Page 40 of The Seashell of ’Ohana

“Handful?” Kate chimed in. She leaned back on Stella’s desk and frowned. Tyler and Bridget giggled from either side of her.

Stella rose from her chair. “How do you think I feel? I have to deal with both of them every day.” She cast a glance between Kate and me with a smile. “But I love them, so I put up with them. And they pay me, so I have to say that.”

Everyone laughed, even Bridget and Tyler.

A clap from Isaac caught all of our attention. “I’m getting hungry. I’m taking everyone to dinner.”

I didn’t want to disappoint Ian, but I had so much to do. I straightened the tea bags in the box to delay what I was about to say.

“I hate to be the party pooper, but you all go on ahead and enjoy yourselves,” I said.

“Party pooper?” Tyler let out a laugh, and he and Bridget dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“What?” Isaac frowned, walking toward his brother. “Not an option. We all go, or we all stay.”

“Thanks for wanting to include me,” I said, “but unless you want customers pounding on my door, I’ve got to get work done.”

Ian leveled his gaze with mine. “Isaac and I will order dinner, and we’ll all eat here. If it’s okay with everyone, we’ll grab Chinese. I know the perfect place.”

While the Bordonaro brothers took the kids with them to pick up food, Kate and I dove into our work. When they came back, Ian spread the containers of chow mien, kung pao chicken, and assorted vegetables on the table. Isaac handed everyone a paper plate and utensils, and I passed out water bottles.

Stella and I sat at the corner table where I had held the interview. Kate sat with Bridget, and Tyler squeezed in between Ian and Isaac on the other sofa.

We talked about movies, schools, and places Isaac had traveled. Sometimes my eyes met Ian’s, and I’d smile and turn away. Other times, I stole glances at him and wondered what he was thinking.

Was he thinking of his mother while putting on a fake smile? After Steve had passed away, I’d pretended that all was fine. For years, I made sure people didn’t regard me as broken, grieving too much. Nobody could see my heart splitting or the amount of energy it took just to breathe.

“The Bordonaro brothers are such gentlemen,” Stella whispered from across the glass table. “So not fair. Why do you and Kate know all the cute men?”

I let out a quick laugh and twirled wooden chopsticks around the chow mien noodles. “Do you want me to find out if Isaac or Ian is single?”

“Nah,” she said between chewing. “We don’t know how long Isaac is staying. And Ian is yours.”

“What?” I coughed, my throat burning from a stray red pepper in the kung pao chicken. I sucked down half a bottle of water. “Ian isn’t mine. We’re not together. What gave you that idea?”

Stella rolled her eyes up to the white flat ceiling and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Seriously, not again. First your sister and now you.”

Stella had predicted Lee and Kate would get together long before either of them had known.

“Never mind,” she said. “Besides, I have my eyes on my sandy-brown-haired Liam with dimples.”

I shook my head and took a bite of broccoli. If we hired him, I would discourage interoffice dating. Working together might be a problem if things went wrong. I didn’t want to sound like a nagging boss, so I left the topic alone. I, too, had to remain professional.

Stella twirled noodles around her fork and tilted her head toward the sofa. “Looks like someone is attached to Ian.”

I glanced over at Tyler. Ian pointed at a broccoli, and Tyler ate it.

My Tyler had eaten broccoli?

Ian placed an arm around my son and patted his back. Tyler gave him a big smile. The interaction tugged hard at my heartstrings. Tyler wouldn’t tell me directly, but I knew he missed having a father figure.

Isaac placed his plate down and said, “So, you’re all invited to Ian’s beach house this Saturday.”

What? Stella had distracted me, and I had missed the conversation.

“And Isaac will be cooking.” Ian tossed a crumpled napkin at his brother. “That’s what you get for opening my house without asking me first.” He turned to Kate and the kids, then cast a quick look my way. “I was planning to invite you all anyway. And I have lots of chocolate chip ice cream.”

“Yeah!” the kids said at the same time.