Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Terrence climbed into his car, letting out a long sigh. He muttered things under his breath as he started the engine of his car. The hotel he’d just finished inspecting needed a lot of work done. The rooms weren’t properly heated, and there was mold growing in the basement. It wasn’t so bad that he felt it needed to be shut down, but the owners definitely needed to get their act together. He felt flustered because the man had argued with him over everything for almost half an hour, complaining that mold in the basement wasn’t the same as mold in the rooms and it shouldn’t matter all that much. Terrence had turned a bit red in the face and lectured the man sternly on the nature of mold and health regulations.
It was later than he’d expected to be done with the job, and his stomach growled aggressively. As he began to drive back in the direction of Rosewood Beach, he thought to himself that he’d like to stop somewhere for dinner.
All at once a smile spread across his face. He knew just where he wanted to eat—The Lighthouse Grill wasn’t far from where he was at all. He hadn’t been there since the community Christmas event, but he was eager to order something off their delicious menu. He didn’t admit it to himself, but he was also eager to have a chance to see Vivian Owens again.
As he drove, he found himself thinking about the Christmas party, and what an entirely wonderful evening it had been. Well, almost entirely wonderful. There had been an awkward moment when Judd McCormick, the owner of the McCormick Brewery, had tried to make trouble. It seemed he’d set himself up as a rival of the Owens family, and he’d come to the pub trying to get people to leave the Christmas event and go to his brewery for free beer instead.
Terrence shook his head as he remembered it. It had been a petty, almost childish thing to do in his opinion, and he’d politely but firmly given Judd a piece of his mind. He didn’t like that the other man felt he could come into The Lighthouse Grill and essentially bully Vivian and her children.
He recalled that Vivian had told him that the Owens had created the Christmas event in response to a quote from Judd that had been published in a local magazine. Judd had hinted that the Owens family was unprofessional and not business-like, and they’d decided to show him that they weren’t running a business for the same reason he was—profit. Instead, they were focused more on the community and bringing the people of Rosewood Beach together.
Terrence smiled as he drove. He admired the Owens family, especially Vivian. He felt that the way they’d handled the rivalry with the McCormick family was admirable, especially considering they hadn’t started the rivalry in the first place. Whenever Judd McCormick tried to spark a fire, the Owens were quick to put it out.
He thought about how Vivian had stood up to Judd McCormick at the Christmas event, not letting him continue to bad-mouth her pub. He was impressed with her, not only for standing up for herself and her family but for doing it in such a polite fashion.
Terrence was a strong believer in politeness. He did his best to remain polite even when working with difficult business owners, and he’d remained polite with Judd McCormick when giving him a piece of his mind at the Christmas party, even though what he would have preferred to do would have been give him a good sock in the jaw. Through his work health-inspecting the pub, Terrence had grown to respect the Owens family a great deal, especially Vivian, and he didn’t like the way Judd tried to treat them.
He continued to reminisce about the past as he drove, thinking about a great many different things. He found that his thoughts kept circling back to The Lighthouse Grill, and he felt more excited about going there the closer he got to the pub.
A few minutes later, he arrived at The Lighthouse Grill. He parked his car carefully and then got out eagerly. He told himself that he should order something from the menu he’d never had before, but he felt a craving for the lasagna he’d had the last time he’d ordered a meal there.
He went into the warm, fragrant restaurant. The alluring aromas of garlic and French fries filled the air, and his stomach growled again.
“Terrence!”
He turned to see Alexis leaning against the wall near the front door, snacking on a basket of sweet potato fries. She was smiling broadly at him.
“Hello, Alexis.” He nodded at her, returning her smile.
“It’s great to see you.” She wiped her fingers off on her waitressing apron and shook his hand. “We haven’t seen you since the Christmas party, I think.”
“That’s right. I’ve been wanting to come back, but I’ve been so busy. Unusually busy for this time of year.” He had an urge to look around the room for Vivian, to see if she was also there, but he fought it. He didn’t want to be rude to Alexis by looking away during their conversation.
“We’re glad you’re back. Where would you like to sit? How about a booth?”
“Sure. A booth sounds nice, thank you.”
He followed her over to a booth placed in front of one of the windows, allowing himself a glance around the dining room. He didn’t see Vivian, and he felt a trifle disappointed. As he sat down at the booth, he gestured to the basket of fries in Alexis’s hand.
“Why aren’t you taking a proper meal break, young lady? Don’t you get one, or do you have to just sneak fries?”
She laughed. “No, I get one. And I know our chef would be happy to make me a full meal. The trouble is that I—or, I guess, my baby—never really knows what we want to eat.” She patted her stomach, and Terrence chuckled.
“And right now it’s sweet potato fries?”
“Yup.” She grinned and popped another one in her mouth, then gestured to his menu while she swallowed. “Do you know what you’d like to order?”
“Hmm, there’s just one of me here, but I still might have some trouble making up my mind too. Last time I was here I had the lasagna, and it was incredible, but I also want to try something new.”
“Well, I can recommend coming back again soon.” She chuckled. “That puts less pressure on your decision today.”
