A Haven on the Bay - Nicole Ellis Page 0,1

wrong.”

“Something always goes wrong.” Zoe frowned, her eyes scanning the tablet’s screen.

Meg held up her hand. “If it does, we’ll figure it out. Between you, me, Tia, Celia, and Shawn, we’ll have it covered.”

Zoe’s shoulders slumped. “I hope you’re right.”

“I know I’m right.” Meg gave her a hug, then glanced at her watch. “I’d better leave now to meet Theo though. I’m supposed to pick him up at the marina in twenty minutes.”

Zoe took a deep breath. “Have fun.”

Meg patted her arm reassuringly. “I will. Now go take a bubble bath or something. You’re a ball of nerves.”

Her advice was met with a meek smile. “Maybe I should do that after dinner.” Zoe stared at her list again and Meg doubted there was much self-care in her friend’s near future.

“You should,” Meg said firmly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and I expect to hear all about your relaxing evening.” She trotted off toward the Inn, where she’d left a dress to change into before her date. She was looking forward to dinner, as they had reservations for a steakhouse in a nearby city. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she’d only had time to scarf down a granola bar for lunch while they’d all worked their way through Zoe’s massive to-do list. Maybe she needed to take her own advice about self-care.

Twenty minutes later, Meg walked down the dock to Theo’s slip at the marina. The rough wooden slats creaked and bobbed underfoot. Some people might be unnerved by the uneven footing, but she’d grown up in Willa Bay and had been around boats her entire life. She wasn’t sure she’d want to live on one like Theo did, but there was definitely something appealing about the freedom of being out on the water.

When she reached Theo’s boat, she found him sitting on the deck at the stern, repacking his tackle box. He wore jeans and a paint-stained t-shirt—not what she’d expect for a night out on the town. He lifted his head when she approached.

“Hey,” he said, flashing her a toothy smile. “You look nice.”

Her cheeks warmed and she smoothed the knee-length skirt of her dress against her legs. “Thanks.” She cocked her head to the side. “Uh, are you planning on changing?”

His eyes flickered down to his shirt and he laughed, jumping to his feet. “Oh, yeah. Give me a minute and I’ll swap this out for something nicer.”

“No problem.” A breeze rippled the surface of the water and chilled Meg’s bare arms. She shivered and crossed them over her chest, wishing she’d worn a sweater over her dress. It was cooler on the water than it was back on shore. She couldn’t complain too much about the weather though. The thermometer had read eighty-five degrees earlier that day, and some of the warmth still lingered in the air.

Five minutes later, Theo climbed off the boat onto the dock behind her. “Okay, I’m ready. Where did you say we were going tonight?” He’d changed into a pair of charcoal-gray slacks and a pinstriped, button-down shirt in a shade of blue that accentuated his dark eyes. He flashed her a slightly lopsided grin and her heart skipped a beat. She’d always been attracted to slender-built men with blond hair, and Theo was no exception.

She tore her eyes away from his physique and returned his smile. “We have reservations at Finnerton’s Grill in Everton. They’re known for their seafood dishes, so I thought they’d be good to check out. The restaurant at the Inn at Willa Bay may not open for a while, but I’d like to start building my repertoire of recipes now.”

His forehead creased into a shallow frown. “Oh man, I was hoping for a steak tonight.” Then he shrugged and his lips turned upward into his customary happy-go-lucky grin. “But seafood sounds good too.”

“I think they have steak on the menu.” She’d read everything she could find about Finnerton’s, hoping to learn how they achieved almost a five-star rating out of hundreds of reviews. Normally, online reviews were written by customers who were either extremely pleased or horribly unhappy with their experience at an establishment. To get close to a five-star average was quite a coup, and she was excited to experience the restaurant for herself.

“Great. Surf and turf it is.” They neared the end of the ramp leading from the docks to the parking lot and he reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly. His touch was warm and comforting as his fingers intertwined with hers, although