Coral Cafe

Chapter 1-2

“Never mind that. I wish we could get inside the galley sooner. We’ll have to organize the menu and ingredients as quickly as we can.” Marina sliced another piece from their sample quiche and lifted it onto a cutting board. “Speaking of dates, have you heard from Dmitri?”

“He’s busy flying from one meeting to another,” Kai replied. “New York, Chicago, Miami. Raising money for a new theater production is a lot of work.”

“Think he’ll manage to come here? Ginger sure would like to meet the man you’re engaged to marry.” Marina cut the quiche into sample bites, arranging them on the platter they used for sampling. As she did, she thought about tonight’s job, hoping that Jean-Luc’s menu wouldn’t be too difficult.

“About that…” Kai’s voice drifted off, and she twisted the ends of her hair around a finger.

Marina sensed a note of uncertainty in her sister’s voice. “That didn’t sound like a vote of confidence.”

“I just want to be sure.”

“I can understand that. You’ve only known each other a few months, and you’ve spent half of that time here.” Marina was worried about this, too. Still, she was trying to support her sister.

Kai pursed her lips. “I’m going to push out the wedding.”

“I thought you had. Didn’t you tell Dmitri?” Marina placed an apple cinnamon muffin with a puffy top on the board and began to slice it into bite sizes. Kai had yet to wear the impressive ring Dmitri had given her, saying that it was too much for beachwear.

“I did, but I meant even farther out,” Kai said. “We have so much in common, but the more Dmitri pushes, the more I draw away. Or maybe it’s because we’re apart. Is that crazy or normal?”

“Ginger always tells us to listen to our instincts,” Marina said, arranging the muffin bites beside the quiche. “Dmitri is perfect on paper, and your clock is ticking. But you need to spend more time together. Kai, this will be a long-playing role, not a weekend marquee in Cleveland. Get to know each other better—beyond the first crush stage.”

“And that’s another thing,” Kai said, replenishing the cookies on display under the glass domes Marina had found in their grandmother’s china cabinet. “Dmitri wants me to quit this theater company. He says I’ve outgrown it, and I need to land larger roles in New York.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Her sister was on break from her usual musical theater tour for the summer.

“It is, so there’s truth in what he says, but I want that to be my decision.” Kai clasped her hands and leaned on the table. “The theater company is like family. Still, Dmitri and I will probably live in New York after we’re married, so maybe it’s time to get on with our future.” A pensive expression shadowed Kai’s face. “Sure will miss spending summers here, though.”

Marina picked up the platter and paused. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with our friend Axe, would it?” The contractor and his crew were working on the damaged guest cottage.

“He’s not interested in me,” Kai said, dipping her chin. “We’re just friends.”

“Many of the best relationships began as friendships.”

“Like you and Jack?”

“Try again,” Marina said, pursing her lips. That fluttery feeling she had in her chest when she thought of him was now annoying. Marina wasn’t ready to upend her life for any man. At forty-five, she was past that. He’d probably sensed that, which would explain why she hadn’t heard from him. Still, he could have called. She supposed she could have been the one to call, but she wanted it to be his idea.

She wiped fingerprints from a glass dome. Maybe they’d both gotten the proverbial cold feet after that evening.

Unlike Kai, Marina knew how marriage worked. She’d followed her husband from one military base to another before he died. Now, her life was in flux, and her children still depended on her. To their credit, Heather and Ethan were preparing to be more responsible out of necessity. After Marina had lost her job, they’d had the honest family talk about finances.

Now, Marina didn’t have long to ramp up, so a relationship would only take time away from the new cafe. She had to be smart and give everything she had to this new venture.

And then there was Jack’s predicament. She twisted her lips to one side and frowned.

“Hey, what’s that look?” Kai asked.

“What look?”

Kai folded her arms and nodded. “The Jack look.”

“I do not have a Jack look,” Marina said, wiping her hands on a dishtowel and snapping on a fresh set of food handling gloves. “And stop diverting the conversation.”

