Bungalow by the Bay Read online

  “Tough life for such a little kid.”

  “It was. But now he has a stable place to live. He has Tally and Eddie. It’s almost magical how it all fell into place. Like it was meant to be.”

  “Well, I’m glad it worked out the way it did for both of you.” He was glad Courtney and Bobby were out of danger now and had found a family. He was even the tiniest bit jealous if that made any sense at all. Just a normal family life. What he wouldn’t have given to have that.

  Courtney stood. “Well, I better go let Bobby make his wish. You coming?”

  “Sure.” He jumped up and headed across the sand. They bumped against each other on the uneven surface, and he reached out to steady her. He was immediately afraid he’d moved too quickly, but she looked up and smiled at him. Her skin was warm and smooth beneath his touch. He lingered with his hand on her arm for a moment longer than needed.

  Bobby raced up to them. “We need to go right by the lighthouse to make a wish. Come on.” He grabbed AJ’s hand and tugged.

  AJ trotted down the beach after Bobby. When they reached the exact right spot—according to Bobby—he commanded them to find their shell for their wish.

  Bobby prowled the shore, looking for the perfect shell.

  Courtney leaned down and picked out a shell. “I don’t really need to wish for anything. I have everything I could ever want.” She closed her eyes anyway, paused, then tossed the shell into the ocean.

  AJ didn’t believe in this wish nonsense, but no way was he going to disappoint Bobby. He leaned down and picked up a smooth shell tinged with yellow.

  “Whatcha gonna wish for, Mr. Hamilton?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Well, make it a good one.” Bobby stood with his hand on one hip, watching him.

  AJ couldn’t think of anything to wish for, because this day was perfect. He’d love to have more days just like this. After a few moments’ thought, still drawing a blank, he smiled at Bobby and tossed the shell into the sea. No need for the boy to know he hadn’t made a wish.

  “Now, I’m gonna make mine.” Bobby squinted his eyes closed, his face a mask of concentration. He opened his eyes and flung the shell as far as his short arm would toss it. It plunked into the ocean.

  “Well, I bet all our wishes come true.” The boy grinned then tagged AJ. “You’re it. Bet you can’t catch me.”

  With a whoop, Bobby raced down the beach. AJ grinned at Courtney then raced after the boy.

  Chapter 15

  Courtney stood on the long porch in front of Magic Cafe and hugged her grandparents. “You both have a great time.”

  “I’m sure we will.” Eddie draped his arm around Tally’s shoulders.

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay here with the restaurant? It’s not too much, too soon?” Tally’s eyes clouded with worry.

  “Absolutely not. I’ll be fine. Tereza will help. You two just go and have fun.”

  “You’ll call if you have any questions?”

  “Yes, of course, I will.” It would take a disaster the size of a category five hurricane for her to actually call and interrupt their getaway, but Tally didn’t have to know that.

  “I feel badly we’re not here to help with Bobby, either.”

  “Tally, go. Bobby is spending the night with Stevie. I’ve got his care figured out for the whole weekend.”

  They got into Eddie’s car, and she waved as they pulled away. She wanted to make Tally and Eddie proud. They’d done so much for her. She wanted to repay some of that. Three days. How much could she mess up in three days? She had everything under control. Everything.

  She walked back into Magic Cafe. A loud crash sounded from the kitchen, and she hurried to see what was wrong.

  A pot teetered on the floor with pieces of pasta strewn everywhere. “I’m sorry. I was picking it up and it just slipped from my hands,” one of the cooks apologized.

  “Did you get burned?” She quickly walked over.

  “No, ma’am.”

  Courtney paused, not used to being called ma’am. Is that what happened when you were in charge of a business? “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. Let’s get another pot on, give a complimentary appetizer for anyone waiting on a pasta dish, and we’ll get this mess cleaned up.”

  There, she’d handled her first problem. This wasn’t going to be so hard.

