Free Wind Chime Café (A Wind Chime Novel) by Sophie Moss Page B

Even if they were only community events, they were still large-scale events. And if she’d worked at the same law firm for thirty years, that showed loyalty.
    “I imagine,” Annie said slowly, “if you grew up here, you probably know how to cook a lot of traditional Chesapeake Bay recipes.”
    Della nodded. “My grandmother taught me how to cook.”
    “Can you cook better than Don at The Tackle Box?”
    “Don?” Della snorted. “I can out cook Don with one hand tied behind my back.”
    The sound of wind chimes glided over the salty breezes. It wasn’t a deep rich coppery sound like Annie had heard the first night Will walked into her restaurant, or the delicate aluminum flutes she’d heard when she and Taylor had come up with the name of the café. These had a quirky, uneven cadence, like silver spoons suspended from tangled fishing line.
    “I can’t pay much,” Annie admitted. “At least, not at first. If things start to pick up, we can talk about a raise.”
    Della’s whole face lit up. “Are you offering me the job?”
    Annie held up a hand. “I want to feature a seasonal menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches—local Chesapeake fare with a twist. The Rusty Rudder and The Tackle Box are our main competition. We’d need to offer a step up from that.”
    “A step up…?” Della said slowly.
    Annie nodded. She and Taylor had spent the weekend scoping out the competition. The Tackle Box, which was a small dark green building at the bottom of the drawbridge, doubled as the island market and grill. Rusty’s, which included an inn with about a dozen rooms, was known mostly as a family hangout and bar. They both specialized mainly in fried food.
    “So,” Della continued, “you mean something kind of classy? Like you?”
    Annie brushed at her hair self-consciously. No one had ever called her classy before. “I guess…yes. That’s what I’m looking for.”
    The woman sat up a little straighter. “I can do classy.”
    “I want to open in two weeks,” Annie went on, “in time for the Rockfish Tournament. I’ve heard there will be close to a hundred tourists here that weekend. If we can find a way to get some of them to come to the café instead of going to Rusty’s or The Tackle Box, we might be able to pull off a successful first day.”
    Della’s eyes lit up. “We could offer to cook the fish they catch in the tournament, and I could get word out to the charter boat captains to put in a good word for us. It could give us an edge up.”
    “I’d want to see a menu by the end of the week, at the latest.”
    “I can get you one by tomorrow.”
    Annie smiled and held out her hand. “Then you’re hired.”
    Della grasped Annie’s hand in both of hers, pumping it up and down. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”
    Annie laughed, looking back down at the top of Della’s résumé. “I forgot to catch your last name.”
    “It’s Dozier,” she said. “Della Dozier.”
    Dozier. Where had she heard that name before? A slow sinking feeling formed in the pit of her stomach and Annie drew her hand back “You’re not related to Will Dozier, are you?”
    Della beamed. “I’m his aunt.”
     

     
    Of all the people on this island for Della to be related to. Annie’s boots scuffed through the fallen leaves beginning to blanket the sidewalks as she walked to the school to pick up Taylor. Was there no getting away from this man?
    For someone who hadn’t been home in years, Will sure had a lot of ties to this place.
    Letting her fingers run through the golden leaves of a locust branch, she considered her decision to hire Della. In hindsight, it might have been wise to spend a few days verifying her references before offering her the job.
    What kind of manager took a potential employee on her word and hired her on the spot?
    A bad one , an evil voice whispered in Annie’s ear.
    No. She pushed the voice away. She was a good manager. At least, she had been when she’d worked as the assistant manager