by Lisa Jordan
Twenty minutes later, Tucker returned smelling of fresh air and sunshine. He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s sample this burger.”
After four years of culinary school and another six in one of the best kitchens on the East Coast, Isabella could handle a measly burger.
But this wasn’t just any burger.
It was a make-it-or-break-it burger.
Or at least it seemed like it.
Why did cooking suddenly make her nervous?
Probably had something to do with Tucker leaning against the counter watching her every move.
And for now, she needed to leave it at that.
Dig any deeper and she’d be setting herself up for more heartache.
“What did you call this again?”
“The Liberty burger—I felt it went with Dad’s All-Star theme. It’s made with local grass-fed beef, red wine aioli, local bacon, Gouda cheese and caramelized onions. Scott, the executive chef at the Briarwood, who’s dating my friend Sarah, suggested it—he said it was a French and American fusion to represent Lady Liberty being a gift from France.”
“Very patriotic.”
Isabella grabbed a metal spatula and flipped the hand-formed patty onto the toasted ciabatta roll. She crisscrossed two strips of bacon on top of the patty, added Gouda cheese and spooned a dollop of red wine aioli on a bed of caramelized onions resting on the open-faced roll. She layered lettuce and tomato, added the top of the bun, then speared it with a wooden pick. She placed the burger next to a side of baked sweet potato fries with maple-mustard dipping sauce. Grabbing her towel, she wiped the blue-rimmed plate, pulled off her gloves, tossed them in the trash, then set the plate on the prep station to snap a quick photo. After stowing her phone, she reached for the plate and turned to hand it to Tucker.
But before he could take it, a loud grinding sound from the hood—like pennies being chopped in a blender—startled her. As she whirled around to see what was happening, the plate slipped out of her hands and landed upside down at her feet. Maple mustard dripped off her shoes.
With a final grind and crackle, the noise stopped suddenly, leaving behind a stench of burned rubber. Her gaze swung between the smoking hood system and the ruined food on the floor.
The stress and exhaustion of the last two weeks pressed down on her, weighing like boulders on her shoulders. Her breath caught in her throat, and her chest rose and fell as the numbers for replacing the system raced through her head. The cost ratcheted the anxiety trembling through her.
Without a working hood system, they couldn’t open.
If they didn’t open, then they couldn’t generate income to help pay off Dad’s loan.
And if they didn’t pay off Dad’s loan, then they’d lose the diner.
Her chest shuddered as moisture wicked her brow.
Tucker gripped her arms gently. “Hey, everything’s going to be okay.”
She shook her head as her vision blurred. “No. No, it’s not. How can you say that? We’re ruined before we even had a chance to get started. We’re supposed to reopen day after tomorrow, and the hood motor just blew.”
“We’ll get it fixed.”
Isabella dragged her hands over her head. “It’s going to cost several thousand to replace, and I’m tapped out, Tuck. I drained my savings to help catch up Dad’s loan and to pay for updating the dining room. He barely made payroll last month. The whole motor needs to be replaced, and it’s illegal to run a kitchen without it. So, until we can get it replaced, we can’t open. And if we don’t open, we can’t generate sales. It’s a catch-22.”
“Let me help.”
“How? Are you an HVAC contractor in addition to your other skills?”
Tucker laughed. “No, I meant I can pay for it.”
Isabella shook her head. “No. No way. I just said it’s going to cost a couple grand to fix, at least.”
Tucker reached for a napkin and used it to dry her cheeks. “Bella, let me help. That way you can be up and running in time for the reopening on Monday.”
“You’re so sweet, Tuck, to want to jump in and save people. But this isn’t your fight.”
“You sound so much like your dad, you know?”
Isabella shrugged. “What can I say?”
“Say yes.” Tucker tipped up her chin. “Joe paid for my EMT training after Rayne and I got married. Did you know that?”
Isabella shook her head.
“At the time, I protested, but he said friends who were like family help each other out. So now, it’s my turn. I’m a family-like friend who wants to help. Consider it a payback for everything your father’s done for me and my family.” He lowered his voice as his thumb stroked a stray tear off her cheek.
She turned her face into his palm, the warmth of his hand seeping into her skin. And for a second, she allowed herself to savor his touch. Coming home and being around Tucker...well, that stirred feelings in her chest that she’d buried long ago.
Or so she thought.
But now, being here with him, close enough to rest in his arms, she drew in a deep breath and slowly released Tucker’s hand, taking a step back just outside the circle of personal space.
She grabbed a towel and crouched to clean up the broken plate and spilled food, careful not to catch one of the shards in her finger as Tucker’s offer rolled around inside her head.
So tempting, but it wouldn’t be right.
She dropped the towel in the trash.
“Bella—”
“I’m thinking, okay?”
“About what? How to tell me no?”
“Tuck, I appreciate the offer, but paramedics aren’t rolling in dough. Plus, you’re paying for tuition and you have a family to care for. How can you afford to loan us a couple grand for a burned-out motor?”
