Page 106 of Unexpected Entanglement

“You’re picking up guests in town?” Rae showed up at his side at the reception desk.

Chris noted the clock. “Not for another hour. You want to come?”

“I was wondering if I could. I didn’t get a chance to check out the town.”

Chris picked up the shuttle key and said, “Let’s go now. We can walk around town before we pick up the guests. Let me just tell Alex we’re heading out.”

Twenty minutes later, Chris and Rae were walking down Main Street.

“This restaurant is pretty good, modern farm-to-table, started by a local chef who returned after working on the mainland for a while.” Chris gestured to a glass-front business at the beginning of the Main Street strip.

“Kieran’s customer?”

“Almost everybody on the island and the surrounding islands is directly or indirectly Kieran’s customer.”

“Wow, really?” Rae looked impressed.

“That’s the coffee shop. They roast their own beans,” Chris started.

“And we buy ours from them,” Rae finished.

“That you do. That’s right.” Chris chuckled. “Look at you, embracing the family business already.”

Rae shrugged with a grin. “I guess it’s in the blood. I’ve always loved country inns and B&Bs. I made decent money reviewing and writing about them.”

“Now you co-own one,” Chris said.

“Tell me straight, what is your verdict on the place?” Rae asked.

“It’s got a good potential. Rowan’s plan is solid. The only thing I never got privy to is the full financial picture. I studied her budget and her latest income projections, assuming the inn would reopen this summer, which will need to be revised. But I don’t see where the funds are coming from.”

“So, what money is she using now?”

“The wedding party paid upfront. I know Rowan has enough to pay for the extra hours for the hybrid staff and the outside vendor. Everything else will have to wait until the lawyers sort out things between the three of you.”

“I didn’t realize that. Rowan hasn’t said anything.”

“She has a lot of things on her mind right now. She may not want financials to be the first thing you discuss after meeting each other.”

Rae nodded with a thoughtful smile. “I like her.” She looked at Chris as they strolled down the short downtown strip.

“She’s great,” Chris agreed. “A little hard-headed, but yeah.”

Rae eyed him with a small frown. “Did something happen? I sensed a little tension between you this morning.”

“Nah. Just, you know, wedding stress. Lots of things going on.”

Rae laughed. “You guys aren’t the ones getting married for real. You shouldn’t be getting wedding jitters.”

Chris grinned. “It’s nothing. She just wants me to back off a bit. I might’ve gotten too overprotective.”

“I wonder why that is?” Rae murmured.

Chris deliberately ignored the comment.

“Is that a home goods store?” Rae wisely diverted the conversation.

“That’s Morgan’s store. All the toiletries at Bright Head are custom made by Morgan at Rowan’s request,” Chris explained.

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