Welcome Home, Katie Gallagher. Seana Kelly
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didn’t know the first thing about opening a diner or running a business. Stupid.
We’d almost passed it when I noticed the front door was ajar. I pushed it, and it swung open freely. I’d planned to close the door, make sure it locked, but I was drawn in. Instead of doing a good deed, I decided to trespass. Just more of my good decision-making skills at work.
“Hello?” I waited a moment. “Is anyone in here?” I stepped forward, Chaucer at my heels. “You left the door open. Hello?” Chaucer didn’t see the need to stand by the door, so when he tugged at the end of his leash, I dropped it, letting it slide along the floor behind him.
I followed my pup’s lead and wandered in. The space was empty but completely realized in my mind. I stood in the middle of the room, looking out the big, front windows, imagining that this would be my view every day. I’d cook back there, bring plates of food to people seated around this room and occasionally I’d pause, right here, to gaze out the window and watch the world of Bar Harbor stroll by.
Looking up, I imagined adding tin ceiling tiles, painting them a soft white, with a large, crystal-laden chandelier hanging in the center of the room. Black wrought iron tables and chairs, reminiscent of a Parisian café, and dark, red leather high-backed benches lining the walls completed the picture.
I was just settling into the daydream when I heard a shout from the back. Chaucer trotted toward me from the kitchen area, looking innocent and just as confused as I was by the shout. “Yeah, not buying it for a minute, buddy.”
I took a tentative step forward, unsure if I should apologize for trespassing with my big, scary dog or run like hell before anyone saw me. I heard heavy footsteps and a deep voice grumbling. Chaucer didn’t seem at all concerned, so I stayed where I was.
A huge mountain of a man walked out of the kitchen, stopping short when he saw us. He appeared to be close to my age, with short brown hair and golden brown eyes. “Oh.” He scratched his head. “I thought I saw a bear cub.” He leaned down, extending a hand for Chaucer to sniff. “This makes more sense.” He looked over at me and stared. “Well, hello.” He grinned and his face lit up. Dimples. My kryptonite.
23) If at all possible, find a hunky guy with dimples for making out.
“Sorry. I saw the door open, and I intended to close it, but then, well, it just looked so cute in here. I wanted a closer look. I’m really sorry we barged in and that Chaucer startled you.”
He crouched down, giving Chaucer a good strong rub. “Is that your name, buddy? Chaucer? Now, this is a good-sized dog—my size.” He whispered, “Those little, yappy ones make me nervous.” Standing, he extended his hand to me. “Bear.”
I shook it. “Bear?”
He shrugged broad shoulders, and a faint red tinge colored his cheeks. “Levi Berenson. My friends just call me Bear, for obvious reasons.”
“Kate Gallagher.” I was getting a crick in my neck from looking up at him. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall and was built like a linebacker.
“It’s nice to meet you and Chaucer.” He studied me. “So, what brings you in? Were you looking for someone?” He stepped away from me so I didn’t have to strain to look up.
“Nope. Just being nosy and daydreaming.”
He tipped back on his heels, nodding. “I have a healthy respect for daydreaming. I’m a contractor, and without daydreams, I’d be bored stiff most of the day.” He turned toward the kitchen. “Come on, then. You should see it all.”
I followed him back. Oddly enough, it never occurred to me to be nervous around a man who could break me in two without even trying.
Walking through the open doorway, he said, “This is the kitchen. It was remodeled a few years ago.” He tilted his head. “By me. It’s a good setup, and all the appliances still work great. I wanted to open up that wall there. Make it a half wall between the kitchen and the wait station and lunch counter. The previous tenants didn’t like the idea, and the owner was fine with whatever they wanted.”
He gestured to his left. “This is the walk-in cold box and the reason I’m here today. The previous tenants complained about spots getting warm in here. I’d just started checking it out when this guy wandered in and sniffed my leg.” His hand dropped to Chaucer’s head and began petting.
Leaning forward, I peeked around the corner into the cold room.
He laughed. “I promise not to lock the door on you. Go on in, if you want.”
I stepped back, looking at him warily. “Yeah, I’m good right here.”
He chuckled again and shook his head. “Okay, let’s continue our tour. Pantry’s over there.” He pointed to the right. “Storage closet over here.” He motioned again. “Dumpster and additional parking through the back door.” He opened the back door and stepped out. “I always thought this would make a great patio dining area.”
“Yeah, I can see why. The Dumpster is lovely. If they painted some flower vines around the graffitied profanity, it would really romance up the place. Good call.” I kept a straight face as I nodded, studying the area.
“A smart-ass, eh? Good to know.” Grinning, he stepped back inside. “Come on, funny girl. Tour’s over. I need to get back to work.”
As we walked through the kitchen, I detoured by the stove. It was a gorgeous Viking industrial-grade range. “Ooh, so pretty,” I whispered. I ran my fingers lightly over the knobs, wishing I could cook on a range like this.
“Should I leave you two alone?”
I turned, finding Bear watching me, his eyes bright with humor. “Um, yeah, if you could, that would be great. I have knobs to turn, buttons to push, maybe even some cavities to explore.”
Bear choked out a laugh. “I like you, Kate, and your little dog, too.” He paused, looking at me thoughtfully. “Gallagher? As in Nellie Gallagher?”
“Yes. Did you know Gran?”
He shook his head, his hands on his hips. “Figures. The first woman I’ve met in far too long, that I’d like to get to know better—” he stepped closer, only an arm’s length away “—a woman I’d love to take to dinner tonight, is related to the only woman I’ve ever wanted to marry.”
I laughed. “Don’t you think my grandmother was a little old for you?”
“Nope. My devotion couldn’t be swayed by a little thing like forty years.”
Gah! Dimples again. He was killing me. “I hope you didn’t let Mr. Cavanaugh hear you say things like that. He could still whoop your butt, boy.” I leaned back against the stove.
“Don’t I know it. Luckily, he was secure in her love and wasn’t threatened by my pining for his girl. For some reason, she preferred that old coot.” He turned and walked back toward the dining area. “No accounting for taste.”
Chaucer and I were right behind Bear when I saw the front door open. “Bear! You working today?” Aiden walked in, taking off his sunglasses. “Oh, there you are. Listen, can you stop by Pops’s place later today? He wants a glider on his back porch, thought maybe you could build him—”
Chaucer walked around Bear, his leash still sliding along the floor behind him. Aiden stopped midsentence, pointed, questions written all over his face. Bear crouched down, getting Chaucer in a headlock and thereby revealing me, not that I was hiding or anything. “Hey, Aiden, have you met Chaucer?” He looked over his shoulder at me. “And this is his mom, Kate. Kate was just considering going out to dinner with me. Maybe if the chief of police could let her know I’m not going to tie her up and feed her to hungry cats, she might be more likely to agree.”
Aiden stared, his face entirely blank.
I walked over to grab Chaucer’s leash and to get the hell away from Officer Buttmunch. “Thanks for the tour,