This Time Forever

by Mona Ingram

  “Hey, there’s a kitchen at the Youth Centre.” Brandon’s enthusiasm bubbled to the surface. “If the kids start coming around, I could look into selling food.”

  Jesse laughed. “Don’t get carried away, but sure, find out about that, too.”

  “Jesse,” said Brandon, suddenly serious. “And Mr. Cousins. Why are you doing this for us?”

  Larry looked at Jesse. “Because there was nobody around to help us when we started.” They began to laugh at the same time, and Larry continued. “Both of us made some incredibly poor decisions that could have been avoided with a little guidance. Our mistakes made us stronger, but I don’t recommend you follow our lead.” He rose. “And now, if you don’t mind, I should get in an hour or two of work before I leave.”

  CARLY WAS UNUSUALLY quiet as she cleaned up the kitchen.

  “Are you feeling left out?” Lexie looked outside, where the meeting was breaking up.

  “What?” Carly smiled. “No, I was just day dreaming. I already know what I want to do.”

  “Feel like sharing?”

  “I want to open a small restaurant. More of a tea room, really. I’d like to specialize in desserts, and light lunches, but I have a feeling I probably need to open for breakfast as well to make a go of it.” She gave a small, self-conscious laugh. “I have time to work it out. First, I need to learn to make pastry as well as you.”

  “I do enjoy it,” said Lexie, wrapping the last of the pastry dough and slipping it into the cooler. “They say you need a light hand, and from what I can see, you have that. I’ll be happy to teach you all I can while I’m here.”

  “Thank you, Lexie.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said distractedly. Jesse and Larry had walked to the edge of the deck and were conversing casually.

  Carly cocked her head to one side and looked at the two men. “You like him, don’t you.” It was more of a statement than a question.

  Lexie turned to deny it, but thought better of the idea. “Does it show?”

  “Oh yeah.” Carly came to stand beside her and pretended to fan her face. “That’s one fine looking man you’ve got there.”

  Lexie shook her head. “I don’t have him.” She could still feel his thumb on her bottom lip, still smell his after-shave.

  “Oh no?” Carly turned away with a laugh. “We’ll see about that.”

  “THOSE KIDS ARE GOING to be a handful.” Larry directed an amused glance at Jesse. “Reminds me of us at that age.”

  “I enjoyed hearing them talk, and I like the fact that they have reasonable goals. None of them want to take over the world.” He raised an eyebrow. “At least not yet.”

  “We’re lucky to have this opportunity to help them.” Larry gazed into the distance. “I hope we still feel the same way a year from now.”

  “We’re bound to run into some problems along the way, but we have a secret weapon.”

  “Which is?”

  Jesse turned to his friend. “They’re in on this from the get-go. It’s their project, not something that’s being handed to them. In my experience, peer pressure can solve just about any problem that pops up. They’re going to fight for this and they won’t want to give it up easily.”

  “Good point.” Larry leaned on the railing and thought for a while. “According to Brandon, it was Lexie who lit a fire under both him and Carly. She believed in them, and that’s all it took.

  “I know.” Jesse tried to keep the pride out of his voice.

  Larry pretended not to notice. “She’s done a lot for this place in a few days. You gotta keep her, man.”

  “I intend to.”

  Larry gave him a knowing look. “I meant for cooking.”

  Jesse frowned. “So did I.”

  Larry laughed out loud. “Yeah, right.” He punched Jesse in the arm and walked away.

  Jesse straightened and watched his friend’s retreating back. Larry had always been able to read him, and it looked like that hadn’t changed. But his friend’s words were enough to give him pause. Was he about to break his rule about not becoming personally involved with an employee? Of course Lexie wasn’t technically an employee yet because she hadn’t accepted his offer.

  A sticky wicket, as the Brits would say. A conundrum. A problem, and one that required further study. He strode purposefully into the kitchen.

  “How many more days?” he asked without preamble.

  “Three.”

  “Is that all?”

  “That’s it.”

  “Very well,” he said. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

  Carly looked from one to the other and tried to hide her smile.

  “Here?”

  “No, in Victoria. Let’s do something unexpected and go to Bistro Provencal.”

  Much as she hated to admit it, Lexie was curious to see how the restaurant was getting along without her. Not that she wished them any bad luck, but...

  “Okay.”

  “Shall I fly up for you?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. Why don’t I meet you there?” She turned to Carly. “You can open by yourself on Saturday, can’t you? You were doing it before I came along.”

  Carly nodded.

  Lexie turned back to Jesse. “All right. I’ll meet you at six thirty in the bar at the Bistro.”

  “Done.” His gaze lingered on her lips for much longer than necessary, and her body started to come alive in places that had been dormant for too long. “See you then.”

  “DAAAAD!” LUC DRAGGED his feet and Jesse was forced to slow down. “Wait.”

  Jesse had been so focused on Lexie, he hadn’t paid attention to Luc’s protestations. “What is it, Son?”

  Luc held out a small, misshapen piece of driftwood. “I made this for Lexie.”

  Jesse kneeled down and examined it studiously. “What is it?”

