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So, I sat in the sun with my new boss and my other boss on my chest and enjoyed the sunshine.
I didn’t have the heart to disturb either of them.
TWELVE
I jolted awake.
“Oh, hello there.”
I sat up awkwardly, my shoulders instantly locking up from the position I’d fallen asleep in. I reached back to rub out the knot that had formed. “I’m so sorry.”
“No worries. You just needed a little disco nap.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, biting back a yawn. “What the heck is a disco nap?”
Emmaline was scrolling on her phone. “I read it in a book once and it stuck in my brain. Just means a short nap so you’re ready to party. Or, in your case, work more. Do you ever give yourself a break, Ace?”
I leaned forward, propping my elbows on my knees as the yawn broke free anyway. “Too much to do.”
“You probably need to hire on some more people. Especially if you want to get this big bish going.” She tapped the bench we were sitting on. “I’m really good at organizing, not so much on the waiting tables.” She pocketed her phone. “Speaking of, you dozed off before you could answer me.”
I peered at her. “What about tables?”
She laughed. “Do you want tables or people to wander around?”
“Oh. I imagine a mix of both. There are some older people in the family that will need seating.”
“Okay. Do we need to worry about accessibility?”
I scrubbed my hands over my face. “All good questions.”
“The downside of a boat. However, the ramp is nice and wide. So, even if we have to worry about a wheelchair, walker, or cane, it should be pretty easy to navigate. Stairs are a different thing.”
“The lower deck has a wraparound railing for people to get a little space from the bar and the noise. I had the boat outfitted with speakers as well. A small band could even play on the upper deck.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Okay, now we’re talking. Can I hear the sound system?”
I stood and peered down at the sleeping baby. “You sure?”
“Oh, yeah. First bit of advice my mom gave me was not to do the whole super quiet deal with a baby. This one will sleep through a fire engine—and has.”
“Do I want to know?”
She grinned. “My neighbor decided to test the strength of her range hood. The response time of the Crescent Cove Fire Department was impressive.”
The idea of her small apartment and a fire made my skin prickle. “Everyone was all right?”
“Oh, yeah. You should see how many sprinklers are in our apartments. Luckily, Mrs. Holt only singed her eyebrows and was pissed her new set got wet.”
I shook my head. The relief hit me a little harder than it should have. I barely knew Emma and somehow I already felt responsible for her and the baby. Maybe having her born right in front of me had a little something to do with it.
I refused to think it could be anything else—especially not those huge blue eyes of hers that saw far too much.
I crossed to the panel behind the smaller bar on this level. “Any requests?” I called out.
“Surprise me.”
“Surprise me,” I muttered. Suddenly cognizant of our age difference, I felt stupid. Did I try to find a cool song, or go with a classic?
