Courted by Trouble: A Courting Romance (In Hyacinth Book 3) by Bree Cariad Page B

all do you do at the ladies auxiliary?”
    “Oh, answer phones, do correspondence. Stuff like that. I keep their schedule running and keep track of the important dates.”
    “Executive secretary skills, too,” he murmured, shaking his head. “You’ve got it all, Dora.” She blushed but beamed all the same and the conversation turned to his business.
    “How’s it going?” she asked, referring to the inn.
    “Good. Interior is getting redone now. Gran knows what she’s doing on the inn side. I’m mainly focused on the kitchen. It’s going to be have everything I love in it.”
    “That must be exciting. Starting your own business from scratch.”
    “It is. Rather terrifying, too,” he admitted. “But Gran has done this before and from some of the interest we’ve had from the townsfolk, I’m excited for our opening. Though,” he added with a frown, “Gran doesn’t seem to want to make her mind up about things. I always remembered her as being forceful and opinionated – which she is – but it always had a purpose. Now, she...” Shaking his head, he shrugged. “It’s probably just been too long since she’s been in business. I’m sure once the inn opens everything will be great.”
    “Do you know when? We could do something with the ladies auxiliary as a celebration. Maybe have one of their lunches there. It would really help get the word out.” Dora began chattering about marketing and who to get to know in town and by the time dinner was over, Christopher had a gleam in his eye.
    “What are you up to?” Stephanie asked him after Dora went up to bed and they were curled up on the sofa in the living room.
    “Think the ladies auxiliary would hate me if I stole Dora out from under them?” he asked.
    “To do what?”
    “Everything she’s doing for them. Accounting, marketing, administration. She has the business acumen to really go far if she wanted to.”
    “Wow, I don’t know if Dora would do it. She’s a pretty faithful person. They offered her a job when nobody else would and she’s likely to stick with them forever because of it. But I agree. She would do a great job for the inn. Have you decided on a name yet?”
    “No. Gran thinks we should keep it simple. Triton Bed and Breakfast. I would like something more ornate. So far we’re at a stalemate.”
    Giggling, she lay her head against his chest. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
    “You’ll get your wish next week. She flies in on Tuesday.”
    Emily Benton was a formidable woman with sharp eyes and an even sharper tongue. From the moment they met, she and Stephanie did not see eye-to-eye, not the least for the fact that she thought her grandson could do better in the dating department.
    Her words as Stephanie walked into the room the day after they met would stick with her for a long time. “I cannot believe you broke up with Stacy Rendon for someone like her, Christopher. She’s a nobody from nowhere.”
    “Enough, Gran,” Christopher said sharply. “She’s the woman I love and you might as well get used to it.”
    “And what if I pull my support from the inn? What will you do then?”
    Stephanie turned and ran out not wanting to hear anymore. Chris caught up with her moments later.
    “Steph, wait,” he said, grasping her arm. “Don’t listen to her.”
    “She doesn’t think I’m worthy of you.” The words hurt as they pulled out her worst feelings about herself. Half the time she didn’t think she was worthy of him either.
    He rolled his eyes. “Sometimes Gran has strange ideas. Stacy Rendon is my ex-girlfriend. We dated for five years but neither of us ever wanted more. We broke up way before I met you, Steph.”
    “But what if she takes away your dream?” she asked, her lips quivering. Stephanie wasn’t stupid. If Chris lost his dream because of her, that would put a wedge in their relationship that could destroy their future together. And from the way she’d sounded, Emily was set on breaking them up. Just