“That makes sense,” she said.
“It’s kind of a co-op thing,” Beck added. “Basically the community can make things to sell there, and the shop takes a cut and the crafter gets the rest. It’s definitely targeted toward tourists.”
“That’s an understatement,” Nick said. “We have some true artisans in the community, so there’s pottery and art and jewelry. All ocean related, of course, and mostly specific to Wayward Harbor. But tourists will buy anything, honestly.”
“One lady buys these little teddy bears in bulk, and her daughter makes them T-shirts that say Wayward Harbor, and they get obscene amounts for them. Some of the kids collect driftwood, and they have a stencil for using a wood-burning tool to do a silhouette of a lighthouse on some rocks with a sailboat. People buy them like they’re museum pieces.”
“My favorite, though,” Theo said, “is Doreen, who uses molds to make tons of small chocolate balls. She sells them in clear little baggies with a tag that says Moose Poop, and she literally can’t make them fast enough to keep them in stock.”
“And tourists will buy anything that is made from any part of an old lobster trap,” Beck added. “Brooke, my best friend’s wife—well, ex-wife, I guess—is part owner of the place, and she’s said she’d feel bad for taking their money, but they’re practically throwing it at her.”
Lucy, who had been laughing through their tales of tourists being easily parted with their money, held up her hand. “That’s settled. I willdefinitelybe visiting Dinghy Doodads when she opens.”
“Probably two weeks from today,” Beck said. “She usually opens mid-May to catch the retirees who want it to be warm enough to enjoy the outdoors but before Memorial Day kicks off the summer season.”
“Remind me to add it to our shenanigans list,” she told Nick.
He nodded, knowing his smile didn’t quite make his eyes because he caught the questioning glances from his brothers. Nick having anything to do with shenanigans would surprise them. His sharing a joint shenanigans list with a woman they’d just met would make them ask questions.
“We should get going,” he said, so abruptly Lucy frowned at him. “I hate to eat and run, but I want to finish trimming out the window in that bedroom today. Gray, I’ll need to get with you about the electrical finish work soon.”
“We should help clean up,” Lucy said, standing and picking up her plate.
“We’ll take care of it,” Beck told her. Nick could tell by the way Beck had been watching him that he’d sensed the shift in his brother’s mood. “Thanks for coming with Nick. It was great to meet you.”
“Thank you for dinner. I hope I’ll get to see you all again soon.”
Once they were back in his truck, Nick’s guilt over the forced departure seeped in. Lucy had been having a good time, and he’d rushed her out of there. And telling himself it was so one of his brothers couldn’t say something that would embarrass her didn’t change the fact he was actually afraid they’d back him into a conversational corner. He’d either have to tell them he was falling for a woman who intended to leave Wayward Harbor in her rearview mirror, or he’d have to say that, yes, she was attractive, but there was nothing between them.
And Nick wasn’t prepared to say either of those things out loud.
Chapter Nine
We love books as much as anybody, but please stop donating books that should be recycled. It’s okay to let them go if they’re old and musty or missing covers and chunks of pages. Try sharing the love of reading with your friends and family. If they don’t want the books, our patrons probably won’t, either. And if you’re donating them by leaving them on our front step in the darkness because you’re embarrassed to bring them inside during library hours, please take them to recycling. Your friendly local librarian thanks you.
—Wayward Harbor Online Community Group
“Don’t you take any sass from Billy Loring.”
Lucy laughed at her grandmother’s stern words. “I won’t.”
“And you better call me in the morning and tell me how it went.”
“I will.” She glanced at the clock on the stove to make sure she didn’t lose track of time. She suspected Billy Loring wasn’t the kind of boss to laugh off being late on day one. “When do you leave for your cruise?”
“We depart in six days, so not for a while yet. I can’t wait, though. I’ve wanted to do a two-week cruise foryears.”
The joy on her grandmother’s face was infectious. “Nick put the itinerary and your list of excursions on the fridge because the manlovesto put lists on refrigerators, and it’s going to be such an adventure. Take lots of pictures!”
“You know I will. Now, you should get going, but make sure you let me know how it goes.”
At eleven, buoyed by her conversation with her grandmother and a sweet text message from Nick wishing her luck, Lucy parked in one of the four spaces marked for employees of the Uneven Keel only. They were at the far end of a long, skinny parking area that had a bit of a slope to it, but a business having its own lot in Wayward Harbor was a blessing.
Lucy went in the back door, assuming the front door would still be locked, and a dark-haired woman in her forties, wearing an apron and hairnet, looked up as she walked through the kitchen. Lucy smiled and waved, and the woman nodded before going back to work.
When she pushed through the swinging door into the front of the house, she didn’t see Billy anywhere. But a curvy blonde woman who also looked to be in her forties, wearing jeans, an Uneven Keel T-shirt and her hair in a french braid, was rolling silverware into napkins at one of the tables that overlooked the water.
“Good morning,” Lucy said. “Billy told me to come in and try out a shift.”
