“Yes, she is. I’m thankful that one of the worst days ever brought me to her and a job at the Surf.”
“She’s thrilled to have you. She’s told me more than once what a huge help to her you were during the busy season.”
“She’s got a lot on her plate running the hotel with three little ones.”
“And yet, she makes it all look so effortless,” Cindy said, filled with admiration for Owen’s wife. “I’m glad we’ll get to work together a little in the off-season.”
“Me, too! She told me you’re coming over to help out once in a while.” She’d taken Laura’s offer to help change linens for the winter and other tasks that needed to be done in the off-season. Cindy was thankful for the chance to make a little extra money.
“I’ll be there tomorrow for haircuts for Owen and the kids.”
“That’ll be fun.”
“If you consider trying to get at a squirming little one with sharp scissors fun…”
Piper laughed. “Let me know if I can help.”
“Between their parents and my mom, we should be able to corral them.”
Jace returned with her salad and nodded to the checkerboard. “Set us up with a game. I’m out for retribution.”
“If you ask me,” Piper said when he’d walked away again, “that’s not all he’s out for.”
Cindy laughed as she nudged her friend. “Stop it.”
Piper left a short time later, and her seat was taken by Cindy’s brother John.
“I’m shocked to see you here,” he said with the dry wit that always made her laugh.
“No, you’re not.”
“At first, I thought it was the chowder that brought you in, but now I think it might be the bartender.”
He’d no sooner said that than Jace came over to put a draft beer in front of John and make his first move in the checkers game.
“Dinner, John?” he asked.
“No, thanks. I ate with my mom and Charlie.”
“Gotcha,” Jace said before moving to tend to other customers.
“It seems to me,” Cindy said to her brother as she slid a red checker forward, “you’re usually here when a certain man is performing.” John had told her about the blowup over his relationship in Tennessee a while ago, and which had surprised her at the time. But with hindsight, a lot of things made more sense since she’d had that conversation with him.
“Maybe. Maybe not. So, something kinda huge happened earlier.”
Cindy looked over at him. “What?”
“I came out to Mom, or I should say, she asked me when I was going to.”
“She did? Oh my God! So, she already knew?”
“She said she’s always known.”
“Wow, Johnny. That’s amazing. What did she say? What did you say?”
“The other night, I ran into Niall when I was out for a run and invited him back to the house for dinner. We had a nice time with Mom and Charlie, and she asked if I’m going to see him again. She said it like it was no big deal when I was shocked.”
“I’m sure you were.”