In Over Her Head: An Anchor Island Novel by Terri Osburn (love story books to read TXT) 📕

cook didn’t mean a damn thing when it came to managing people. A fact he’d learned long ago.

“Don’t get any ideas.”

“What?” she mumbled, attempting to look innocent and failing miserably. “I’m just making an observation.”

“Like the observation that she and I would make a good match?” Nick had vowed years ago to never date a fellow chef. They were all control freaks with horrible hours, and by nature too damned competitive. He included himself in that summation.

The older woman grinned. “Am I wrong?”

“You are.” Other than her profession, Nick knew little about Lauren Riley, but his answer would be the same no matter the woman in question. He never took any relationship beyond casual dating, and what Nota had in mind went well beyond casual.

“Happy birthday,” Mia said, returning to the table and setting a photo album down before him.

“What’s this?”

She returned to her seat. “Your present.”

“Presents are usually wrapped,” he pointed out, teasing as he loved to do.

“Consider my drawings wrapping paper,” she said before sticking her tongue out at him.

“There are many memories in there,” Nota murmured, her eyes focused on the album.

Nick sobered and ran a fingertip over the hand-drawn lettering of their last name. Ironically, a name that literally meant stop dying. Tension tightening his chest, he lifted the cover to find the last family picture taken before his father had passed away. A gangly fifteen-year-old Nick stood beside the man who had been everything to him. His hero. His mentor. His biggest fan.

Mia held a similar position beside their mom, lips shut tight to hide the crooked teeth that would land her in braces two years later. He hadn’t noticed at the time, but Mom—who was the same age then that Nick was today—looked far older. Her smile looked forced and dark circles lingered beneath her eyes.

Raising two kids while her husband ran the family restaurant had clearly taken a toll.

Behind them loomed the narrow two-story home where Nick had spent every day of his life up to that point. The home he would leave less than a year later as the ill-equipped new man of the family. His gut clenched at the rush of memories. Family-filled holidays. Sunday barbecues. Rare but treasured talks on the squeaky old metal glider on the front porch.

He snapped the cover shut. “I’ll look at this later.” The two women exchanged a glance but neither pushed. “Thanks for the cake, but I’m going to head out.”

Since Mia lived next door, he didn’t need to drive her home. Nick rose from his chair and tucked the album under his arm before walking around to his grandmother and dropping a kiss on her cheek. “Take it easy.”

Nota placed a hand along his jawline. “I will.” Staring into his eyes, she looked as if she wanted to say something else, but then shook her head and broke the contact. “Don’t write that new girl off just yet. I have a good feeling about her.”

She had a good feeling about every woman who crossed his path.

Ignoring the statement, he placed a kiss on the top of Mia’s head, and then said, “Tell Olaf I said hello.”

Olaf Hogenschmidt was a native islander and his grandmother’s unofficial male companion for the last year. She doggedly refused to acknowledge anything between them other than friendship, but they behaved more like an old married couple when they didn’t think anyone was watching. Nota had never remarried, or even dated as far as Nick knew, after being widowed in her mid-thirties. If Olaf made her happy, then Nick had no problem with the man being in his grandmother’s life.

“Who said Olaf is coming over?” Nota asked.

Nick’s eyes cut from the cake to his grandmother. “That man can smell cake like a shark senses blood in the water.” Snatching his keys from the kitchen counter, he added, “Besides, we both know you invited him.”

“I did no such thing,” she argued, the claim punctuated by a sudden knock.

Nick crossed the small cottage and opened the front door. “Hey, Olaf. Funny seeing you here.”

“I heard there was cake,” the older man replied.

Nick stepped back to let him enter. “Yes, there is.”

Olaf crossed the threshold, the accompanying scent of pine and varnish revealing he’d come straight from his workshop. With a wave for the ladies at the table, Nick exited the house and closed the door behind him. On the porch, he pulled the album from against his side. The knot in his gut returned, drawing a sigh from deep in his chest.

An important fact had been left out of the conversation inside, as it always was. This wasn’t only his birthday. It was his father’s as well.

“Happy birthday, Dad.” He followed the words with the statement that never left his mind. “I wish you were here.”

2

Will Parsons was harder to pin down than an octopus in a rainstorm. Lauren had been chasing her around the Destination Anchor office for the last five minutes and was quickly losing patience. The event planning company was another in the Navarro portfolio, and since wedding season was right around the corner, Lauren had been competing for her boss’ attention while also spending a significant chunk of her time creating catering menus for events large and small.

“I have to be able to compete,” Lauren said for the third time. How was the woman not getting this? “If the festival is as big as I hear, then a win would bring much-needed attention to the restaurant.”

The slender woman kept her eyes on the report in her hand. “Roxie, have we confirmed the photographer for the Leland wedding?”

“I sent the email yesterday and if I don’t get an answer by tomorrow, I’ll give him a call.”

Lauren didn’t know Will’s assistant well, but the younger woman seemed capable. Office attire on Anchor Island leaned much more casual than in Boston, so Roxie’s dark jeans and Doc Martens had taken her by surprise. Not many could pull off the punk rock edge and still appear professional, but Roxie Chandler