“Would you mind bringing her in?”
“Sure, no problem.”
“Thanks, Jaclyn.” She and the other college kids would be heading back to school in the next week, leaving them shorthanded for the last two weeks of the summer season. Good times ahead.
Jaclyn returned with Dara, who was tall, Black and pretty with her hair up and wrapped in a funky headband. She wore a summer dress with a white denim jacket.
“Come in.” Nikki walked around her cluttered desk to greet Dara with a handshake. “So nice to meet you. And thank you, Jaclyn.”
“No problem.”
Nikki shut the office door so they wouldn’t be disturbed. “Can I get you anything? I’ve got cold water handy.”
“I won’t say no to that. I got the big idea to walk into town from the lighthouse, and the walk was farther than I expected.”
Nikki got one of her bottles of water from the cooler bag she brought to work every day and handed it over to Dara.
“Thank you,” Dara said, taking a drink.
“What’s it like living at the lighthouse?”
“I love it so far.”
“I heard you got here the day the power went out.”
“Yes, it was like an hour after we arrived. Thankfully, Big Mac and Linda McCarthy came to our rescue and took us in until the power came back on.”
“They’re the best.”
“They really are.”
“Full disclosure—I’m engaged to his nephew Riley.”
“Oh, okay. That’s Kevin’s son, right?”
“Yes, one of them. Finn is the other.”
“I met Kevin, Chelsea and baby Summer while we were staying with them.”
“She’s a cutie. We’re all crazy about her.”
“I can see why.”
“Can I ask you something totally unprofessional?”
Dara laughed. “Sure.”
“What’s the secret to your amazing cheekbones?”
“Genetics. My mother and grandmother had them, too.”
“I’m seriously jealous.”
“Every friend I’ve ever had has said the same thing.”
“I can see why.” Nikki reached for Dara’s application and résumé. “I have another question.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re an attorney. What do you want with an event job at the Wayfarer?”
“My husband and I are here for a year, and I’d like to stay busy.”
“Did you check in with Dan Torrington? He has a law practice on the island. He could probably use help that would be more in your area of expertise.”
“I’d rather manage events at the Wayfarer, if you can get past my lack of experience.”
“I assume your other professional skills would be transferrable. Mostly, it’s a lot of organization and attention to detail.”
“Which is not that different from being a lawyer.”
“Why do you want this job, Dara?”
“My husband and I lost our three-year-old son a year ago in an accident.”
Nikki gasped. “I’m so sorry. I hadn’t heard that.”
“Thank you. I’m sort of glad that the whole town isn’t talking about the sad parents in the lighthouse.”
“No one is talking about that, at least not that I’ve heard.”
“Well, that’s a relief. One of the reasons the opportunity here was so appealing is that it gave us a fresh start with people who don’t know about our terrible loss. But we both feel compelled to tell new people we meet. It’s a conundrum.”
“I can see how that would be. I’m glad you told me, and I’d love to have you on our team at the Wayfarer.” She discussed the salary and benefits, which didn’t include health insurance. “Is that going to work for you?”
“Yes, that’s fine. We have it through my firm. They’ve been so good to us.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“I’m not sure how long we’ll be here. A year at least. Beyond that, we’re not making any plans.”
“I’ll take what I can get. This summer has whipped me, and there’s no way I can do another one without event help. I’m also getting married in November. We’re doing it at the Chesterfield, but I’ll probably need extra help around that time.”
“It sounds fun.”
“It can be, but it can also be chaotic at times. Being on an island means planning way ahead to get things here when we need them. It means improvising and rolling with all sorts of unforeseen challenges. Does it still sound fun?”
“It does.”
“Good. I didn’t mean to try to talk you out of it.”
Dara laughed. “No worries. I loved planning my wedding. Helping other brides and grooms plan theirs would be fun.”
“I’m glad you think so. After this crazy summer, I told Riley last night that eloping is looking better to me all the time.”
“Don’t do that. You’ll never forget your wedding day. One of the best days of my life.”
“We’re looking forward to it.”
“When would you like me to start?”
“Would tomorrow be too soon? We have a dozen weddings in September and October that I’m in no way ready for, and I could use the help right away.”
“Tomorrow is fine.”
“Let’s say ten o’clock, and you can fill out all the new-employee paperwork then.”
“Sounds good.” Dara stood to leave and extended a hand to Nikki. “Thank you for taking a chance on me. I won’t let you down.”
Nikki shook her hand. “I’m delighted to have you on the team. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be here.”
When Dara opened the office door, Riley was there, his hand up like he was about to knock. Like always, the sight of him filled Nikki with the kind of happiness she hadn’t known existed before she met him.
“Dara, meet my fiancé, Riley McCarthy. Riley, this is Dara Watkins, the new event manager.”
“Oh, great to meet you,” Riley said, shaking hands with Dara. “And thank you for taking the job. I’ve barely seen Nikki this summer.”
“Happy to help,” Dara said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Nikki.”
Riley stepped aside to let her go by.
Nikki waved him into the office. “Shut the door.” She went over to wrap her arms around him.
“Hello to you, too,” he said, returning her embrace.
She breathed him in. “Happy to see you.”
“Everything all right?”
“Dara was telling me how she and her husband lost their three-year-old son in an accident.”
“I heard about that. My dad told me the little boy let himself out of the house and got hit by a car.”
“Oh my God. That’s so awful.”
“It’s so, so sad. Maybe the job will be good for her.”
“I hope so. It’ll certainly keep her busy.” She looked up at him, thankful every day that she’d found him in this great big world and that she got to keep him forever. “I’m ready to get out of here, and I promised Jordan I’d come early. She wants to talk to me about something.”