Free Island Refuge (Wildflower B&B Romance Book 1) by Kimberly Rose Johnson

her scrubbing the sink. “You have a minute? We need to talk.”
    Zoe stood still. “Okay. Give me a second to finish up here. There’s fresh coffee if you’d like some.”
    He poured himself a cup and added a splash of milk then sat at the bar.
    Zoe moved slowly, methodically—definitely stalling. Her long wavy hair was bound in a clip at the base of her head. Would the silky strands feel as soft as they looked? He shook his head at his wayward thoughts. He couldn’t go there, especially right now.
    She finally washed her hands then turned from the sink. She poured herself a cup of coffee while standing at the bar facing him. “What’s up?”
    His pulse ratcheted up a notch. “Mitch brought something to my attention that we need to discuss.”
    She took a sip from her mug, but her gaze never wavered from his.
    “He felt like you were being less than kind regarding Rachel.”
    Zoe’s eyes narrowed, and her mouth stretched into a straight line. She placed the mug on the counter with a thud. “Do you agree?” She shook her head. “Stupid question. You do, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” No matter how hard she tried it was never good enough.
    Nick studied his coffee for a moment. He hadn’t intended to put her on the defensive. She was exceptional at her job, but he couldn’t have her being rude to the guests. Even if that guest was more like a resident. He raised his gaze to meet hers. “I’ll admit, your first few days here were rocky, and there have been a few rough patches since, but I wouldn’t get upset about it.”
    He checked his tone, and softened his voice. No sense in making her more defensive. “You’re a good worker and an exceptional cook. There is no arguing your abilities in the kitchen. For the most part, you do a great job. The house is always clean and smells nice. I appreciated you stepping in and keeping an eye on Aiden when he was here and for trying to keep him in mind with the meals, but I won’t tolerate unkindness toward the guests.”
    “Nor should you. Why are we having this conversation? I’ve never been unkind to any of the guests.” Her nose scrunched, and for the first time he noticed light freckles sprinkled across it.
    “Mitch felt like you were gossiping about Rachel.”
    Zoe’s jaw jutted out. “I disagree, but if Mitch felt that way, I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what he thought he saw or heard.”
    “It had to do with Aiden.”
    “Oh that. I can’t believe he complained. I was concerned for your nephew’s safety and suggested he not allow Rachel to be alone with his son. We don’t know anything about her. What if she’s a serial killer with a penchant for antiques?”
    A laugh bubbled from his lips, but he quickly sobered at the intense look on Zoe’s face. “Seriously?”
    She lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. “She keeps to herself most of the time. What else am I to think?”
    “I can think of several other options.” Zoe was being uncharacteristically uncharitable. What had come over her? “Why are you so suspicious of others?”
    “I’m not. How can you sit there and tell me everything is normal with her when we both know she was snooping around in my room? Who knows what else she’s done when no one was around.”
    Nick pressed a hand to his forehead. With all the excitement of having his family visit and working on the house he’d pushed the pictures to the back of his mind for the past few days, but Zoe was right. He needed to deal with that issue once and for all. “I’ll talk to her.”
    “Good.” Zoe took a step toward the sink. “Are we finished?”
    He bristled at the challenge in her tone, but knew better than to push things with her. He’d made his point, and the last thing he needed was her walking out on the job. Besides, she had the right to expect her personal space to remain private. “Yes.”
    He strode to the door leading to his apartment. He’d deal with Rachel, but not until the time was