by Nicole Ellis
Demi tapped her finger against her lips. “What would you say to being on the show again? Maybe once or twice a month?”
Meg gaped, the woman’s suggestion stealing her breath away for a moment. It had been one thing to appear on live TV once, but to do it on an ongoing basis? That was another case entirely.
Demi laughed. “I know, being on TV takes some getting used to.” She studied Meg carefully. “But I think you have a knack for it. Your sense of timing is impeccable.”
“Really?” Meg stared at her, trying hard to keep her mouth shut.
Demi nodded. “Yes. Plus, they were eating up the story about the recipes coming from an old journal you found in a barn. That, in itself, is a good human-interest piece.”
Meg would never have guessed the day she and Taylor found Davina’s journal that it would have such an impact on her life. The lucky discovery had not only given her a connection to the Inn’s past, but a spot on local TV, and some interesting recipes she planned to serve in her future restaurant.
She smiled. “I’d love to come back on the show.”
“Wonderful,” Demi gushed. “I’ll have our producers contact you.” She whirled and exited the green room in a flash of pink.
Still mildly shocked, Meg went to retrieve her purse from the cubbies along the wall of the green room. When she turned back around, she did a double take. A tall man stood in the entrance. This time, she wasn’t imagining his presence.
“Taylor!” She put her hand to her heart. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.” He gave her a guilty look. “I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to catch you before you left so I could congratulate you on how well you did.”
Her face heated up again. “You saw the show?” She’d been so determined to not let the presence of an audience scare her that she’d immersed herself in her cooking. The Queen of England could have been there and she wouldn’t have noticed.
“I did.” He smiled. “And you were fantastic.”
“Thanks.” She gripped her purse tightly. It had been over a week since the fire, and this was the first time she’d talked to him. She’d put off the difficult task for as long as possible, but now it was to time to face her fears. “Um, about the fire…” She looked up at him and searched his face, hoping he didn’t blame her for what had happened.
He cocked his head to the side. “What about it?”
Not wanting to have this conversation inside the studio, she had him follow her out to the parking lot, where she drank in huge gulps of fresh air to quell her nerves.
“Meg. What is it?” He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him straight on.
“I’m so sorry about what happened,” she whispered.
“Sorry?” He raised his eyebrows. “What for?”
She studied her sandals again. “I tried to put out the fire, but I couldn’t stop it from spreading.”
“Meg. It wasn’t your fault.” He peered at her. “If we’re going to place any blame, it should be on Lara.”
“But you trusted me with your kitchen. I should have made sure she was being safe, but I assumed she knew what she was doing.” She frowned. “I assumed wrong.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” he repeated. His hands dropped from her shoulders, grazing her bare skin as he pulled her close. She shivered at his touch but relaxed against him, dissolving into sobs as she relived the fire and guilt all over again. “No one blames you.”
She stepped back and met his gaze. “I blame me. The kitchen was my responsibility.”
He sighed. “Please. Stop worrying about it. Once George gets the insurance situation resolved, we’ll have the Lodge’s restaurant up and running in no time.” He gave her an impish smile. “I never liked that range anyway. It was never any good at regulating its temperature.”
“Really?” She hoped he was telling her the truth.
“Really.” He patted her arm reassuringly, then looked around the parking lot. “Is Theo here? Zoe told me about the cooking show. I know she and Cassie really wanted to come, but they both had to work. I figured Theo would be here though.”
“Nope. He’s somewhere in the San Juan Islands.” She briefly closed her eyes as an image popped into her head of Theo’s sailboat cutting through the channels between the lushly forested islands.
She sighed and opened her eyes, her heart filling with warmth at the sight of Taylor. Only a true friend would both forgive her for burning down his restaurant and show up to see her appear on TV in the middle of the morning. The sailing trip would have been nice, but she had a lot going for her back in Willa Bay too.
“Ah. I bet he’s sad to have missed you on the morning show. How long is he gone for?” Taylor inquired politely.
She shrugged. “I have no clue. We broke up before he left.”
“Oh.” An odd expression crossed Taylor’s face, but she couldn’t make out what he was thinking. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Me too, but it was for the best. He wanted to continue seeing the world, and my life is here in Willa Bay.” It really had been for the best. Zoe had mentioned to her again that if she finished clearing out the barn soon, they could start on the renovations instead of moving on to the cottages, which had been the original plan. Now that she could see a light at the end of the tunnel, Meg didn’t plan to let anything jeopardize the barn’s renovation timeline. If everything went according to schedule, they may even be able to open the restaurant just after Christmas.
She shaded her face from the sun’s rays and looked up at Taylor. “Well, I’d better get going. I told Zoe I’d meet her and Cassie at Wedding Belles for lunch.”
He nodded and stuck his thumbs through the belt loops on his dark jeans. “I hope you have fun. And Meg?”
“Yeah?”
“You really did a great job on the show. I was proud of you.”
Happiness flooded every part of her body. She’d always admired Taylor’s skills in the kitchen, and to receive praise from him was everything. “Thank you.” A thought occurred to her. “Hey, since you don’t need to hurry off to the Lodge, would you like to join the girls and me for lunch?”