Kai shrugged. “Ginger says their work on the book is going well. And Jack’s been spending a lot of time with Leo.”

“As a father should,” Marina said evenly. “Jack has ten years to catch up on.”

“And with Leo’s mom.”

Marina pressed her lips together. “This is not a competition. Jack should appreciate the time he has with Vanessa before...” She paused, thinking of the poor woman’s health crisis. “There’s a lot he needs to learn about his son. It’s only right.”

Kai sighed. “Do you think there’s any hope for Vanessa’s condition?”

“I wish…for Leo’s sake.” Marina couldn’t quite understand why Vanessa hadn’t told Jack about Leo until now. From the way Vanessa looked at Jack, she clearly adored him.

Or maybe Jack had been the problem.

More red flags.

Kai touched Marina’s shoulder. “Hey, Grady was a jerk and never deserved you. And it’s been eighteen years since Stan died. It’s okay to let yourself be attracted to someone and try again.”

“Jack’s situation is too complicated for me,” Marina said. “I’m busy, and he can deal with his life just fine without me.” She pushed the sample tray into Kai’s hands. “Go work your magic. We need customers now. The sooner we sell out, the sooner we can leave and plan for this evening. And I have a food order to pick up.”

Marina passed a hand over her eyes. Despite her words, she truly felt for each of them—Jack, Vanessa, and especially young Leo. Jack should be spending time with them. This wasn’t jealousy she was feeling, was it?

Kai grinned. “We’ll be sold out in no time.” Humming the opening notes to a show tune, she raised the platter and stepped into the aisle as if she were stepping into the spotlight.

Watching her sister, Marina laughed. Only Kai could pull this off. She thought about how long it had been since she and Kai had spent time together like this. And if Kai were to marry soon, this would probably be their last summer, except for the occasional vacation. A wistful knot formed in her throat. Just as Marina was finding her freedom, Kai was on the opposite path. Marina pursed her lip. Their last summer.

“Fresh-baked goodies,” Kai called out. “Free samples right here.”

Marina truly appreciated Kai’s efforts. Since arriving in Summer Beach, Marina had been nursing her wounded pride over Grady. It hadn’t been long since she’d discovered her fiancé had become engaged to a pop star—while she was delivering the morning news on KSFB, a San Francisco Bay area television station. She’d lost her composure on the air and quit before her boss could fire her in front of the crew.

By the end of the day, Marina’s shocked, bumbling reaction had become an instant meme hit on social media, while late-night talk shows ran endless clips to roaring laughter. Even worse, Grady was the first man she’d seriously dated since Stan had died.

Marina brushed her hands and lifted her chin. That was all behind her, and she had a lot more to worry about than the Gradys and Jack Ventanas of the world.

Such as thirty lobsters. And what could Anne’s comment about dietary preferences mean? Probably gluten-free or dairy-free. Maybe vegan or shellfish allergies. Or preference-driven.

That she could handle, but until she saw Chef Jean-Luc’s pantry supplies, she had no idea what she could substitute. Had he made arrangements?

Marina drew a breath and considered her options.

When she had been a morning news anchor, she knew her routine. After reviewing the written newscast, reading the script, and confirming pronunciations of names and places, she’d carefully put on makeup, dress, and style her hair—her appearance was the source of the most frequent comments. She’d clip on her microphone and adjust her earpiece to receive cues from the producer or director. The control room could be in chaos, but she would remain calm.

Marina exhaled. That’s how she would run her kitchen. She would prepare for the unexpected. Risotto, she thought. Or pasta. Steamed vegetables. Marina considered easy dishes she could prepare and have on standby for requests. She could do this. What could go wrong?

Suddenly, someone yanked her apron ties, pulling her off balance. She stumbled backward. Surprised and angered, Marina swung around. “Hey, what gives you the right—”

A yellow Labrador retriever held the apron ties in its mouth and tilted its head. Its tail beat against the plastic cooler bins stacked to one side. A leash hung from the collar around its neck, and its paws were wet and sandy.

