Always, Plus One by Fiona Grace

Author:Fiona Grace [Grace, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fiona Grace
Published: 2023-05-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Ariel had been dreading the moment Emily would come back to Leeside. Ideally, Emily would have come back around dinner service at the Seaside, when Ariel was busy and there wouldn’t be any chance for one-on-one encounters. But that luck hadn’t held.

Though Ariel had hoped it wouldn’t happen so soon, there Emily was, as if on cue, appearing in the middle of Ariel’s bathroom clean up like some kind of bad omen.

“Hi there!” Emily said with a cheerful smile, looking around the half-demolished room. “I thought I’d come up and see what you’re working on.”

Ariel gave her a forced smile. “Oh, just some bathroom renovations. Nothing too exciting.”

Not as exciting as your trip to the marina today, she wanted to say. Why were you looking for Miles? What are you doing at Leeside?

“Bathroom renovations? I love it when people take on DIY projects. It’s so rewarding.”

Ariel raised an eyebrow and bent to shovel a wet dustpan full of wallpaper scraps into a trash bag. She was grateful that Darcy had done her a solid and taken care of her rodent mummy from the tub. Bless him. “Really? I usually find it fun, but today, I find it more frustrating than anything.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re doing a great job,” Emily said, still grinning. “But I have to say, I’m more interested in you than your renovations.”

Ariel suppressed a sigh. Here it comes, she thought. She hadn’t quite expected that Emily would be so forthright. Ariel steeled herself for a confrontation.

“You seem so much more cosmopolitan than Endless Harbor. Tell me,” Emily said, leaning in from the doorway. “What’s your story? How did you end up running this B and B?”

Ariel tried to sound nonchalant as she answered. “I inherited it from my father. Well, my sister did, and it was passed to me when I decided to renovate and open the business—the Seaside was my ultimate goal. I come from a culinary background.”

“That’s interesting,” Emily said, nodding. “My dinner last night was out of this world. Is that the kind of cuisine you specialize in?”

Ariel was caught off guard for a moment. She didn’t usually talk about her background with guests, especially not with nosy ones like Emily. But she decided to go along with it. Maybe Emily would slip and reveal whether or not she was here with the knowledge that Ariel and Miles were a thing. Right now, it was still a mystery.

“I studied French cuisine in culinary school, but I’ve worked in all sorts of kitchens since then. I spent the last huge chunk of my career at a frozen foods company called Opulent Ice, until they decided that my quality concerns were no longer welcome in their product lines. It’s one of the reasons I came here to open my own place. My rules. My standards. At the Seaside, we focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients.”

Emily folded her arms loosely across her chest, smiling at Ariel. “What’s your favorite dish to make?”

Ariel thought for a moment before answering, relaxing slightly.

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