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Business tripled daily during the busy months, and I needed far more food than I could carry on my own. I hadn’t figured out how to handle all of the necessary details efficiently yet, but I knew I would.
“Just send one of your guys down to pick up the stuff while you start prepping for the day.” Rory was just filled with all kinds of helpful ideas today.
“I would, but they’re still sleeping.” I gave a slight giggle.
My small staff didn’t come in for another couple of hours.
“True,” he grunted as soon as we started walking up hill. “This shit is way too heavy, Ava. I’m going to ask the guys to drop off your purchases each morning.” I opened my mouth to complain, but he made a noise that stopped me. “Just during tourist season. I won’t take no for an answer. And neither will they. It’s not a big deal.”
Before I could argue for no good reason at all, I relented. “If you’re sure they won’t mind. And only if it’s okay with them. I can pay a little more for the delivery.”
“Ava, stop,” he said as we reached the back entrance to my kitchen.
I pulled out the keys from my pocket and unlocked the door before holding it open with my hip for him to go in.
“We all love you. We’d do anything for you—you know that.”
I did know that. “I hate asking for help,” I whispered as he pulled the cooler past me and stopped next to the prepping station.
Being cheated on for over a year had been embarrassing. The fact that everyone here in Port Rufton had heard about it was even worse. I hated that people felt sorry for me because of it.
Rory wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tugged me against him in a tight hug before letting go. “We all do. But if the roles were reversed, you’d be banging down our doors, letting yourself in, not giving us a chance to say no.” He laughed. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
I only had to think for two seconds before agreeing with his assessment. “You’re not wrong.”
Pulling open one of the coolers, I started putting the wrapped pieces away. The ice wasn’t set up to keep the fish chilled for very long. Rory started to help, and I knew asking him to stop would be pointless, so I allowed it, actually grateful.
“Can I ask you something?” He stood up tall, and I felt nerves shoot down my legs.
“Sure,” I said, avoiding eye contact in case he asked what I thought he might.
“I like you, Ava,” he started to say, and I swallowed hard, dreading what might come next.
Please don’t ask me out. Please don’t ask me out. Please don’t ask me out, I silently chanted in my head.
I hated to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I didn’t want to lead Rory on either.
“Rory—”
He put up a hand to stop me. “No, let me finish. I like you. Always have. But I know you don’t feel the same. It would be weird with the Liam thing anyway, right?” His mouth twisted up into a crooked grin, and I felt myself relax slightly. “But I do have a proposition for you.”
Closing the refrigerator door, I gave him an inquisitive look. “What kind of proposition?” I asked before pushing the cooler lid shut tight while I listened.
“The kind that starts and ends with Tony Garcia.”
Hearing him say Tony’s name made me feel naked and exposed. Had my attraction to him been so obvious that everyone knew about it? Was I somehow the talk of the town again? How embarrassing.
“What about him?”
“The guy is so into you,” he said, and I bent over as laughter escaped from my lips.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I tried to say, but I couldn’t stop giggling. “He hates me.”
Reaching for the cooler, I rolled it toward my legs and sat down on top of it. Rory did the same with the other, his body facing mine as our knees touched.
“You know men better than that.” He gave me a knowing expression that told me that I should at least pretend to be more well versed in their behavior.
“What are you saying?”
