“This is great, Claire.” Chip shook his head. It felt like she’d just thrown a pie in his face. He started laughing. “You know what? You’re great.”

She laughed. “Don’t tease.”

He shook his head. “I’m not. Do I seem like a guy who would tease his boss?”

Claire paused before responding. “Yes.”

Chip laughed. “Well, I’m not, and I’m buying another round. On me.”

“I can afford my drinks,” she said.

He flagged down the waitress. “I don’t care how many uncles you have. This is my island and here, I buy the cider.”

She laughed, and Chip knew it was over for him. He’d do anything – absolutely anything – to keep hearing that laugh.

Chapter Fourteen

They were having so much fun that Claire completely lost track of time. Her initial plan had been to get back to the cabin after an hour, maybe an hour and a half, if service was slow.

Yet Chip kept her captivated the entire evening. He told her about the history of Orcas Island and the Lummi tribe, and they pored over the black and white photos in the book he’d brought along.

It wasn’t just the island’s past that he was interested in – he was interested in her past, too. It wasn’t even that he was interested in hearing more about the money. He didn’t seem to care about that at all.

Perhaps Marty was right. Chip already knew that she was “rich,” even if Claire didn’t think of herself that way, and the truth of where it came from didn’t matter.

Chip was more focused on her transformation into an orphan and a mom of three all at once. He asked her about the jobs she’d held, and loved her stories from working in the public defender’s office. He loved hearing about her friendship with Margie and the antics their girls had gotten themselves into over the years.

He even slipped in a clumsy question about her dating life, asking if the girls had a stepdad of sorts. She told him no, and that her last boyfriend broke things off because he couldn’t see himself as a father, even to older children.

Claire wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but he seemed relieved by this. Though he quickly changed the topic, she wondered if he might be...interested in her?

That seemed silly, though. She reasoned he was likely relieved that there wasn’t another person he had to deal with for the hotel. It was just her and Ken, which was bad enough.

Not long after that question, Claire peeked at her watch and saw that it was fifteen after ten. A jolt of shock hit her and she stood up from her seat.

“Oh my gosh,” she said. “I have to get home.”