The conflicting emotions running across Noel’s face would have been hilarious if Claire felt like laughing.
“I said that wrong, too, huh?” He released his sister and cast Claire a helpless glance. “Look. I’m trying here, honest I am. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to make things better.”
Considering her own feelings a few hours earlier, Claire should’ve been able to sympathize. But his typical guy response made her want to throw things at him. A man that needed this much tutoring in how to speak with women wasn’t ready for a serious relationship no matter what.
She rubbed her temple in an attempt to keep an encroaching headache at bay. “You’re supposed to murmur sympathetic noises until you get a clear understanding of what she wants from you. Definitely no sarcasm to a crying woman, and no smart remarks until you know she’s ready to handle it. No cajoling her out of a bad mood.”
Amber slumped into the seat next to Claire and scowled.
Okay, maybe Claire shouldn’t have put it that way, but she could tell Noel was considering and discarding a bunch of responses by his evolving facial expressions.
He finally settled on, “That doesn’t make sense.” His gaze shifted back and forth between her and Amber.
Claire raised her eyebrows. “It does to a woman, and that’s what we’re talking about here.”
“Not every woman.” He paused, obviously thinking his contact list through. “Not Jess, for instance.”
Claire crossed her arms and raised her chin. “That’s nice.” She’d forgotten about the other woman in Noel’s life.
He was smarter than she’d given him credit for. “It’s not like that, Claire.”
“Isn’t like what?”
“Jess is my friend and my foreman. She’s never been my girlfriend and never will be.”
Nice try. “How many romances do you think have started between people who were ‘just friends’?”
Noel closed his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
“Is Jess gay?” Amber asked between gritted teeth. “That’s about the only way to be sure.”
“No.”
“Well, then . . .”
“This is the stupidest conversation I’ve ever been part of in my life.” Noel stalked to the deck steps. “First you ask my advice, then get mad when I give it. Then somehow I’m a dolt, and now you’re dragging Jess into it. I’m out of here.” He jumped off and strode the few steps to his truck.
If there’d been any doubt before it would never work with Noel, Claire knew it now. He was as much a jerk as any other guy she’d met, including Graham, who hadn’t thought it important to consult his fiancée about where they’d live.
As Noel yanked open the door to his truck, he paused for an instant and his gaze met Claire’s. He opened his mouth to speak then shook his head and clambered in. The truck roared to life and jolted down the driveway.
So much for that.
**
Jess materialized out of the shadows when Noel parked beside his trailer. He glared at her for a moment as his gut twisted even more. The impulse to turn the ignition back on and drive to . . . Baja California . . . anywhere . . . nearly overcame him. Preferably somewhere without women — chefs, sisters, or foremen.
He sighed and opened his truck door. “Hey, Jess.”
“Hey, yourself, boss. What did she say?”’
Noel stared at her blankly.
“You did go over and talk to Claire about hiring on, didn’t you? There’s nothing else up the road besides the tree-planting site.”
“Uh.” He had to get a hold of himself. “Actually my sister called me from Green Acres to talk about her own stuff. The issue of cooking for Enterprising Reforestation never came up.”
Jess’s hands shot to her slender hips. “Dude! Where are your priorities? Look at the disaster Polly left behind tonight.” Her fingers jabbed in the direction of the mess tent.
Aptly named. Even in the dim evening light, it looked a sight. The tables and benches weren’t aligned, and objects lay in disarray on the serving table.
But still. “Claire isn’t an option. We need another idea.”
She scowled. “You said it hadn’t come up. She applied for the job. She’s qualified. You haven’t even talked to her about it since. How can you say she isn’t an option?”
“She just isn’t. Drop it, Jess.”
“Not a chance, boss. Not until or unless you come up with a better idea. Like by this time tomorrow at the very latest. Some planters threatened to quit today. I talked them into staying the week because I thought you —” her finger stabbed him in the chest “— were actively seeking a solution.”
Noel took a deep breath while his mind scrambled through — and discarded — a dozen options, all of them named Claire. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I need some time to think, and I’m desperate for some shut eye.”
