Page 61 of Forbidden Kisses
Grace skipped her morning muffin with Krista the next day. She wasn’t in the mood to explain what had happened at dinner. It’d been a disaster. Although Grace took some comfort in knowing that her mother thought it hadn’t completely gone to hell. Jack would come around eventually. Grace really wanted to believe that.
She showered, dressed, and made her own coffee, grabbing an apple instead. Her hips would thank her for this choice one day. When she got to the office, she worked steadily until noon. It was just her this morning. Without the distraction of one of the brothers ambling in, she finished all the business and was left to twiddle her thumbs.
The office phone rang and Grace jumped. She reached quickly, hoping it was Jack. “Sawyer Seafood Company.”
“Is this the office manager?” someone said on the other line.
“Yes, sir. What can I help you with?”
“I own the Southport restaurants. The deliveries aren’t here yet.”
Grace looked at her watch. It was lunchtime. No fish meant no business. “They’re not there?” she asked, repeating what the man on the phone had already said.
“That’s right. I have enough fish to feed my customers for lunch, but I won’t for dinnertime if my delivery doesn’t arrive soon.”
Grace got the man’s phone number and promised to call him back. Then she set to locating the delivery, hoping that the restaurant’s owner was loyal. Sometimes one mistake cost you. Not everyone was able to forgive and forget.
Grace blinked, realizing she wasn’t just thinking about the Southport restaurant.
Chapter 16
Jack and Tristan had worked all morning on the new job. Hammering nails and cutting wood was good for his mood. He was still upset about being tricked into last night’s dinner with Grace and her mother. He also regretted the way he’d walked out on them. Maybe after clearing the air he and Grace could make up in lovers’ fashion—if she promised to never pull that crap on him again. Dating her didn’t mean dating her mother. They needed to get that straight. He was willing to tolerate Tammy Donner from a distance, but not from the other side of the dinner table.
“Lunchtime,” Jack told Tristan, grabbing a drink of water. “Let’s make it a long lunch. See you back after one.”
“Sure.” Tristan grabbed a bottled water, too, and headed to his car.
Jack climbed inside his own truck and pointed it in the direction of Sawyer Seafood Company. Grace was on the phone as he walked in, so he waited and listened.
“Yes, sir. Yep. I’m so sorry that happened. The delivery truck broke down. You can’t plan for these things.” She waited as the person on the other line barked so loud Jack could hear him from where he was standing. Jack had one guess about the person she was talking to.
“I’m sorry. We do our best. The truck will be fixed and the delivery will be on time tomorrow.” She listened again.
Jack walked over and gently tugged the phone from Grace’s ear. “Jack Sawyer here. Is this Mike Hoffman? Hey, Mike. This is Jack Sawyer. I just want to reiterate everything Ms. Donner just told you…Uh-huh. Well, that’s life. We have to be prepared and the same goes for you, my friend.” Jack’s gaze flicked down to Grace. “Like I’ve advised you before, you should always have some frozen fish in your freezer…No, sir, I’m not telling you how to run your business. Just telling you how to run a good business.”
Grace grimaced as sat at her desk.
“Okay, so you’ll get your fish tomorrow. No problem. Have a good afternoon.” Jack set the receiver back on the phone and looked at Grace.
“The delivery truck broke down,” she said.
“I got that. It happens.”
Grace nodded. “It made for a pretty stressful afternoon.”
Jack leaned against her desk and folded his arms. “Sorry ’bout that. Just know that most customers are more understanding than Mr. Hoffman.”
Grace nodded, but kept her gaze distant from his.
He reached out and touched her shoulder. “So I guess we should talk about last night.”
“I guess we should.”
They both remained silent for a long moment. He’d thought she would apologize first. “Are you waiting for me to apologize?” he finally asked.
She looked up. “I’m certainly not apologizing. I invited you over for dinner. My mother was there. Big flippin’ deal. I have nothing to be sorry for.”
“It is a big deal. You know that. Your mother isn’t the typical girlfriend’s mother.”
