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It was a gorgeous May late afternoon and our lakefront views drew people in for dates as well as family dinners. Sundays tended to skew toward the latter. The pealing laughter of a toddler had me craning my neck.
My brother and Gina stood at the door with Caden and Sami in tow. Sami was bright-eyed and always full of laughter. I crossed to meet them. “I was expecting you in tonight.”
Jared held the baby carrier with a sleeping Caden tucked inside while Gina held the squirming Sami’s hand. The little girl always wanted to be moving.
“Bee wanted to look around again and I was hungry.” Jared brushed an absent hand down Gina’s hair. “Inside or out?”
“Actually, your timing is perfect. Number one, we’re doing a grill deal today so hamburgers are fresh from the grill on the patio.”
“One vote for patio.” Jared grinned.
“Two.” Gina rubbed her middle. “I’ve been running around all day on only a yogurt and some crackers.”
“Well, we need to fix that up.” I nodded to Esther. “Mark off table eleven for my family.”
“You got it.” Ester put an x through the table diagram behind the front desk.
Gina laughed as Sami dragged her forward. “Okay, guess we’re going this way.”
I followed behind with Jared. “I actually hired on someone to help with the MJ2 and she happens to be here.”
“Well, that’s good timing.”
“Yeah, I was going to have you guys stop in tomorrow, but she made a surprise visit.”
“Does she know about us yet?”
“You’re her trial run. It’s a bit of an unconventional hire.”
Jared’s eyebrow arched. “How so?”
“Remember the woman who gave birth on my boat?”
“How could I forget? Even for Crescent Cove, that was a wild delivery. But that was only a week ago, Mase.”
“I know. That’s the unconventional part. I think she needs the work, regardless of the usual six to twelve week break most moms take.”
“Most momswishthey could take you mean.” Jared threaded his way around the tables, smiling and nodding as he went. As Chief of the CCPD, he knew just about everyone’s name in town.
“You bring that little fella over here, Chief.”
Jared sighed under his breath, then made a detour toward a table near the window. “Hi, Mrs. Gunderson.”
“You never bring your beautiful family out anymore.”
“Too busy keeping all you folks in line.” He nodded to her husband. “Pete, how are things?”
The older man gave a shrug and continued eating as Mrs. Gunderson continued to prattle on. She was the town gossip, and her husband was well used to her motormouth.
The guy probably kept a few of pairs of earphones within easy reach.
“When is the wedding?” The older woman fussed over the blanket that was well tucked around Caden. No need to cover up on a day that had already hit eighty, at least as far as I was concerned. “Did my invitation get lost in the mail, Jared?”
I pressed my lips together. Getting my brother extricated from Mrs. Gunderson’s clutches was going to take a minute. “I’m going to go introduce Gina to Emma. Nice to see you again, Mrs. Gunderson.”
I grabbed Rami as she was flying by. “Hey, can you put in an order for loaded fries and one regular fries for table ten?”
She unholstered her mini tablet. “Got it.”