  She helped clean up the mess, dried everything as much as possible, and angled a fan across the floor to make sure it dried quickly. The last thing she needed was for someone to slip.

  The door to the kitchen swung open. “Courtney, I’m so sorry.” A new, young waitress was almost in tears. “I was getting drinks for table five, and the people at table three just slipped away without paying their bill.”

  Courtney closed her eyes for a moment. People. She couldn’t believe people sometimes. She opened her eyes and smiled encouragingly to the new waitress. “That’s okay. Try to keep a better watch, but these things happen.”

  The waitress looked at her gratefully, grabbed a tray of food, and headed back out to the deck.

  Probably wasn’t going to be their most profitable day if people left without paying, and she’d given out a half-dozen or so free appetizers. But, hey, the restaurant was still standing.

  She went out to the deck, grabbed a waitress apron, and helped with the lunch crowd. Employees constantly came to her with questions as she tried to help deliver food and take orders. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen the restaurant this busy for so many hours. It figured it would happen just as Tally left. She didn’t know how Tally always looked so cool and collected as she ran Magic Cafe. By dinnertime, Courtney was ready to scream in frustration, but she patiently answered questions and helped out in the kitchen as well as the restaurant.

  She hadn’t so much as sat down once for hours and hours. Her stomach growled in hunger, but she ignored it except for swiping two hushpuppies as she walked past a fresh batch in the kitchen. Time enough to eat after the crowd thinned. If it ever did.

  So much for thinking this wouldn’t be a profitable day. This was like the crowd that never ends.

  AJ walked over to Magic Cafe about an hour before closing and sat at the bar. He was surprised by the number of patrons still there. Courtney threw him a hurried smile as she rushed past but didn’t stop to talk. Damp ringlets of hair framed her face. Her cheeks were rosy red, and her eyes showed exhaustion. He looked out and saw several tables that needed to be cleared.

  He jumped off his stool, grabbed a gray bin from the cart in the corner, walked over, and started clearing a table while chatting nicely to the folks sitting there sipping their after-dinner coffee.

  Courtney crossed over and placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Don’t mind a bit. I’ll just take these into the kitchen.”

  He walked into the kitchen and saw dirty dishes piling up in the corner by the dishwashing station. Without really thinking, he grabbed a handful and started the rinsing process. This was something he knew how to do. His father had insisted he work his way through every station at the restaurants before he’d gone into management. It had been quite the education.

  Courtney pushed through the door, balancing a tray on her hip. “What are you doing?”

  “Dishes?” He grinned at her, foamy bubbles dripping from his gloved hands.

  She shook her head. “You don’t—”

  “I know. I don’t have to. But I want to help. You look exhausted.”

  “Well, the new dishwasher guy we hired just walked out a couple of hours ago. Said it was too much work.”

  “I’ll see if I can get some of these finished up. I know the drill.”

  “You do?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “I kind of know a lot about restaurants.”

  “Well, I’m not going to say no, if you’re sure. We can use the help. Otherwise, I’m going to be here all night right until we open again in the morning.” She set the tray of dishes on the counter. �
��I better go out there and help Tereza.”

  He stayed at his post for a good hour, catching up the dishes. The steamy water made this corner of the kitchen feel like a sauna. His t-shirt stuck to him like a second skin.

  Tereza finally walked in. “The last customer is gone. Let me finish those. Thanks for the help. We were swamped tonight.” Her tone actually sounded grateful instead of accusatorial like the last few times he’d spoken to her. That’s a step in the right direction.

  “I can finish them up.”

  “Nah, you go find Courtney. I think she headed to Tally’s office to close out the night.”

  He walked out of the kitchen and onto the deck. A cool breeze brought instant relief. He plucked at his t-shirt, releasing its sweaty glued-on suction, and ran his hand through his hair, relishing the fresh air. A few waiters were clearing the last of the tables. The blast of air-conditioned coolness smacked him as he wandered inside to find Courtney.

