Page 7 of One Sweet Day is Never Enough

Three

Gia pulled into a local diner-themed restaurant after work, exhausted. She was meeting friends for dinner. What a day. Noreen was satisfied with her after she’d reported on her meeting at the orchard. She’d been thrilled about the winery venue and said she’d start the paperwork to get the ball rolling first thing tomorrow. At least Noreen was happy with her about that.

Despite her worry, the sales call with Seth had gone well. Gia let out a sigh of relief—all that anxiety for nothing. It would make the weekend’s wedding fiasco easier to put behind her, at least, and she’d be sure to cross everytand dot everyifrom now on. There was no more room for mistakes.

She found the group inside the restaurant and sat down in the booth next to Kira. Courtney slipped in across the seat from them. Courtney’s boyfriend, Nick slid in next to Courtney. The diner was cheap and fast and the booths were large enough to fit six of them at once, if not more.

They were talking and laughing as Nick’s roommate, Tom, walked up to the table. “Slide over, sister.” He grinned. “Unless you want me to sit on your lap.”

Gia laughed. “I’m sliding.” She slid and patted at the seat next to her.

Tom squeezed in, greeted everyone, and rubbed shoulders with Gia. “Good to see you. How ya been?”

Tom Garcia was good-looking at six foot one with short dark hair, friendly, brown eyes and a slim-but-muscular build. He was also very good-natured and had quickly become one of Gia’s favorite people in Heritage Bay. They’d met at a party on the fourth of July, where she’d met a lot of other locals. She and Tom had hit it off and exchanged numbers. They regularly talked now by phone or text, but there was nothing going on between them other than a close friendship.

The fourth of July party had been rough for Courtney and Nick, who’d almost broken up for good that night. Fortunately, it looked as though that was light-years behind them now. Gia glanced across the table at the happy couple, caught up in conversation, Nick’s arm around Courtney.

Courtney looked to be explaining something to him while she casually straightened a few hairs that were out of place on his head. Nick was a devoted boyfriend who couldn’t seem to get enough of her. They were a match made in heaven.

Gia studied her menu, and after everyone ordered, the joking and laughter resumed.

Although she’d only known Kira for a few months and Courtney a few weeks, Gia had already become close with both girls. They’d made it easier not to get homesick or miss her old friends back in Minneapolis or Milwaukee. There were two other girls, as well—Marcy and Angela—who were usually part of the group but couldn’t make it tonight. Marcy was a waitress and Angela, a bartender—both, just for the summer—and both worked evenings.

Kira looked around. “So what’s been going on today, kids? Anything exciting?” She rested her chin on her hand and her elbow on the table.

“Well, I rented out a unit to a new tenant today, among other things,” Tom said with feigned enthusiasm. Tom was a co-manager of the apartment-and-condominium complex where he and Nick lived. “This young man will be staying for six months, minimum. Paid the full security deposit without batting an eye. How’s that for an interesting day?”

Nick shot him an ironic grin. “Fascinating, dude. And I rented bicycles to about two-dozen people today. How’s that for life changing?”

Courtney turned to Nick and kissed him on the cheek. “One day not saving lives and he’s bored out of his skull.”

“She’s right, Doctor Dreamy, not every day can be a life or death ’sitch.” Tom said dryly, without disguising his amusement.

Nick and Tom volunteered as medics for the local wilderness search-and-rescue team. Nick was an ex-med-school student who also worked full-time as an adventure guide for a local outdoor rental shop at the Heritage Bay Marina. He’d taken a full-time position with the local paramedic unit in Anderson Cove and would be leaving the shop, starting in September.

“I never said it had to be life or death.” Nick laughed, pretending to be sore about it.

“We know, babe.” Courtney squeezed his arm. “There’s always tomorrow,” she said with fake pity.

“Life on the docks not quite keeping up with the Nickster’s pace?” Tom regularly gave Nick a hard time, all in good fun.

Nick shook his head. “Just barely.”

Courtney gave Nick another quick kiss, this time on the lips. “I’m just playing around.”

He kissed her back. “I know.”

“’Bout enough PDA on that side of the booth,” Tom said. “Let’s keep those hands on the table, kids.”

Everyone laughed.

Courtney was a writer, and Kira, a photographer and videographer for the Wisconsin Visitors Board.

Gia had first met Kira back in April, not long after moving to Heritage Bay, when she was visiting a bed and breakfast property to scope it out as a potential wedding location for a bride. Kira had introduced Gia to Courtney as well as the others as they’d started arriving for the summer, and the friendship circle had grown to include Nick and Tom and another of Nick’s friends, Jake, whom Angela had recently started dating. Tom mentioned that Jake had other plans tonight and couldn’t make it to dinner.

“Okay, so I have some news,” Gia offered.

“Oh yeah?” Courtney and Nick turned to listen.

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