“Damn, that guy can kiss.” Anna leaned against the door-jamb, her face looking suspiciously relaxed.
“Which one?”
Anna looked at her. “Both of them. Dibs on the last bear claw.”
They pushed and shoved into the kitchen, lunging for the pastry box at the same time.
“You’re lucky there were two. Else you would have had nothing for breakfast,” Anna said.
“I’m a lot tougher than I was back then, Anna. Don’t push me.”
Anna cocked her head and studied Delaney for a long moment, a half-smile on her face. “I wondered where you had gone.” She nodded. “Nice to see you back and fighting.”
Delaney stared at her. “Are you freaking kidding? You were being a bitch on purpose?”
Anna shrugged, popping a piece of pastry into her mouth. “I’m good at it.”
“No time for squabbling. We have party favors to put together, flowers to arrange, and food to coordinate.” Caroline consulted a clipboard in front of her and all the girls groaned.
Damn Caroline and her ever-present lists.
“Shouldn’t the wedding organizer be doing this?” Brigid whispered behind Anna and Delaney.
Caroline looked up. “I’m an event planner. How would it look if I didn’t plan my own wedding?”
“Smart?” Anna queried, then ducked as Caroline mock smacked her in the head.
“Okay, ladies. Here’s the plan.”
* * *
The guys returned for lunch with optimistic news and an even more welcome sight—food. Specifically, burgers from the Rusty Anchor. They gathered around the dining room table and tucked in. Only Caroline frowned at the burger. She watched everyone enjoying the meal, then shrugged and ate, her eyes closing for a moment as the first taste exploded on her tongue.
Matthew grinned from the other side of the table. “Good, isn’t it? Makes you wonder why you gave up meat.”
“I gave up meat because it’s not healthy for you,” she replied primly.
The rest of the table burst out laughing. After a moment, she joined in.
“You sound like a fifty-year-old woman. I would have expected that from Delaney, but not you,” Anna teased.
Delaney tossed a wadded-up napkin across the table. “I resent that. Besides, no one in Texas can live without meat. Only Californians like vegetarian meals, isn’t that right, Anna?”
Anna took a big bite and grinned, eating as if she hadn’t had a proper meal in forever. Judging by how thin she had gotten, she probably hadn’t. “Screw that. They don’t know what they’re missing. I’ll run an extra couple of miles tomorrow. Maybe.”
After several minutes, Caroline sat back. “What’s the verdict? Grady?”
Grady frowned. “There could be quite a bit of structural damage. They’re bringing in everything they can, but the gardens and the gazebo might be a significant loss.”
“Could you fix it in two days?” Matthew asked.
“Probably. Depends on the damage. As long as the hotel doesn’t get hit hard, we’ll be fine. It’s not a hurricane. We can work around everything else, Caroline. The hotel has it covered, I think.”
“So, I’m worrying about nothing?” Caroline still looked anxious, biting her lower lip and staring wide-eyed.
Matthew smiled, but it looked a little forced to Delaney. “Not nothing. It’s a powerful storm, but the island has survived worse. We don’t need a gazebo to get married.”
“Great.” Her eyes brightened and her face took on a militant set. “Now, for the next set of tasks.”