  A slow grin blossomed on Luc’s face. “It’s a key chain! Lexie needs one so she doesn’t lose her key to the cabin.” Luc held it up proudly. “Brandon helped me put the wire on it.”

  A small hole had been drilled in the wood – no doubt by one of the construction workers – and a thin piece of twisted wire acted as a makeshift chain.

  “It’s the Big Bad Wolf,” he said proudly, pointing to what, with a great deal of imagination, might be the wolf’s head. “I made it so she won’t forget me.”

  Emotion clogged Jesse’s throat, but he forced himself to speak normally. “Well we can’t have that, can we?” He took Luc’s hand. “Come on, let’s see if she’s still in the kitchen.”

  Lexie looked up as they entered the kitchen, and the look on her face when she spotted Luc melted Jesse’s heart.

  “Well hello there,” she said, smiling down at him. “If it isn’t my friend the Big Bad Wolf.”

  Luc’s grin just about split his face. “This is for you,” he said, handing her the piece of wood. “It’s so you won’t lose your key.”

  “It’s beautiful,” said Lexie, turning it over and over. “Did you make it yourself?”

  “Brandon helped,” he announced. “It’s supposed to be the Big Bad Wolf, see?” He turned it toward her and she nodded solemnly. “Yes, I can see that.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Luc. I love it.” She examined it again, then clutched it to her chest.

  “I knew you would,” he said, then turned to Jesse. “Okay, we can go now.”

  Jesse shrugged and held out his hand for his son. “Looks like we’re leaving,” he said with a smile.

  Luc’s small figure bounced along beside Jesse all the way down to the dock. It wasn’t until the big radial engine started up that she loosened her grip on the piece of wood and pressed it against her lips.

  “I LIKE HER, DAD.” LUC adjusted his headset as though he’d been doing it all his life. “I really like her.” He waited several moments. “Do you like her Dad?”

  Jesse smiled. “Yeah, Bud, I do... a lot.”

  Chapter Twelve

  TRAFFIC CLOSED IN AROU
ND Lexie as she approached the downtown. How could she have forgotten in only a few days what it was like to drive in the city? If she hadn’t needed the strappy high heels in her locker at New Beginnings she wouldn’t have gone within five miles of the place, but she wanted to look her best tonight.

  “Hello, stranger.” Jodi eyed her cautiously. “I see you survived. As a matter of fact, you look great.”

  “Thanks, I feel great.”

  “So.” Jodi leaned an elbow on the counter. “Where did you end up? I’ve been imagining you walking on the beach somewhere, your hair blowing in the wind.”

  Lexie grinned. “Close, but no cigar.”

  “Come on, girl. Don’t keep me waiting.”

  “Wait. Let me go grab a bottle of water. Want one?”

  “I’d love it.”

  Lexie returned with two bottles and handed one to her friend. “You won’t believe this, but I ended up working in the kitchen of a diner part way up the island. It’s in a small little place called Arbutus Cove.”

  “Never heard of it.”

  “See? I told you it was small. But the story gets better.”

  Jodi tipped up her bottle. “I hope so. So far it’s a real snore.”

  “Come on, Jodi. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

  “Okay, okay.”

  “Now that I’m telling you this, it sounds almost unbelievable. I mean who walks into a restaurant where the cook didn’t show up, then goes into the kitchen to cook their own food?”

  “You, evidently.”

  “Yeah, well...” Her thoughts drifted off a moment. “Anyway, the owner showed up the second day and you’ll never guess who he is.”

  Jodi yawned and patted her mouth.

  “Jodi come on, play along.”

  The studio owner rolled her eyes. “Okay, who is he?”

  Lexie leaned across the counter and lowered her voice. “The same man I’ve been watching through your window. You know... the pilot? Only he isn’t a pilot. He owns Coastal Air. No, wait. He’s a pilot and he owns Coastal Air.”

  “Whoa. Let me get this straight. The man you’ve been obsessing over owns Coastal Air, plus he owns this little place you’ve been working.”

  “I didn’t exactly obsess over him.” She paused. “Did I?”

  “Only every time you saw him.”

  Lexie tossed her hair. “Well if you’re going to be like that, I guess I won’t tell you that I’m meeting him for dinner tonight.”

  “Where?”

  Lexie couldn’t resist a smug smile. “Bistro Provencal.”

  “You’re kidding. This just gets better and better.”

  “Why not? They have good food. Or at least, they used to.”

  Jodi studied her for a moment.

  “You’re different, Lexie. What happened to you up there?”

  Lexie couldn’t meet her friend’s eyes. “I don’t know.”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for this guy.”

  “Come on, Jodi. It’s just a date. I barely know him.”

  “That’s good.” Jodi reached under the counter, pulled out a newspaper and tossed it across the counter. “Because they say he’s one of the most eligible bachelors in town.”

  Jodi tried not to look, but her eyes were drawn inexorably to the article. “What’s this?” she asked, her throat suddenly dry. “It says something about a fund raiser.” Jesse grinned at her from the newsprint, mouth-wateringly handsome in a tux, his arm around an attractive blonde.

  “Who’s the woman?” Her voice didn’t sound like her own.

