new-found peace.
Steve Prim prowled near the base of the staircase.
Never a good sign. Steve Prim was a kind, if not very deep, person. The one-time high school sports star had become his father’s stooge. Carl Prim was a known bully. Christopher feared Steve would go from victim to abuser. Ashley needed no part in that, whatever happened in their marriage.
Hopefully, she hadn’t noticed the newcomer. Christopher reached for her elbow, lightly grazing it with his fingertips. Any more would be torture. She wasn’t back to reconcile. She was here to destroy his whole world. He couldn’t hand her the keys and walk away.
She turned toward him.
“The movie starts soon,” he said. “I’ll meet you there.”
She shook her head. “Let me join you.”
She recognized Steve and knew he’d only come for business. Christopher gritted his back molars. “Can you be a silent partner?”
“Hardly.” She chuckled. “But I won’t deliberately step in your way. I’m curious. If I take over, I’ll need to work with the Prims.”
At least she was honest. Christopher didn’t want or need a complication in the surprise meeting with a vendor. But perhaps a glimpse of his reality would wake her up. Maybe she’d walk away. Again. “Alright.”
Crossing the entryway together, he extended a hand as he approached the younger Mr. Prim. “Steve, hello, I didn’t know we had plans to meet today.”
Steve widened his eyes. “Ashley?”
“Hi, Steve, it’s been a while. Nice to see you.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Judging by the man’s shock, he wasn’t a candidate for the secret romance she may or may not be conducting. Steve had never hidden his feelings. If he was still in love with Christopher’s wife, Steve could get to the back of the line. Christopher mentally kicked himself. He had to focus. Business. Nothing personal. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Steve?”
“Right. I wanted to discuss the summer schedule. My apologies for the delay in launching the tours. The weather has not been cooperative,” Steve said.
Christopher ground his molars. He hated excuses in general and saved special scorn for those easily proved false. Today’s beautiful weather labeled Steve a liar or an idiot.Why must I choose?
“I would like to add to the tentative plan I’ve given you,” Steve said.
This was good news. Maybe he’d misjudged Steve. It wouldn’t be the first time one of his opinions had to be amended. But it had been a while. “More trips?”
“Actually, dinner cruises.”
Christopher gaped. “Our guests love the tours. They are expecting a fun day on the water.”
“Why not expand and let them dine under the stars?” Steve asked.
“Because that isn’t what they are interested in,” Christopher said. “Because it is a big undertaking. Because the restaurant business is hard, and most new ventures fail within the first year.” Christopher said the words with slow deliberation. His main argument against the idea was that it could, potentially, undermine the Inn. At the moment, Christopher’s business provided the only real fancy dining around, keeping a lot of the tourist dollars under his roof for the durations of their stays. He hadn’t heard any complaints. The Inn’s offerings were enough to convince guests to return year after year.
“What a lovely idea,” Ashley exclaimed. “Are you launching this summer?”
“Yes, we have a chef and staff.” Steve bobbed his head and grinned broadly, basking in Ashley’s glowing encouragement. “We were hoping to send updated material soon. Seth’s a little backed up on print jobs at the moment.”
Christopher side-eyed Steve at the last statement, disliking the cheap slight aimed at Seth. Christopher hated hearing about a fully formed plan like it was merely an idea.
Steve hired staff and a chef. Christopher hadn’t heard any rumors or read anynow hiringposts on the town’s website. Christopher questioned the whole endeavor.
