Chapter 7
7
T he next day, Jace was at his restaurant. The lunch crowd was filtering in, and the place was filling up. The weather was exceptionally hot outside, so most of his customers were inside. Once again, his mind ran to the offer on the building next door, which would help alleviate this predicament of people waiting in line. During the lunch hour, that was a killer. People had limited time to eat, and he needed to get them fed before they left for somewhere else.
Hopefully, his offer will be accepted today. For about the hundredth time, he glanced at his watch, hoping Margo would call to tell him his offer was accepted. It was a fantastic offer; he knew that. She knew that. Hopefully, the owner will be overjoyed.
Delivering a plate to a group of ladies from the bank, who came in for their lunch hour every Friday, he grinned as he set their food in front of them.
"Ladies, looking good. We have the best-looking bank employees in the world."
They giggled. One of them crossed her arms over her ample chest and said, "I'll have you know I have a brain."
He laughed. "I have no doubt you are smart as a tack." She smiled, and Jace continued to the table next to theirs.
He took a food order and then turned to walk back to the kitchen, but he froze. Margo was standing in the doorway watching him.
Even the hair on the back of his neck rose at the look she was giving him. He nodded to her, took the order he had just taken to the kitchen, and then exited the kitchen to come back out to talk to her.
"Hello there. It's nice to see you."
"Oh, I'll bet it's nice to see me. You know it's offensive to women when you flirt like that."
Jace turned and looked at the happy faces in the crowd. Everybody was talking and laughing and eating their food.
"No one looks irritated. Which one? Point out which one is irritated with me."
"I didn't say there was anyone in particular. I just said it was offensive."
"You know, Margo, maybe if you'd lighten up, you'd have a little fun too. You seem to be a bit of a stick in the mud."
"I am not a stick in the mud."
"Really? Well, I can't imagine that you're much fun to be around. All you do is snap at me. And your shoulders are so stiff, and your jaw is so tight, it doesn't look like you've ever smiled."
"You're boorish."
"Well, maybe. But I'm fun."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Anyway, I delivered your offer to the seller, and she has accepted."
Margo pulled the offer from her bag. "Here's your copy. Closing's next week. Let me know the time of day you want to have the closing, and I'll have it arranged with the title company."
"Perfect. Thank you so much."
He looked the offer over quickly. "Did you want a raspberry iced tea or something a little stronger to help you loosen up a bit?"
"I don't need anything to loosen up a bit, Jace."
"Oh, I beg to differ. A beautiful woman like you should be smiling all the time."
"Maybe I have reason not to smile."
"Well, you might, but you're going to make a nice commission off of this sale, so that should be reason enough to smile. If it's not money, what is it?"
"Really, my personal life is none of your business. I'll be in touch about the closing." She turned and walked out, and Jace shook his head.
That woman was uptight.
As in Uptight.
Man. As he walked back to the kitchen, he saw Hanna and Quinn walking in.
"Hey there, you two. Are you here for lunch?"
Quinn grinned. "I sprung Hanna from the bakery. She doesn't get out for lunch much, but her mom is available today. So here we are."
"Fantastic. I'm sorry I don't have a table yet, but you can wait at the bar. It shouldn't be too long. Most people have to get back to work.”
Hanna giggled. "I'm one of those people. Good thing my mom knows the bakery like I do. Maybe better."
He winked. "You get full service from the owner every day here, lady. As soon as I can get you a table."
She laughed and walked to the bar with Quinn, and he stepped back into the kitchen, took a drink of water out of the bottle he had sitting on the counter, and then went back out, rotating his neck.
His encounter with Margo had irritated him. He wasn't sure why. When he walked back out to the dining room, he stopped at the bar to make sure Quinn and Hanna had gotten drinks.
"What can I get you two?"
Quinn looked at him. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. So good news, bad news, and good news."
"Okay." Quinn chuckled. "How about good news first?"
"All right. Well, I just made an offer on the thrift shop next door, and it was accepted today. So I'll need you to come and take a look at it for me so that we can make plans for expansion of the restaurant and the kitchen and tearing down the thrift store next door."
"Hey, buddy. Congratulations." Quinn reached out and shook his hand. "That's wonderful. What's the bad news?"
"Well, the bad news is, I don't know. I've offended Margo Price somehow, and she just came in to tell me about the offer being accepted, but apparently, she thinks I flirt too much or something."
Hanna nodded. "Well, I heard in the bakery that before Logan's death, they were on the rocks or something. She's probably kind of soured on men right now."
Jace nodded his head slowly. "Ah, that would make sense. She said I'm a flirt, and that's derogatory toward women, and that I -- well, basically that."
"I wouldn't take too much offense to it, Jace. I think she's going through a tough time right now. I was actually considering stopping in and talking with her, businessperson to businessperson, and I've known her for a few years, although it was back before I had returned home, so I thought maybe she could use a friend."
Jace nodded. "Well, that might help relieve her sour mood. After all, every time I see you, I smile."
Hanna smiled back, and Quinn grinned.
"All right, let's get your order taken, and then I'll feed you two. And Quinn, stop in and see me later on so we can talk about the expansion, either first thing in the morning or right after lunch, whatever your schedule will allow."
Quinn nodded. "Actually, Hanna and I were hoping we could come in this evening for dinner and talk to you about the wedding."
Jace nodded. "That'll work. Let's do it then."