She hadn’t spoken much on the drive home, so Xander had chatted with Stella about the new art project she hoped to start this week and all the fun events about to take place in Butterfly Harbor to celebrate the Christmas season.
The season. Christmas. Xander sighed and scrubbed his hands through his damp hair. He hadn’t even started shopping yet and Christmas was only a couple of weeks away. This was one year he wouldn’t be able to fob off his list on his assistant—his former assistant hadn’t come back after maternity leave, and given the state of the company, hiring someone new hadn’t made any sense.
“First things first.” He wouldn’t be doing much of anything else until he got a handle on the sanctuary. It had to be his priority. He packed up his notebook, pens and pencils into his messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder, grabbed the sweatshirt and his hot cup of coffee and headed out.
He hadn’t thought the little town could get any more quiet, but he’d been wrong. Aside from the occasional seagull squawk and the rumbling wind blowing against his ears, he was utterly and completely alone.
Xander bypassed the lobby and stopped for a moment at the top of the hill to look down on Main Street. The only sign of life came from the diner, where he spotted a dark-haired woman wiping down the glass door and windows. He sipped at his coffee, a slow smile spreading across his mouth as he watched a man emerge from the diner and place a gentle hand on the swell of the woman’s stomach. They kissed and the woman snuggled her head into the crook of the man’s shoulder. He took the opportunity to remove the rag and spray bottle from her hand and gently led her back inside.
Feeling a bit like a voyeur, Xander shook himself free of the touching moment and turned toward the hill leading to Duskywing Farm.
“Whoops! Sorry about that.”
Xander screeched to a halt before the jogger careened into him. “My bad.” Xander held up his hands and circled around the man. “You’re Jason Corwin.”
“Guilty.” Jason grinned, an expression that caught Xander off guard. The celebrity chef was known for his surly, silent demeanor. At least that’s the impression he’d given on TV. “You must be Xander Costas.” He bent over for a moment to catch his breath. “Give me a sec. Whew. Okay. Now I can breathe. If I don’t get this out of the way first thing in the morning, it won’t happen. Nice to meet you.” He held out a hand.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m sorry.” Xander actually laughed as he returned the greeting. “I’m a big fan. My whole family, in fact. Because of you, I learned how to cook. Kind of.” Jason’s most recent cookbook had been the best birthday gift for his mother.
Jason’s grin widened. “‘Kind of’ is good. You heading up to the sanctuary site?”
“Calliope suggested it might provide me the inspiration I need. It’s just up that way, right?”
“Yeah. If you give me a few minutes to grab something to eat, I’ll go with you. Late start in the kitchen this morning plus Abby said something about needing to discuss napkin choices for the wedding. Come on.” He motioned for Xander to follow him into the inn.
A few minutes later, Xander found himself in one of the most glorious kitchens he’d ever seen. Pristine stainless-steel appliances, elegant marble countertops—industrial chic meets country practical.
“Wow. This place is amazing.” The whole inn was, actually, and served as a reminder to Xander to take some time to enjoy the details and construction of the renovated historic building before he left. “How does it compare to your restaurant back in New York?”
“It doesn’t.” Jason poured himself some coffee then grabbed a couple of fresh baked muffins off the baking sheet on the counter and handed one to Xander. “This is a million times better. Help yourself. Lemon-blueberry. Abby’s favorite.”
“Abby’s your fiancée, right? She made these?”
Jason cough-choked and shook his head. “Ah, yes, she is my fiancée, but no, she did not bake these muffins.” He chuckled and glanced up at the smoke detector as if it held fond memories. “I baked them before my run. Haven’t seen you at the restaurant since you arrived.”