Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  “Hi, Taryn.” Chef What’s-her-name folded her arms and looked down her nose at Taryn. Literally.

  Taryn hated being short. It never failed; she was always the shortest one in the room.

  Chef stuck her hand out. “We’ll get along fine as long as you keep your nose out of the kitchen.”

  “I will keep my nose to myself and whatever is best for the restaurant,” Taryn fired back. Where had that come from?

  “Chris, don’t terrify our new manager.” James chuckled and rested his hand on her shoulder. “You already ran one off.”

  “If they can’t stand the heat…” Chris shrugged. “You know how that ends.” She looked right at Taryn. “I don’t have a good feeling about this one.”

  “I’m not afraid of the heat.” She needed to engage her filter, but it just didn’t seem to want to work. “I don’t want to step on your toes, Chef. I just want to do my part to help the restaurant succeed.” Ten years of playing nice with angry doctors might have paid off after all. If she could navigate around their egos, then a moody chef should be no problem.

  “We’ll see.” Chef Chris ducked into what Taryn assumed must be her office and slammed the door causing the pans to rattle from a steel shelf on the same wall.

  “Lovely,” Taryn said before she could stop herself.

  “It’s a tough business, but I don’t need to tell you that. With everything you’ve seen, I’m sure you’re well aware of how to handle a proud Chef.” James smiled and Taryn wondered how he could be so confident when she felt like a fish out of water.

  “All I’ve—” Surely, she heard him wrong. “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t be modest, Jack told me all about your time in Chicago.”

  “Uh…” When I went to the conference for medical supply vendors? What’s that have to do with a restaurant?

  “It takes a special kind of training to navigate the Chicago food industry especially at McNellie’s.”

  “McNell…” Taryn sighed and pulled her racing thoughts back into line. “Jack told you I worked for them, did he?” She choked on the last word.

  “He did.” James held up his hands. “Don’t worry, I didn’t call. He told me about the… Well, I won’t talk about your personal business; but I didn’t call them.”

  Taryn swallowed so hard she wondered if Chef Chris heard it from wherever she was sulking. Personal business? “What else did he tell you?” her eyes narrowed.

  “Nothing other than you’re well versed on the protocols and expectations of the restaurant business. You’ve got the experience to help us get the exposure we need to turn Cherry Street Grill from a local hotspot to a travel destination.” His smile broadened. “That’s why I’m really excited to have you here with us.”

  She forced her jaw to unclench. “Thank you, I’m definitely interested in seeing where this goes.” Was that the right thing to say? She didn’t even know anymore.

  “Me too.” He clasped his hands together. “That reminds me. I need to contact the Urban Scene and let them know we’ve got some new talent on board. They might just want to come out and do a feature.”

  “Excellent idea.” Crap. Crap. Crap.

  “I’m sure you know your way around the kitchen. If you need any help you can ask me, or Chef Chr—” He gritted his teeth. “Actually, just ask me. I don’t think Chris has adjusted to the idea of having someone else here yet.” He walked through the swinging doors and motioned for Taryn to follow. “That’s really all I can show you for today. I’ve got to go deal with Hayley before dinner rush.”

  “No problem. I’ll start making my calls and see you tomorrow morning.”

  “8 a.m.” James waved and started toward the corridor leading to his office.

  “Got it. I’ll see you then.” She waved and let the door to the restaurant close behind her with a thud. What had Ally gotten her into now?

  4

  James

  Casey was carefully measuring flour and dumping it into a glass mixing bowl when James walked through the front door of their small apartment.

  “Hi, Dad,” she said over the sound of a whirring mixer.

  “Hey.” He scanned the ingredients laid out across the counter. Chocolate chips. Flour. Sugar. A few other things that he would have to spin the containers around to know exactly what they were. “Getting a head start?”

  She nodded and flicked the blender to the next setting. Little bits of unmixed cookie dough hurled into the air.

  “Let’s turn that down a bit, huh?” James reached over and flicked the switch down from 4 to 1. The blender slowed to a gentle hum and the projectile cookie dough ceased its attack on the white kitchen walls and cabinets.

  “Oh,” Casey started. “Jack called a couple of hours ago. I meant to text you and tell you, but…”

  “Cookie dough called instead?”

  “Basically.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. He probably just wants to give me more details.” James dunked a spoon in the dough.

  “Ew. You’re not supposed to eat raw cookie dough, Dad.” Casey made a gagging noise.

  “I did it every single time my grandma baked cookies.” James licked the spoon clean and tossed it into the sink. “I’m still alive.”

  “Whatever. You’re gross.” Casey laughed and grabbed an ice cream scoop from the rack. “This should work.” She scooped the dough out and onto the buttered cookie sheet. “So what details was Jack calling to give you? He hardly ever calls.”

  “I know.” James scowled at the thought of having to wear the penguin suit—and the five-hundred guests. “He wants me to be his best man at the wedding.”

  Casey squealed.

  “Why are you so excited?” he asked. She was definitely up to something, but what it was he had no idea.

  “Because you need to get out more.” Her nose wrinkled up as she stuck her tongue out. “And I’ll finally get to wear the super-fancy dress Grandma gave me for my recital.” Casey squealed again.

