CHAPTER 8

“Now this is what I call living,” Sebastian sighed as he sat in a low beach chair on the deck of Val’s houseboat, a fishing pole propped in the crook of his arm. The lure bobbed in the water, which undulated in alternating swirls of green and blue. A light breeze blew out of the southwest and the salty tang of the water permeated the air. Even though it was now officially autumn, it was warm outside on this Tuesday morning, and Seb was wearing low-slung jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt. Theo was back in San Francisco, Cole was working, and Seb was free until an afternoon appointment with the real estate broker in Boston. For the first time in a long time, he had nowhere pressing to be and plenty of time to think about his career. “Summer’s over, the tourists are gone, and all that’s left are the locals. Right, Val?”

Seb glanced over at Val, who was standing a few feet away, leaning against the cabin wall. His older brother’s lean, sinewy frame was deceiving, his strength—and his physical training—hidden. Underneath his calm, quiet exterior was a man who could rapidly defuse a tense situation with a gesture or a few well-chosen words—very useful traits to have in his current profession as a drug enforcement agent. He was glad Val had chosen to work from home this morning; he liked his brother’s company.

Val turned to him, his face implacable. “Sorry to inform you of this, bro, but as Cole so aptly put it, you’re no longer considered a local.”

“ ’Course I am,” Seb responded indignantly. “Once a local, always a local.”

“Don’t you think you gave up that claim when you moved to New York City?”

“Absolutely not,” he said with conviction. “I’m a Star Harbor townie and proud of it.”

“And London, Paris, and New York have had no part in making you who you are?”

“Nope. All the good stuff happened right here in town.”

“The good stuff.” Val shook his head. “I can’t even remember what that was anymore. Remind me.”

“You’re getting old if you can’t remember all the fun we had together. I’ll remind you of a few choice gems. For example, the time we changed the ‘Welcome to Star Harbor’ sign to read ‘Welcome to Scab Harbor.’ ”

Val gave a chuckle. “That was a good one. It took the town administration three weeks to realize the sign was wrong.”

“I remember,” Seb said with a smile. “What about the time we half buried John’s old car behind the high school for our senior prank day?”

“A classic.”

“And you can’t have forgotten about the time we all crashed Gina Rossi’s slumber party over spring break when she was back from college?”

“Mmm,” Val groaned. “We thought the girls would be so angry with us, but they weren’t.”

“No, indeed.” Seb’s lip curled up again.

“They were something else entirely.”

“As I recall, they were kind enough to allow all of us to spend the night with them.”

Val sighed, obviously remembering that evening. “You’re right,” he said. “That was a lot of fun.” He looked at Seb, eyes narrowing slightly. “Speaking of women, what’s going on between you and Lexie Meyers?”

Seb sidestepped the question. “What do you know about her?”

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything. Everything.”

Val nodded. “She works hard, but she’s kind and fair. She’s got a sharp tongue and she’ll tell you off if you cross her. She doesn’t press me to talk like everyone else in this damn town. Lexie’s a good woman and you’ve been dogging her ever since that morning at the LMK. I wouldn’t want to see her get hurt,” he said meaningfully. “So what’s going on between you two?”

Seb paused. “Nothing.” Yet.

“Haven’t you made up your mind?” Val asked.

Seb shot him a look. Val held up a hand in supplication. “I have eyes, Seb. I saw the way you were looking at her on the Green. And from the way she was looking back, she didn’t seem much opposed.”

“Hah. She hates me.” Especially after last night.

“Since when have you stepped away from a challenge?”

Seb tried to throw Val off the scent. “I like my women to be a bit more worldly. And a lot more willing.”

“Oh, she’s willing all right. She’s just wary.”

“Yeah,” Seb said softly, remembering her haunted look.

Val shook his head. “There’s a vulnerability about her. It’s obvious that someone—probably that Frank guy—hurt her. Badly. You can see it in her eyes if you look close enough. She’s not ready for what you want to give. Or for what you want to take.”

“What do you mean?” Seb asked, his voice cold.

Val stared him straight in the eye. “What do you think I mean?”