“So true.” He smiled as he perused the menu. His eyes lighted on the option of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and he immediately knew he wanted to order that, since meatloaf was one of his favorite foods. “I’ll take the number four entrée,” he told her, pointing to it. “With a side of cooked carrots.”
“You got it.” She scribbled down his order in her waitressing notebook. “And on the subject of sides—could I ask you a quick question?”
“Uh, yes.” He blinked in surprise, unsure of why Alexis suddenly looked so excited.
“What do you think of Brussels sprouts as a side?” she asked him, grinning. “Would you order that?”
“Hmm, I think I would. Well-cooked Brussels sprouts can be really delicious.”
“Thank you!” she sang out, looking thrilled. “We appreciate your feedback. Your order will be right up.” Smiling, she disappeared into the kitchen.
Terrence looked around the dining room again, wondering if Vivian might appear. A moment later, as if she’d read his thoughts, she stepped out of the kitchen.
He repressed an immediate impulse to wave to her. She noticed him watching her, and she blinked as if he made her feel a bit nervous. She glanced at him and then started to walk toward another part of the room.
I suppose she’s too busy to come talk to me, he thought, feeling disappointed. I would have liked to have a conversation with her, though. I felt as though we’d become friends over Christmas.
But a moment later she turned around and started walking toward him, smiling right at him. He waved at her then, smiling back.
“Welcome back to The Lighthouse Grill, Terrence,” she told him, extending her hand for a handshake.
“It’s good to see you again, Vivian,” he said warmly, shaking her hand firmly.
“You as well.” Although she was smiling, she spoke a bit stiffly, and he could tell she had her guard up a little. “Did someone take your order?”
“Yes, Alexis did. I ordered the mashed potatoes and meatloaf.”
“Great choice. We make our meatloaf using some of our secret sauce. It’s really something special.”
He smiled at her, hoping she might decide to sit down across from him to catch up.
“Did you put in a drink order?” she asked him.
He shook his head. “I forgot to. I would like a glass of water, however.”
“You got it. I’ll be right back.”
She walked away across the dining room, and he turned to look out the window. The streetlights shone warmly outside, lighting up the sparkling snow. The windows of the businesses across the street glowed a cheerful golden color. A couple of cars passed along the cozy Rosewood Beach street, their headlights adding movement to the light display.
“Here you are.” Vivian set down the water glass next to Terrence. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, that’ll be all I need, thank you.” He smiled, wanting to mention that he’d love it if she had a moment to talk with him, but not wanting to be too forward.
She seemed to be hesitating about something, and after a moment she cleared her throat gently. “Is there any special reason why you stopped by?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, feeling the tips of his ears get pink.
“I mean, is everything all right? Are you here on health inspector business?”
“No, not at all,” he assured her hurriedly. “I’m just here to eat.”
Hazards of the occupation, he thought with an internal sigh. People get nervous when I show up at their restaurants.
“Oh, well.” Her smile lost its nervous edge. “We’re glad you’re here.”
He cleared his throat. “I know I’m the health inspector, and I know I was a bit stubborn about the timing of your air vents getting replaced, but I hope me coming here doesn’t make you nervous. I understand that it was a lot for you to have to get that done just before your Christmas event. But I’m not always a stickler. Sometimes I just go places to get a good meal, and I know I can get one here.”
“Oh, it’s all right, Terrence. I understand that you needed to do your job correctly. I appreciate it.”
He cleared his throat, nodding. He didn’t quite know what to say. “Doing things correctly is important to me.”
“I know.” She arched a brow at him. “You’re a man with high standards.”
“Some might say too high. Some do.”
“Some might say you’re too picky.”
He chuckled. “Health is very important. It doesn’t do to let even one thing slip. Those little things can add up to bigger problems later.”
“Spoken just like a nit-picky person.”
They laughed as they bantered, but he felt a trifle disappointed that she still saw him as just a nit-picky health inspector. He’d hoped she’d come to see him as more than that.
In the next moment, Alexis appeared with his food. “Here you are, Terrence. Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, and a side of cooked carrots with whipped butter.”
“I’ll let you eat your meal. Nice to see you, Terrence.” Vivian smiled and walked away.
“Thanks, Alexis,” Terrence said as she set the plate down. “This all looks wonderful.”
“It tastes that way too.” She brushed her hands together, a look of pride crossing her face. “Just holler if you need anything.”
She walked away, and Terrence was left alone with his disappointment that Vivian hadn’t stayed to have a longer conversation with him. Once he took a bite of his food, however, there was no room in him for disappointment. He grunted with delight, and hurriedly took another bite. It was the best meatloaf he’d ever had.
He smiled to himself as he ate. Even though Vivian hadn’t remained to talk with him, it didn’t mean they weren’t friends anymore. He was sure she was a very busy woman, and perhaps it was a good sign that she’d stopped to speak with him at all. He was glad that he’d made it clear he wasn’t there for a health inspection, and he was determined to come back again soon. He told himself it was simply to have more of the fantastic food, but deep down he knew he was hoping to have a longer conversation with Vivian.