Page 46 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

“Hunter!” a gruff voice called from behind him. Hunter turned to find Asher Quinn strolling up to the booth, his hand clasped with his new fiancée’s. They were a good-looking pair, with Sadie’s blue eyes and dimpled cheeks, and Asher’s square jaw and dark hair. Hunter had been harboring a secret jealousy for Asher’s beard. He wasn’t so sure he could pull that off.

Hunter quickly withdrew his hand from Daisy’s. He nodded a greeting toward the approaching couple. “Good to see you, Asher.”

Hunter had only met Sadie a few times, but she was friendly enough. “Nice to see you, Sadie.”

“You too.” Her eyes turned toward Daisy and then returned to Hunter expectantly.

“Right! Sorry. This is my beautiful fiancée, Daisy.” Hunter gestured between the women. “Daisy, Sadie Hudson.”

“How’s the renovation going?” Sadie asked. “Asher mentioned he’s seen the house a few times while passing by.”

“It’s going really well, actually,” Daisy said, all traces of their somber conversation evaporating with her bright smile. “We were just discussing some design choices.”

Sadie’s gaze fell on the color palettes on the table, and her eyes lit up. “Oh, I love this one!” She tapped the periwinkle, and Hunter shook his head, a smile creeping across his face.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” He let out a sigh, smiling across at his partner. He glanced at the nearly empty plate of fries between them, then back to Daisy. “Looks like we need some reinforcements if we’re going to tackle the rest of these design choices. I’ll grab us another order.”

He slid out of the booth, giving Asher and Sadie a nod. “Nice seeing you both. Enjoy your evening.”

“Another one?” Vera asked as he rounded the corner, strolling up to the counter.

“It’s thinking food, Vera,” Hunter said, grinning. “Gotta keep the design juices flowing.”

“I see,” Vera said. “Well, maybe you ought to use some of those design juices to start planning your wedding.”

Hunter coughed in surprise.

Vera chuckled and strolled back into the kitchen. She reemerged a moment later with a fresh plate of fries. “Here you go, honey,” she said, setting it down in front of him.

“Thanks,” he replied warmly and started back.

When he reached the corner, Hunter paused, a familiar voice carrying from the next room.

“I know it’s none of my business,” Martha Kelley said, her voice low, “but I would be remiss not to tell you to think twice about getting involved with the Barrett family.”

“Excuse me?” Daisy’s voice asked, and Hunter’s heart picked up speed.

“They’re good people. Bless their hearts. It’s just that, well, everywhere they go, things just seem to go wrong. You know, it was Barrett Construction that nearly drowned a woman with their failed boardwalk project. Then of course, there were the lightning strikes and the house fire. And of course, that unfortunate situation with Belle. It seems to me that they may be more effort than they’re worth.”

A wave of cold washed over him, his chest tightening.

And then Daisy chimed in, and he froze, holding his breath.

“With all due respect,” Daisy said firmly, “I think I know what I’m talking about when it comes to construction and contracting. So you can take it from me, Barrett Construction is one of the most reputable construction businesses in all of Michigan. They’ve won the GSA Construction Award three years in a row. They’ve won the Excellence in Business Award, and the National AGC Safety Award. I was aware of their history when I decided to renovate with them. And I would have selected them to partner with even if I weren’t engaged to Hunter Barrett.”

Hunter stood there, unable to process her words for a moment. And then warmth rushed in, replacing all traces of cold.

He peered around the corner to see Martha’s red face, sputtering, “Well, I…I could be wrong.”

“As for the superstition surrounding the Barretts,” Daisy went on, “I didn’t think I’d have to dignify that with a response, but apparently I do. So here it is. They are more than the sum of the things that have happened to them. And it breaks my heart to hear you call them more effort than they’re worth.”

Martha sucked in a sharp breath. Hunter almost felt bad for her.

Martha excused herself and walked away, and Hunter took a deep breath. He approached the booth, sliding in across from Daisy, setting the plate of fries down between them before meeting her eyes.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said, her eyes showing no trace of the conversation he’d just overheard.

“Gladly.”

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