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“I’m still at the restaurant. Something came up that I had to take care of, so I can’t make it,” James said.
Caitlin closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “What’s going on?”
“Some staff didn’t show and several large parties came in,” he said with a sigh.
Caitlin squeezed the bridge of her nose. “Okay, but we always have the most qualified people working on Saturdays and they can handle themselves.”
When Caitlin and James had talked about improving their relationship, Caitlin had pledged to give them more training, which Caitlin had found effective. Apparently James didn’t feel the same way.
James didn’t respond for a few moments. “It’s important that I’m here.”
“It’s important that you spend time with your family.” Caitlin kept her voice down even though her entire body felt wound tight. “Just for an afternoon? I’m tired of you prioritizing the restaurant every single day.”
“Owning a restaurant is an everyday thing, Caitlin.” Caitlin could easily envision him digging his hand into his hair, pacing in the back of the kitchen. “It seems like you don’t respect that.”
Caitlin watched Pearl talking to another kid as they pointed to a big fish drifting past them, trying to process James’s words. Of course she understood how much time it took to run a restaurant—they had started it together. But they had worked hard to get to where they were now, where their staff was good enough to operate without them breathing down their necks.
“Should we hire more help? So you don’t have to be there so much?” she asked. She had brought this idea up in the past and he’d brushed her off.
“That’s the thing, Caitlin. I want to be hands-on here.”
Silence stretched between them, neither taking steps to break it.
“Well, then.” Caitlin cleared her throat. “I’ll just tell Pearl you’ll see her at home.”
“Okay, see you then.”
He hung up and Caitlin tried to swallow the knot in her throat. Pearl looked back at her, face bright with excitement, as she pointed to a shimmering fish darting around. Her heart ached. She wished that James could see her like this, so genuinely thrilled. Was he going to miss more moments like this? Dance recitals? School events? Pearl would notice his absence more, and the thought of that broke Caitlin’s heart.
Caitlin put on a smile for Pearl and came back over.
“It turns out that it’s just going to be us today,” Caitlin said, smoothing her hand over Pearl’s head. “We’ll see Daddy at home, okay?”
“Okay. Can we bring him a gift?” Pearl asked.
Caitlin’s smile nearly faltered but she kept it steady. “Sure, sweetheart. That would be lovely.”
CHAPTER THREE
“Careful on that ladder, Han,” Willis said, passing behind her with a box of leis in his arms. He put it down on the long bar alongside the restaurant.
“I’m on the second step, Dad. I’m fine,” Hannah replied, hanging up a lei on the wall of The Crab. The shop had been transformed from its usual maritime theme to a Hawaiian one to get people excited about the Blueberry Bay Luau.
“I know. But even a fall from that height would hurt.” Willis picked up a foam surfboard and put it up against the wall.
Hannah suppressed a smile. Her dad was so protective sometimes.
She stepped down from her ladder and took a look around. The half of the restaurant that they’d decorated looked fun, the exact kind of energy they wanted to create. But Hannah didn’t feel the same flutter of excitement in her stomach as she usually did around the luau. She had gone every year since she was little and it was one of her favorite summer events. What was different this year?
“Did you take a break?” Willis asked from behind the counter. “Did you eat lunch?”
“I did.” Hannah raised her eyebrow at him, going to grab another box of Hawaiian flowers. “Did you?”
He waved her off as he walked toward the side door. “I’m fine. I need to meet the food delivery guys outside—be back in a minute.”
“Okay.”
Hannah folded up the ladder and carried it to the other side of the restaurant to decorate it. There was a perfect spot for some fabric hibiscus flowers along the top of the menu board, so she set up her ladder and climbed up a few steps to hang more flowers. She hated being in a low mood, especially at work where she had to have a happy face on. Most people in town knew her as bright, bubbly Hannah. But she couldn’t shake it and she wasn’t sure why.
