Claire returned to the car and settled into the driver’s seat. She was silent for a while, pondering her parents’ financial situation. It seemed terribly ironic that she had just come into some money, only to discover that her parents were broke.
Was the universe trying to tell her something?
Was she supposed to fund them the same way she had funded Alden and Heimi with her prize winnings until the company became profitable?
Claire gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white.
"What’s wrong sweetheart?" Donovan asked.
He had been waiting for her in the car, thinking she would spend no more than five minutes in The Hungry Gulls and then race out in a rush to get to Mr. Calvert. She had come out quickly as expected but seemed more disturbed than he had ever seen.
"Did you know that my parents are nearly bankrupt?" Claire asked her grandfather.
He sighed, his shoulders sagging beneath his flannel shirt. "I did. I offered Donna and Victor some money to help with the shop and the tuition... and they rejected it. Pride, I tell you! Pride will be the death of this family! The quads will have to move to public school...to their old school. They are good boys, so they will understand why it has to happen. If the business doesn’t work out, they will close shop, be sad for a while and eventually move on. Don’t worry about it. Let the adults handle such matters. Just focus on building your business and taking care of your health."
Claire sighed and gave a small, knowing smile. "I am an adult too, in case you have forgotten. I have some money I can give them."
The old man rotated his right wrist and winced. "There is a reason why your parents have not told any of their children about this. They don’t want you carrying their financial burdens. Especially you, Claire. You went through enough emotional and financial hardships with Alden and Heimi. Your parents don’t want you to suffer again. If they discover that you know and want to help, I am afraid they will pack up and run out of the country."
She patted her grandfather’s shoulder. "Grandpa, don’t worry about it. I will find a way of helping my parents."
Donovan raised his brows curiously. He stared at her with doubt in his eyes. "How? Your parents would never accept your money! They’d rather eat dirt than take cash from their own daughter. You don’t know how stubborn they are."
Claire smirked. "Relax, Grandpa. I am not going to give them money."
Paddy jumped out of the car window to chase pigeons. Nobody went after him because the dog was familiar with everyone in town. Within a minute, someone would drag him to the shop.
Donovan frowned, scratching his gray beard. "Then what are you going to do? Donate anonymously? They would know it was you. Your parents are not stupid Claire, especially your father."
"Close," Claire said with a mischievous grin, pushing the car door open. "I have a brilliant plan to save The Hungry Gulls."
Claire did the first thing she always did when scouting a new location for Alden and Heimi’s. She scoped out the competition on the same street. This was a tourist area, so there was never a lack of foot traffic. It was near the road, and the sidewalk was wide. On this street alone, there were fifteen food establishments in total. Restaurants, diners and cafes.
The shop itself could seat sixty people across fifteen wooden tables, but right now, it felt crowded, not cozy. There were twenty tables inside. It didn’t feel cozy or charming.
When it came to the interior decoration which her parents had paid so much for, Claire wanted to punch whoever was responsible for the ugly decor. They had recreated the look of an early 1900s coastal diner. Brass lanterns hung from the ceiling; polished ship wheels decorated the walls. Framed photographs showed stern fishermen posing with catches larger than their boats. Everything looked antique, though the paint was fresh and floors were spotless.
A giant swordfish mounted above the counter appeared to glare at customers who lingered too long over coffee. Nearby, a lobster trap held napkins instead of lobsters. A thing that confused Claire as much as it confused the few customers who had visited the shop.
As for the menu, it was nothing but lazy and bad decisions.
Donovan, who had followed Claire inside, grinned with pride. "What do you think of the place?"
"Grandpa..." Claire whispered cautiously. "Are you sure that you want my honest opinion?"
Donovan cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed. "Well... your mother wanted it this way. She says it has ’rustic charm.’"
"Rustic charm?!" Claire shrieked softly. "If I walked past this place on a hungry stomach, I wouldn’t stop for pancakes, I’d run to the nearest church to pray for my safety because that giant swordfish would have looked at me creepily! There is nothing special on the menu. No wonder people are walking right past!"
"Hey, don’t say that too loud, your mother is inside," Donovan warned, though his own lip twitched with a hidden laugh. "The pancakes are really good!"
"We are going to fix this," Claire declared, rolling up her sleeves with determination. "First, we give this place a heart transplant. Second, we change that tragic wooden sign outside. Now, let’s go meet the owners."
The door was pushed open and two old men walked in. They chose to sit at a corner table.
Donovan immediately waved and bellowed, "Hey, Pete! Afternoon, Barnaby!"
Claire assumed these men were regulars. In fact, judging by how settled in they looked, this had been their regular spot.
One of the men pressed the silver service bell sitting on the table. It produced a sharp ding, and Donna came bustling out of the kitchen, frantically wiping her flour-covered hands with a checkered napkin. The moment her eyes fell on Claire, her tired face instantly lit up like a thousand-watt light bulb.
"Claire!" Donna gasped, her face softening with pure joy. "What are you doing here, sweetie?"
Claire smiled warmly, taking in her mother’s smudged apron and red, swollen eyes. "Well, I thought The Hungry Gulls was a family shop! Am I not allowed here?"
Donna let out a bright laugh, rushing forward to wrap Claire in a tight, flour-dusted embrace. "Of course you are! Oh, it’s so good to see your face!" She stepped back, squeezed Claire’s arms, and then turned to her father. "How did you two end up here?"
Donovan groaned, dramatically sighing. "Claire’s fishing trip was terrible. Ocean’s empty."
Donna looked at Claire with a sympathetic smile, then pulled her into another warm hug. "There will be better days, sweetheart. Don’t you worry. If it’s too hard, don’t force yourself to do it. Just take a break and rest at home. Your father and I will take care of you and all your needs."
Claire stiffened in her mother’s embrace. She wondered how the woman who had been crying in the kitchen because they were broke had the guts to offer to take care of her and her needs. Her parents finances looked as if they were being held together by hope and duct tape, yet her mother spoke as though they owned a private island.