what’s in your past, you’vemoved on. Jimmy isn’t a wild man anymore, and you’re not the wallflower librarian you thought you were. You both grew up, and you’re more similar than you realized.”
“You are a good friend, Lexie.” Emma sat back and wiped away her tears.
“I try. Now if only I could get my own affairs in order.”
Emma looked at her sideways. “Are you talking about Seb?”
“How do you know about me and Seb?”
“This is Star Harbor,” Emma said with a shrug. “The whole town is talking about how he rescued you that night on the Green.”
“Oh, good grief.” Lexie crossed one arm under her chest and leaned her head onto the palm of her other hand. “All I need is to be grist for the Star Harbor gossip mill.”
“Seriously, Lexie? You were attacked, Seb came to your rescue and drove you home, and you’re worried about gossip?”
Lexie raised her head. “I suppose I’m being a bit ungenerous, but that’s not all. He’s come by the restaurant a couple of times.”
“To eat?”
“Not quite,” Lexie said wryly. “He came by last week to shadow me in my kitchen.”
“Really? What an honor!”
“I didn’t see it that way. He ate my food, flirted with my staff, and was generally a huge pain in the—”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Emma said laughingly as she cut off Lexie in mid-sentence.
“And he challenged me to a cooking contest, and—”
“Wow!” Emma interjected. “Another honor. Seb must think a lot of you if he challenged you in the kitchen.”
“He’s challenged me elsewhere, too. I don’t think it’s an honor.”
“I’m sorry he rubbed you the wrong way,” Emma said sympathetically. “I don’t know him that well, but from what I’ve heard, he comes on strong and can be a bit rough around the edges. But he’s been nothing but kind to me.”
Lexie snorted.
Emma held up her hand to signal that Lexie should listen. “James told me that even though Seb didn’t have much when he was first starting out, he sent home money to their mom every month so she’d have enough to live on.”
“Really?”
“Really. And he’s always been really supportive of Theo’s writing. His exploits aside, he loves his family. He takes care of them. From what I’ve heard, Seb likes to push flirtation to its limits. But he wouldn’t have challenged you professionally if he didn’t respect you, too.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Lexie muttered.
Emma smiled warmly at her. “Well,
I
certainly respect you.” She glanced at the antique clock on the wall. “Oh, my gosh, is that the time? I really have to get going. James will be wondering where I am.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t come tonight.”
“We had so little time to plan the wedding, we decided to divide and conquer,” Emma said, as she scooped up her purse. “Tonight, he was figuring out the table arrangements with the florist in Falmouth.”
Lexie opened the locked front door. “I have a hard time picturing Jimmy agonizing over flower arrangements.”
“I know. I’m sure he’s frightening the poor woman half to death,” she said. “He can be quite intimidating.”
Both women laughed. Emma’s fiancé was even bigger than a certain chef who’d been getting under Lexie’s skin lately.
“You’ll be okay getting to your car?”
“Fine, thanks. The gas lamps are all lit. And thanks again for helping us with the food. It’s going to be fabulous.”
“Yes, it is!” Lexie smiled as she saw Emma to the front door.
“And you’ll have to tell me when your cooking challenge is taking place.”
“I’m not sure I want anyone watching,” Lexie muttered, taking a quick glance at Julie and Cameron, who thankfully didn’t seem to be listening.
“I’ll respect your wishes, but I’d love to see you and Seb in action.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said, as Emma stepped out of the door.
Lexie waved and watched as Emma walked the block to her car, then she carefully
“You are a good friend, Lexie.” Emma sat back and wiped away her tears.
“I try. Now if only I could get my own affairs in order.”
Emma looked at her sideways. “Are you talking about Seb?”
“How do you know about me and Seb?”
“This is Star Harbor,” Emma said with a shrug. “The whole town is talking about how he rescued you that night on the Green.”
“Oh, good grief.” Lexie crossed one arm under her chest and leaned her head onto the palm of her other hand. “All I need is to be grist for the Star Harbor gossip mill.”
“Seriously, Lexie? You were attacked, Seb came to your rescue and drove you home, and you’re worried about gossip?”
Lexie raised her head. “I suppose I’m being a bit ungenerous, but that’s not all. He’s come by the restaurant a couple of times.”
“To eat?”
“Not quite,” Lexie said wryly. “He came by last week to shadow me in my kitchen.”
“Really? What an honor!”
“I didn’t see it that way. He ate my food, flirted with my staff, and was generally a huge pain in the—”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Emma said laughingly as she cut off Lexie in mid-sentence.
“And he challenged me to a cooking contest, and—”
“Wow!” Emma interjected. “Another honor. Seb must think a lot of you if he challenged you in the kitchen.”
“He’s challenged me elsewhere, too. I don’t think it’s an honor.”
“I’m sorry he rubbed you the wrong way,” Emma said sympathetically. “I don’t know him that well, but from what I’ve heard, he comes on strong and can be a bit rough around the edges. But he’s been nothing but kind to me.”
Lexie snorted.
Emma held up her hand to signal that Lexie should listen. “James told me that even though Seb didn’t have much when he was first starting out, he sent home money to their mom every month so she’d have enough to live on.”
“Really?”
“Really. And he’s always been really supportive of Theo’s writing. His exploits aside, he loves his family. He takes care of them. From what I’ve heard, Seb likes to push flirtation to its limits. But he wouldn’t have challenged you professionally if he didn’t respect you, too.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Lexie muttered.
Emma smiled warmly at her. “Well,
I
certainly respect you.” She glanced at the antique clock on the wall. “Oh, my gosh, is that the time? I really have to get going. James will be wondering where I am.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t come tonight.”
“We had so little time to plan the wedding, we decided to divide and conquer,” Emma said, as she scooped up her purse. “Tonight, he was figuring out the table arrangements with the florist in Falmouth.”
Lexie opened the locked front door. “I have a hard time picturing Jimmy agonizing over flower arrangements.”
“I know. I’m sure he’s frightening the poor woman half to death,” she said. “He can be quite intimidating.”
Both women laughed. Emma’s fiancé was even bigger than a certain chef who’d been getting under Lexie’s skin lately.
“You’ll be okay getting to your car?”
“Fine, thanks. The gas lamps are all lit. And thanks again for helping us with the food. It’s going to be fabulous.”
“Yes, it is!” Lexie smiled as she saw Emma to the front door.
“And you’ll have to tell me when your cooking challenge is taking place.”
“I’m not sure I want anyone watching,” Lexie muttered, taking a quick glance at Julie and Cameron, who thankfully didn’t seem to be listening.
“I’ll respect your wishes, but I’d love to see you and Seb in action.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said, as Emma stepped out of the door.
Lexie waved and watched as Emma walked the block to her car, then she carefully
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