“Just so you know I’ll take matters into my own hands pretty quick. I’m not willing to watch our loyal crew walk away.”
He closed his eyes for a second. “Me neither. I’ll deal with it tomorrow. I promise.”
Jess’s posture relaxed slightly in the moonlight. “Okay, boss. You cover it.”
**
Noel practiced his speech the whole way down the mountain the next afternoon. He could call Claire, but it would be better coming in person. Besides, how could he know Amber wouldn’t answer, since she borrowed Claire’s cell?
He didn’t want to get into another discussion about Shawn with Amber. Man, he’d tried to defend the guy a little and both women practically bit off his head.
Only Amber’s car sat in front of the straw bale farmhouse, but that didn’t mean anything. Those girls swapped out their one car like public property.
Noel turned into the driveway and parked. He sat for a second. He’d even done a bit of praying about the dilemma. Maybe he’d get brownie points for that, or whatever kind of point system God used. Everything was kind of surreal. Begging Claire for a favor after she’d made sure he knew where he stood with her.
That is to say, nowhere.
Well, then, seeing each other at breakfast and dinner every day shouldn’t be an additional problem. He needed a chef. He climbed out of the truck and made his way to the deck. Still no sign of life anywhere on the farm.
He rapped on the door. No answer. He knocked louder. A few minutes went by before he heard the scuffing of feet on the floor. He took a half step back.
Amber opened the heavy carved door and stared at him, blinking. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
He’d better say the right thing this time. “Two things. I’ve come to apologize to you for being an insensitive jerk.”
Her face softened slightly. “I don’t know why I expected anything different from you.”
Noel’s jaw dropped before he could quite control it. “Pardon?”
Amber shrugged. “You’re a guy. You can’t be expected to understand how women think.”
“Is that some kind of counseling by Claire?” Because if it was — no, he didn’t have the luxury of stomping away one more time.
“No. Just reality.”
That caught him off guard. “Uh, well, I am sorry.”
She nodded. “Accepted. What’s the second thing?”
“I need to talk to Claire. Is she around?”
“She’s at work.”
Noel stared at his sister.
“The Sizzling Skillet? I thought you knew she worked weekend evenings.”
“Right. I did know.” How could he have forgotten? Of course, she had a job. He’d even eaten there a couple of times. Yeah, she’d applied to cook for the crew two months ago, so she obviously didn’t love her position. That didn’t mean she’d be willing to ditch it for a six-week gig.
A sly smile played around Amber’s mouth. “Something wrong, big brother?”
He sighed. “The woman I hired for Enterprising Reforestation is a lousy cook and my crew is in revolt.”
“So it isn’t just that you want to see Claire again? Cause methinks you’re somewhat smitten.”
Noel narrowed his eyes, but his sister grinned and waggled her eyebrows at him as though she was the brightest star in the night sky.
“I think she’s very attractive, yes.” He’d have a hard time denying that, anyway. Amber had seen him tongue-tied around Claire. “But that’s not what I’m here about.”
“When are you going to settle down, Noel? This would be an awesome place for you. So much wild land and far from the city lights.”
“I like my life, thank-you-very-much.” If only he could convince himself.
“You couldn’t do better than Claire. I think you really care about her — as much as a guy knows how to care about a girl.”
Noel shifted from one foot to the other. “Thanks for your opinion. What time does she get off work?”
Amber shrugged. “It varies, depending on how busy the restaurant is tonight. They close at ten, but sometimes she’s still not home before midnight.”
He couldn’t offer her any better hours to speak of with a four-thirty breakfast for the crew so they’d be on the mountain at first light. But he could keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t work too hard.
He wished.
Noel turned away. “Okay, thanks. I’ll try and catch her later or tomorrow, then.” Jess would blow a fuse if he came back without a confirmation from Claire, and soon. Maybe he’d go sit in the parking lot at The Sizzling Skillet after ten. He thought about Polly’s cooking. Maybe he’d catch dinner while he was at it.
“Noel?”
He glanced back. “Yeah?”
“I’ve been praying for you.”
