“Are you sure?” she asked as she pulled away. “I don’t want you to sit at home and be miserable all the time. That’s not what I’m saying, but I was surprised when I came in and realized you were here.”
“I know you mean well, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it happened so fast.”
“Would you have told me anyway?” She stared into his face.
He grinned at her. “Probably not, but that’s only because I know you would worry about me. I don’t want you to worry. I want you to go out and have fun and think about the wedding.”
“I know you have a lot more to do at the Nestled Inn now that Trish is in the hospital. I just don’t want you overdoing it.”
“Nikki’s doing a great job at the inn, so it’s not as hard as you think, and I promise not to overdo it. Now, can I go back inside and do what I love?”
Sarah smiled at him. “Fine. But I’ll be watching you.”
“I consider myself warned,” Paul said as he kissed her forehead, patted Aaron on the shoulder, and walked back inside the Lot 28 restaurant.
He was beginning to feel like his old self again.
ChapterFifteen
Paul was in better spirits for the rest of the evening as he whistled tunes while preparing meals and calling out orders.
He hadn’t felt so alive in what felt like forever. He had just walked through his door when his phone rang. His face lit up even more when he saw that it was Nikki.
“Hello,” he answered in a singsong voice.
“Someone sounds like they’re in a good mood,” Nikki said on the other end.
“That’s because I sort of am,” Paul said and kicked off his loafers. “I went back to the restaurant today, and I’ll be there for a couple of days.”
“How come?”
“Ken’s sick,” he told her and headed for the kitchen. “It’s just for a few days, but I can’t tell you how good it feels.”
Nikki laughed. “I can just imagine.”
“Why did you call? What’s going on? Any trouble at the inn?”
“Oh no, nothing like that. Everything’s great. It’s Amy.”
Paul sat on the sofa with the bottle of water in his free hand. “Amy? What about her?”
“She’s here,” Nikki told him. “She came back after we visited her in Seattle.”
“Really? That’s great news,” he exclaimed.
“Not really,” Nikki groaned. “I took her to see Frank, and she freaked out.”
“Freaked out? Why?”
“I don’t know. She thinks that the only reason we came to find her was so we could use her to take over the Nestled Inn and restaurant,” Nikki explained.
“But that’s not true,” Paul replied. “Trish started to look for her long before the accident.”
“I know that,” Nikki said. “Try telling that to her. She thinks I just want to fulfill my sister’s dying wish.”
Paul sighed. “Okay, what if I come over tomorrow and talk to her? She might listen to me.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Nikki replied. “I’d appreciate that. She’s already getting her things together. She might leave in the morning.”
