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“Seven days.”
“Oh.” Seven days until all of this becomes something else. Something irrevocable and real. It was one thing to be behind closed doors only. Being out about us would be a monumental shift, but a needed one. I want to go to a movie with my boyfriend. Or anywhere else in public with him.
The title thing is a work in progress. I’ve had boyfriends before. But no one as…established as Cormac. No one with an ex-wife or kids, and no one I’ve felt this strongly about.
We had agreed to tell Abigail about us when she returns and to let the chips fall where they may. Telling her was going to be an adventure, but everything with Cormac had been since the night we met. I should be used to that by now, but I’m not.
“You were saying?”
My stomach flips when I think of telling him about the offer. But I’m also excited to share the news. “I spoke with—
“Lily, do your parents live in a hotel? That’s what Dad says,” Aiden asks.
I smile. “Sort of. It’s called a bed-and-breakfast. People come to stay there and my Dad cooks breakfast for them. And sometimes other meals, too.”
“Is it like my Dad’s resort will be?”
“No, not quite. It’s cozier. Less stuffy.”
Cormac teases, “Hey. My resort will not be stuffy.”
“You know what I mean.”
He gives a little shrug and the barest hint of a smirk. “I guess.”
“Are there maids?” Franny asks.
Cormac frowns. “What makes you ask that?”
“I’ve been teaching them Old Maid. I tried to explain the concept, but I think she didn’t quite get it,” I quietly explain to him. Then I turn around to her. “Their B&B doesn’t have housekeepers, Franny. They clean the rooms themselves.”
“Oh.”
Cormac asks, “How did your parents come into owning their place, anyway?”
“My grandparents started it way back when Somerset Harbor was just a quaint fishing village. At first. Most of the guests were fishermen, here for the cod fisheries before they collapsed. There weren’t any hotels around back then, so it did great right at the start.”
“It’s nice that we have so many legacy businesses downtown. I know some of them change hands often, but those who have stuck around are here because they’ve earned it. I think that makes downtown Somerset Harbor really special.”
Smiling, I’m glad to hear that, especially from him. “The downtown area could use the publicity you’ll be bringing them, too. Do you plan to collaborate with any of them when you open?”
“For now, that’s getting ahead of what we have planned. But I am open to it. Anything we can do to support small businesses will support us, too.”
“I’d have thought you wouldn’t care about that sort of thing.”
But he shakes his head. “Not at all. I know Beau wants the resort to be a destination in and of itself, but no resort is the end-all, be-all to every single guest. People want to explore the area. Our restaurants will be world class, but sometimes you just want a burger and fries, you know?”
“I want a burger and fries!” Franny blurts.
“Me too!” Aiden says.
“Sorry.” Cormac laughs. “Tonight is not that kind of night. Tonight, we have dinner with the Olsons. And what are we going to be?”
“On our best behavior,” they chant with all the enthusiasm of a funeral mourner.
I giggle. “It won’t be that bad. Dad usually cooks normal food. Nothing fancy.”
Franny warily asks, “Does he like vegetables like you do?”
