Reid came to the meeting with a palette of colors and a layout of all fixtures, floorings, and woodwork he wants to see. How he did it all in one night is beyond me, but then again, he did have the Lobster Landing to model everything after. The goal is to create a sense of cohesion between the two buildings, meaning the walls will be covered in white shiplap with natural wood accents in the tables, flooring, exposed beams, and countertops. The chairs will all be teal with basket-wrapped bottoms for extra texture. Iron details will be worked into the light fixtures, pocket doors, window frames, and fans, as well as in the exposed kitchen. They want it out in the open so patrons can watch their food as it’s made. Red accents will be added with the logo, just like the Lobster Landing, and the plating will be red while the glassware will be tinted teal.
I’m beside myself with excitement. I can see it all: the industrial yet beachy theme, the bright reds, teals, and whites, the enhanced loft where the office will be, the subtle hints of rope, the ironwork, the long wall of pocket sliding doors for the view. It will be absolutely breathtaking.
The boys both pause and turn to Mr. Knightly. His arms are crossed, and one hand cups his chin as he stares down at the plans.
“What do you think, Dad?” Reid asks quietly.
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead he pushes a few visuals from the design board around and then looks up at his son, a tear rolling down his cheek. “It’s absolutely everything I could have dreamed of.” He pulls Reid into a hug. “It’s perfect.”
He did good.
He really did, and all in a short time frame. This is how good Reid is, how amazing his visions can be. He’s spent enough time at the Lobster Landing to know how to bring the atmosphere into a restaurant setting while still embracing the industrial look.
When Mr. Knightly pulls away, Reid says, “And the outside, red corrugated panels, the logo ten by ten and painted directly on the wall with white paint. It will go perfectly with the Landing but also stand out as a separate building.”
“I love it,” Mr. Knightly says, his arm still wrapped around Reid’s shoulders. “I absolutely love it. I couldn’t have thought of anything better. And using the loft space for offices—you’ve really thought of it all.”
“I have to agree,” Eric says, amazement in his eyes. “If I wasn’t a part of this, I would be incredibly jealous because this is everything Port Snow’s been missing. Casual family dining that feels modern but still has a hint of nostalgia. I’m really impressed, Reid.”
The smile—the pride—that crosses over Reid in a matter of seconds almost brings me to my knees. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy, so in his element. It might have taken a lot for him to get to this point, but I can see the life start to spark back in his eyes.
He’s finally found his purpose.
Giselle looks over everything again. “Well, let’s get started, boys. I can have the men start tearing down walls tomorrow and demoing anything that needs to be taken out.” She hands Reid some red tape. “X everything you want gone. And if you want to help to move along the process, please feel free to show up at seven tomorrow morning.”
Reid takes the tape. “I’ll have a hand in everything—that’s if Griffin can find someone to cover my shifts at the Landing.” He looks over to his dad, who laughs.
“We can surely find some backup.”
“Good,” Giselle says, collecting the design boards. “I’ll find samples of everything you want and bring them in over the next few days. I think we can have this place up and running in a few months. The bones are here, and since you’re keeping the layout open and exposing the natural architecture, there won’t be much we have to do building-wise beyond making everything pretty. Permits are set, so now you just need to settle on a name.”
“Any ideas?” Reid asks as his dad nods slowly.
“Knight and Port. Knight for the family, Port for the town. It’s a combination of the two things I hold closest to my heart.”
Knight and Port—I can see it.
I press my hand against Mr. Knightly’s arm. “I love it. It has so much meaning but feels modern. It’s perfect.”
“Yeah, it is, Dad.” Reid glances around the space, unable to contain his grin. “Looks like we have a menu to create.”
“And I have just the place to start,” Eric says, pulling a notebook from his back pocket. “Let’s get to work.”
One hundred items.
One, zero, zero—that’s how many things the boys have on the menu. At least that’s how many they had when I left.
A little prolific when it comes to the ideas.
I don’t even know how they could think of that many recipes, though they kept reassuring me they were going to pare everything down.
With a headache looming, I cash out the bar at the Inn and bring the money to the back, thankful it hasn’t been a busy night. I’m exhausted from the sleepless night I had with Reid. He wanted to get in as much sex as possible before Eric came to crash on my couch, and after all the excitement and planning today, I can barely move one leg in front of the other.
I crash into the office chair just as my phone rings. I dig it out of my pocket to find Harper’s name crossing the screen. I answer quickly.
“Please tell me you have a masseuse at your house and are inviting me over for a rubdown.”
“That’s one way to answer the phone.” She chuckles. “I don’t have a rubdown ready for you, but I do have some wine and the biggest charcuterie board you’ll ever see. Rogan is out for the night, and Ren is coming over—thought you could help us take down the cheese and crackers I overindulged in.”
“Sounds amazing. I’ll come straight there if you tell me I can borrow a shirt and sweatpants.”
“Done. Hurry up, we’re waiting.”
That puts a pep in my step. I shoot a quick text to Eric, letting him know the apartment is his for the night, and then finish up my business in the office.
It’s officially Eric’s first night back in Port Snow, and yeah, maybe I should spend it with him, but then again, I need some girl time. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Harper and Ren. Eric will be fine on his own.
I’m out the door in record time, and Walter, one of the town’s Uber drivers, is waiting for me out front. During the drive, he drones on about the town gossip floating around—Franklin has a mole he’s getting checked out, Caleb’s seeing some girl over in German Town, and Tracker had an apparent pregnancy scare with a tourist—but I couldn’t care less. I tune Walter out and text Reid, letting him know I’m hanging with the girls and reminding him just how sexy he looked during the design meeting today with his backward hat and tight jeans.
The man has been my fantasy for longer than I can even remember. It’s still a bit surreal, being able to text him things about his tight ass and how I wanted to stick my hands down his pants. He’s always been a pipe dream kind of guy—someone who could never see me as more than a friend. But with each encounter, each interaction over the past few years, something was growing between us until finally he made a move, right on the dance floor. Probably one of the most epic moments of my life, having Reid Knightly look at me as more than just a friend, more than just his friend’s sister—as someone he couldn’t keep his hands off of.