  “Let’s see.” Jodi pulled the newspaper back to her side of the counter. “Sylvia MacMillan.” She read for a moment, and her face fell. “Do you want me to read it to you?”

  “Sure. Might as well hear the worst.”

  “Okay, here goes.”

  ‘CNVI, Vancouver Island’s local television station, kicks off their annual fundraising week with a gala event at Crystal Garden. The highlight of the night will be a bachelor auction, featuring such notable locals as Jesse Cooper, owner of Coastal Air. Cooper is pictured here with Sylvia MacMillan, his long-time girlfriend, and employee of CNVI.’ She scanned the rest of the article and shoved the paper under the counter. “They don’t say when the auction takes place. I’m sorry, Lex. I didn’t mean to be a downer.”

  “It’s okay.” Lexie offered a weak smile. And it was okay... at least that’s what she’d keep telling herself. But if everything was so okay, why did her heart feel like someone had stomped on it? She dug through her locker and yanked out the heels. If she was going to go down in flames, at least she’d look good doing it!

  “THANKS,” SAID LEXIE, handing the cab driver a generous tip. He drove off and she turned toward the building where she’d worked for almost five years. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d entered from the front; tonight’s experience was surreal in more ways than one.

  “Shoulders back.” She heard her mother’s voice. “Show you’re confident and no-one will ever doubt you.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Lexie muttered to herself, and pushed open the door.

  “Good evening mademoiselle.” Gaetan the maitre d’ greeted her with a smile. “Good to see you again.”

  “Thanks, Gaetan. How is your son?”

  “Recovering nicely,” he said with a grin. “I wish I could say he’s learned his lesson about climbing trees, but that’s not likely.” He nodded toward the far corner of the bar. “Your party is waiting.”

  “Thank you.” A few customers looked up and nodded as she passed, but her attention was on Jesse. Dressed simply in a crisp white open-necked shirt and a dark jacket, she looked at him through fresh eyes. And no matter what it said in the newspaper, he was here with her, and what she saw made her heart race. Eligible or not, he was definitely one of the most appealing men in Victoria.

  He rose, took her hand and leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. “I was hoping you’d wear your hair down,” he murmured, his scent doing strange things to her equilibrium. “You look beautiful, Lexie.”

  “Thank you.” She looked at him boldly. His hair, usually wild and wind-blown was almost under control tonight; apparently he’d made an effort to tame it. His cheeks were clean-shaven, and she wasn’t sure if she liked him better this way. Masculinity rolled off Jesse Cooper in waves, and she’d need all her wits not to get caught up in the tsunami.

  She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I confess, I was a bit nervous about coming here tonight.”

  He laid a hand on hers. “Hold that thought,” he murmured, and looked up at their server. “What would you like to drink?”

  Lexie looked up. “Oh, hello Joel. How are you?”

  “Fine,” he said, pretending not to notice Jesse holding her hand. “May I bring you something to drink?”

  “A glass of dry white wine, please.”

  “And for you, Mr. Cooper?”

  “Glenfiddich, please. No ice.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  Lexie leaned into him. “Mr. Cooper. I’m impressed.”

  Jesse gave a non-committal shrug. “I had to make a reservation.”

  “Of course. I sometimes forget about all this front-of-the-house stuff.”

  Jesse turned her hand over and described little circles on her palm. “Now, what were you saying about being nervous?”

  Lexie was glad she was sitting down. She drew her hand away with an apologetic smile. “I can’t think when you do that.”

  “I’ll remember that.” He looked into her eyes. “You were saying?”

  “I keep expecting to see Chris.” She ducked her head. “Call me a wimp, but I hate conflict.”

  Jesse looked around the room, his gaze lingering on each staff member. “Not a problem,” he said firmly.

  “What do you mean?”

  He sat back as their drinks were delivered and didn’t speak again until Joel had left. “Chris has been let go. Fired.”

  “Are you serious?
”

  He nodded and took a sip of his Scotch. “Nectar,” he said.

  “But how?”

  “In the usual way, I suppose. Something along the lines of ‘your services are no longer required’.”

  “Come on, Jesse.” When he didn’t respond, she pulled back and looked at him. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

  “Not about this,” he said, his tone deadly serious. “Okay, I have a confession of my own. When you first told me about the guy, I mentioned it to a friend of mine who’s in the know. I was speaking to him again today about something else and he told me that Chris had been fired.” He leaned closer. “Don’t tell me you feel sorry for him.”

  “Not at all.” She reached for her wine. “I’m just surprised, is all.”

  He watched her with interest. “Let me tell you a little story. There’s a well-known businessman here in town with an interesting way of letting people go. He gives them a pat on the back, a firm handshake, and tells them he’s giving them a chance to pursue a different career path.”

  “At the end of the day, they’re still fired.”

  Jesse met her gaze unflinchingly. “And most of them deserve to be.”

  Lexie took a sip of wine. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  “Fair enough. You know, I had a feeling you’d order white wine.”

  She ran her fingers up and down the stem of her wine glass. “Are you saying I’m predictable?”

  “No. Well, maybe.” He stilled her hand with a touch. “Why don’t you tell me something surprising about yourself. Something I’d never guess.”