Page 16 of Brass Anchor Inn

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of the fun? It was going to be an amazing week. Speaking of which, she still had some last details to see to, so they needed to keep this meeting brief.

Maybe once she assured Lane that she had everything at the inn under control, he would leave her to run things while he returned to the west coast. She could send him monthly or quarterly profits.

Once her friends had moved on, she turned to him. “Would you like to join me?”

His gaze moved to the bare table. “Aren’t you finished?”

“I wouldn’t mind a second cup of coffee.”

“Actually, that’s why I came in here.”

“Coffee? Wasn’t there any at the bungalow?” She’d have to make sure he had enough supplies while he was on the island.

“I don’t know.” He passed by her. They were ever so close—close enough to smell his spicy cologne—but they never touched. He sat down. “I didn’t look. There’s just so much stuff in there.”

She returned to her seat. “You could have phoned the inn. They would have brought you whatever you wanted.”

She needed to make his visit to the inn as enjoyable as possible. She’d see that he was treated like a VIP. If he liked what he saw, hopefully, he’d go away without feeling the need to change things.

“I needed to get out of there for a while.” His gaze lifted to meet hers. “I didn’t expect so much stuff. I’ll need help getting rid of it all.”

Her mouth fell open. No words came out. Her mind struggled. He wanted to dispose of all Sandra’s possessions.Surely not. She must have misunderstood him.

She pressed her lips together and swallowed hard. “You want to get rid of Sandra’s belongings?”

He nodded. “You’re part of the inn staff. Or do you only work at the reception desk? When I talk to Joe, I could have him temporarily reassign you to assist me. I’ll make it worth your time.”

That’s right. She still hadn’t informed him that she was Jo. “Perhaps some introductions should be done first.”

He frowned. “You already know who I am.”

“But you don’t know who I am.” She smiled as she held her hand out to him as though to shake his hand. “Hello. I am Josephine Turner, the general manager of the Brass Anchor Inn. It’s nice to meet you.”

His gaze moved to her outstretched hand. He hesitated, as though letting this information sink in. And then he took her hand into his own. His touch caused her heart to skip a beat. Her gaze met his and while she could normally read so much in some people’s eyes, his were a closed book. And yet there was this desire in her to peel back the blank expression he used as some sort of shield in order to find out what he was hiding from the world.

His large hand and long fingers dwarfed hers in size. There was nothing small about the man who stood north of six feet. His touch was warm, and his skin was surprisingly smooth. He didn’t appear to work with his hands.Interesting.

When she realized they’d been touching a moment too long, she withdrew her hand. The skin tingled where his fingers had once been. As she placed her hands in her lap, she resisted the urge to rub the spot he’d just touched.

He frowned at her. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were when we first met?”

“I don’t know. I suppose it’s the same reason you didn’t call to alert us that Sandra had a nephew and you would be arriving today.”

His eyes briefly widened, as though he weren’t used to people standing up to him. He better get used to it because when it came to protecting her employees, she would do what needed to be done.

“I see you have spirit.” Was there a slight note of awe in his voice? “Good. You’ll need it because these next few months are going to be a challenge.”

Alarm bells rang in the back of her mind. “What sort of challenge are you referring to?”

He hesitated. “Perhaps we should wait for that until the other owner makes an appearance.”

“Then there’s no need to wait.”

His blue eyes widened. “Wait. Are you saying my aunt left her half of the inn to you?” When Josie nodded, he said, “But you aren’t even related to her.”

Her back teeth ground together. How dare he throw accusations around when he hadn’t even bothered to visit with his aunt.

“From what I can see, being a blood relative isn’t always such a great thing. Sometimes the family are those you choose to have in your life.”

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