  Courtney shoved her hair away from her face and looked at the scratched notes she’d taken on how to close out the day. She thought she’d had it all written down, but something wasn’t working. The totals didn’t equal, and she had no idea where to start to figure it out. She wanted to bang her hands on the keyboard but didn’t think that would solve anything.

  She turned at the sound of someone entering the office. “AJ, you’re still here.”

  “I am. I thought I’d check on you before I left.”

  She leaned back in her chair. “I’m trying to close out the day but not having much luck.”

  “What software package are you using?”

  She looked at him, surprised at his question. “Tally just got this new system that integrates almost everything. It’s called…” She glanced at the computer screen. “Restaurant Plus.”

  “Perfect. Let me help you.” He pulled a chair up next to her. “I know that system.”

  “You do?”

  He shrugged. “It’s kind of… well, my father and uncle own a company that developed this software and one for hotel management.”

  “Really?” There was so much about this man that she had no clue about. She looked at him closely, seeing a hint of avoidance in his eyes. “And how do you know so much about working in a restaurant? You seemed right at home tonight.”

  “Oh, that.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, but she wasn’t fooled. “My father owns a couple chains of restaurants.”

  “Which ones?” She pinned him with her gaze.

  He hesitated and shifted in his seat. “Bistro Fifty.”

  “I hear those are really nice.”

  “And he does all the fancy restaurants at the Hamilton Hotels, too. Plus he has some trendy wine bars.”

  “Wow.”

  “So, anyway, I worked my way through different jobs at lots of the restaurants. So, you could say restaurants are in my blood, just like you.” He picked up some papers she’d put on the desk, efficiently changing the subject. “Here, let me see what you have.”

  They worked side by side with AJ patiently explaining what he was doing. Within fifteen minutes, they were finished. She reached up and stretched her arms high above her head. “Now that was a long day.”

  “I’m sure it was. The restaurant was hopping tonight.”

  “Yes. Yes, it was. And I’m so ready for bed.”

  Tereza poked her head in the door. “I’m going to close up. I need about twenty more minutes to get the kitchen back into shape. Why don’t you go on home?”

  “You sure?” She felt like she should be the last to leave.

  “I’m sure.” Tereza grinned. “You know I’d rather close than open. You’ve got to open in the morning, right? And I’ll be in right before the lunch shift.”

  “Okay, thanks.” She slowly stood, all her muscles screaming at her.

  AJ rose beside her. “Can I walk you home?”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “You keep saying that to me. I’m offering to do things because I want to. So just say yes.” He winked at her and tossed her his charming boyish smile.

  The smile that made her heart flip and her pulse race. “Yes.”

  They walked out into the fresh evening air. She took in a deep breath. Stars twinkled overhead, and the palm fronds moved just slightly in the night breeze. They headed down the sidewalk, and she looked down in surprise when AJ took her hand in his. He squeezed it and smiled at her. This time, it wasn’t his regular charming smile. It was one filled with ease and companionship.

  They walked on in silence. Exhaustion coursed through her in constant waves, beating on her so unendingly she could hardly carry on a coherent conversation. How did Tally do this day after day?

  They got to her bungalow, and she unlocked the door. “Thank you for all your help today. I really appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome.” He smiled at her. “You should go inside before you fall asleep on your feet.”

  “I am tired.” She leaned against the doorframe.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll come by and see how things are going at Magic Cafe.” His lips curled up into a grin, and he pointed his finger at her in a mock display of chewing her out. “And don’t say I don’t have to.”

  She grinned then, too, and watched as he walked away and headed back to his rental. Once again, a shiver ran up her spine. Frowning, she glanced around the courtyard to the other bungalows. She didn’t know why she was being so ridiculous.

  She slipped inside and closed the door firmly behind her. After locking it, she turned out the low light. Just to prove to herself she wasn’t creeped out, she walked back to her bedroom in the darkness.

