A young couple sitting in the far corner of the restaurant waved at her, interrupting her thoughts, and Kara, with a smile, went over to see what they needed. She often helped at Sullivan’s Place on baseball nights. Usually, when Larkin Bay’s adult baseball league descended on the pub for wings and beer after their games, the spectators all tagged along too, and that made for a hectic night at the restaurant. Even with every member of Mark’s small staff running flat out, it seemed like there were never enough hands.
Kara also enjoyed socializing on these shifts. She knew most of the patrons that came in and usually not only delivered them their drinks but also chatted and caught up with them too. She loved living in a small town where she knew everyone; Larkin Bay was a place she never wanted to leave.
After visiting with several tables in the section she was covering, Kara found herself waiting for Mark to fill a tray with her next drink order. As she did, she glanced over at all the happy, crowded tables and tried to imagine walking in here, like Scott would, knowing no one. It would be hard, as everyone seemed to know someone else and have a spot where they were welcome to sit and join friends.
A few minutes later, Mark called over to tell Kara that her drinks were ready, and she returned to the bar to hoist the heavy tray onto her hip. The other servers who worked there could lift the trays higher and often carried them at shoulder height around the room, but Kara was just too small to do it comfortably.
“Hey, shorty,” called out one patron. “Do you need help?”
Kara smiled and shook her head as she bounced her tray against her side, then rolled her eyes good-naturedly as another of the regulars kidded her about her unorthodox style.
After delivering the drinks, Kara stood for a minute chatting with the friends she had served. She was updating them about Maeve’s fainting spell when she suddenly had a feeling that she was being watched. And from the tingle curving up her spine, she was quite certain she knew who it was.
Smiling self-consciously, she turned and looked toward the bar, where she saw Scott had claimed an empty stool and now sat there openly staring at her. When he saw her look his way, he tipped his baseball cap toward her and gave her a slow, confident, sexy grin.
No wonder Maeve giggled and batted her silky eyelashes at this man every time she saw him, Kara thought—his smile was irresistible.
Well, I’m not going to run over to him as soon as he tips his hat in my direction.
Instead, Kara gave him a small but casual wave of acknowledgment, then turned away to finish the conversation she was having. She didn’t know much about flirting with a man, but right now, playing at least a little hard to get seemed like a good idea.
A few moments later, Kara hoisted her now-empty tray into her arms and made her way over to where he was sitting. “Well, fancy running into you again,” she said, grinning up at him while handing the tray over the bar to Mark. “How did you know everyone gathers here after baseball?” she asked.
“I told him,” Mark replied, sliding a pint over the counter. “It was just a friendly suggestion to help him settle into town and benefit my business at the same time. I hope you’re a big drinker,” he joked, nodding at Scott.
Scott laughed. “I’ll do my best, but no promises,” he replied, then turned and addressed Kara. “I didn’t realize you worked here too.”
“I don’t. I mean, I do in that I help serve customers, but I don’t get paid. I help Mark out on Thursdays because baseball nights are so nutty, and I usually end up coming here after a game anyway. I help serve a little just to keep things running smoothly. It’s a twin thing, I guess.”
Scott nodded. “It must be nice having a brother. It’s one thing I wonder about sometimes, how my life would have been different if I’d had a sibling.”
Kara laughed. “Well, it worked out well for us, but believe me, I’ve seen many siblings that don’t help each other and cause more grief than joy.” She leaned closer to him. “Don’t tell Mark I said this, but I think I might’ve just been lucky that he grew up to be such a great guy. Trust me, sometimes when we were younger, I could have happily killed him. He used to tease me constantly.”
Scott chuckled.
Mark leaned over the bar and handed Kara a glass of ice water with a slice of lemon. “Is she talking about me?” he asked. “If so, don’t believe a word she says. I was the perfect brother when we were growing up, but if you want to hear some real horror stories about sisters, come in on a night when it’s not so busy and I’ll regale you with tales about my twin that’ll make your toes curl.”
Kara carefully took her drink from Mark, then swatted at him with her free hand. “Stop it, brother dearest, before I pour my ice water on your head,” she chirped back.
Mark grinned and pointed to a booth across from the bar, where a couple was throwing bills on the table and pulling on spring coats over their baseball jerseys. “If you two want, I think a booth is freeing up. It’s slowing down here, so I can do without your help for a bit,” Mark said.
Scott gave Kara a questioning look, and at her nod, he picked up his jacket and beer. Together, they made their way over to the now-empty booth and slid onto the benches.
“Send over a plate of nachos too,” shouted Kara to her brother once they were seated. “Feed your beloved sister, who works so hard for you for no pay.”
“Will do,” answered Mark cheerfully.
Kara straightened up in the booth seat across from Scott and put her glass on the thick cardboard coaster in front of her. As she gazed silently across the table at Scott, she felt her mouth suddenly go dry. She desperately wanted to come up with something light and witty to say but instead found herself tongue-tied and feeling self-conscious. How did this happen? Being seated in the confines of a high-backed booth, she suddenly felt like she was close to Scott in an unsettling, intimate way.
“Thank you,” she said to the young man cleaning their table. After he had finished setting up their silverware and left, she smiled shyly over at Scott.
“So,” he said easily. “Tell me about yourself. We’ve spent a lot of time together, but I don’t really know that much about you.”
“There’s not much to tell,” Kara replied. “My mom moved to Larkin Bay with my father when she was pregnant, and they bought the old farmhouse where the garden center’s main offices are now located. Then we were born, and Dad decided he didn’t like small-town life much and left. We haven’t heard a lot from him since.”
“Really?”
Kara shrugged. “Yeah, sad but true. Both Mark and I grew up here, then went to college, and now we’ve both returned to run our businesses here. We know everyone in Larkin Bay and everyone in town knows us. It’s a dull, predictable, safe life, and I love it.”
Scott nodded and was about to say something in reply, but was interrupted when a tall redheaded woman stopped by the table.
“Hey, Kara,” the woman cooed while looking Scott up and down in a predatory fashion that he remembered all too well from his days playing major league baseball.
“Hey, Elizabeth,” answered Kara, clasping both hands on the table in front of her. Her smile was both amused and resigned as she watched the other woman check out Scott. “This is Scott and, Scott, this is Elizabeth,” she finally said.
“Hi,” he said, smiling briefly at Elizabeth, then looking over at Kara to see how well she knew this provocatively dressed woman who was now leaning over their table showing off a lot of cleavage.
“Well, hello to you too,” purred back the other woman. She held out a hand with long, red-tipped fingers toward Scott. “I’m Kara’s sister-in-law.”
Kara snorted. “No, you’re not. Jamie and I were never married, so actually, you’re Maeve’s aunt—that’s all.”
Kara turned to Scott. “We didn’t get this far in our get-to-know-you conversation yet, but Jamie is Elizabeth’s older brother and Maeve’s father. We dated throughout high school and most of college. He was just finishing his degree when I found out I was pregnant with Maeve. He, however, did not see fatherhood in his immediate plans, and I couldn’t see doing anything else but having the baby. So now, he’s in the city, supposedly following his dream, and I’m here with Maeve, and everyone is happy.” Kara finished firmly and Scott couldn’t help but notice that the smile she shot Elizabeth when she finished her story seemed a little strained.
“Yes, our Kara is just like her mother, a single mom raising a child and working all hours of the day. No time for fun for her,” trilled Elizabeth.
Kara rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Scott gave Elizabeth an uncomfortable smile. “I see,” he replied.
