Page 86 of Smuggler's Cove
By three o’clock, they were back at the house and putting their supplies in place. “By the way, we never discussed sleeping arrangements,” Madison said. “You and Lincoln will have the master bedroom. I hope you already knew that.”
Olivia smiled. “I did not make any assumptions.”
“Well, there’s no need for a discussion. It’s yours. Case closed!” Madison declared.
By the time they were finished, Charlie and Lincoln pulled into the driveway. “Hey there! How was your day?” Lincoln gave Olivia an affectionate kiss.
“Very productive,” Olivia answered. “We found two fabulous places.” Olivia described their experience at the two stores. Olivia knew Lincoln would not be up for playing grill master that night, so they bought some of the prepared food. All they had to do was heat it up, toss a salad, and plate some mozzarella with tomatoes and fresh basil to start.
“Charlie, would you like to have dinner with us?” Madison asked.
“Aw, thanks. I appreciate it, but Saturday nights are for me and Hannah. Unless there is some kind of special thing goin’ on.”
“Next time, we will invite both of you,” Madison offered.
“That’s mighty nice of you, but we don’t want to intrude,” Charlie said modestly.
“Not an intrusion at all,” Lincoln voiced his opinion. “Once we get settled, we will have you and Hannah and Crusty over.”
“That would be nice. I know Hannah’s gotten fond of all of you.”
“Likewise,” Madison replied. And she meant it. She was finding a lot to like in this little town.
Chapter Eighteen
To Date or Not to Date
Two weeks moved quickly. Closing the book for the Holiday Preview that was to come out in September had taken up much of Madison and Olivia’s time. And with the preparations for the summer rental, the renovations, and the festival, there hardly seemed to be enough hours in the day. Madison comforted herself knowing that things would slow down in a matter of days. Speaking of days, it was only two days until her date with Captain Eriksson. She had hardly any time to get nervous about it, but when she saw the day marked with a big star on her daily planner, she realized she hadn’t given it enough thought. Now she was in ultra-overdrive. What was she going to wear? The white wardrobe was not going to fly anymore. At least not at the marina. Maybe a pair of white capri pants, but the “Good Humor Ice Cream Man” look was over. She wondered if she should call Viggo and ask him what the dress code was, if there was any at all.
They had only spoken briefly at the beginning of the week, when they decided on a time. He was going to pick her up at six thirty. In his “clean and organized” pickup truck. He apologized profusely for not having a “proper vehicle,” but he had originally purchased it for when he was working on his house. Since the renovations had been completed, he hadn’t given much thought to his mode of transportation. He usually rode his bike to work, unless the weather was wet and windy. Madison assured him a ride in a pickup truck was acceptable, and she would wear a disguise. He chuckled at her sense of humor. With that in mind, Madison searched a costume store for a pair of black-rimmed glasses with a big nose and mustache. That would be a true test ofhissense of humor, and would certainly break the ice, if there were any to be broken.
She decided to phone and ask him what to wear. It was time she got over her insecurities and put on her big-girl pants, white or otherwise.
He answered on the second ring. “Ms. Wainwright.” He couldn’t resist calling her by her proper name. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Captain Eriksson.” Madison grinned. “I was wondering if you could advise me as to the attire required for dinner on Saturday.”
“According to my information, you are the fashion expert.”
“That might be true, but I want to dress appropriately. I take it, it’s not a gala, so I can ditch the sequins and high heels.”
He laughed out loud. “You would be correct. I was planning on One Willow. They have their dining deck open now, and the weather forecast is mild.”
“I am familiar with the place. Olivia and I had lunch there on our first visit.”
“And I was hoping to take you somewhere special.”
Madison stopped herself from sayingAnywhere with you would be special.Instead, she replied, “The setting is beautiful, the food was excellent, and I am happy to return.”
“Great. Chef Nick always has something interesting on the menu.”
“I am looking forward to it. See you at six thirty.” She ended the call before the conversation would continue to awkward silence.
She called out to Olivia, “Wardrobe check.”
Olivia trotted into Madison’s office with a pad and pen. “Which edition?”
“Mine. Saturday night.” Madison was blushing.