Seb didn’t flinch, but he could tell that Val knew just how bad he had it for Lexie. His eldest brother had a knack for reading people, so it wasn’t a surprise that he’d figured him out. What was a surprise was that in his quiet, unassuming way, Val was warning him off.

Val had known about Seb’s escapades for years and had never said a word against him. Seb didn’t have a reputation for being emotionally sensitive and thoughtful—his affairs were routinely concluded inside a month. Short and sweet was the name of the game.

Now, under Val’s cool look, his exploits seemed tawdry. Cheap. He actually felt a little embarrassed, knowing that Val was afraid of what would happen to Lexie if Seb remained true to form. He knew she was special, and the fact that his brothers—Val especially—were reacting like this made him more than a little angry. He lashed out in the only way he could.

“You sound like you know Lexie a little too well. You interested in her?” Seb demanded, his fist clenching at his side.

“Even if I were, she wouldn’t have me,” Val said mildly. “You’re the one she’s drawn to, even though it’s against her best interests.”

“So you’re saying that I’m bad for her?”

“All I’m saying is that she’s a good woman. If you can’t or won’t recognize that, steer clear.”

“Oh, I recognize it all right,” Seb said mirthlessly, unclenching his fist. “I just can’t seem to steer clear.”

Val nodded, as if he understood Seb’s predicament. “What are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t know yet. All I know is that I’m going to go insane if I can’t have her.”

“You want her, you gotta play by the rules this time. I’m actually proud of you, though. For the first time I can remember, you’re thinking with your brain instead of your—”

Seb cut him off. “You sound just like Cole.” He turned away from Val and studied his fishing pole intently.

Val chuckled. “More like he sounds like me.”

“I don’t think it’s funny, your Star Harbor ‘protect the womenfolk’ mentality.”

“Ah,” Val pounced, as if waiting for this moment their entire conversation, “so you admit you’re not really a local, after all.”

Seb opened his mouth and shut it without saying a word. Although it pained him to admit it, even to himself, he knew in his heart that it was true. Funny that he cared more about it than Theo did. Yet despite his nonresident status, Seb was still inescapably bound to Star Harbor.

He missed the little town, especially at this time of year. There was nothing like fall in Massachusetts. Autumn just felt different in New York City. Trapped between skyscrapers and taxicabs, Seb had to inhale the quick gusts of chilly wind when he could, knowing it was the closest he was going to get to crisp autumn air. Even the leaves falling in Central Park felt more like a slice of the season than the whole autumn experience.

That’s why opening a Boston restaurant would be such a good move. It would be a return to his roots and he’d be able to draw more on the cuisine of his childhood for inspiration.

He’d also be closer to Lexie.

He was desperate to crush her berry mouth to his, to press her soft, rounded breasts against his hard chest. He ached to burrow his face in her curly chestnut hair and to inhale her intoxicating scent of coconut and lavender. Burned to bury himself in her and ride them both to a glorious release.

Seb groaned. That settled it. He wanted her, consequences be damned. He’d figure out a way to deal with the aftermath later. Who knows? Maybe she’d be the one to call it off.

Thanks to his misplaced sense of honor last night, Seb now had an uphill battle ahead of him, and he needed to be ready for the challenge. She’d fought her attraction to him from the moment they’d met. Now, any desire she’d felt for him had likely been crushed.

Seb looked over at his brother, who was now sitting on the deck with a laptop balanced on his knees.

“Working?” Seb asked.

“Gotta get through these reports before tomorrow.”

Seb snorted.

“Don’t laugh,” Val said. “My job isn’t all fieldwork, you know.”

“So you’ve said many times. But you’re so good at it I don’t know why they don’t just keep you in the field the whole time.”

Val gave a slight shrug. “I’m good at this, too. And everything has to be meticulously planned before I leave my desk. Can’t just go charging into an operation without doing the legwork.”

Seb nodded, understanding his brother’s position. It was getting to be more like that for him, now. It used to be different when all he’d needed to worry about was creating incredible dishes. When he was making a new dish, of course he thought about ingredients conceptually, but only for a short while. What he really needed to do was to get into the kitchen to test, try, and taste. For him, it was the hands-on work that was the most exhilarating—and the most productive. Not that he had much time to do that nowadays.

