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Rachel sits forward with excitement. “I would be happy to do all of those things.”
Keegan nods as though he’s thinking it over. “Would you be able to start tomorrow afternoon then?”
“Yes!” Rachel claps her hands and smiles over at me. “I just got a job, Dad!”
“So you did. That’s good. You can start paying rent.”
“Har har.” Rachel sips her drink happily.
“I’ll have Maeve get you a couple of T-shirts as that’s our uniform around here. But we’re casual, so jeans are just fine to go with it.”
“Come on,” Maeve says and motions for Rachel to follow her. “Let’s go pick out a couple. We have a new pink one that’ll look great on you.”
The two of them head back to the storeroom, and I shift the baby to my other shoulder.
“Thanks for that.”
“Rachel’s a good lass. She’s happy and helpful, and I think it’ll be good for her. She might meet some new people, too, because we get plenty of locals who come in for the food.”
“That’s a great idea. I didn’t even think of it, and I should have.”
The baby starts to fuss, so I stand and walk her around the pub crooning in her ear.
It feels good to hold a little baby again. Rachel grew up in the blink of an eye, and I missed a good portion of it because I was always gone.
I never considered having more kids, but I didn’t have Maeve in my life before this either.
Just as I think that, the woman comes back into the bar area with my daughter. When her eyes meet mine, she grins widely.
Maybe this new chapter is more interesting than I originally thought.
Chapter 12
~Maeve~
“It was so nice of your mother to give us this tub of stew,” Angie Meyers says. Hunter’s parents have been in town for three days, and the five of us are gathered in Hunter’s home, enjoying Sunday brunch before Angie and Jay head back to Seattle. “I’m going to freeze some of it so it lasts us a while.”
“We’re not that far away,” Hunter reminds his mom and kisses her head before setting a platter of bacon on the table. “You two can come over anytime, stay in the guest house. Eat stew.”
“We might do that,” Jay says, looking up from his newspaper. “In fact, your mother and I were talking last night. We were going to wait to mention it. Give it some more thought.”
“Let’s just tell them,” Angie says with excitement and reaches over for Rachel’s hand.
“We’d like to move to the island,” Jay says. “Of course, we need to sell the house in Seattle and look for something here, but we want to be close to you. You’re our family.”
I glance over at Hunter and see a smile spread across his handsome face—one so much like his father’s.
“That might be the best news I’ve heard in a very long time,” Hunter says. “I didn’t want to pressure you guys to come here, especially because it was my decision to move out of the city. And I know you like it there.”
“Well, it’s just a ferry ride away,” Angie reminds her son. “We love it here. The views are gorgeous, and we enjoyed Maeve’s family very much. And being close to you is important to us.”
Hunter and I share a look. He was hoping that having them here this weekend would have this exact result.
“Well,” he says with a nod and takes a bite of bacon, “I know an excellent realtor.”
“I was hoping to talk to you about this,” Angie says to me. “Give you an idea of what we might be looking for and see if there’s anything available.”
“I have quite a lot for sale right now,” I reply. “What are you thinking?”
Rachel is all smiles as we discuss what Jay and Angie would like in a new home. They want charm, not too much space, a pretty view, and to be nearby in case Rachel needs them.
“I’ll start doing some digging tonight after we get back from Seattle,” I assure them. “Speaking of that, we should probably get ready to go.”
“I’m stuffed,” Jay says. “I’ll help with dishes.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” I assure him, but he shakes his head and stands to clear the table.
“That’s his way of saying he’d like a moment alone with you,” Angie says with a wink and carries her plate to the sink. “I’ll just go out to the guest house and make sure we’ve got everything.”
I glance around, suddenly realizing I’m alone with Jay, who’s busy rinsing dishes and loading them into the dishwasher.
He’s a tall man with silver threaded through his dark hair. He’s in excellent physical shape, just like his son.
I set the leftover juice in the fridge, put lids on the fruit bowls, and stow them away as well.
