Page 89 of That Kind of Guy

I greeted her with a big grin. “Well, hello, stranger. I was wondering if you’d drop by today.”

She leaned on the bar and watched as I wiped it down. “Why are you working today? You should be relaxing at home.”

“We had a couple staff call in sick. I don’t mind. I love it here.”

She smiled. “I know you do.”

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

She nodded.

“Cab sav or merlot?”

“Cab sav, please.” She shifted on her chair and watched my hands as I selected the right glass. She cleared her throat and I shot her a curious glance.

I saw Chuck talking to Keiko.Max’s words rang in my head from this morning.She looked uncomfortable.

We were so busy today that I had forgotten. I wasn’t sure how to bring that up with Keiko without sounding nosy, though. It wasn’t my business who she spoke to.

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” Her gaze flicked between the bottle I poured from and my eyes.

“Okay.” My tone was hesitant.

“It’s nothing, really, but I’d rather you heard it from me and not someone in town. Queen’s Cove residents love to gossip.”

I remembered how quickly news of Emmett and I spread. “Do they ever.”

She toyed with the stem of her wine glass. “Chuck approached me today with an offer to buy the restaurant.”

My mouth dropped.

Keiko looked up quickly. “I’m not going to sell to him, of course, but I wanted to keep you in the loop. This doesn’t change anything.”

My mind was going a mile a minute but no coherent thoughts formed. “How did—” I shook my head. “Why does he think—” I broke off again. My throat closed up. That fuckingrat. He was always sneaking around, just waiting for me to turn my back so he could shove me out of the way. Fury rattled my rib cage. “Fuck.”

“Fuck, indeed.”

A surprised, humorless laugh fell out of my mouth. It was the first time I had heard Keiko swear. I blinked rapidly. “How much did he offer you?”

She glanced up at me, then back down at her wine. “It’s not important.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Yes, it is. How much?”

She sighed. “Ten percent more.”

“Ten percent more?” I gaped at her.

“Avery.” Her tone was stern and she pinned me with her gaze. “I am not interested in Chuck owning The Arbutus, and I told him that. My decision is final.”

I crossed my arms and leaned against the bar. I hated that Chuck put her in this position, that she was turning down more money because of me. And yet, I’d do anything to buy this place. I uncrossed my arms and twisted my ring around my finger. “Keiko, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry this happened.”

“It’s okay.” She gave me a little smile and took a sip of wine. “Chuck won’t get in the way of your dream. Tuesday, it’s all yours.”

I pulled a deep breath into my lungs and nodded. Tuesday couldn’t come soon enough. One wrong move and Chuck was waiting in the wings, ready to scoop this place up.

The front door opened and Emmett walked into the restaurant holding a bouquet of flowers. My heart lifted. All the emotions I had been feeling today broke, leaving me exhausted and relieved to see him.

Something in my expression caused Keiko to turn around. “Ah,” she said when she saw Emmett. “Avery, go give your fiancé a proper hello. I’m going to enjoy a few moments alone.”

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