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“Don’t you want to see how long it takes him to yell at one of his chefs during the competition?”
    â€œNo. I want to see vampires and car chases and preferably something blowing up. I don’t want to see Damon Hurst.”
    Well, she’d have to see him now, Cady thought, at least for the two or three weeks he’d probably stick around. She thumped another bag of yard waste into her truck. How he’d managed to con her parents into trusting him was anybody’s guess. Why, was even more perplexing. He had to have options in the city, job offers that paid a whole lot better than her parents could afford. Why come all the way up to a little dot-on-the-map Maine town? Could he really be that hard up? And if he was, did they really want him?
    It was a fiasco waiting to happen. The guy hadn’t even bothered to come look at the restaurant and meet the people he was going to work with before taking the job. That wasn’t the behavior of a man who gave a hoot about his staff—or his performance. No way was he planning on being there for the long haul.
    Gritting her teeth, she slammed another bag down.
    â€œYou’re going to split one of those open if you don’t watch it,” a voice said behind her, making her jump.
    She knew before she turned it was him.
    He wore jeans and the same bomber jacket he’d had on the day she’d met him, his dark hair loose and pushed back behind his ears. He still hadn’t bothered to shave; even in sunlight, his eyes looked only two or three shades away from black. Not that she was noticing. Good-looking guys didn’t get to her, Cady reminded herself.
    She spared him another glance. “Well, you’re up and around early.”
    He smiled faintly. “Not a lot of nightlife around here.”
    â€œLife in Grace Harbor. Sorry to disappoint you.”
    â€œI didn’t say I was disappointed.”
    She bent back to her rubbish pile. “I’m so relieved.”
    This time he laughed outright. “Nice to see you’re in good form again today.”
    â€œI’m in good form every day,” she said, tossing an armload of rhododendron branches into the bed. “Get used to it.”
    He looked her up and down. “I’m not even going to touch that one.”
    She flushed and grabbed another load of branches from the previous day’s pruning to toss into the bed. “So what brings you out here so early?”
    â€œMaybe I just wanted some fresh air.”
    â€œIt’s all around you. Knock yourself out.” She turned to find him already handing her the next bag from her pile. She hesitated, then took the brown paper sack from him. “Thanks.”
    â€œDon’t mention it. What’s McBain Landscaping?” He nodded at the magnetic sign on her truck door. “I thought it was Compass Rose.”
    â€œThe Compass Rose is my parents’. I’ve got my own business.”
    â€œPlanting stuff?”
    She scowled. “Yeah, I plant stuff, you fry stuff.”
    â€œOkay.” Brown paper crackled as he handed her a bag of leaves. “Let’s start again. Along the lines of frying stuff, Roman says you’re the person to talk to about the farmers’ market.”
    â€œYou’ve met him, finally. Good for you.”
    He gave her a narrow-eyed look. “The farmers’ market?”
    â€œWhat do you want to know? Directions?”
    â€œAmong other things.”
    â€œKennebunk has a market but it doesn’t open until June. This time of year you’ll have to go to Portland.”
    â€œHow long’s the drive?”
    â€œAs long as an hour, depending on traffic.” At his whistle, Cady shrugged. “It’s in town. It’s tricky to find parking. If you’re smart, you’ll do like Nathan did. Skip the market and have what you want trucked in from suppliers.” Before she’d even gotten the words out, Damon was already