“I have money in savings.”
She shook her head. “No. Definitely not. Forget it.”
“Why?”
“You need that for your kids. Thank you, but I’ll figure out something.”
“You complain about your dad’s pride, but you’re as stubborn as he is.”
“My dad—”
“Let me worry about Joe, okay?” Tucker stepped closer and cradled her face in his hands.
Her breath hitched in her chest as she searched Tucker’s blue eyes, then dropped her gaze to his slightly parted lips. If she took one step toward him and lifted her chin about half an inch...
The back door swung open, bringing in the sounds of outside traffic.
Tucker dropped his hands and moved away from her. Dad carried in a box of produce and dropped it next to the prep sink. His gaze swung between the two of them. A frown puckered his forehead.
“Tucker.”
“Joe.”
Dad lifted his nose. “What smells like burned rubber?”
Isabella swallowed. Hard. Then twisted her hands. “Dad, don’t freak out, okay? The hood motor just blew.”
He strode over to the hood system and looked at it. Then he turned back to her and shrugged. “No big deal.”
“What do you mean, no big deal? Without a working hood system, we can’t cook. And with the reopening in a few days—”
Dad held up a hand. “Calm down, Bells. When they installed the new hood system a while back, I bought an extra motor to have on hand. I’ll call Alena and see if one of her HVAC contractors can replace it before Monday.”
Isabella closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands as relief whooshed through her.
Finally, something was going right. Maybe, just maybe, the reopening would go off without a hitch after all.
* * *
What if Tucker was wrong? What if he wasn’t limited to only one happily-ever-after?
What if, like his dad and Claudia, he could get a second chance at a relationship?
Problem was, no one could replace Rayne. Not that he was looking for a replacement, but how did he go about dating someone new without comparing her to his late wife and what they’d had together?
If Joe hadn’t walked in, Tucker would’ve kissed Bella. Despite promising her just the day before that he wouldn’t do it again.
Instead of terrifying him, though, the interruption frustrated him.
For the first time since Rayne died, another woman had gotten under his skin.
Bella, with her messy painting and incredible cooking, who had a way with his children. Which could mean only one thing—he was ready to move forward with someone new, someone like Bella.
Tucker leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and traced the fading tan line on his ring finger. He’d removed his wedding ring several months ago, but it wasn’t until Bella returned to Shelby Lake that he’d even considered the possibility of more.
A fresh start.
He scrubbed a hand over his face and zeroed in on the frames lining the mantel.
But if he wanted to start fresh, he couldn’t have photos of his late wife staring at them from every direction.
Pushing to his feet, Tucker blew out a breath, took a couple of steps forward, then reached for one of their framed wedding portraits. Rayne, with her white-gold hair wound in a fancy updo—or whatever she called it—around a delicate tiara and dressed in a white gown that had stuttered his breath in his chest, stared at him through the glass. The smiling couple had made promises for eternity, not realizing their happily-ever-after would be so short-lived.
He traced the curves of her face as heat pricked the backs of his eyes. “I loved you, you know. Losing you...man, that was rough. For all of us. One of the hardest things I had to go through. As much as I wish you were here, I can’t live in the past. It’s time to move on, Rayne. For the twins’ sake. And for mine.”
He ran a thumb under his wet eyes and reached for a layer of bubble wrap, enfolding the frame in the plastic, then stood it upright in a box he’d retrieved from the attic.
He’d put smaller pictures of their mother in the twins’ rooms so they wouldn’t forget her. When they were older, they could choose what to do with the others.
He reached for the eleven-by-fourteen family photo that had been taken when Olivia and Landon were six weeks old.
The doorbell rang, causing Meno to bark and race from the room. Still holding the picture, Tucker followed him and opened the door to find Bella standing on the welcome mat holding a takeout container. His heart jammed against his ribs.
Dressed in skinny jeans, ankle boots and an ivory sweater and puffy red vest, she looked much more collected than she had a couple of hours ago.
He rested his forearm against the doorjamb. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. Can I come in?”
He shrugged and took a step back. “Sure. Yeah.”
Bella walked past him, wreathing him in a scent of vanilla. “I made you another burger.”
“Did you get the hood system fixed already?”
“Not yet, but Dad has someone coming to replace it. I cooked this upstairs in our kitchen. It’s best eaten hot, but hopefully you can still get an idea of what I’d like to have on the menu.” She handed him the box.
Setting the frame on the table near the front door, he opened the container and lifted the bun. “What did you say was on this again?”
“Grass-fed beef, bacon, Gouda cheese, caramelized onions, red wine vinegar aioli, lettuce and tomato on a toasted ciabatta roll.”
“Pretty fancy burger.”
Isabella lifted a shoulder. “Not really. Just wanted to change things up a bit.”
“Don’t change too much. Joe’s customers like what he’s offering.”
“Well, the menu can use more fresh vegetables and salads.”
He peered at the lettuce and tomato on the burger, then shot her a smirk. “You mean, more than the toppings on this burger, right?”
