Love On Anchor Island: An Anchor Island Novel

you meet them. And I’ll introduce you to Alex, too. He’s a great guy.”
Roxie didn’t like the sound of that. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m only here temporarily, and the last thing I need is you playing matchmaker.”
Beth tried to look innocent and failed miserably. “I’m just saying he’s a nice guy.”
“I’m sure he’s a real gem, but I’m on a man hiatus until further notice.”
“Oh,” she sighed. “Then the stupid thing had to do with a man.”
Flipping the suitcase open, she replied, “Doesn’t it always? So no fixing me up, okay?”
Her cousin sank onto the bed and pulled a sweater from the suitcase. “Okay. No fixing you up.”
“Thanks.”
Beth hugged the sweater to her chest. “You know I’m on your side, right?”
Roxie had almost forgotten how good hearing those words felt. “I do, and I promise not to cause any trouble while I’m here.”
“I’m not worried about that.”
That made one of them.
Alex walked into a nearly empty Dempsey’s Bar & Grill and found Mia already seated. He’d had a busy afternoon, thanks to flu season being in full swing, and was ready to relax.
“Hey, there,” said Mia as Alex lowered onto the bench seat across from her. “The hostess took the drinks order, so I got you a soda.”
“That’s good, thanks.” He folded his coat and set it neatly beside him. “Nota came to see me today.”
Dark eyes lifted to his. “Who drove her?”
“Who do you think?”
“Damn it.” Mia closed the menu. “I told her to call me or Nick if she needed to go anywhere.” Nick was Mia’s older brother and Dempsey’s head cook.
“She had a side effect that scared her so I’d give her a pass, but once the tourists return to the island, she really shouldn’t be behind the wheel. I’m afraid she could actually hurt someone, including herself.”
During the winter months like this, there was only a few hundred locals on the island. Once spring rolled around, that number would more than triple on any given week.
“There was also another mention of you and me dating,” he said. “When are you going to tell her the truth?”
The menu flipped open again and rose like a wall between them. “I’m waiting for the right time.”
Alex gently pushed the barrier down. “You’re thirty, Mia. Nota is almost eighty. You can’t keep putting this off.”
“Me being gay isn’t the only reason you and I aren’t dating,” she argued.
News to him. Not that he was in love with Mia, but she was a beautiful, intelligent, caring person he’d have at least asked out if circumstances were different.
“That isn’t insulting at all,” he mumbled.
Her dark ponytail swung as she shook her head. “You know what I mean. We’re friends. If you were a woman, I still wouldn’t date you because your friendship is important to me.” She closed the menu again. “I’ll talk to her about harassing you, though. She shouldn’t be butting into my love life—or lack thereof—no matter who she’s talking to.”
“Good evening, guys,” their waitress, a native islander who had worked at Dempsey’s since before Alex arrived, set a soda in front of Alex and a beer before Mia. “Are you ready to order?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Mia. “I’m going to have the covered and smothered burger, cooked medium, with a side of fries.”
“Got it.” Turning to Alex she said, “And you?”
“I’ll have the crab cakes entree with red potatoes and broccoli, please.”
Annie made the note on her pad. “All right, then. I’ll get these in, and your meals should be out shortly.”
“Thanks,” they said in unison as she headed back to the bar.
“What was the side effect?” Mia asked.
Alex opened his mouth to answer when a large, noisy group entered the restaurant. Glancing past his dinner partner, the first person he saw was his mysterious new neighbor. She was accompanied by the entire Dempsey clan—who’d founded and still owned this establishment—along with the Navarros. Without waiting for the hostess, they started shifting tables to accommodate the large group, with Lucas retrieving two high chairs from an alcove beside the bar. He spotted Alex and Mia on his way back.
“Hey, there,” he said, extending a hand in greeting to Alex. “Have you guys eaten already?”
“Not yet,” Mia replied as the men shook hands. “Annie just took our order.”
“Then you should join us.” Yelling to his party, Lucas said, “Joe, add two more chairs.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Alex assured him. The newcomer had already shot him a hostile look that would have felled a weaker man. “We’re good over here.”
Lucas smacked his shoulder. “No, seriously. We’re having a welcome dinner for Beth’s cousin, Roxie. She came in today to help with the recovery effort.”
Mia turned to see the stranger mentioned. “That’s sweet of her.”
Alex knew that tone. The encounter on the ferry didn’t rule out the possibility that Mia had a shot with the new arrival, and far be it from him to stand in the way of a potential love interest.
“If you don’t think the family will mind,” he said.
“Of course not.”
Alex and Mia grabbed their coats and drinks and followed Lucas to the assembled tables. As everyone settled in, Mia finagled the chair across from Roxie, while despite his best efforts, Alex landed beside her. To say the air was frigid was an understatement.
“Welcome, welcome,” Beth said as they took their seats. “Alex Fielding and Mia Stamatis, this is my cousin Roxie Chandler. She’s come to help get the island back in shape.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Mia said, extending her hand across the table.
“You, too,” Roxie said, accepting the greeting.
She didn’t mention that they’d already met so Alex followed her lead. “Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah,” she mumbled, refusing to turn his way.
Too preoccupied to notice the slight she’d just dealt him, Mia said, “Where are you from, Roxie?”
“Richmond. Mostly.”
“Really? What do you do up there?”
Roxie’s eyes dropped. “I was between jobs before coming down here.”
Sensing her unease, Alex cut in. “We appreciate you coming all this way to help out.”
“Yes, we do,” Mia