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No matter how many times she told herself she had no business being interested in him she still kept dreaming about Zander. Sometimes the dreams were hot, sometimes they were sweet and romantic. She didn’t know which were more disturbing. She barely knew him. Zander Bellamie was a pain in her backside because her mind wouldn’t stop thinking about him. She doubled down her resolve to keep her distance from him. No matter what.
She climbed out of bed and prepped for the day. While she was dressing, she went over the morning’s menu and her plans for the family dinner in the evening. The Inn at Half Moon Bay had a breakfast buffet and served cookies all day. Derrick was considering opening for dinner service once the inn was more firmly established.
She was excited and nervous to cook her first full dinner at the inn. If she aced this meal, she’d be invited to expand the inn’s service. Thinking about the night ahead, a giddy shiver raced down her spine. A succulent meal to open career opportunities and she was going to see Zander again.
She was in so much trouble.
Chapter 4
Zander drove to Bellamie High to pick up his baby brother Tyson on his way to the inn for dinner. The school was named after one of his ancestors who had done big things for Half Moon Bay. Ty spent too much time alone and sometimes had to be coerced into coming to dinner. Today he’d called and asked for a ride. Unusual.
He pulled into the principal’s stall in the empty lot and shot Tyson a text. Five minutes later, Ty limped out of the school, locking the door behind him.
“Yo!” Tyson groaned as he climbed into the truck.
“What’s with the limp?” Zander asked.
“Tough day today. I slipped on a wet spot in the hallway. Tweaked my knee a bit. It’ll be fine by tomorrow.” He massaged it for a second.
“It better be. Or I’ll drag you to physio myself. When are you going to replace Harry Webb? The man can hardly stand. He’s a terrible janitor.”
“I was going to, but then his wife died. After that, I couldn’t take away his work. It’s all he has left. I asked the school board to hire an assistant for him. It’s a lot of work for a healthy man, let alone a man in his late sixties. I figure we can slowly phase Harry out. Let him down easy.” He buckled his seatbelt and rolled the window down a crack. Ever since his accident, his brother hated being cooped up.
“That’s a good plan. You better carry it through,” Zander chided. Tyson had never succumbed to the fame that surrounded his winning seasons. When he was knocked out of the game, he seemed to take it in stride. His brother was hiding behind a socially acceptable mask. He’d lost some of his natural optimism and his normally upbeat expression carried too many frowns these days.
Tyson was the total opposite to Derrick, a discharged military veteran with too many tattoos, a too loud motorbike, and a too big chip on his shoulder. The only one of Zander’s brothers with his life together was Jacob, though even he was struggling. He had left a huge business empire in Seattle and had brought his thirteen-year-old daughter, Ella, home to Half Moon Bay, after his ex-wife died.
“Do we need to stop for anything?” Tyson asked, interrupting Zander’s worries.
“Nope. I grabbed a couple bottles of wine to go with dinner. I brought flowers for Mom, Ella, and Lexi. Shouldn’t need anything else.” He backed out of the stall and headed for the street.
“Flowers for a thirteen-year-old girl? That seems excessive.”
“Not at all. Ella’s an important part of this family. I want her to know that. Maybe knowing how much we care will help her feel like she belongs here. She’s really missing her old friends and it’s hard on a kid when your mom dies. She probably feels abandoned.”
“True. You think of everything.” Exasperation filled Tyson’s voice. “Typical Zander. Always watching out for everyone else.”
He refused to be drawn into the argument. Tyson made no bones about how much he resented the fact the Zander didn’t hide his concern for their family. When his father passed, Zander refused to let his mother bear the responsibility for the family alone. He was who he was and wasn’t going to change just to lessen his brother’s hurt feelings.
“Any dateable teachers this year?” he asked instead of continuing the fight Tyson was trying to start. He checked for oncoming cars before turning toward the inn.
“Not a one. Both new teachers are in their early twenties, entirely too young for me, not that I’d date my staff. Still, we were lucky to get them. Everyone wants to live in the city these days. Sometimes, I can’t say I blame them. Do you know how hard it is to date in a place like this? I’ll tell you. It’s impossible. I’m the principal of the high school. I have a reputation to maintain. I can’t date just anyone, and I can’t be seen dating too often. I have a moral image to project.” He pushed out a harsh breath. “Sometimes I miss being a jock and having women throwing themselves at me all the time.”
Zander barked out a laugh. “Eight years in the big leagues and you dated three, maybe four women? Even when you were buried in chicks you stuck to yourself.”
“True enough. But at least I had options.” Abruptly he turned the tables. “How about you? Any dates lined up?”
“When would I have time to date? I’ve got the clinic, the rescue animals, I’m doing Mom’s yardwork. I’ve been helping out at the inn. I don’t have the time or inclination to date.”
He’d never admit it, he’d enjoyed teasing Heather yesterday. She’d been terrified of a house cat, but still spunky, despite her fear. He couldn’t wait to see her again. In Half Moon Bay it was never long before you bumped into someone unless they were a total recluse.
“Maybe if you stopped trying to mother all of us, you’d have time to run your own life,” Tyson complained.
“Maybe when you all start running your own lives instead of running from crisis to crisis, I won’t have to babysit you,” he snapped back. As much as the idea of not having to keep tabs on everyone pleased him, it saddened him too. They were a close family and worrying about each other was natural. He was just more open about it than his brothers were. They were firm believers in the bro-code … never ask another man about his life or problems.
A motorcycle roared by them traveling way faster than the speed limit. Derrick! Sometimes it seemed like his brother was bent on taking his own life. He’d been less wild while doing renovations on the inn for Jacob. But since Jacob’s return, he’d slid backward into some of his bad habits. Zander sighed. At least Derrick appeared to be headed toward the inn and dinner and wasn’t blowing the family off.
♥♥♥
