A Haven on the Bay - Nicole Ellis Page 0,56

“I’m just a bit worried because I left the restaurant in the hands of my former sous-chef and things were a little weird when she left the Lodge.” He relayed to them the whole tale of the renovations at the Inn at Willa Bay and Meg’s subsequent departure from the Lodge.

His father raised an eyebrow. “Wow. It seems like a lot has happened since the last time you were here.”

Taylor paused for a moment. He spoke to his family fairly often. Had he not told them about all of this? He’d known that leaving the Lodge was the right choice for Meg, but it hadn’t been an easy transition for him. He swallowed a wave of uneasiness that had formed in the back of his throat and washed it down with a slug of lukewarm tea.

“It sounds like you miss having Meg in the kitchen,” his mother said. “You used to talk about her all the time, but you stopped sometime over the summer. I always wondered why, but I didn’t want to pry.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he followed his father’s lead on avoidance tactics, and stuck his fork into a slice of barbecued pork. He dipped the marinated meat into Chinese hot mustard, followed by a generous coating of sesame seeds. Even after years working in some of the best restaurants on the West Coast, he’d yet to find better Chinese food than Chang’s.

“Taylor?” His mother prompted. “Why didn’t you tell us that Meg had left?” She glanced at his father, who immediately grabbed the other half of his egg roll. She rolled her eyes and turned her focus back on her son.

Taylor finished chewing the pork, then shrugged. “I don’t know. It must have slipped my mind.” He put his hands flat on the table and pushed himself out of the booth. “I’m going to visit the men’s room before our dinner arrives.”

His mom looked like she wanted to say something, but a warning glance from his dad stopped her.

The food had arrived by the time Taylor returned. Steaming platters of cashew chicken, broccoli beef, pork fried rice, and chicken chow mein had been crammed onto the tabletop, interspersed between their place settings and appetizer dishes.

“This looks great.” Taylor helped himself to as much as he could fit on his plate and started eating.

The rest of their meal and evening together were uneventful, and, thankfully, his mother didn’t mention Meg again.

The next morning, Taylor slept in until ten o’clock, and was awakened by the sound of little footsteps pounding down the hallway outside his room like a herd of tiny elephants.

“Boys,” Cammie said in a mock-whisper that could clearly be heard through the closed guestroom door. “Uncle Taylor is still sleeping.” She said in an even louder voice that held a hint of humor, “I bet he could use a wakeup visit from two little boys though.”

Not thirty seconds later, Jason and Andy flung open the door. Taylor pretended to be asleep under the covers and readied himself for the onslaught.

The boys pounced on his still form, and he surprised them by sitting up and trapping them in his arms. “Gotcha.”

They shrieked, then broke out into a fit of giggles. Their laughter was so infectious that Taylor couldn’t help joining in. He released them after a minute of letting them struggle playfully against his grip, then sent them off to find their mother, took a quick shower, and dressed.

As soon as he’d finished, he ventured down the hall and found the boys and his parents eating a big pancake breakfast, complete with scrambled eggs, bacon, and strawberries.

“What happened to Cammie?” he asked as he filled a cup with coffee. He sat down at the table in front of an empty plate.

“All of the women in the wedding party have appointments at the hair salon this morning,” his mom said. “Cammie drew the short stick and had to take the earliest one. Afterward, she’s going to help get things ready down at the church. Darren is working today, so we’ve got the kids. Well, your father has the kids. I’ve got to head out soon too.” She held out the plate of bacon. “Take as much as you’d like. I made plenty.”

“Thanks.” He grinned at the kids. “Sounds like you and Grandpa and I are going to have some fun today.”

They both nodded enthusiastically, and Taylor’s spirits lifted. He didn’t know Diana’s fiancé well, and hadn’t been upset to not be one of the