Forever Summer - Melody Grace Page 0,80

no cup of coffee in the world was strong enough to soothe him.

“Did I curse out your mother or something, Montgomery?”

Noah stared blankly at the chief. The whole crew was gathered for their morning meeting, and he’d been hoping to keep a low profile until he could escape. “Uh …”

“I only ask because you’ve been staring at me like you want to commit bloody murder,” the chief went on. “Get out of the wrong side of someone’s bed this morning?”

Noah scowled. He’d woken up alone and didn’t need the reminder. “Real funny.”

“I thought so.” The chief grinned. “I heard you enjoyed our fundraiser so much, you’re moonlighting as the new town party planner. What do you think, guys—anyone have a wedding to plan?”

“My four-year-old’s birthday is next week,” Jenna put in, grinning. “How do you feel about a clown’s outfit?”

“I think he’d pull it off,” someone else joked.

“Or the other moms would pull it off him.” They all laughed, and Noah felt himself just about ready to snap.

“Is this comedy night?” he demanded, getting to his feet. “Because some of us came here to work.”

The chief’s smile dropped, and Jake quickly stepped between them.

“Didn’t you need someone to go check the fire codes at the Sandy Lane Hotel?” Jake said, diffusing the tension. “Noah can head out there now.”

There was a pause. “Fine.” The chief gave Noah a warning glare. “But see that you find a better mood before you get back.”

Noah left without another word. He didn’t need a lecture from his boss—or a pep talk from Jake, either.

He just needed Evie.

But that wasn’t going to happen, and he couldn’t shake the feeling, deep down, that it was his fault. He’d backed off, when maybe what she’d needed was reassurance that he could show up and weather the storm. He’d left her alone to wrestle with her old grief and guilt when maybe he should have been by her side, no matter what she was going through.

So much for Mackenzie’s good advice. Now he’d missed his chance to be there for Evie, and he only had himself to blame.

Noah pulled into the service driveway at the Sandy Lane Hotel, hoping he was just there for a routine inspection. He found Brooke surrounded by a crowd of people in reception—someone was squawking about gluten-free canapes—so he just waved and indicated he was heading to the kitchens.

“Thanks, Noah!” Brooke said. “I’ll be right there. As soon as we vet the menus for artificial flavors,” she added quickly to the woman beside her, before she could start squarking again.

“And the dog food, too,” said the woman. “My Jemima has a very sensitive stomach.”

Noah made a swift exit before he could snort with laughter. OK, so maybe his day could be going worse. He headed to the kitchens and was relieved to find that everything was once again perfectly up to code. Not that he would have expected less from Brooke. He filled out all the paperwork and was just waiting for her to come sign off when one of her staff came over. “She’s still tied up, but she says the chef can whip you up whatever you like, and she’ll find you on the terrace?”

Noah paused. The chief was always lecturing them about being professional and not accepting gifts on the job, but given a choice between keeping things professional and heading back to the firehouse with an empty stomach and a temper to match, Noah was guessing his boss would pick the burger. “Thanks,” Noah said, placing his order. “And maybe throw in some extra fries?”

“Coming right up.”

He wandered through the hotel and out onto the terrace. The place was packed, and it looked like there were half a dozen different wedding parties checking the place out and enjoying the sun. He found a shady spot at the bar and tried to remind himself he wasn’t in a sad enough state to start day-drinking on the job.

Not yet, anyway.

But then he caught sight of a group of women having lunch across the terrace, and he almost reached across the bar to grab the bottle of bourbon for himself.

Because sitting there in a pink linen sundress, with the sun in her blond hair, was the last person he’d expected to see in Sweetbriar Cove.

It was Caitlin.

Noah had to blink, wondering if his lovesick heart was making him hallucinate—taking him on a tour through his life’s most painful moments, maybe—but no, his ex-fiancée was still there, laughing over something her friends had