She nudged him. “In addition to this burger, I mean.”
Tucker set the container on the table and pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit. He sat across from her and picked up the burger. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”
He bit into the sandwich, absorbing the tang of the aioli mingling with the sweetness of the onions and the crispness of the lettuce. He grinned around the food. “Good beef.”
“Really?” Bella, who had been sitting on the edge of her chair, slumped against the wooden back.
He swallowed the bite and reached for a napkin out of the holder in the middle of the table. “Yes, really. I think it’s going to be a winner. Grass-fed beef, though...that’s going to be a pricey burger.”
“I’m trying to pull in locally sourced meats. Hopefully, Dad’s customers will appreciate that and won’t mind paying a little more to help their neighbors.”
“You have a compassionate heart, Bella.”
“I’m just trying to show Dad’s investment in the community.” She glanced at the frame on the table. “That’s the picture from the living room, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I’m trying to decide whether to put it in Olivia’s room or Landon’s.”
“Why?”
Tucker pushed away the plate with the half-eaten burger and folded his arms on the table. “Because it’s time. As much as I loved my wife, I can’t move forward if her pictures are all through the house. I don’t want Olivia and Landon to forget her and it’s getting easier to share stories, so I’ll put her pictures in their rooms and save some for when they’re older.”
Bella reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to suffer such a great loss. You two were a perfect match.”
Tucker looked at her long fingers with trimmed, unpolished nails. His gaze shifted to her face and the empathy rimming her eyes, then he chuckled and leaned back in his chair, slowly removing his fingers from her gentle touch. And regretting it instantly. He rubbed a hand over his chin. “You know, you kind of had something to do with us getting together.”
“Me? How so?”
“Remember that Sadie Hawkins dance our junior class did as a fund-raiser?”
“Yes. Rayne asked you to attend, and then the two of you started dating afterward.”
“Yeah, well, I’d been hoping you were going to ask me. I dropped hints and even asked who you planned to take.”
Bella looked at him with wide eyes. “Really? You would’ve gone if I’d asked you?”
“Definitely. But when you didn’t and Rayne did...well, I guess—”
“The rest is history.”
“Something like that.”
“I knew Rayne liked you and wanted to ask you to the dance.”
“You did?”
She nodded. “During our class play, I was her stand-in. She told me.”
“So you backed off.”
“I figured she had a better chance with you than I did. But everything happens for a reason, right?” She shot him an overly bright smile, then lifted the family portrait off the table, her words bouncing against the glass. “I mean, if you and Rayne hadn’t gotten together, then you wouldn’t have Livie and Landon.”
“When I married Rayne, I expected us to grow old together. I’m thankful for our years together and, of course, Olivia and Landon. Now, though, it’s time to move forward. Again, I have you to thank.” He took the frame from her and set it on the table, turning it facedown.
“Me? What did I do?”
“You came home. Being around you helped me to see it’s time to lay the past to rest and begin a new chapter in my life. If your dad hadn’t walked in earlier at the diner, I would have kissed you.”
Pink blushed her cheeks as Bella looked away. “Like I said yesterday, I don’t want to be anyone’s stand-in. Rayne takes up room in your heart. There’s nothing left for anyo
ne else.”
Even though her words had been spoken softly, Tucker felt as if he’d been slapped. He moved out of his chair and stood beside her, pulling her to her feet. He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing the softness of her skin. “Bella, you aren’t anyone’s stand-in. While I will always love Rayne and cherish our years together, I’m not looking for a replacement.”
She covered his hand with her own. “I got burned badly last year when the guy I was dating used me as a rebound after ending a long-term relationship. I guess it still stings.”
“You don’t deserve to be treated that way.”
Shrugging, she gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, pulled her hand away, then stepped back. “Yeah, well, that’s life. I don’t want to take up any more of your time, but I wanted you to try the burger.”
He glanced at the half-finished burger and smiled. “Thanks. It’s great, and I think it’s going to be a hit. The diner’s really coming together, Bella. You’ve been working hard.”
“Just trying to help my dad hold on to his dream.”
“What about you? What do you want?”
She cast a look over his shoulder, then crossed her arms over her chest and lifted a shoulder. “For years it’s always been having my own kitchen. A small, upscale restaurant that still captures the heart and soul of the foods I love to cook—comfort foods with fine dining. I’d call it Bella’s Bistro. But now, I just don’t know anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Priorities shift, and dreams change. I used a chunk of my savings to help Dad. And quite honestly, I’m not even sure he appreciates it. He’s been so grumpy and growly since I’ve been home, I’m ready to pack up and leave. Problem is, without a job or a place to live, my options are a bit limited. Sometimes I feel a bit stuck.”
He understood that.
“I hope you don’t leave. I, for one, will miss you if you do. And Olivia and Landon will, too.”
Her shoulders sagged as she leaned against the table and rubbed her eyes. “I’m tired, Tuck. And scared. What if this doesn’t work? What if it doesn’t turn the diner around? What if Dad loses the business?”