Speaking of hands-on work, he realized that he’d completely forgotten to take lovely Lexie up on that culinary throw-down. Mentally, he groaned. So much for thinking about his career. Now that his mind was on Lexie, he wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d gotten her to rise to his bait. But maybe there was a way to do both.…

Abruptly, he stood. “I have something to take care of.”

“Uh-huh,” responded Val, not bothering to look up from his computer.

Whether Val was on to him or not was of no consequence. He was going to see Lexie right now. Seb got up from the beach chair and put away his fishing pole. He hadn’t gotten a bite while fishing, but with luck, he might just hook a much bigger catch at the LMK.

Seb grabbed his black leather jacket from the deck and threw it over his shoulders. Keeping an eye on Val, he pulled on his black boots. When they were laced up, he placed one hand on the rail as leverage and swung his body over the side of the boat and onto the dock. Then he made a beeline for Lexie Meyers.

It took him all of five minutes to walk to the Kitchen, where he knew lunchtime service would just be beginning. On his way, he made a few phone calls. Everything was in place.

He burst through the front door of the restaurant, the door opening with a loud, satisfying smack. As the door chimes rang to signal his entry, all eyes turned toward him, including those of lovely Lexie, who was talking to a four-top of seniors. She was dressed in a short skirt and one of those frilly, feminine blouses she liked to wear. He took a long, slow look.

When she saw him, her brown eyes widened. She stood frozen as he stalked through the restaurant to where she was standing. Each table he passed was stunned into silence, followed by furtive whispers. He grinned, for once enjoying his bad-boy reputation. He was sixteen years old again, brash, cocky, and on top of the world—except this time he had the achievements and the power to back it up.

When he reached Lexie, he stopped right in front of her, deliberately forcing her to look up—way up—at him. Just let her try to talk her way out of this one with all of these witnesses.

“Lexie,” he said in a low rumble, “I’m back to make those arrangements we discussed a few nights ago.”

“Arrangements for what?” Lexie responded, pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about. Even as her voice remained steady, Seb could see her whole body was quivering. He couldn’t tell if it was from anger or nerves.

“You know what for,” he pressed. “As I recall, you told me you wanted satisfaction.”

One of the elderly ladies at the table gasped. Seb gave her one of his dirtiest grins. “That’s right,” he continued, turning back to Lexie. “Complete and utter satisfaction.”

Lexie began to turn a dull shade of red. To her credit, she ignored the whispered insinuations that were now wending their way through the room. “I’m working right now. Come back later,” she managed to grind out through clenched teeth.

“I’ll be in Boston later. Let’s do this now.”

“No. You listen to me,” Lexie hissed. “Get out before I kick you out.”

He’d love to see her try. A sprite of a woman pushing a giant man out the door. The thought of her straining against him, even in anger, made his temperature rise. Of course she could always get Buster to assist. Somehow, the thought of taking on Buster didn’t appeal to him as much. He changed his tactics.

Seb made a tsking sound with his tongue as he gave her a disappointed look. “I never thought you’d be one to back down from a challenge.”

“I’m not backing down. I’m just working right now. See?” She gestured around the restaurant. The gesture drew all the more attention to their conversation. Now, even the customers who hadn’t been paying attention to them began to stare.

“You promised me a throw-down. Winner takes all.” There was a gleam in his eyes as he deliberately distorted the terms of their agreement.

“I promised no such thing,” she challenged back.

“You would deny me?” he asked, his voice husky.

The whispering began anew and Lexie’s cheeks turned a fresh shade of red. “You’re making this worse,” she whispered. “Please just go.”

“Not until you agree to make arrangements with me,” he insisted.

“Fine,” she snapped. “If it’ll get you out of here. But I call the dish.”

This wasn’t part of his plan, but he gave her a little bow. “Your choice, my dear,” he said graciously. He fully expected her to choose something along the lines of her coconut cake. She paused only a second before she spoke.

“Crab cakes.”

“Crab cakes?” He was surprised. “Why those?”

