Page 41 of Death of a Grill Master

This wasn’t over.

Not even close.

Island Food & Spirits

By

Hayley Powell

Have I ever told you about the first time I met Sergio—the husband of my brother, Randy, and, oh, yes, our beloved chief of police? Let’s just say I didn’t exactly make the most graceful first impression.

It was one of Mona’s legendary August BBQs, the kind that started years ago because we were all too busy in summer to see each other unless someone forced us to. Leave it to Mona to solve the problem by organizing an annual gathering where the only requirement was showing up hungry. It worked. Everyone came. And it was at one of these BBQs that I met Sergio.

Now, I knew Randy was dating someone. What I didn’t know was who. And that was driving me absolutely nuts. Randy usually spilled his romantic secrets faster than I spill sangria on a white blouse. But this time? Nothing. Crickets. After some expert-level pestering, I finally wrangled a promise out of him that he might—might—bring his mystery date to Mona’s.

So there I was, happily stuffing my plate with garlic shrimp kabobs, grilled corn, and one of Max Bennett’s famous blue cheese burgers (I wasn’t about to risk those running out). I found a prime seat at a picnic table with a perfect view of the entrance, just in case Randy arrived with Mr. Mysterious.

And that’s when it happened. Mouth full of burger, juice dripping down my chin, I looked up—and nearly choked. Walking in was none other than Chief Sergio Alvarez himself. Our new, devastatingly handsome chief of police. The man who had every single woman in Bar Harbor plotting ways to “accidentally” bump into him at the Shop ’n Save. Including, I’ll admit, me.

Panicked but determined, I swiped at my chin, shoved the burger aside, and leapt up, waving both arms like I was signaling a rescue helicopter. “Yoo-hoo, Chief Alvarez!” I yelled, dignity be damned. Every woman within a hundred feet had the same idea, and I was not about to lose.

And then—he waved back. At me. My heart did cartwheels. I was so focused on Sergio’s smile that I didn’t notice Jon Hall’s Labrador, Duke, sprawled out right in front of me. One second I was power-walking toward romance, the next I was airborne, arms flailing, before hitting the ground with a thud that rattled my teeth. The dog never moved. Didn’t even react to me tripping over him.

Mortified, I squeezed my eyes shut, silently begging the earth to open and swallow me whole. Instead, I heard a deep, commanding voice. “Everyone step back, give her some air!” A shadow fell over me. I opened one eye, and there he was: Sergio, kneeling beside me, asking if I was okay. He offered me his hand. I was seconds from swooning when—

“Hayley! Oh my God, are you hurt?”

My brother, Randy, appeared, shoving Sergio aside like a jealous bodyguard. He grabbed my hands, dusted me off, and launched into a full play-by-play of my epic pratfall, complete with hand gestures. Mortification complete.

But then I saw it. The smile Randy gave Sergio. The way Sergio smiled back. And suddenly the mystery was solved. Sergio wasn’t waving at me because he thought I was cute—he was waving at me because I was Randy’s sister.

Instead of being disappointed, I was thrilled. My brother had found someone wonderful. And even if I’d had to break my tailbone to discover it, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. (Okay, maybe I’d change the part where I tripped over Duke.)

So, in honor of that fateful BBQ, I’m sharing two of my favorite summer recipes. One’s a cocktail that soothes both bruised pride and bruised knees, and the other is for those shrimp skewers that nearly distracted me into face-planting in front of half the town.

EASY LEMONADE MARGARITAS

(Summer in a glass)

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate

½ cup white tequila

2 tablespoons triple sec

1 cup water

Combine the concentrate, tequila, triple sec, and water. Stir until smooth. Pour over ice in two glasses and clink with your favorite gossip partner.

HAYLEY’S GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS

INGREDIENTS

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil