Page 2 of Starfish Cottage
He had done a good job and had very kindly offered to delay billing when he knew they didn’t have the cash to pay. It wasn’t that Maddie was unhappy with his work or with him. It was just that… hey, wait a minute. Why was Jules asking so many questions, and why did her voice have that weird tone to it? “Are you trying to fix me up with him?”
“No.”
Jules’s quick denial meant she definitely was.
“He has a girlfriend. Besides, I think Frank will be a better fit. Dex still has work to do at the Beachcomber.” Hopefully just on the days when she wasn’t there.
Just because Jules was happily dating Nick from the Shell Cove Bank didn’t mean that Maddie was looking for anyone to date. She was too busy trying to renovate the cottage and think up an event to bring people to town.
Maddie gave another tug on the drawer. Still stuck. She planted her feet firmly in front, grabbed the small knob with both hands, and…
Ooompf!
The drawer suddenly decided to unstick. She fell backward, landing on the floor with a thud, the drawer still in her hand. A piece of paper floated out and landed beside her.
“Are you okay? What was that?” Jules’s concern on the other end of the phone warmed her heart.
“I’m fine. I finally got that drawer opened.”
Jules laughed. “Did you fall on your butt?”
“Yes.” Maddie picked up the paper. It was a recipe. Etta Harper’s Whisky Fudge. Etta Harper must have been the owner of the cottage. How interesting. Maddie remembered Pearl saying something about a mystery involved with the original owner. Did the recipe have something to do with it? And who ate whisky fudge?
A car pulled into the crushed-stone driveway. That must be Frank. Right on time. Maddie hung up, promising to stop by the Beachcomber later, dusted herself off, and went out front to meet Frank.
Chapter Two
Maddie’s mood turned to disappointment when she saw a familiar pickup truck, dents and all, parked in front of the cottage. She frowned as Dex got out, his sun-kissed hair ruffling in the breeze as he chased a receipt that had spilled out of his truck when he got out.
“What are you doing here?” Oops. She hadn’t meant to sound so confrontational.
“Well, good morning, Miss Sunshine.” Dex shoved the receipt in his truck and turned his charming smile on her.
Maddie bristled at the annoying nickname he’d given her when he’d worked at the Beachcomber. So what if she was always optimistic? But she couldn’t help but return the smile. Even though Dex could be annoyingly disorganized and maybe a little silly, he was still a nice guy.
“Morning.” Maddie glanced into the truck. Maybe Frank was in the passenger seat. Had he brought Dex to assist him? If so, she hoped it wasn’t for the entire project.
Dex squinted, shading his green eyes from the sun, and his gaze drifted to the ocean. Overhead, the caw of gulls mixed with the rhythmic sound of waves on the beach, just steps away. He took a deep breath, and Maddie couldn’t help but do the same, tasting the sea air.
“Nice place you have here. Gram mentioned you bought this old cottage.”
Maddie had developed somewhat of a close relationship with Dex’s grandmother, Rose, who, along with her friends Leena and Pearl, had been the first to welcome her to Shell Cove. It was Rose that had suggested she take the Chamber of Commerce position. Which reminded her, she had better get back to work on her ideas for the presentation. She didn’t have time to stand here chatting.
“Thanks. I love it here.” She turned away from the ocean to see that Dex was now assessing the cottage, a slight frown creasing his brow. She could see why he was frowning. The place had been empty for years and was quite run-down. But she’d fallen in love with the little house with its large front porch and starfish-cutout shutters the moment she’d seen it. The location right on the beach was ideal. And even though it was small, it was the perfect size for her. She’d never imagined being able to afford beachfront property, but with the town being in bad shape, real estate prices were low.
“Needs a lot of work,” he said.
“That’s why I hired Frank.”
“Yeah. He asked me to come… well, actually Rose did.”
“To help him out?”
“No, actually he isn’t feeling well, so Rose asked if I could do the job instead.”
“Oh.” Maddie tried not to sound disappointed. It wasn’t that Dex didn’t do a good job; it was just that she found his clutter and disorganized manner unsettling.
“Did you find a treasure in the house? There’s rumors about it.” Dex nodded toward her hand. She was still holding the recipe that had been in the drawer.