He hesitated. “Are you sure that would be okay with them?”
She laughed, feeling lighter than she had in days. “They won’t mind a bit.”
They got into their own cars and drove separately to the riverside cafe on Willa Bay’s Main Street. He waited for her by the door, and they entered Wedding Belles together. Cassie waved eagerly at them from the window table that she and Zoe had secured. Meg hadn’t been able to wait until she saw them in person, and had called both of them on her way home to fill them in on her experience being on TV. She’d also given them a heads up that Taylor would be joining them for lunch.
Meg walked proudly over to her friends and sat down, feeling as confident as a movie star.
“Hey, Taylor,” Zoe said. “I’m glad you could join us.”
“Me too,” he said as he took a seat next to Cassie, across from Meg. “It’s been a while since we had the whole Lodge gang together. I miss seeing the three of you.” He frowned. “Lara and the new staff just aren’t the same.”
Cassie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t see how you can work there with her, especially after she burned down your restaurant.”
Meg watched Taylor carefully as she sipped the ice water the waitress had just dropped off at their table. It really hit the spot after the car ride back from the television studio in Seattle.
He took a long drink of water as well, then set the glass down on the table and said slowly, “I don’t really have a choice about working with Lara. She’s George’s daughter, so she’s there to stay. But I do think I need to have an honest conversation with both of them about my expectations.”
“Uh, yeah.” Zoe laughed. “They’ll walk all over you if you don’t watch out.”
He hung his head. “I know.” He slugged down more water and looked out the window at the deck and the river below.
&nb
sp; The conversation had taken a downturn and Meg noticed that Taylor’s jovial demeanor had vanished, so she changed the topic. “So, what else is new? Did I miss anything exciting at the Inn today?” She’d left for Seattle early in the morning and hadn’t had time to stop in at the Inn first, although she planned to work on cleaning the barn that afternoon.
“Actually, yes. Kind of,” Zoe said. The waitress came by to take their orders, then Zoe continued. “Tia’s apartment flooded.”
“Seriously?” Cassie’s eyes widened. “Was it bad?”
Zoe nodded. “She lost almost everything she owned. Apparently, a pipe in the bathroom ceiling burst.”
“Oh no.” Meg’s life was looking better and better by the second. “Where’s she going to stay?” The real estate market in Willa Bay was both expensive and tight, two reasons why Meg lived above her parents’ garage.
“I said she could live with me,” Zoe said. “It’ll be a little cramped, but she doesn’t know many people in town and didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“That’s awful.” Meg was quiet, thinking about how it would feel to lose everything in her apartment.
“Could she move into one of the cottages?” Cassie asked. “Weren’t you going to work on them next?”
Zoe shook her head. “No, we decided to fix up the barn first. It was only fair to Meg since she’s helped so much with the rest of the property.”
Taylor looked at Meg and smiled. “Once the restoration is complete, it’s going to be perfect for a restaurant. Willa Bay won’t know what hit it.”
She shot him a look of gratitude. Unlike Theo, Taylor understood her vision for the barn and what it meant to her. Looking back, that should have been a clue that Theo wasn’t right for her. If he couldn’t be supportive of her dream, he couldn’t be supportive of her.
“You can’t divert some of the construction team to one of the cottages?” Cassie asked. “I mean, I don’t really know how it all works, but it can’t take up that many resources, right?”
Zoe frowned. “It’s more a matter of logistics. If we start on the cottages, we need to finish that project before moving on to the barn. I feel bad about it, but having Tia live in one of the cottages just isn’t going to work. I’ll help her figure out a long-term solution.”
But the work on the barn hadn’t started yet. Meg’s chest constricted as her thoughts collided against each other. Tia had been so kind to her at the Inn’s grand opening, comforting Meg as she panicked about how Davina’s recipes would be received. Now, the other woman had lost everything and was essentially homeless.
Meg inhaled deeply and slowly let out her breath. She felt Taylor’s eyes on her face even before she looked over at him. His gaze was heavy with compassion, seeming to know what she was going to do not long after she’d come to the realization herself.
Her words came out in a rush before she could change her mind. “I think we should postpone the barn renovation and work on the cottages first. Tia needs a place to live, and it just makes sense for her to live on the property since she’s there all the time anyway.”
“Are you serious?” Zoe’s eyes drilled into her. “You want to do the cottages first? Once we start on the project, we can’t change our minds.”
“I know.” Her stomach twisted at the thought of pushing the dream of having her own restaurant even further into the future.
Taylor reached across the table and squeezed Meg’s hand. “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked softly.
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
Everything was happening so fast. Uncertainty built up in her chest and she fought to tamp it down. Like he understood the conflict running through her, Taylor didn’t let go of her. She stared at her hand in his and wondered if he could feel her trembling.
Cassie averted her eyes, but not before Meg caught the smirk on her face. Her friend had long proclaimed that Taylor had feelings for Meg. Meg had never believed her, but with the way he was looking at her now… He gave her a small smile of reassurance that made Meg’s heart pound. Had Cassie been right all along?
Zoe removed her phone from her purse and stood from the table. “I’ll let Shawn know we’ve had a change of plans.”
