Chapter 2
Showered and dressed after her morning run, Mia stepped out into the hallway and immediately caught the scent of freshly baked bread. Her stomach gave an unladylike growl as she closed and locked the door behind her. One of the things mentioned in the reviews of the bed and breakfast was the fabulous breakfasts Maureen O’Brien set out every day, and if the smells coming from downstairs were any indication, all the reviews were justified.
Only Maureen, busy arranging a tray of muffins on the sideboard, stood in the dining room when she entered. She jumped slightly when Mia greeted her.
“Good morning. You’re up early. Please help yourself.” Maureen swept her arm toward the mini-feast set out.
“I never sleep late,” Mia admitted, as she grabbed a coffee mug. “I wish I could. My sisters and parents are the same way.”
“Neither does my son. He never has. Not like my daughter. If not for her alarm, she’d never wake up in the morning.” Maureen turned up the flame beneath a chafing dish. “There are pancakes and French toast in here and breakfast meat in that one. But if you’d like, I can prepare an omelette or some scrambled eggs. I don’t like to put eggs out in the chafing dishes. They never taste quite right.”
“No need. This is wonderful.” Large breakfasts were not part of Mia’s routine. In fact, some mornings she still had to force herself to eat at all. Even after all this time, some habits were hard to break.
“If you change your mind, let me know. I need to check on the second batch of muffins in the oven,” Maureen said before she disappeared through the swinging door, leaving Mia alone.
Everything looked and smelled heavenly. Lifting the cover of one chafing dish, she contemplated one of the golden brown pancakes . The one next to it held sausage links and bacon. Two trays of banana nut muffins, still warm from the oven, beckoned as did the homemade donuts. Her mouth watered just looking at the sugar donuts. Tapping into her willpower, she passed by all the rich foods and added some fresh cut fruit and a yogurt to her plate.
“That’s not all you’re having is it?” Maureen entered the room with a basket of assorted bagels and breads which she set down next to jars of homemade jams.
“I don’t like a big breakfast after a run.” The excuse rolled off her tongue.
“Not even a muffin? I baked the banana nut this morning.”
The muffins had been silently tormenting her since she walked in. “Just one. They do smell great.” She took a warm muffin and added it to her plate.
“I don’t know if Sean mentioned it to you, but, if you’re interested, I can prepare a picnic or bag lunch for you any day during your stay. Usually only the couples are interested in the picnic meals, but I’ll prepare them for anyone.”
The mention of Sean brought back his anguished face when she had come upon him the day before. Had he answered the message he received?
“I usually take care of checking in guests, so he sometimes forgets to tell them.”
“Great, thanks. I don’t think I’ll need anything today.” She cut her muffin in half as she spoke. “Is it supposed to be a nice day? I thought I might check out the block party on the town common tonight. I saw them setting up when I drove by yesterday.”
“It’s supposed to be nice all week. If you do go tonight, get there early. It’s the first party of the season and Ray’s nephew’s band is scheduled for tonight. They always draw a large crowd.”
Mia knew she hadn’t imagined the change in Maureen’s voice when she mentioned Ray. If this was the same Ray she played bridge with, perhaps he was more than just a card partner.
Storing away Maureen’s advice, she started on her breakfast. She planned to drive out to Woodlawn and visit her grandparents today. They still lived in the same house they had lived in for the last fifty years. She hadn’t seen them since Christmas when they’d spent the holiday with her in California. In fact they always came to her, or at least it seemed that way. She couldn’t recall the last time she had visited them.
Once finished with breakfast, she grabbed her bag off the floor and headed outside. When she arrived yesterday there’d been only one other car in the parking lot. Now four vehicles from as far away as Nevada crowded into the space. Farther down, away from the guests’ cars, a black pickup piled high with boxes sat in front of the two-car garage next to a motorcycle. Mia stood by her car and waited. The pickup must belong to Sean. His mother mentioned he was an early riser, yet she hadn’t seen him inside.
She didn’t have to wait long before he appeared from around the corner of the house. Without stopping to consider her actions, she left her bag on the hood of her car and headed toward his truck.
“Good morning,” she called out as she waved at him.
Sean pulled out a box and rested the corner of it on the truck bed before giving her a little nod. “Morning. Can I help you with something?”
“Nope. Just wanted to say hello.” She smiled and waited for him to return the gesture. Instead, his brows dipped and his eyes flickered across her face.
Yesterday she thought his eyes were a light green, but today they appeared almost emerald, perhaps because of the forest green T-shirt he wore.
“Are you heading out already?”
“My grandparents live in Woodlawn. I’m heading out there to visit them. What about you? Any big plans for today?”
Sean ran a hand through his short hair. “Install a new sink in Ma’s bathroom.” He patted the box he’d started to pull out of the truck.
She waited for him to continue the conversation, but he remained silent. He must have more planned than that. It couldn’t take all day to install a sink.
“That’s it?” She should let him get back to work and head out herself but, although she had no idea why, she was curious about his day.
“I need to do a supply run, too.”
Once again he kept his answers short, but his eyes remained locked on her face. Not once had she noticed him give her the once-over she usually got from the opposite sex. Maybe that was why he intrigued her and had managed to invade her dreams last night. He didn’t act like most men she dealt with. He didn’t go out of his way to impress her, but at the same time he remained polite and professional. When was the last time she’d talked with a man she just met and had not felt like a piece of meat dangling from stick?
“What about tonight? Do you have any plans?” Mia asked before she thought twice. When she’d walked outside a date hadn’t been on her mind. Now that she’d asked though, she hoped he didn’t have anything already planned for the night.
Sean’s eyebrows dipped farther and his forehead creased. “Nothing right now.”
She allowed her smile to grow a little wider. “I thought I’d go to the common for tonight’s block party. I’d love some company. What do you say?”
Sean blinked and, judging by his expression, he was wondering if he’d heard her right. “Okay,” he said with a hint of uncertainty.
“Your mother said we should get there early. I’ll make sure I’m ready by five o’clock.”
He gave her a curt nod. “Sounds good. I’ll be here.”
“Have a great day. See you tonight.” With another wave, she walked back to her rental car, a new spark of excitement putting a bounce in her step.
Sean remained frozen in place as he watched the tiny convertible pull out of the parking lot. What had just happened? Had Mia just asked him out on a date? He didn’t date often. Between his responsibilities around here, his part-time work with the town, and his coursework, there never remained much free time. When he did take a woman out, he always did the asking. Never in his life had a woman approached him and asked him. Yet Mia Troy, an A-list celebrity, had just done that, and he’d agreed. Talk about a disaster waiting to happen. He knew how to handle the women he asked out. Some he’d known all his life, in fact. People in North Salem had a tendency to never leave. A woman like Mia Troy, well, she was in a league all her own. The woman had been acting since she was a kid, owned hous
es all over the world, and dated guys with private jets. Other than not wanting to be alone tonight, he couldn’t think of a good reason for her invitation. After all, other than him and his mother she didn’t know anyone else in town. Yeah, that had to be it. She didn’t want to be alone and he was the damn lucky SOB in town that she knew. He sure as hell wasn’t going to complain about that.
Dismissing Mia from his thoughts, he picked up the box containing the basin for his mother’s new pedestal sink and headed toward the loft above the garage. The sink was the last thing the bathroom needed before he could call the remodeling project complete. It’d taken him over two weeks, and he’d be glad to have it finished. Then he could start on the bathroom in the attic.