“Wrong, Scout,” she cried, tugging the fabric from the dog’s mouth, but he took this as a sign to play and tightened his jaw grip. She tried to keep from laughing as the overgrown puppy dug in and pulled back. “Where’s your dad?”

A tall man in a faded T-shirt and jeans rushed through the crowd. “Hey, boy, cut it out.” Towering over the pup, Jack pointed to the damp apron ties. “Drop it. Sit.”

With doleful eyes, Scout obeyed, though the dog could hardly contain his enthusiasm. His tongue hung from one side of his mouth, and his tail wagged against Marina’s calves. She reached down and rubbed Scout’s head and neck. “Haven’t seen you in a while, buddy.”

“Or you.” Jack ran a hand over thick brown hair in need of a haircut.

Marina glanced up and caught his gaze that sparkled with interest. Or was that her imagination? “Because of you, I have to scrub up again.” She could simply change her gloves, but this would give her an excuse to get away from Jack.

She paused. Why did she want to flee from him?

Because he’s dangerous, that’s why. Her heart might overwhelm her common sense around Jack. And she had no certificate of guarantee that he wouldn’t go all Grady on her and show up with a bikini-clad twenty-something. Plenty of them on the beach and everywhere you looked in town. The drawback to a beach village was the youthful, well-toned competition.

Not that she was in a competition with anyone. Marina stood and leveled her gaze at Jack. She was past the race for a husband, past the competition from younger women angling for her job at a news desk. And certainly past men who disappeared like holograms.

“How is the book?” Marina asked lightly.

“Coming along. Ginger is amazing.”

“We’ve always thought so.” Marina shifted, trying not to stare into eyes so blue they took her breath away. “And Leo?”

“Great kid—all thanks to Vanessa, of course. I don’t deserve him.”

An awkward silence ensued.

Marina thought about the situation and wondered if Vanessa had truly exhausted all treatment, though it wasn’t any of her business.

Scout pawed at Marina’s apron and wagged his head.

“He has your cheesy grin,” Marina said, scratching Scout behind the ears, which were also damp and smelled of saltwater. Scout rolled into her arms. He was irresistible, especially with his awkward gait from an injury that never slowed him down.

“Look, I’ve been awfully busy, but I thought you might like to join me tonight for dinner—”

“Tonight? Sorry, I have major plans.” Marina bristled at his last-minute invitation, especially considering his lousy follow-up history. She didn’t need this kind of distraction.

“Then how about—”

“Awfully busy,” Marina said, echoing his excuse. She picked up Scout’s leash and handed it to Jack. “You should use this. Or is that how you get the girls?”

“Guess I deserved that.” Jack took the leash. “Come on, Scout. We’ve got work to do.”

Maybe she’d been too sharp with him, even he deserved it. After all, he was working with her grandmother. She threw up her hands. “Jack,” she began.

He swung around, hope etched on his face.

“You should spend time with Vanessa.”

Stymied again, Jack blinked heavily and nodded before moving on with Scout.

Marina stepped from her post and made her way toward Kai, who was handing out samples farther down the aisle.

“Would you mind the store? I’ve got to wash up.” Marina held out her hands and angled her chin in Scout’s direction. “Eau de wet dog.”

Kai’s eyes lit. “You talked to Jack?”

“Nothing new there. Be right back.” Marina made her way toward the community facilities on the beach next to the farmers market. Even if she hadn’t been busy tonight, she couldn’t believe the nerve of Jack asking her out tonight. Maybe she was old-school, but she had no intention of being anyone’s date-of-convenience.

Marina shook her head, banishing Jack from her mind. She had a critical job tonight that could solidify her reputation in Summer Beach—or destroy it. No one was going to deter her from that.

Certainly not Jack Ventana, the master of disappearance.