As she passed by, Taylor took his hand off of Meg’s. Immediately, she experienced a sense of loss that was greater than she’d felt on the last day she’d seen Theo. She casually pulled her hand back and busied herself with digging through her bag for an unknown object.
In the space of a few minutes, her life had spun around like a globe on its axis. She should have been deflated by the postponement of the barn remodel, but her nerves buzzed with the feelings Taylor’s touch had evoked, clouding her judgment.
As much as she wanted to help Tia, had she made the right decision? Should she run after Zoe and tell her not to call Shawn? Meg turned to look for Zoe. Her friend had just reached the door, her progress through the restaurant slowed by the lunch crowds. If Meg hurried, she could still catch Zoe before it was too late to change her mind.
18
Taylor
After they’d finished their lunch at Wedding Belles, Taylor said goodbye to Meg, Zoe, and Cassie and drove to the Willa Bay Lodge. So far, the day had been an emotional roller coaster. He’d gone to the taping of Coffee Talk Seattle to wish Meg well and let her know he planned to move back to San Diego, but now he wasn’t so sure of that plan.
From the moment he’d heard about the kitchen fire and Meg’s injuries, he’d known he was in love with her. As much as he’d tried to suppress those feelings, they weren’t going away. He’d caught the next flight back to Seattle the night of the fire, but it had been early morning when he’d arrived in Willa Bay, and well past visiting hours at the hospital.
When he’d woken up on Sunday morning, his first thought had been to head to the hospital to see Meg. However, a night’s rest had brought the realization that he couldn’t see her in person—it would be too painful to see Theo there at her bedside. Since then, he’d tried to call Meg several times, but his voicemails had met an empty silence.
George had notified Taylor and the rest of the restaurant staff that they weren’t allowed in the building until the insurance adjustors had assessed the damage. Taylor had gotten the impression that George didn’t hold out much hope for the restaurant coming back online for at least a month or two. Since Taylor had come to the conclusion that he needed to resign from his position at the Lodge, it had seemed like perfect timing. Starting anew in San Diego wouldn’t be easy and he’d probably have to take a lower-ranking job, but he had contacts that could help him find something. Although he loved his current job as head chef at the Lodge, he needed a personal life too, and that wasn’t going to happen in Willa Bay.
It had been too much for him to be around Meg while she was dating Theo. But, now that he knew they’d broken up, Taylor wasn’t sure where that left him and the deep feelings he had for her. She was no longer romantically involved with someone else, but would she ever reciprocate Taylor’s affections?
At the Lodge, he strode down the long hallway and rapped on the open door to George’s office, still unsure about his decision to leave Willa Bay.
George looked up at him and motioned for him to come in. “Taylor. It’s good to see you. I wanted to have a chat with you about the kitchen repairs.” He peered at something on his computer monitor.
Taylor’s mind buzzed. If he was going to tell George he was quitting, it was now or never. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you too.”
George eyed him quizzically. “About the repairs?”
Taylor shook his head. “No.” He paused, searching for the right words. “I need to talk to you about my job.”
George leaned back in his chair, giving Taylor his full attention now. “Oh?”
Taylor took a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about my role in the kitchen, and how difficult it is for me to successfully manage the restaurant with Lara as our pastry chef.”
George raised
his eyebrows but said nothing.
Taylor may come out of this meeting unemployed, but at least he would know he’d tried to make things better for the future. If he was going to stay at the Lodge, something had to be done about Lara. “Respectfully, sir, I know she’s your daughter, but she makes life miserable for all of us in the kitchen.”
George held up his hand and cut in, “She didn’t mean to start the fire.”
“I’m not talking about the fire,” Taylor said. “Although that’s just a symptom of the problem. She constantly makes messes and assumes that other people will clean them up. One day last month, she neglected to make the desserts I needed for the evening’s dinner service. She told me she was too busy making cakes for her decorating business to do her job at the Lodge.” The memory of his phone call with her that night made him seethe inside.
“That doesn't sound like Lara.” George leaned on the desk and tented his hands.
Taylor cringed inwardly, but plowed ahead. “Those weren’t the only incidents. Maybe it’s not something you usually see with her, but that’s how she’s been ever since she started in my kitchen. I can’t keep working here if things don’t change.”
He stared at George defiantly. If the older man wanted to fire him, so be it. At least he’d finally been honest about the situation in the kitchen. He’d already lost Cassie and Meg, in part to Lara’s behavior. If he was going to stay in Willa Bay, he couldn’t afford to lose any more good kitchen staff.
“I see.” George turned and thoughtfully regarded the photo of his family that perched on a shelf behind him, then turned back to Taylor with sadness in his eyes. “You know, Taylor, I’ve always respected you and your work. I’ll have a talk with Lara.” He sighed deeply. “She needs to respect your authority in the kitchen. Being my daughter doesn’t give her the right to not complete her job requirements.”
Taylor braced himself by gripping the top of the chair in front of him, attempting to stop the shaking in his legs. Although no one would describe him as meek, he’d never expected to confront his boss about Lara. Complaining to someone about their daughter usually wasn’t a great career move.