AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He had more IOUs than money in the bank. When Joe said he wanted Lucas to look over his financial records, Lucas never would have thought in a million years it would have been this bad.
Stacks of past due notices sat to the left of the IOUs, and if Joe didn’t come up with the money to pay some of the creditors off he was going to lose his beloved restaurant.
Lucas didn’t mind a challenge. Hell, he lived for them, but this might just prove to be one that he couldn’t win.
He shuffled some papers around, trying to get some semblance of order when he heard voices in what sounded like the start of an argument. He put the papers down and listened as the voices escalated, and Joe’s distinct tone became evident.
Lucas put his work aside and headed for the front where the commotion was coming from. The restaurant was small, consisting of only a back office and a cramped bar area with four tables against the wall. The main seating was out front at the picnic tables in front of the order window. According to Joe, the inside was only used by the locals in the colder months.
Joe’s Lobster House’s busy season was on the horizon, but Lucas feared Joe wouldn’t have enough disposable income to get up and running the way he needed to. He took out a loan to pay his employees through the winter when he should have just closed. He had no return on investment. He wasn’t just in the red; he was drowning in it.
Lucas moved through the narrow space between the tables and the bar and emerged outside into the fresh salt air. Seagulls squawked overhead, circling fishing boats that were pulling in and out of the harbor. Even with all that noise, Joe and whoever he was arguing with could be heard loud and clear.
The other man was yelling in what Lucas assumed was Italian. He spotted the duo outside Vinny’s Lobster Shack. If Lucas was a betting man, he’d wager to say the man with salt and pepper hair and a prominent nose was Vinny.
Vinny held up his fist and shook it as more words in Italian flew from his mouth. Lucas stepped between the two dueling men and held his hands out.
“Enough,” he said.
“Who the hell are you?”
“That’s my grandson, and you show him some respect.”
Vinny all but growled his rebuttal.
Lucas offered his hand to the older gentleman. Just because those two couldn’t get along didn’t mean that they couldn’t. “I’m Lucas. Mr. Moretti, I assume?”
“Why would you assume that?”
He looked up at Vinny’s Lobster Shack and back to the namesake. “Because I heard the Moretti’s own this place.”
Vinny crossed his arms over his chest and turned his nose up at Lucas’ outstretched hand.
“You shake my grandson’s hand,” Joe demanded.
“I’d rather eat sh—”
“Grandpa!” A familiar voice exclaimed.
Lucas’ head snapped up just as Ella stepped out of Vinny’s Lobster Shack. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, showcasing the beautiful features of her face—her dark brown eyes, cute button of a nose, and plump lips. She was a dangerous combination of cute and sexy that had him openly gawking.
“Ella?” he said as she approached.
Her eyes widened as she took him in. “Lucas? What are you doing here?”
Lucas tossed his thumb over his shoulder, pointing toward the Lobster House when Vinny cut in.
“You know this stronzo?”
Ella rolled her eyes then pointed toward Lucas. “Grandpa, he’s not an asshole.”
“You calling my grandson an asshole? You piece of—”
“Hey!” Lucas said, holding up his hand and cutting off Joe. He was beginning to think that Frank’s stories weren’t exaggerated at all. If anything, he downplayed the feud.
“He has no right!” Joe spat. “My grandson is a good boy. Unlike your litter of delinquents,” Joe said, and Ella flinched.
Vinny held his fist up again. “You little…”
