Page 31 of Baby, Be Mine

Which was also the worst thing about summer. A lot of my waitstaff had summer plans and juggling the schedule was definitely Gillian’s strength. It might not be glamorous, but she was damn good at it.

“Well, have a good night. If any of your friends are looking for some part-time work, it’s going to be a busy summer. We could use the help.”

“I’ll check in with the moms. Or the dads for that matter.”

“We’ll take ‘em both.”

“Okay. Hey, if you’re still worried about Emma, you can always send her some flowers. And a new mom basket of goodies. We definitely don’t want to think about cooking that first month. Especially since we’re the food source most of the time.”

“Who said I was worried about Miss Hauser?”

“You staring out at the lake like you’re in a Keanu Reaves and Sandra Bullock movie.”

“I am not.”

“Sure you’re not.”

Annoyed that she was right, I grunted. “The only good movie with those two together isSpeed.”

Rami snickered. “You need to add a few romance movies to your repertoire.”

“Why?”

“The fact that you’re asking that is the problem.” She tapped my cheek lightly. “Night, boss.”

“Night, Rami.”

I headed back to my office before someone else wanted something from me.

Okay, so romance hadn’t been high on my list of things to do lately. Ever since I’d moved back to Crescent Cove, I’d been running on coffee and adrenaline. I didn’t even get to enjoy a beer too often.

Occasionally with my brother, but now that he had a family, he was more interested in going home to Gina and the babies than lingering with a beer like we used to do.

Juggling the renovations, and now the boat, left little time for extracurricular fun.

I was too damn tired to even care about getting a woman under me these days. Then again, I hadn’t been interested in any in longer than I cared to admit.

Getting The Mason Jar stable and making money had been more important. Then I’d just fallen into routine.

Never thought I’d want that in my whole damn life, but now here I was.

I closed myself into my office and checked emails. Nothing was pressing there. Unfortunately, that also meant no one had replied to my ads. Disgusted, I lost myself in billing and payroll for an hour.

Happily, there was still money left over after that. The city-wide swap meet and flea market had definitely helped with revenue on my side.

From what I’d heard, the whole town had been overrun with foot traffic. The mayor had been so pleased, she’d set up another one for the fall season.

I’d be ready for that one and had marked it on my calendar for better coverage.

It was ever the learning curve to run a business in a town exploding with people. My father had given me his version of side eye when I’d bought the property for the restaurant.

He was a quiet man, but he was also risk averse. Brooks’ Greenery had been a staple in Crescent Cove before the town had exploded. He knew the struggles of owning a business and was happy in the same little shop he’d been in since I’d been a kid.

I’d spent many a shift behind the counter through my teen years yearning for more—and here I was, back in this town with a place of my own.

A sharp rap on my door, dragged me out of the past. “Yeah?”

Gillian peeked her head in, her icy blue eyes lined in dark kohl that made them look otherworldly. Her gaze swept over me in that proprietary way that made me want to shift in my chair. “Can I talk to you?”

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