Page 10 of Here With You

“Money isn’t always the answer. Everyone thinks it is, but imagine if you were rich and Tiffany was in the same position of need. If you swooped in and saved her, and she started dating you, wouldn’t you question her motives? Let her fall in love with you, not your money.”

Cormac laughed. “That’s easy. I don’t have any.”

“You want to earn some?”

Cormac sat up like Ollie did when a treat was involved. “Is The Kessler hiring?”

Miles shook his head, and his nephew’s shoulders sagged. “Nope, but I am. Do you think you can bring your grandma over for dinner? I’ll make a reservation at The Brown for tomorrow night. I also have some painting in the residence that needs to be completed before Brie and Carter return.”

“I’ve always wanted to eat at The Brown. Am I invited to dinner, or am I simply the chauffeur?”

“Eating there is a perk of working for me.” It was a brilliant plan that checked off many boxes. He needed to spend time with his mother. Cormac needed a job to keep him in candy, and dining at The Brown would put him in Emmaline’s path.

Feeling good about his next move, he leaned back, drank the rest of his beer, and set the bottle in the sand before closing his eyes. A shadow fell across him a while later, and he opened his eyes to find Emmaline standing there with her arms crossed.

“Break time is over. You’ve got work to do.” Her upper lip curled as she bent over to pick up his empty bottle. “Don’t make drinking on the job a habit.”

He sat up and stared at her. “You told me to do nothing.” Something had changed in the time she’d been gone.

“Now I’m asking you to do something.” She pointed to his bare chest. “Get dressed. We can’t have you distracting the guests.”

He glanced around and saw no one looking at them. “Maybe it’s you I’m distracting.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You annoy me, but I said I’d be nice and train you.” She looked at her watch. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but it was the watch he’d given her the Christmas before they split up. It was a simple gold watch with little diamond chips circling the face. It had little value, so she must have worn it for the emotional connection. It made him feel good that she kept a piece of him with her.

“If this is her being nice,” Cormac said, “I’d hate to see her be mean.”

Miles smiled and rose to his feet. “Oh, that’s when the real fun starts.” He grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his shoulders. “Enjoy the beach, Cormac. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ollie woofed and danced around Emmaline’s legs, trying to get her to pay attention. “Can you control your beast?”

“He seems to like you.”

“He has good taste.” As he and Emmaline walked toward the resort, she pulled a list out of her back pocket and handed it to him. “Here’s your to-do list for today.” Menial tasks filled the front and back. The first item was scraping gum from the bottoms of the picnic tables.

“This is managerial work?”

She stopped in front of The Kessler. “You don’t get to come back here and start at the top. You need to earn your way. You can’t be a good manager if you don’t understand the work others are expected to do.” She turned and walked away.

He called after her. “How long will you punish me?”

CHAPTERFIVE

She left him in front of The Kessler and headed straight for Tilly and the kitchen. “Do you have any of those sticky buns from breakfast?”

“Didn’t you just eat a quart of ice cream and a pecan pie for lunch?”

Em’s jaw dropped. “How did you know?”

Tilly put on a fresh pot of coffee and walked to the little table by the window. “Cricket called, and then the girls phoned. They said you’d need to eat something healthy and fortifying; a sticky bun doesn’t fall into that category.”

“They have nuts, which are protein, and butter, which is dairy. That’s healthy.” Em flopped into the chair facing the window, which gave her a view of the garden walkway and The Kessler. Moments later, Miles appeared with his to-do list and a scraper. Did the man have any T-shirts that hung loose, or did they all fit him like a second skin?

Tilly poured two cups of coffee and joined her at the table. “They say what comes around goes around.” She nodded toward Miles. “I’d say that’s a delicious serving of karma.”

“He may be yummy to look at, but you know what they say, too much is just too much.”

Tilly pulled a sticky bun from a nearby rack, plated it, and handed it to Em. “True, but it doesn’t stop you from indulging. My mom told me I didn’t eat until I was full. I ate until I hated myself.”

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