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“Thanks.” I was just about to slip out to the patio when I caught Gillian’s death glare from across the room at the threshold to the kitchen.
That conversation was going to have to wait. A niggle of guilt stabbed me, but I’d been clear with Gillian that she wasn’t right for the job. She just hadn’t wanted to hear it.
I avoided a collision with Stef, one of my waiters, as he was headed through the door. “Oh, hey. Can we chat later?”
Stef’s blond eyebrows climbed sky high. He quickly shoved his hands through his wild light hair. “Am I in trouble?”
“Nope. Just want to see if you’d be interested in something.”
“Oh.” He nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’ll grab you before the end of my shift.”
“Great. Thanks.” I slapped him on his arm. “It’s a good thing, Stef. Don’t worry.”
Relief relaxed the lines between his brows. “Okay, yeah.” Then he zipped through the door and into the dining room toward the kitchen.
I found Gina standing on the edge of the patio with Sami on her hip. She was pointing at the ducks on the water and the ducklings that were following around the mama Mallard.
“Can we go?” I heard Sami’s plaintive cry. “I want to feed the ducks.”
I came up beside them. “After you have some dinner, I’ll give you some grapes to throw at the ducklings.”
Gina gave me a grateful smile. “How’s that sound?”
“Fine.”
Sami reached for me, and I transferred her to my hip. “How’s it going, squirt?”
“Good.” Her head tipped to my shoulder. “Do you have dino nuggets?”
I tapped her nose. “I think we can figure out something.” I met Gina’s smiling eyes. “I have someone I want you to meet.”
She drew her long hair back into a low tail against the wind coming off the water. “Does it have something to do with the party?”
“Sure does.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Yay. I’m so excited to get this going.”
“I think you’ll like Emma. The two of you can brainstorm while I get you guys fed.”
We approached the table with Emma, Kitty, and Clint. The laughter between Emma and her brother floated our way and Gina couldn’t help but smile back at them.
Emma noticed us first and her eyes went crinkly at the corners as she stood up. “And who is this?”
Sami buried her face in my chest, but soon enough, she was peeking out and smiling at Emma.
“Emma, meet Samantha, aka Sami, my niece. And this is Gina.”
Emma tapped Sami’s red sneaker. “These are very pretty and sparkly.”
Sami giggled and pushed her nose further into my shirt.
Emma straightened and held her hand out to Gina. “Pleased to meet you. I’m excited to hear your ideas for the party.”
Gina pulled out her phone. “I have so many notes.”
I could only imagine.
Sami kept peeking out to see Emma, who obliged with a bit of peek-a-boo as she held a conversation with Gina.