Lexie didn’t bother giving him an explanation. “Crab cakes,” she repeated firmly. “You pick the date and time.”

Seb nodded. “Next week. Thursday evening. Nine o’clock, after your kitchen closes. The camera crew will be here at eight to set up.”

“Camera crew?” she squeaked.

He simply shrugged. The idea to make the challenge part of his upcoming show had been a stroke of genius. He’d already agreed to stick around Star Harbor for Jimmy’s wedding. If he was going to move things along with his TV show while he was here, Ivana would give him less grief. Plus, an appearance on the Cooking Channel could only help Lexie, too. “You could use the extra publicity for the LMK, right?” She nodded warily and he continued. “I’ve lined up two chefs from New York and Boston to judge.”

“I have someone I’d like to have judge, too,” she said, sounding remarkably composed given that he’d just sprung the taping on her.

“Who?” Seb asked. “Babs Kincaide.”

“Clam Shak owner Babs Kincaide?”

“You know another?” she retorted.

Seb had to hand it to Lexie. She was a shrewd woman. Not only would Babs be on her side, but she’d also represent the town. It didn’t hurt that Babs didn’t like him one bit—never had—and made no attempt to hide it. “Fine,” he agreed.

“Fine then. Now go.” Lexie looked pointedly at the door.

He wouldn’t kiss her, not here. Not in front of all of these people. As if she could read his mind, she turned her gaze to his lips and blushed an even deeper shade of red. He rewarded her with a sensual smile. Lexie blinked, but she didn’t look away. She had a backbone of steel, this one. He liked that.

“I’ll see you next Thursday, Lexie. Be ready for me.” Smiling, he turned on his booted heel and walked away.

* * *

A chill wind blew outside the LMK that Saturday evening after closing time. Thankfully, it was still warm and cozy inside.

Lexie stood behind the counter, facing Emma Newbridge, who sat perched on a high cushioned stool. It was quiet save for the sound of Dennis methodically mopping the floor. Lexie waited as the small auburn-haired woman studied a list of the dishes Lexie intended to prepare for Emma and Jimmy’s wedding, which was rapidly approaching.

Lexie turned to look at the only table that was still occupied. Julie Kensington, the local doctor, and Cameron Stahl, the owner of The Front Street Boutique, sat opposite each other in the far booth, each immersed in a book. The two women were close friends and Lexie had become friendly with them over the past few years. They seemed content with their books and tea, so Lexie left them alone. She averted her gaze to the sidewalk bordering the restaurant. Early fall leaves raced across the ground, and she could almost hear the rustling sound they must be making. Autumn was really here, no doubt about it. She’d make pumpkin muffins tomorrow morning.

Lexie tried to quell her racing mind. She should really be working on her crab cake recipe. What on Earth had prompted her to choose that dish? Well, it would be impossible to cancel now that Seb had reissued his challenge in front of half the town … and called in a camera crew.

Lexie shook her head. Lately it seemed as though all her witty retorts went out the window when Seb was around. She couldn’t even see straight, let alone think straight when he was in the room.

As she pondered the mystery that was Sebastian Grayson, the telephone rang in the kitchen.

“Sorry, Emma. I’ll be right back,” she said as she walked to the back and picked up the receiver on the old wall phone.

“LMK, Lexie speaking,” she answered. No response, just silence. Was someone there listening to her talk or had the line just gone dead? “Hello? Hello?” she repeated. “Hello?” She clicked the hook a few times, got no response, and finally gave up. It must be the line, she decided. The old phone had been giving her trouble for days. Replacing the phone on the hook, she walked back to the dining room, debating whether to call the repair guy or just upgrade the whole darn thing to a digital phone.

When she reached the counter, Emma finally looked up at her and smiled. “This is perfect. Exactly as we discussed.”

Lexie smiled. “Great!” she responded, whisking the paper away and tucking it into a manila folder that contained the rest of the materials she’d prepared for the wedding. “All right,” she said, pulling out another piece of paper and pushing it toward Emma. “Now for the fun stuff. Given your description of what you wanted, here’s my vision of your wedding cake. Remember that this is only a draft. I can change anything you want.”

