e watcAlessia woke from a dreamless sleep, sat up in bed, and pulled back the curtains. Shhed the quiet street outside for a moment, lost in thought. Eventually, she picked up her phone to check the time–9:30 a.m.
Just as she was about to set the phone down, it buzzed with an iing call.
“Hello?” Alessia’s voice was soft and a bit husky with sleep, carrying a lilting note that sounded almost yful.
On the other end, Cole fumbled his pen, dropping it noisily on his desk. His ears flushed pink, and the tough tone he’d nned evaporated in an instant.
“You just woke up?” His voice was low, tinged with exasperation, but something about it made Alessia want to curl back under the covers.
“Mmm.” She answeredzily, eyes half–closed.
“So that’s it? I help you out and then you ignore my messages? Is Miss Morton really that busy?” He sounded more like a big dog left out in the rain than an aggrieved executive.
“I was busy talking things overst night. By the time we finished, it was nearly morning, so I just crashed.” Alessia yawned, not bothering to hide it.
Cole frowned. “Anything serious going on?”
“Nothing major. Oh, I need to head to Mr. Dawson’s ce the afternoon after tomorrow, and I’ll be taking Zachary.”
“The old man’s going toin you only call on him when you need something,” Cole said with a sly grin.
Alessia just tapped her nose and didn’t deny it.
“By the way, I’ll send you a listter. Can you drop the stuff off for me?”
“Seriously, Miss Morton? I’m a CEO, not your personal errand boy. Is this what I am to you–a delivery guy, at your beck and call?” Cole’s protest was mostly for show.
“Come on, Cole, you know the drill. Opening day got to stock up.”
He sighed with mock resignation. “Alright, fine. Your order will be delivered within the hour, madam. Please remember to sign for it.”
Alessiaughed, tossed a half–hearted insult his way, and hung up, feeling more awake than she had just minutes before. Cole, meanwhile, was still smiling as
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Larkin walked in with a fresh cup of coffee; even Larkin seemed less annoying than usual.
Alessia left her room and wandered into the kitchen, where Karen was busy
assembling sandwiches and rolling up seaweed wraps. When Karen saw her, she waved cheerfully, then popped a piece of sandwich into Alessia’s mouth before she could even say good morning.
“Well?” Karen’s eyes shone with anticipation, though she seemed a little nervous.
Alessia chewed, swallowed, and nodded. “Perfect. Not dry, not tough–just right.”
“Try this, too.” Karen, relieved, sliced off a piece of seaweed roll and offered it to her as well.
Alessia’s eyes lit up, and she happily epted another bite.
“We got everything fresh at the market this morning–your dad and I went early. I had a chat with the vendor, and they’ll give us a better bulk price from now on.” Karen looked proud, clearly pleased with Alessia’s approval.
“That’s great,” Alessia said, nodding. “By the way, where’s Dad?”
“Zachary and your dad went out early to pick up the car. Zachary dropped it off and then headed to the shop, and your dad’s downstairs cleaning the cart.”
“I’ll go check on him.”
“Alright. Oh, and take some water and snacks down for him, will you?”
“Got it,” Alessia replied, grabbing a cup and heading downstairs.
She’d only been in this house for two or three days, but already, everything felt so natural–like she’d always belonged.
At the front door, Brendan was hosing down the small cart, scrubbing away thest stubborn streaks of grime. The metal gleamed in the morning sunlight.
“Dad,” Alessia called, “Take a break and have something to eat.”
Brendan nced up with a smile, turned off the hose, and walked over. He took the water from her and drank deeply, finishing half in a single go.
“Well, Brendan, who’s this?” A woman carrying a trash bag appeared at the doorway, her tone warm and friendly.
“My daughter, Lessie,” Brendan replied easily. “Come say hi to Carey.”