Christmas at the Restaurant (The Nantucket Restaurant #2)(2)

“Is everything okay?” Mandy asked.

“Yes! Everything is fine. Billy and I were just talking and—well, I remembered you said we were welcome to stay with you anytime and that you had plenty of room with Cory gone.”

“Yes, did you guys want to come for Nantucket Stroll?” They’d talked about it ages ago. The first weekend in December was the famous Nantucket Stroll, when all the stores were decorated for the holidays and restaurants reopened or stayed open until the weekend for a final hurrah before closing for the winter.

“Yes. We’d love to come over Thursday afternoon, if that works?”

“Of course. We could use your help at the restaurant too. It should be a busy weekend.”

“Good. It will be fun to get behind the bar again. Billy said he’s happy to help too.” Mandy thought about that for a moment. Billy Carmanetti was tall, dark-haired and very charming. The ladies would love him.

“Maybe we’ll have him help at the front desk, greeting people and making them feel welcome.”

Jill laughed. “That’s perfect. If it’s okay with you, we’d like to stay for a few weeks. Through New Year’s Eve, if that’s not too much. If it is, we can head to the White Elephant.”

Mandy suddenly felt her mood lift even more. “Jill, I would love that. It would be great to have you guys here all month. Truth be told, I could use the company. It’s been a little hard. This time of year.”

“I wondered if it might be. We will totally cheer you up. We’ll do all the things—baking, eating, Christmas shopping and just relaxing and enjoying some good wine. I can’t wait to catch up with you and Emma, and Paul too. It’s going to be a great Christmas.”

They talked for almost an hour, until they both started yawning. Mandy hung up and headed upstairs to go to bed, feeling relaxed and for the first time, looking forward to the weeks ahead.





Mandy dropped the kids off at school the next morning and as she turned onto Main Street and toward the restaurant, her phone rang. She smiled as she answered the call.

“Hi, Matt.”

“Good morning.” His rich, deep voice was one of the first things she’d noticed about him. He stopped smoking years ago, but there was still a slight rasp. “Did you by chance hear me out on the water last night? We were out late fishing and on our way in, we passed by and I flashed my lights and tooted the horn. I didn’t want to call you, as it was late, around ten.”

She laughed. “I did see a boat out there, but I didn’t make the connection that it was you. How did you do?”

“Not a single bite, but I expected that. Fish are mostly gone. It was a fun time, though. I hadn’t seen Kevin in a while, so it was good to have a few beers and catch up. I’m checking in to see if we’re still on for dinner tonight?”

“Yes, definitely. Cory has the kids, and I’m looking forward to it.” Mandy loved her children, but also valued her quiet time with Matt. They were both so busy that she only saw him once or twice a week.

“Great, I’ll come by around seven, and we’ll see what we’re in the mood for. Maybe The Gaslight?” It was one of their favorite restaurants.

Mandy was still smiling as she ended the call and pulled up to Mimi’s Place. Things were going well with Matt. They’d started dating recently as he’d been coming into the restaurant regularly with friends for dinner or even sometimes by himself after work and usually ate at the bar. They’d chatted often when it was slow, and Matt knew she was going through a divorce. While she’d sensed some interest from him many months ago, she’d also made it clear that she wasn’t ready to date.

It wasn’t until after her sister Jill’s wedding in August that Mandy suddenly noticed Matt in a different way. And she finally felt ready. Unlike her ex-husband, Cory, who never had a stretch where he wasn’t dating. Even though Mandy had asked for the divorce, it still hurt, for a long time, when she’d see him out and about with someone new. And the women he dated seemed to get younger and younger. The most recent one, Hannah, was only twenty-three years old. Cory was quite proud of that, according to what Mandy heard from some of their mutual friends. They all thought he was an idiot and that Hannah was likely only interested in his money.

Mandy supposed there was some truth to that, but Cory was a good-looking guy, too. He was fit and vain, and he still had really good hair. Mandy sighed. She didn’t miss Cory as much as she missed what they once had. At one time, they were a close-knit, happy family and she’d loved chatting with him about his work over dinner. But, those days were gone.

Since she’d started dating Matt, she’d discovered that it was nice to have someone ask how her day was for a change. There was always something to talk about with Mimi’s Place and she enjoyed hearing about Matt’s work too with his boat business. He was easy to talk to and to laugh with. So far, things were going really well. Sometimes she worried that it almost seemed too easy.

Both Emma and Jill had suggested that she date other people. They liked Matt but were wary of her getting too serious too fast. She understood their concern, but there hadn’t been anyone else she’d been interested in dating. She assured them that they were taking things slow and were both just really enjoying each other’s company. She wasn’t looking for anything to change.