  Ugh. The recital. He had almost forgotten that she had been forced to miss that because he couldn’t get off work to get her there on time. “I’m sorry I made you miss your recital. Candace leaving put so much pressure on everyone—especially with the timing.”

  “It’s fine.” Casey shrugged and smiled. “I didn’t know my part that well anyway. I’m just excited I’ll get to wear the dress, and—”

  “And what?” James’s frown pulled his eyebrows down. “Do I even want to know?”

  “And you’ll finally get out and meet someone.” Casey clapped her hands and jumped up and down. “You have to stop sitting here night after night. It’s depressing,” she scoffed and shoved the cookie pan into the oven. The timer beeped as she pressed the buttons to set it for eleven minutes.

  “I am not interested in meeting anyone,” he practically spat the last word. Meeting someone was exactly the last thing on his mind. He barely had time for work and Casey. How could he find time to bring someone else into their life? He couldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to the other person, or to Casey—or himself. Too much was at risk.

  “Why not?” Casey put her hands on her hips. “It’s been years, Dad. If I can accept the fact she’s never coming back, then so can you. You need to get on with your life.”

  Whoa. That’s a little harsh. “Casey, you’re getting a little out of line here.” James wanted to crawl into the cupboard and hide, but the conversation was one that he had seen coming for a while. With the kids constantly teasing her at school for her mom abandoning her, it was bound to happen. “It’s not that I’m not over it. I’m completely over the idea that she’ll come back. I just want to focus on raising you and doing my best for you, which also means I need to do my best at work. With the new hours, the holiday…” The threat that they’re going to shut us down and we’ll all be without a job in a few weeks. “And the new manager I just hired. It’s a lot that I need to address, Casey.”

  “What new manager?” Casey�
��s eyebrows furled.

  “Her name is Taryn, she’s a friend of Jack’s—”

  “Jack?” Casey squealed again. “So, she’ll be at the wedding then?”

  “It’s not like that, Case.” James grabbed a bottled water from the fridge. “Okay, I’m about done with this conversation. Go get ready to go.”

  “Go?” Casey’s face looked even more confused than before. “Go where?”

  “You want to get out of the house and your grandma loves cookies. Let’s have her be our official taste tester, so we know if these are bake sale cookies.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Casey smirked. “Maybe she’ll help me find some shoes to go with that dress.” She lifted her foot up, which was still donning the low-profile canvas sneakers she wore to school. “I don’t think Chucks’ go well with formal.”

  James rolled his eyes. “I’ll add fancy schmancy shoes to the shopping list before the wedding.” Might need to get those sooner rather than later if I’m going to lose my job after the first of the year.

  Nancy Roberts opened the door to the full-brick two-story condo and scooped her granddaughter into a bear hug. “You never stop growing. Before long I’ll have to stand on my tip-toes to look you in the eye.” The smell of caramelized sweet potatoes and ham wafted through the door to the front porch. James stomach growled.

  “Hi, Grandma.” Casey returned the hug and nodded toward her dad. “He’s being difficult. Can you help?”

  “Hi, honey.” Nancy gave James a peck on the cheek. “What’s he done this time, Case?”

  James grumbled. “Calling in reinforcements isn’t fair.” He shrugged and offered his mom a sheepish smile. “Honestly, I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

  Nancy’s eyebrows arched. “Uh-huh,” she said. “Anyway, I hear your stomach growling. Did you not get to eat dinner yet?”

  “No.” James pursed his lips together. “I was stuck at work a little longer than I thought and when I got home Casey was launching an assault against the kitchen with cookie dough missiles.”

  Casey pouted. “At least I was trying.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” She lifted the plate of chocolate chip cookies and offered it to her grandma. “The shapes are pretty random, and I might have burnt them—but they smell good.”

  “Mmm.” Nancy lifted the plastic wrap and swiped a cookie from the plate. “They certainly do,” she said as she took a big bite. “They’re good,” she said with her mouth full.

  “Thanks.” Casey shrugged and took one herself. “They’re not bad, but they are definitely not going to do very well at the bake sale. The other kids always come in with stuff that looks like it was created on one of those cable baking shows.” She plopped down on the sofa and tucked her legs underneath her. “It’s okay. I don’t expect to win. At least I’ll have something to bring.”

  James wrung his hands behind his neck. “Case, I’m trying.”

  Nancy smiled and sighed. “I’m sorry, Case. I can cook, but I have never been able to bake.”

  “I know,” Casey sighed.

  “Speaking of cooking…” James nudged his mom in the arm. “Can I go get us a couple of plates of whatever that is I smell in the kitchen?”

  “It’s dinner,” Nancy laughed. “And I already made you and Casey plates. They’re on the counter. You might want to pop them in the microwave for a minute though.”