  Courtney threw herself on the bed and kicked off her shoes, sure if she tried to get back up and slip out of her clothes, she would just drop to the floor in exhaustion. She rolled over and closed her eyes, forgetting about the eerie feeling.

  Chapter 16

  The next morning, Delbert stood in the open doorway to AJ’s room. “May I come in? Granice said you were up here.”

  AJ thought briefly about saying no and closing the door on Delbert, but he was in an unusually great mood this morning after his evening with Courtney. Not even his family could squash his cheeriness. He motioned for his cousin to come in.

  “I’ve tried texting and calling. You didn’t answer.” Delbert walked into the room. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I reacted badly. I shouldn’t have assumed you were at the middle of the ruckus at the club.”

  AJ didn’t say a word.

  “I’m becoming too like our fathers. A quick judgment before I know all the facts. I’m really sorry. Let’s not let my stupid mistake mess up our friendship. You’re the only cousin I actually enjoy being around.” Delbert laughed.

  AJ grinned in spite of himself and reached out a hand. “Okay. Truce.”

  Delbert shook his hand. “I am sorry though. It was insensitive of me and just… wrong.”

  “Kind of like hearing you were wrong. You wanna say it again?”

  “I was wrong,” Delbert repeated himself good-naturedly. “We’re all good?”

  “We’re good.”

  “So, Granice says you’ve been hiding out up here most of the week when you’re even here. She thinks you’re seeing someone.”

  “I’m not.” He tossed out a small laugh. “Well, I am kind of.”

  “Tally’s granddaughter?”

  AJ looked at him in surprise. “How did you know?”

  “I’ve known you for years. I saw the way you looked at her. Glancing around the restaurant to see where she was. I’d even go so far as to say you’re smitten by her.”

  “Smitten? Who says that?”

  “Me.” Delbert crossed over and looked out the window. “Nice view. And you didn’t deny you were smitten, by the way.”

  “I’m just… well, heck, I don’t know what I am.” He went to stand by his cousin at the window. “I’ve enjoyed my time with her. She’s… different. I even went on a picnic with her and
her son.”

  “Bobby? He’s a kick, isn’t he?”

  “Camille’s not his biggest fan.” AJ shook his head.

  “Ah, Camille. She’s just not used to being around kids.”

  “Well, I’m not either, but the boy is sure growing on me.”

  Delbert shook his head. “Yep, smitten.”

  Courtney looked over at table six, making sure they all had their food after the new waitress had spilled the entire tray with their order. Courtney had quickly put in a replacement order and comped the meal, along with apologizing for the delay. Luckily they were good sports about it, ordered another round of beers, and sat chatting while their meals were cooked again. Now they were happily eating their food.

  Stevie’s mother had brought Bobby by after lunch, and he sat in the kitchen, mostly bored. He did have a few activity books and did a good job keeping himself occupied, but she felt bad for him. Not that she had a choice because she didn’t have any other childcare options for him. He was supposed to have gone to his friend Mikey’s to play, but Mikey had gotten sick.

  “Everything going okay here?”

  She turned at the sound of AJ’s voice and couldn’t help the immediate smile that crept across her face.

  “Mr. Hamilton! Do you want to play? I have to stay here while Momma works, but it’s not very fun.” Bobby jumped up, rushed over to AJ, and tugged on AJ’s hand.

  “I… uh…”

  “Bobby, it’s not Mr. Hamilton’s job to keep you entertained.”

  “But I’m a really fun player guy. I know lots of stuff we can play. Like alien invasion or maybe it could be the day the starfish invade the earth and we save it.”

  Confusion plastered itself across AJ’s face and refused to budge. He looked helplessly at her.

  “Bobby has an active imagination. He dreams up quite the games to play.”

  “So, do you wanna play? Huh?” Bobby hopped from foot to foot and stared up at AJ.

  She almost felt sorry for AJ, he was so out of his element, but she couldn’t help secretly being amused that a six-year-old boy could scare a grown man.