Page 91 of Happy Harbor
Diane laughed. “I think you call itfundraising, Walker.”
“Potayto, potahto.”
“We don’t have much time before the events start, so let’s get to it,” Josie said.
Everybody took a plate, filled it up, and sat at the table. Walker came over with a pot of coffee and a pitcher of orange juice. Josie felt like they were acting out a scene as a big happy family for some TV show. It felt nice. She and her ex had never done this kind of thing. It was either eat at a restaurant or grab some takeout, but never this.
She’d often daydreamed about having a real family, living in a nice home with a big kitchen table and a bunch of kids. There’d be a hard-working momma, an equally hard-working dad, adorable children, a big golden retriever, and family dinner together every night. Of course, in this scenario, no one ever got sick, the kids never cried, and there were absolutely no bills. Maybe it wasn’t the most realistic daydream, but it was hers.
“This is so good, Walker! Who taught you to cook like this?” Diane asked, taking another bite of eggs.
“My grandma was an excellent Southern cook. She made the best buttermilk biscuits, but I can never get those right. I can make a mean meatloaf, and my mashed potatoes are the creamiest you’ll ever have.”
Josie scoffed. “Creamy mashed potatoes? The lumps are what makes them delicious.”
He looked absolutely disgusted by her statement. “We’ll have to agree to disagree.”
“We’d better head that way,” Diane said, finishing up and rinsing her plate. Breakfast was quick, and Josie feared she’d have indigestion all day from eating so fast.
“I’ll walk with you, Grandma,” Kendra said, putting her plate in the sink.
“See y’all there,” Diane said as she and Kendra quickly left the house.
“Are they in a race?” Walker asked, laughing as he scraped his plate and put it in the sink.
“Apparently. I think they’re trying to push us together.” Josie ran water over the plates and wiped her hands on a dish towel. When she turned around, Walker was standing right in front of her.
“This was nice, having breakfast with you,” he said with a smile.
She looked up at him. “Yes, it was.”
He cradled her chin in his large hand and then leaned down, kissing her lightly on the forehead. “Ready to go?”
Josie’s brain felt like it was in a tornado.
How on earth was she supposed to concentrate when this sexy man kept doing things like that?
In all the time she had dated Craig, she had never had butterflies in her stomach. It had all felt so orchestrated and routine with Craig, but this was something on a whole different level.
“I’m ready,” she said, trying not to let him hear the vibration in her voice. He stepped back and waved his hand sideways.
“After you.”
The heat assaulted her the moment she stepped onto the front porch. There was something about the humidity in the Lowcountry that was comforting and draining at the same time.
“Are you going to announce the concert this morning?” Josie turned around to lock the door.
“Yes. We also have it set up to go out on social media, so anybody who’s not here in person will get the word. Small towns are good for that kind of thing. I’m hopeful we can get a lot of people there.”
“Good. For once, I’m finally feeling like something might work out.”
He looked over at her and smiled. “You mean the fundraiser or us?”
“Maybe a bit of both.”
CHAPTERTWENTY
The day went just like the one before it, with all kinds of games, outdoor music, and activities. Josie was thankful that she didn’t have to do face painting again. Nobody asked her, and there was probably a really good reason for that.
