Love On Anchor Island: An Anchor Island Novel

took the seat next to Alex. The restaurant only opened for dinner during the off-season, so the cook had a couple hours before prep time. “Who the hell is making a cake out of diapers?”
A screaming toddler flew past the table, and not a single man flinched.
“Opal made the real cake,” Joe explained.
“Sid and Will made the diaper one,” Lucas added. “It’s been on my kitchen table for two weeks.”
Sam dropped into the seat between the brothers with a huff. “I don’t like it.” Connor ran past yelling, “Daddy, help!” as Lucas’ daughter Pilar chased him with a large balloon in her hand. The dad replied, “You’ve got to outrun her, son.”
Witnessing this circus made Alex question his friends’ parenting abilities. The only person actually engaging with the children was a man who didn’t have any. Randy Navarro sat at the next table over while Mary Ann painted his fingernails. There was something both enlightened and hysterical about a man the size of a yacht sporting pink, glittery nail polish. Thumb in her mouth, Daphne perched on Randy’s knee, watching intently.
“Should we break that up?” Alex asked, pointing to Pilar and Connor playing tug-of-war with the balloon, which popped, frightening the toddlers into stunned silence.
“They’re fine,” Lucas said. “We’ve got two weeks before the festival. How much repair work is left?”
The Anchor Island Spring Festival marked the return of tourists to the island, but the devastation from Hurricane Deloris threatened their ability to fully host the visitors.
Joe caught his niece mid-run. Holding the tiny dark-haired child above his head, he said, “Give the kid a break, peanut. Why don’t you guys sit at the puzzle table for a while?”
Squirming, she said, “Okay.”
He kissed her on the forehead before putting her back on her feet. Pilar walked calmly to Connor, took his hand, and led him to a low table by the windows.
As if there’d been no break in the conversation, Joe said, “Howard’s Cafe, Hava Java, and the Trading Post are all back up and running.”
“Both of my hotels are ready for guests,” Sam added. “The cottages along Lighthouse Road are the only properties of mine that still need work, and that’s on the schedule for this week. Do you have a full crew, Joe?”
Since Joe’s charter boat business closed for the winter, and he relied on the tourists return for the new season, he’d led the recovery efforts.
“There’ll be five of us including Beth’s cousin Roxie. She can swing a hammer better than half the guys on the team.”
“You need to bring her around here more,” Nick said. “I want to show her my skills in the kitchen, if you know what I mean.”
Alex’s jaw tensed, but he kept his mouth shut. One dinner didn’t mean Roxie wasn’t free to see whoever she wanted.
“I think the doc has dibs,” Joe said.
Lucas turned to Alex. “When did this happen?”
A gentleman didn’t kiss and tell. “I made her dinner a couple of nights ago.”
“You cooked for her?” Nick asked. “Dude, that’s my thing.”
“Everyone cooks, Stamatis,” Randy cut in. “It isn’t rocket science.”
Nick snarled before taking a swig of his beer. The other men all looked to Alex, as if waiting for him to elaborate. They could wait all day, but Alex wasn’t going to talk about Roxie’s private business. He knew her well enough to know that she’d hate being the topic of conversation.
To Joe he said, “If you need extra help coming down to the wire, I can clear my schedule and lend a hand.”
“I appreciate that. Two weeks isn’t a lot of time, and I still need to get my boat ready for the season.”
A phone dinged, and each man pulled his device from his pocket.
“It’s me,” Lucas said, his eyes on the screen. “The party is winding down, and Sid says we’re expected to help with cleanup.”
“Not all of us,” Nick muttered. As the only single man in the group besides Alex, he looked quite happy not to be included. “You all answer to the crack of the whip. Not me.”
“Your day will come,” warned Randy, who rose with Daphne in his arms. The other fathers collected the remaining children and headed for the door.
When Alex rose, Nick said, “You, too, Doc? Roxie got you on a leash already?”
Though they weren’t friends, Alex had never had a reason not to like Nick. He was brash, as most chefs were, but doted on his grandmother, and was a fierce protector of his sister. Few likely knew the family man behind the tough persona, and at times like these, Alex looked forward to the day when the right woman would take him down a peg.
“I doubt Sam is going to relax until I check on Callie.” With a smile, he added, “Seeing Roxie is a bonus.”
“Four more to go,” Beth said, offering Callie some much needed rallying support.
“I just need a minute,” she replied, breathing heavy. After three more breaths, she nodded. “Okay. I can do this.”
While Henri and Will flanked the expectant mother, Sid, Beth, Roxie, and Mia hovered on the steps behind them like firefighters waiting for a panicking victim to jump out a four-story window. It was more likely they’d all be knocked down like bowling pins should Callie actually tumble backwards, but they were all determined not to let that happen. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the top step unscathed.
Mission accomplished, the catch team returned to their cleaning duties on the ground floor. “I can’t reach the banner,” said Beth, leaping in front of the fireplace.
“The guys will get it,” Sid replied. “I sent Lucas a text. They’re on their way.”
“Works for me.” Beth moved on to the coffee table, gathering all the empty cups and plates she could hold before heading to the kitchen.
“Bring the garbage can back with you,” Sid suggested.
Beth waved a cup in the air in response.
“I hear you’re really getting around,” Mia said to Roxie as they gathered the toilet paper used for one of