The Restaurant (The Nantucket Restaurant #1)(57)

“Open it and see.” Emma topped off their glasses with a bit more wine and settled in her chair to watch him open his first gift. She hoped he liked it. She’d tried to think of something she knew he needed and wanted, but she worried a little that he might think her gift was too practical, not as exciting as a fancy sweater or something.

She knew she’d made the right decision though when he opened the box with the razor-sharp chef’s knife. It was a professional grade and she remembered he’d complained the last time she was at his place that his knives were pitiful and he really should get new ones.

“Em, this is awesome. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like it. There’s something else in there… keep going.”

He reached in and pulled out a box that held two sauté pans, both a pretty shade of blue-green.

“These look nice, too.”

“Have you heard of them? They’re called Green Pans and I saw them on Instagram. Someone was raving about how awesome they are and they’re non-stick too, so easy to clean.”

Paul smiled. “I love them, thank you.”

He stood and pulled her into his arms for a thank you hug. And then surprised her by lightly touching his lips to hers ever so briefly for a kiss.

“Now don’t freak out. I just wanted to thank you properly. Well, that’s not entirely true. I think you know I want more than that. But I know you’re not ready.”

But Emma had been thinking about her friendship with Paul a lot lately and after speaking with Jill earlier, she realized that maybe she didn’t need to wait any longer. Maybe she and Paul were sort of already there, just not officially dating.

So she surprised him by leaning in and kissing him back.

“Maybe it’s been long enough,” she said.





Chapter 27





Three months later


Mandy met Jill and Emma at the Club Car for Friday night drinks a little after six. Cory had the children, so she didn’t have to rush home and she was excited to be out with her sisters. It was a rare night that they all were off and they had something to celebrate.

Once they were settled at the bar and had their cocktails of choice, chardonnay for Mandy and Emma and a dill pickle martini for Jill, Jill proposed a toast.

“Happy Divorce day, Mandy!”

“Congratulations,” Emma added.

“Thanks you guys.” It was a bittersweet day. They’d signed the final divorce paperwork earlier that morning. Mandy was relieved that it was over, but also there was a lingering sadness at the same time. Her lawyer, Taylor, had been incredible. She’d worked out a settlement with Cory’s attorney that was more generous than Mandy had expected. And because both parties agreed, the process also went more quickly than she’d anticipated.

She and Cory had settled into a fairly amicable relationship. They both wanted what was best for the kids and that meant getting along as best possible. Mandy limited their communication to specifics about the kids, pickup and drop-off coordination. And Cory finally seemed to realize that it was truly over.

“How are you feeling about it?” Emma asked gently.

“I’m good, now. I had a mini-meltdown earlier before I had to go sign the papers. It just hit me that it was really over. But then I snapped out of it and realized that’s a good thing. It just took me a while to get there.”

“That’s understandable,” Jill said.

“I have some news, too,” Emma leaned in and smiled. “Paul and I are moving in together.”

“That’s awesome news! Your wedding will be next,” Jill said. Mandy smiled. The planning for Jill’s wedding was done and it was going to be impressive. She was flying the whole company in and putting them up at the Wauwinet, a gorgeous waterfront hotel that reminded Mandy of the Great Gatsby, with its sweeping lawn and croquet.

Emma made a face. “Um, no. Neither one of us wants to get married anytime soon.” But then she added, “Okay, that’s not completely true. Paul said he’d marry me anytime I’m ready. But he’s been divorced for years. I told him I am in no hurry and I might never want to do that. And he said as long as we’re living together, that’s fine by him.”

“He adores you,” Mandy said.

“He is a keeper,” Emma agreed.

They ordered some appetizers to share and after a while, another round of cocktails. The Club Car was busy as usual and they saw a number of familiar faces and chatted with people they knew as they came up to the bar to order drinks.

“Who is that guy that just walked in, end of the bar? He looks familiar. I think he comes into Mimi’s Place now and then,” Jill said.

Mandy followed her gaze and nodded.

“That’s Matthew Flynn. He comes in for lunch every week or so. He’s a nice guy. He lost his wife to cancer a few years ago and his kids are in college. He runs a boat business, sightseeing and deep-sea fishing.”

Jill looked at her carefully. “You know quite a bit about him. He sounds like he could be a good candidate for you, when you’re ready to start dating.”

Mandy laughed at the idea. “I chat with all the customers when they come in. He’s often by himself and sits at the bar, so we’ve gotten to talking a bit. I don’t think he’s interested in dating anyone and I know for certain that I’m not ready. Not yet.”