Part 13 (2/2)

”Thanks, Sally Anne, I'll keep that in mind.”

She patted his hand and smiled softly. ”You do that, Alex. I'm here for you if you need me.”

The bell in the kitchen rang, and in a moment Alex found his club sandwich in front of him. Buck had really laid on the fries, and Alex dove in.

Buck came out as Alex took the second bite of his sandwich.

”How goes it, Alex?” he asked in a gruff voice that matched his muscular frame.

Buck was a former Golden Gloves boxing champion, with the meaty build and broken nose to prove it. When he spoke, it was always more of a growl than mere words.

”I'm fine, Buck. I saw you out running the other day. You can really move.”

”For a guy my age and my size, you mean? I'm in training,” he said with a grin.

”You're going to fight again?” Alex asked incredulously.

Buck said, ”No, I've got something more important than that coming up.” He looked at his daughter, then asked, ”Can I at least tell him? Alex knows how to keep his mouth shut.”

”Dad, we're not telling anybody yet. You know that.”

Whatever they were discussing, Alex certainly was intrigued. Buck looked around the diner. ”n.o.body can hear us. Go on, tell him.”

”I'm getting married,” she said softly.

”Congratulations,” Alex said. ”Eric's a lucky man.”

Sally Anne said, ”Alex, I'm sorry about the timing and all. I was going to tell you later.”

Buck put a meaty paw on Alex's shoulder. ”He's a strong man. Sally Anne, there's no need to tiptoe around him. Go on, ask him now.”

Sally Anne said, ”We were wondering if we could get married at the inn. Alex, it's such a beautiful place, and you know how much I've always loved the lighthouse. You don't have to decide now; the wedding's not for another six months. I just wanted to ask,” she tapered her words down to a near whisper at the end.

”I don't need to think about it. I'd be delighted to have your wedding at Hatteras West.”

Buck lightly slapped his daughter with the towel that was always parked over his shoulder. ”See? I told you there was nothing to worry about. I've got to get back to the kitchen.” He patted Alex's arm again. ”Thanks. This means a lot to us.”

”Happy to do it,” Alex said as he turned back to his sandwich. The Hatteras West Inn was a perfect place for a wedding, and several townspeople had held their nuptials there. His own mother and father had even married on the grounds, though they'd exchanged their vows from the very top of the lighthouse, something that hadn't been repeated since. It had severely limited the number of invited guests, and Alex's mother had always said that had been his father's main reason for making the request. Alex knew the truth, though. The lighthouse had been as much a part of his dad as it was of him. The Winston men were part of a long line of hopeless romantics, from the lighthouse's builder all the way down to Alex.

Yes, another wedding would be perfect for Hatteras West. Alex would never have admitted it to anyone else, but he was already looking forward to it.

He was just finis.h.i.+ng his meal when Sandra walked in, a harried look on her face.

Sandra smiled quickly the moment she saw Alex. ”Hey there, stranger. How are things at the inn?”

”With the fair over, I'm expecting things to finally slow down.”

She put her briefcase down on the counter, then slipped onto the stool beside him. Whatever her faults, Sandra almost always found a way to make him smile. ”Please tell me you're at least having a piece of pie for dessert. I hate to eat alone.”

”Sandra, I left Mor in charge of the inn three hours ago. I really should be getting back.”

”Come on, Alex,” she said, touching his arm lightly. ”Your guests are all gone, and you've got to be done with your cleaning for the day. I know you too well. Keep me company. I hate to eat alone.”

Sally Anne was watching the exchange with interest, standing just close enough not to miss a word.

Alex nodded as he finished another fry. ”Okay, on one condition. I need a ride to the hospital after we're done here.”

”Oh, Alex, what's wrong?”

”I'm fine,” he said, ”but I left my truck in the parking lot.”

Clearly she wanted to know why he'd done that, but remarkably, Sandra didn't ask. ”It's a deal.”

Sally Anne stepped forward, and Sandra said, ”I'll have my regular salad and an iced tea. And bring Alex a piece of apple pie.”

Sally Anne took the order without a word, and Alex wondered if she approved entirely of his sharing counter s.p.a.ce with his ex-girlfriend.

Sandra took a long drink of tea, then asked, ”So tell me, Alex, how's your impromptu investigation doing? Have you uncovered the killer yet?”

Alex said, ”What makes you think I'm trying to do anything about the murder?”

She laughed brightly. ”Oh, come on, Alex, don't forget who you're talking to. I know how much you love a good mystery.”

”Right now I'm just trying to keep my head above water. I don't have much time for sleuthing.”

Sally Anne quietly slipped their food in front of them, and Sandra took a few bites of her salad before replying. ”Well, I don't think Bill Yadkin did it, for what it's worth, though Armstrong appears to be favoring him. That boy's temper is going to get him into some serious trouble if he's not careful. He fired me, you know.”

”Why in the world did he do that?” Alex asked.

”I have no idea, but he'd better hire someone else fast; Armstrong's baying at the door.”

Alex had to admit he enjoyed sharing the time with Sandra. The new friends.h.i.+p building between them was nice, devoid of the tension they'd shared while dating.

But she wasn't Elise.

Sandra didn't reach for Alex's check as she grabbed hers, something she'd always done when they'd dated. It had underscored how much more she made as a successful lawyer than he did as an innkeeper, and it had bothered him more than he cared to admit.

”Come on, pay your check and let's go. I've got the top down on my convertible,” Sandra said as she headed for the door.

”Are you sure you have to go straight back to the hospital? It's a beautiful afternoon for a drive.”

”Sorry, Sandra, but I need to get back.” Instead of arguing, she pulled into the hospital parking lot and headed straight for Alex's truck. The gray Ford was hard to miss.

She stopped in front of his spot, and Alex hopped out. ”Thanks for the ride, Sandra.”

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