too busy smiling at Lydia and calling the waiters over to free up a table. Within a couple of minutes, they were seated around a square table with warm, fragrant bread in a wicker basket that was making Griff’s mouth water.
“So this is the pier,” Lydia said, looking around, then smiling at Autumn. “I can’t believe you own this.”
“Some days neither can I,” Autumn admitted.
“So tell me about the charity day this weekend,” Lydia said as the waiter filled their glasses with a cool Sauvignon Blanc.
Autumn tore off a hunk of bread and dipped it in the herby olive oil, closing her eyes as she savored the taste on her tongue. “We’re raising money for the local animal shelter,” she told her sister. “One of my friends, Brooke, volunteers there. It’s for a really good cause. We’ve got old fashioned fair rides and food vendors and a series of bands playing at the end of the pier, but more than anything it’s about the community. I want this pier to be the center of Angel Sands, like it was when it was built. Somewhere people come to sit and look out at the water, or to walk along with a sweetheart when the sun is just about to go down. I want the kids to feel welcome here, because god knows there aren’t enough places around here for them to hang around.” She shook her head. “Maybe I’m reaching too far.”
Griff was smiling at her, his eyes soft and warm.
“I’ve never heard you talk about somewhere like that,” Lydia said, grinning. “Whenever you bought in Manhattan it was all about yields and profitability. You didn’t mention money once when you talked about the pier.”
She hadn’t? Autumn ran a finger along her lip. “Money will help, too,” she said.
Griff leaned over and pressed his lips against Autumn’s. “It sounds fantastic. And exactly what this place needs. Frank Megassey’s gonna have a fit. In the best way.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Let’s hope so.”
He slid his hand around to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her long hair as he kissed her deeper. God, it felt good. Better than all the bread in Delmonico’s. When he broke away, she felt dazed.
“Hey, who’s that woman looking at you guys like she wants to throw you in the ocean?” Lydia asked, sipping at her wine.
“Which woman?” Autumn turned to look over her shoulder. When she saw Carla standing at the window, she felt her stomach drop. Poor Carla. She’d feel the same if she saw Griff kissing somebody else.
He wasn’t the kind of guy you got over easily.
Before she could tell her sister who it was, Carla was walking out of the restaurant and over toward their table, her face dark and serious.
Dear lord. It looked like things were about to get a whole lot trickier around here.
23
“Griff,” Carla said, standing on the terrace next to their table. “Can I have a word with you, please?”
His skin prickled at her question, and his eyes immediately caught Autumn’s. She gave him a quick a nod, as though she didn’t mind.
“Ah, yeah, sure.” He turned back to Autumn and Lydia. “I’ll be back in a minute, okay?”
“Works for me.” Autumn shot her sister a reassuring smile. “If your food arrives, I’ll ask them to keep it warm.”
Lydia was watching with a rapt expression, as though she was enjoying the drama a little too much. As soon as Griff followed Carla around the back of the restaurant, he heard Lydia whisper loudly to Autumn, “who’s that?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Autumn replied, clearing her throat.
There was nobody at the back of the restaurant. Just him, Carla, and all the trash cans, along with stacks of furniture waiting for repair. With a sigh, he turned to look at her. Her mouth was pressed together tightly, and her eyes shone a little too hard.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice low. She might’ve hated his guts but he wasn’t an asshole. He could tell she was upset.
“Not really, no.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you brought her here, to my dad’s restaurant, to flaunt it all in front of me. How could you kiss her while I was watching?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think.” He shot her a sympathetic look. “What happened between us was a while ago, Carla. And you were the one who called an end to it. I kind of assumed we were over this.”
“I was.” She shook her head. “No, I thought I was.”