Page 5 of Where Sea Meets Sky

Ryan laughed, although he wondered what kind of quality food his family’s place served if the chef didn’t usually feel like trying.

“Thanks, Pete.” Ryan shook his hand. “Smells amazing.”

Pete went back into the kitchen and Ryan took a bite out of his burger, trying to tune out the sound of his brothers’ squabbling and his father’s occasional dismissive comments. He chewed thoughtfully, enjoying the taste of the burger because he was hungry.

It’s good,he thought. Definitely a decent bar burger.I have to admit though, I remember the burgers at The Lighthouse Grill being so much better.

He would never admit that to his family, of course. He didn’t want to get accused of being disloyal, especially because The Lighthouse Grill seemed to be some kind of sore spot with his dad.

He sighed quietly to himself as he continued to eat. Part of him wished he’d stayed in Colorado during his break to enjoy the mountains, but the rest of him was glad he was home. Even if he was getting ignored while his father and brothers argued around him, family was family and he loved them.

CHAPTER THREE

Alexis Bennett set a jar of peanut butter carefully at the end of a shelf in her pantry. Behind the jar were four other identical jars of peanut butter, and alongside it were jars of strawberry jelly, then jars of grape jelly, then jars of premade curry sauce, then jars of nuts, then bags of flour, and then bags of sugar.

She tapped her fingers against her lips, wondering if she should have organized everything according to function instead of what she found aesthetically pleasing. She shook her head a moment later, deciding to stick with her new system. After all, her home pantry wasn’t all that large, and it would be easy for her to find anything in there.

She spun slowly in a circle, taking in the orderly rows of baking supplies, canned goods, and prepackaged snacks. She smiled, feeling pleased with her work.

She put a hand on her stomach. “What do you think, baby?” she asked. “Do you like the pantry?”

Alexis grinned to herself, imagining a toddler coming into the pantry with her. She still felt a little nervous about herself and her husband Grayson becoming parents, because it was such an enormous new adventure, but her excitement had been outweighing her nervousness for quite some time.

She was in the third trimester of her pregnancy, and for the past few days, she’d been having bursts of energy, during which all she wanted to do was organize her home and improve everything in anticipation of her and Grayson’s new arrival. She’d always loved organizing and decorating, but now her efforts were at a whole new level.

She spun around again, inspecting her work in the pantry. It looked wonderful—pleasant and tidy—but she felt that something was missing.

She frowned, wondering what was causing her to feel that way.

I have snack food,she thought, going through a mental checklist,and soup, and beans, and stuff for sandwiches, and things for baking. What’s missing?

All at once, she realized what it was that she was thinking of. She grinned and hurried out of the pantry, throwing on a light spring coat before dashing out the door.

She drove to her family’s restaurant, The Lighthouse Grill. She was usually there most of the days of the week, working as a waitress, but at her husband and mother’s urging she’d agreed to stop working there until after the baby was born. Waitressing could be tough work at a place as busy at The Lighthouse Grill, and they didn’t want her to get worn out.

She slipped inside, smiling as she smelled the familiar, invigorating savory aromas of the pub. On a Monday at one in the afternoon, the pub wasn’t as busy as it often got, but it was still bustling with customers.

She started to make a beeline for the storage room, which contained what she was there to get, but before she was halfway across the kitchen, she heard her mother call her name.

“Alexis!” Vivian Owens came forward, wiping her hands on her apron. It appeared her mother had been in the middle of restocking and refilling the condiment jars and her hands lookeda little sticky. “What are you doing here, sweetheart? I thought we talked about you not coming in to work this late in your pregnancy. You’ve still got your online jewelry business to keep you plenty busy.”

“I know, and I’ve been having loads of fun making earrings and necklaces and bracelets all day while I watch movies.” Alexis smiled. She was very proud of her jewelry business, which was a side hustle that Grayson had helped her start after they’d moved back to Rosewood Beach. “But sometimes I get too restless for that and I need to do something else. I’m right in the middle of reorganizing the pantry, and I’m just here to grab something.”

Alexis’s sister, Julia Owens, poked her head out of the doorway that led to the restaurant’s office. Julia managed the administrative side of The Lighthouse Grill, something she had taken over shortly after their father, Frank Owens, had passed away. Julia was wearing a trim royal blue blouse, black slacks, and glossy flats. Even though she didn’t live in New York anymore, Julia still had a strong sense of style and liked to put an effort into her appearance.

“Alexis! What are you doing here?” Julia asked in confusion.

“Gosh, you’d think I was banned or something!” Alexis called over her shoulder as she made her way into the pantry. She clicked on the overhead light and began to hum as she rummaged around in the boxes and stacks of cans.

The pub’s pantry, although it had a well-organized layout, was a bit untidy. Vivian often went in after the pub closed to straighten things out, but busy restaurant work frequently meant that employees were rushing into storage to grab something in a hurry. A couple of empty boxes were tossed into a corner, and a few bags of coffee had tumbled off their shelf.

Alexis deftly tidied the area while she looked around for what she wanted. In another moment, she let out an exclamation of delight as she saw them—plastic organizing containers. Theplastic was clear, allowing the user to see whatever was inside the containers. Alexis knew just what she wanted to put in them—beans, lentils, and rice. It would look chic, and store the food more cleanly than bags would.

She’d ordered them for The Lighthouse Grill a while ago, hoping that they could use them for storage. Unfortunately, the containers were too small to be of practical use for an establishment as bustling as the pub, but that meant that now she could take them home and use them in her house.

She arranged the containers in a large tote bag she’d brought with her, and then with a sigh of satisfaction, turned out the light and started out toward the front doors of the pub. She was itching to get back to her home and continue to arrange her pantry.

“Alexis, wait!” Vivian stepped up to her, smiling affectionately at her. “Stop rushing around so much. You want to make sure to rest often and take good care of yourself, especially while you’re expecting.”

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