Page 36 of The Sailor

Chapter Seven

Marit felt better than she had in years. As she strolled hand in hand with Zach through the rows of vendors set up in Rockville’s waterfront park, she couldn’t help but smile as people greeted Zach over and over.

He may have tried to convince her that she fit in here, but it was more than obvious how much he was loved. He’d been gone for many years during his time in the Navy, but people obviously had long memories, and he and the Young family were clearly adored in this town. They were true Mainers, no matter what Zach claimed or how long he and his brothers might’ve been gone.

Several people offered their condolences for the loss of his father, which Zach accepted with grace. He didn’t seem irritated that they were stopped time and time again to chat. Marit could also see that the comments people made to him about The Lobster Buoy, and how much they’d enjoyed whatever dish they’d tried, made Zach beam with pride.

And he should be proud. Today, his lobster shack had the longest line of both locals and tourists, eager to eat the delicious concoctions on offer.

They popped their heads into the back of the restaurant and greeted Jack, Zach’s cook. The man snarled at his boss and ordered him out, pointing a spatula in their direction. “You’re taking the morning off, remember?” he growled.

“I do remember. And if you keep up this insubordination, I’ll take the afternoon off too.”

Jack’s mouth fell open, and he blurted, “Really?”

“Really.”

“You’re a miracle worker,” he told Marit. “You eat free here for life.”

“Hey! You can’t go around giving away my food,” Zach teased.

In response, Jack smacked his shoulder with the spatula this time. “Out!” he ordered with a smirk.

“I hope you’re going to wash that thing before you use it again,” Zach grumbled.

Jack rolled his eyes, then threw the spatula he’d been threatening his boss with into a bin in the small sink next to the grill, pulling a new one out of a drawer.

“We’ve got things under control here. Karen is coming in about twenty minutes, and Bill and Casey are keeping the line moving nicely. Now, scat. Skedaddle. Git.”

“We’re going, we’re going,” Zach told him. “You need anything, you call, understand?”

“Of course. Got you on speed dial. We got this though.”

“Thanks, Jack. You’re the best.”

“Of course I am. I expect a nice end-of-the-season bonus.”

“We’ll see,” Zach said.

“Fuck off.”

“Back atcha.”

The banter between employee and boss was funny. And cute. It reminded Marit of how she and Eliot were together, although she wasn’t brave enough to be quite as brash as Jack. But the good-natured teasing back and forth had an undercurrent of respect. It was obvious Jack enjoyed the autonomy of being in charge while Zach was gone, and Zach had no problem trusting the other man to oversee his precious lobster shack. It was a great partnership, and Marit loved that for Zach.

Now they were wandering around checking out all the booths and the wares people were selling. Marit had to admit, she was a sucker for lobster paraphernalia. It was cheesy and stereotypical, and crazy since she worked with lobsters day in and day out. But she had to have a lobster charm she saw at one booth, and there was a squishy lobster she couldn’t walk past as well. Zach bought both for her, even though she protested that she could afford them on her own.

To pay him back, she bought him a donut from Ruckus Donuts, an espresso crème. They’d eaten a large, delicious breakfast, but he seemed to enjoy the sweet treat . . . as much as Marit liked the taste of the coffee-flavored whipped cream on his tongue when he kissed her in thanks.

So far, Marit hadn’t discovered anything about Zach Young that she didn’t like. It was still very early in their relationship, they were still in the honeymoon stage, but seriously . . . the man could cook like a dream, he did laundry, he slept in the wet spot, he didn’t make her feel left out when he was talking to people he knew, and he went out of his way to introduce her to everyone they met as “my girlfriend, Marit, who’s one of the hardest-working lobsterwomen I know.”

Of course, she was the only lobsterwoman he knew, but he didn’t tell anyone that.

While in the shower that morning, Marit had taken to heart some of the things he’d said. He was right, she wasn’t super happy that he kept bringing up her brothers, but he wasn’t wrong in that they’d made her feel unlovable. If her own brothers hadn’t found anything within her to love and cherish, how could a stranger?

But Zach was doing an amazing job so far of proving that she was worthy. That her brothers were the ones in the wrong. It would take more than one night of good sex and a public date for her to completely change the way she’d thought for so long . . . but some of the things Zach had said were making her reevaluate parts of her life.

After a couple of hours at the festival, she was feeling mellow, and happy, and relaxed . . . which ended when she saw Lucas Pearson walking toward them.