  James kissed his mom on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” He ducked into the kitchen on the hunt for dinner and to figure out what he was going to do about Casey and the bake sale. He was certain Casey and his mom were in the other room discussing his lack of interest in going to the wedding and more importantly his lack of interest in being the best man and being forced to dance and mingle with the maid-of-honor. He could tell by their giggles that his mom was on Casey’s side with that one. They just didn’t understand. Ugh. That line of thinking was entirely too heavy for a Friday night and least of all when his mom’s dinner was on the table. “This is delicious, Mom.” James called from the kitchen as he shoveled a second scoop of mashed sweet potatoes in his mouth and returned with Casey’s plate. She was perched over her grandma’s shoulder flipping through the photo album.

  “You mean you weren’t always a homebody?” Casey asked.

  “Hardly.” Nancy laughed and turned a few pages until her finger landed square on the photo she had been searching for.

  “Prom king?” Casey gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Oh, c’mon.” He slid Casey’s plate across the coffee table and sat in the recliner closest to the fireplace. “That was a long time ago, Mom. Can we put those away, please?”

  “Nonsense.” Nancy flipped a few more pages.

  “Wait.” Casey’s eyebrows pointed straight down. “Is that…”

  “Yep,” James sighed. “That’s your mom. We were prom King and Queen. You see where that wound up.”

  “Her loss.” Casey shrugged and cut up the slice of ham on her plate.

  How did she get so smart? “You’re right. It absolutely is. I’m just saying that being social isn’t always what it’s made out to be.”

  Nancy patted her son on the back as she tucked the photo album away on the bookshelf beside the fireplace. “You’re right. It’s not always what it’s made out to be.” Her tone let him know she meant what he made it out to be.

  “I know, Ma.” He took another bite.

  “You don’t have to spend your life being afraid to live just because one bad apple got in the mix.” Nancy smiled. “If it hadn’t been for that then we wouldn’t have Casey. It’s all worth it in the end. Sometimes you just have to give it time before we understand the why behind it all.”

  “I wouldn’t change it for the world.” James rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  “Nope.” Nancy glanced at Casey. “It seems pretty important to her, so it’s important to me.”

  “Fine.” James sighed louder this time. “Casey, can you finish eating in the den? I think Grandpa is in there and he’d love to say hi to you anyway.”

  Casey groaned and grabbed her plate. “Why can’t I ever be in on the important conversations?”

  “You are, but this one is a little too grown up.”

  “Fine, maybe we can watch a movie in there,” she said.

  Nancy cocked her head to the side but waited in silence as James gathered his thoughts. He wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

  “I don’t want to bring someone else into our life, just for Casey to get attached and then end up heartbroken again.” Truthfully, he could have handled it, but he wasn’t about to let Casey be subjected to that kind of trauma and heartache again.

  “Casey, or you?” Nancy smiled and handed her son a black open face card with ivory tissue and a dark gold ribbon holding it in place.

  He lifted the tissue and read the invitation. You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Jack Rose and Ally Woodward. “Wait. Why am I already listed on the bridal party? He just asked me last night.”

  Nancy chuckled. “Apparently they believe in you more than you believe in yourself. Here you are thinking about not even going and they must have printed these up months ago.”

  “Fine.” James sighed in defeat. “I’m going to do what I need to do. Jack’s been a great friend. I just don’t want Casey thinking that I’m ever going to look for someone else to bring into our lives. It’s just too risky.”

  Nancy smiled and patted her son on the leg. “I know, son. Sometimes life has other plans. Don’t forget to enjoy the life you’ve been given instead of looking back with so many regrets. You can’t live in fear for the rest of your life.”

  Ugh. Casey’s mom didn’t just leave Casey that day, she had left him too, and those were wounds that ran deep. Casey had it rough at school, he knew that, but James had it rough inside his own mind. The consistent stream of you’re never going to be the man I deserve and loser taunts that she had yell
ed at him for months on end before finally bailing on them still played on repeat in his mind. He doubted if they would ever stop.

  5

  Taryn

  Leah was holding the side door open for Taryn as she pulled into the parking space beside the attached garage. Taryn had just made it through the gate lugging bags of groceries when her mom’s excitement blurted out.

  “Aren’t you going to tell me how the interview went?” her mom asked as she took a bite of the snowflake cookie Taryn had baked earlier that morning. “These are really good by the way. I’ve always said you could open a bakery if you wanted.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” She gave Leah a hug and let the storm door close behind them. “Of course, I am going to tell you,” she chuckled. “Thank you for taking care of my little rebels. I decided to stop at the store on the way home. The kids need some familiar comforts and I thought what better way than snacks and movies. I grabbed a couple of toys for them while I was there. Nothing special, but maybe it’s a start in the right direction.”

  “Does that mean you got the job?” Leah’s eyes sparkled like Aiden’s the last time Taryn took him to the toy store to pick out a new robot. “The suspense is killing me.”

  “Well…” Taryn cleared her throat. “I’m not exactly sure. I think it went well.”

  “Why aren’t you sure?” Leah asked. “Did they say anything about calling you for a second interview, or anything?”

  “No.” Taryn shook her head as she unloaded the bananas and apples from the first bag.

  Leah’s smile faded. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I know how much you wanted to find something this week.”

  “I mean…” Taryn shrugged. “I did get the job—”

  “What?” Leah hugged Taryn so tight she thought her eyes might pop out of her head. “That’s great! I’m so proud of you.”