Emma bent over the paper and studied it for a long time, her gaze lingering over the clean lines of Lexie’s drawing. Finally, Emma looked up and smiled. “It’s perfect. You completely captured the elegance and modernity I was hoping for.”

Lexie broke into a grin. “You were pretty specific about what you wanted. You won’t be disappointed, I promise!”

Emma took her hand. “I know we won’t be. And we spoke about doing different layers in different flavors. You can still do that?”

“Of course. Just tell me what flavors you want and I’ll make it happen.”

“Well, since I love lemon and James loves chocolate, we’d like to do the two biggest layers in those flavors.”

“Definitely. And for the top?”

“Your coconut, of course.”

Lexie smiled. “And I’ll cover the whole thing in white fondant, satin ribbons, and fresh flowers. It’ll look great.”

“Wonderful. I’m so excited that you’re doing the catering for us!”

“Well, I’m thrilled that my first wedding cake is going to be for you and Jimmy. And about the other desserts—we’re still going retro with the pecan squares and the lemon bars, right?”

“Absolutely. No need to compete with your cake.”

“Well, the other sweets will be delicious, too.”

“I know they will.” Emma lowered her big blue eyes for a moment, and when she looked up, they were shining with tears. “Oh, Lexie, I can’t believe this is happening so quickly.”

Lexie covered Emma’s hand with her own. “I’m not one to get all sentimental, but he’s a wonderful man and you’re going to be very happy together.”

“I just never dreamed this day would come. Talk about opposites attracting.”

Lexie smiled. “Look, I’ve heard the stories. He might have had a wild streak in high school, but now he’s a businessman and a model citizen. And you? You single-handedly kept the Inn running while Kate was getting chemo. In my mind, you’re two good people who were lucky enough to find each other.”

Emma laughed and gave a slight smile through her tears. “More like he found me and drew me out of my little shell.”

Lexie laughed, too. “All I’m saying is that regardless of what’s in your past, you’ve moved 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 shut the door. Rubbing her hands, which were cold and tingly from the outdoors, she walked over to her friends.

“Sorry to bother you, ladies, but I have to lock up for good.”

“Oh, wow! Is it nine-thirty already?” Cameron asked, her long black hair swinging as she finally looked up from her book. “I’ve got to get back to Boston tonight. I promised my parents I’d attend some fundraiser with them tomorrow.”

“What a life,” Lexie joked. The Stahls were members of Boston’s elite inner circle. Yet despite her family’s wealth and connections, Cameron had been responsible for her own success. Her first boutique, located on Boston’s Newbury Street, sold upscale home accessories, tasteful women’s clothing, and objets d’art that went fast with the Beacon Hill and Cape Cod sets.

“How’s business?”

“Star Harbor has been a good fit for my second shop. I’m glad I’m here.”

“I’m impressed with how well you managed the building permit issue with the town board.”

“Thanks.” Cameron smiled, showing off perfect white teeth. “I pride myself on my diplomacy. Believe me, it wasn’t easy to keep my cool when they’d jerked me around too many times to count. But I needed the permit, and I finally got it.”

“Had some issues with permits myself. I’ll bet you handled yours a bit more … tactfully,” Lexie said. “I’m not noted for my subtlety, in case you haven’t noticed by now.”

“Well, there is more than one way to skin a cat.”

“You said it.” She turned to Julie. “Are you working tomorrow?”

Julie shook her head, her sandy-blond ponytail flicking from side to side. “Nope, no clinic hours. I have a lot of paperwork to do, though, so I’ll probably go into the office for that. Insurance forms are the bane of my existence!”

“Well, come on by if you need a break.”

“I’ll do that,” she said, standing up and tucking her book into her bag. “Good night, Lexie.”

“ ’Night. Drive safe.”

She saw the two women to the front door and shut it behind them, hearing the firm click as the lock slid home.

Lexie appraised the dining room. Dennis must have left out the back door. She was alone in the quiet of her restaurant. The place was empty, all of the chairs stacked on top of the tables. The lights shone their artificial glare, keeping the black of night at bay, if only for a short while.