Page 73 of Craig

"Maeve." He grinned at her.

"I can't believe you're still here."

"Where else would I be?" She turned curious light green eyes on Regina.

"Who's this lovely young woman?"

"Maeve, this is Regina, my wife."

He said it with such ease that it had Regina's heart spiking.

"Oh, my goodness!" Maeve clapped her hands in delight, and before Regina could react, was embracing her as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Sit."

She guided them over to a table in the corner.

"Coffee and my famous beignet. Freshly baked. Scrambled eggs with ham and cheese."

She clapped her hands again, her face wreathed in smiles. "I'll serve you myself."

"Thanks, Maeve."

"It's the least I can do, and the meal is on the house."

"No- I"

She waved away his protest. "I insist."

Before he could say anything else, she bustled away, stopping at a few tables along the way.

"I think she has a crush on you."

Craig glanced over at her as he settled back against the padded seat. From where they were sitting, they could see the roadway and the traffic crawling by.

"She knew my parents. This place was slated for demolition, in fact most of the buildings were. Serenity Place, as it's called, was going to be swallowed up by a conglomerate. They wanted-" he paused when Maeve came back with a pot of coffee and freshly baked soda bread.

"To tide you over while you wait."

"You're spoiling us."

"You deserve it."

"You were saying?" Regina had a pretty good idea where he was going, but she wanted to hear it from him.

Pouring the coffee, she took a slice of the bread and spread marmalade on it. The first bite had her eyes widening.

"Wow."

"She's good. Anyway, they wanted to buy out the owners and level the buildings. They had the idea of turning it into a resort area. Which was a good business plan, because as you can see, the area is quaint and relaxed. People who can afford it would love to come here and chill. But the townspeople, ones who have been here for years, this was not just business for them; it's their home."

"And your dad stepped in."

He smiled in memory as he picked up his cup.

"My mother. She was wealthy in her own right and decided she was going to save the town. She bought a few of the buildings and loaned money to the rest of the residents and owners who couldn't afford to hold onto their businesses. She took an interest in it and made an outcry."

He grinned. "Rosalind Muldoon was a force to be reckoned with when it counts."