“Not a damn thing.” He closed the door behind him and hobbled onto the deck.
“I hope you’re wrong.” I scurried into the living room. Now that we had guests on the way, I really wish we had gone couch shopping. As soon as Grey was off the crutches, we would do it. The living room had been empty for too long.
I had prepared a pitcher of mojitos, the guacamole dip Grey liked so much, and had shrimp ready to go into a shrimp boil. I thought it was a great combination of Texas and North Carolina specialties. I checked the clock. Only five more minutes until showtime.
I carried the mojito pitcher and the snacks to the deck. Grey was sprawled in one of the two lounge chairs.
“Maybe I should go ahead and have one of those.” He looked at the glasses.
He wasn’t the only one. I was nervous. I poured two drinks and handed him one. “Here you go.”
Two minutes later, I heard Taylor’s laughter from the beach. I looked over the railing to see her tucked under Mason’s arm. He whispered something in her ear. My chest tightened as they took the steps.
“Hey, y’all.” I waved.
Mason grinned. “Thanks for the dinner invitation, Eden.” He handed me a bottle of wine. “This is for you.”
“Aww, thank you.” I plastered on a smile. “I’ll put this in the fridge and be right back.”
When I returned from the kitchen, Taylor was pouring drinks for her and Mason. If I didn’t know they had only met last night, I would have guessed they had been a couple for a while. They moved in sync with each other. Maybe there was something to the connection she proclaimed they had.
Mason crunched on a chip. “This guacamole is delicious.”
“Thanks, I made it today. It’s Grey’s favorite.”
“How’s the knee?” Mason pointed to the leg still in a brace.
I could tell Grey was reluctant to enter a conversation with him. “Getting better.”
Taylor threaded an arm through Mason’s. “Mason was telling me today about a trip he might take to North Carolina.”
I knew I looked stunned. I quickly tried to rearrange my face. “Oh, wow. What kind of trip?”
“I have some business with a boat builder in Charlotte. I was thinking I might make a detour through Chapel Hill while I’m there.”
“That’s quite a detour.” I took a sip of the minty drink. I wished I had poured more rum in it.
He grinned. “Isn’t life full of detours?”
I wondered which one he was referring to. We were all on a massive detour as far as I was concerned.
“Are you interested in boats, Mason?” I leaned against the railing.
“The business side of it. There are a lot of directions you can go with a boat business. This guy I have a meeting with is interested in diversifying. Right now he’s in high-powered fiberglass vessels.”
Taylor piped in. “Eden was a business major. She’s eventually going to get her MBA. Maybe you two could bounce some ideas around.”
Grey’s poker face tonight was excellent. I was proud of him, but doubtful it would last.
“Is that so?” Mason strolled next to me. “You’re into business and Grey’s into fixing things?” He hid his smile behind his glass. I didn’t like what he was implying.
“Actually, Grey was in an advanced engineering program when his grandfather became sick.” My stomach knotted. Introduce awkward. I tried to skip over the fact I had added Pops to the conversation. “We have a long-term plan with the Palm Palace and one for Grey to finish his master’s degree.”
Mason didn’t seem bothered by the fact I had mentioned his father. “Since you brought it up, what is that long-term plan? It obviously doesn’t involve raking in millions of dollars.”
I hesitated long enough for Grey to take over. “Not everything’s about money. The Palm can be a self-sustaining business. With Eden’s help, it’s getting there.”
Mason chuckled. “Considering your only guests right now are her best friend and your long-lost uncle, I’d say your prospects are dim.”
“That’s not true.” I tightened my hold on the mojito. “I have a plan in place with a senior advertising company that’s going to appeal to the snowbirds. We’ll be booked all winter, and then of course there’s spring break. By summer, we’ll have families. It’s going to work.” I was defensive about the Palm. I noticed Grey was smiling. “It’s a landmark on the island, and there is more value in that than a development contract.”
“Sweetheart, that might be true. Let’s say you and the nephew here can make a business out of the place. You would still take that over two million dollars? Do you know what you can do in life with two million dollars?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Mason, I feel bad for you that you can’t see past all those dollar signs.” I placed my drink on the table. “I’m going to put the shrimp on. Dinner should be ready in ten minutes.”