“Oh? Well, thanks.” Maybe thanks.
“If you’re not on speaking terms with God, you might want to change that.”
“Sure. I’ll get right on it.”
Nosy little sister.
Chapter 14
“You should’ve known we’d need more lasagna tonight.” Nevin stood at Claire’s elbow as she scrubbed the black rock over the grill. “It’s not acceptable to run out.”
She blew hair out of her eyes to no avail. Sweat made each strand stick to her forehead. Oh, for a shower. “Didn’t run out until after eight.”
“That’s no excuse.”
Claire set her jaw and continued the cleaning. The day chef would find the kitchen spotless as she did every weekend morning.
“Plan a little better tomorrow.”
“Canvas the town ahead of time to see who’s coming for dinner and what they’re planning to order?”
“Don’t be smart with me.”
“Leave her alone.”
Oh, Tony. He’d be better off keeping his mouth shut when the boss’s mood soured.
Nevin pivoted. “Mind your own business, kid. You done all them dishes?”
“Almost.”
“You do your job and leave the managing to me.”
Claire paused leaning partway across the grill and caught Tony’s eye over her shoulder. She shook her head slightly, took a deep breath, and continued the scrub.
“You’re a lousy manager. You don’t care enough to remember anybody’s name and you pick on people for things they can’t help. How about a little encouragement around here?”
Claire closed her eyes, her ears ringing as she waited for what would surely come. She wasn’t disappointed.
“You’re fired.”
Tony barked a short laugh. “Do you even know who I am?”
Claire straightened and turned, leaning against the grill. Her back had all but seized tonight, and the stress of the aftermath wasn’t helping.
Nevin slipped on a bit of oil on the floor but regained his balance as he stalked to Tony. He waggled his finger upward under the kid’s nose. “Trust me. I can figure out who to fire. You’re on the schedule, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. As DW4.”
There wasn’t anything Claire could do for Tony. She’d kept him an entire month longer than he’d wanted to stay, but he’d made his choice tonight and would have to deal with it. At least he still lived with his folks. He didn’t have to put up with Nevin. Lack of income would put a kink in his social life for a while, but that was about it.
If she did the same, she’d be back in Seattle in a heartbeat. It was still almost tempting.
“Don’t talk back to me, young man.”
Don and the waitresses were smart enough to stay out of the kitchen right now, though Claire could sure use Don tidying the counters. She turned back to the grill, blocking Nevin’s raised voice. A few more grinding swipes and she’d be done.
The swish of the swinging doors to the restaurant brought silence in its wake. Claire wiped her forehead with her sleeve. Now for the griddle.
“He’s got no right to speak to you that way.”
Claire glanced up at Tony. “Oh, you’re still here?”
“Yeah, I’m staying until the last load of dishes is put away. Just a couple more, but I know you’d do it yourself if I walked out now.”
She looked at him with new eyes. “Wow. Thanks, Tony.” She was going to miss the kid but could hardly blame him. “If you need a reference for another job, let me know.”
His blue eyes lit up. “For real?”
“Yeah. You’ve been a good worker.”
“Hey, thanks, Claire. What do you need me to do before I go home? Besides the dishes, I mean.”
Don wandered in from the dining room. “Everything under control back here?” He looked Tony over. “Thought you were fired.”
Tony beamed at him, looking a bit like the Cheshire cat. “Sure was, and proud of it.”
“Don, if you can get the other side of the kitchen, we’ll be out of here in twenty minutes.” She shouldn’t have to tell him. He’d worked here longer than she had, but hated being an assistant. If she could only get her nerve together to quit — she’d better not get fired, like Tony — Nevin might move him up.
“Got it, boss lady.” A tinge of sarcasm colored Don’s voice.
From the corner of her eye, Claire saw Tony straighten and open his mouth. She shook her head. She couldn’t handle any more of his defense tonight.
Tony’s jaw clenched, but he turned back to the dishwasher and slid another load in.
Don busied himself in the prep area, freeing Claire to mop the floor in her section.
She’d be awake a long time after she went home.
**
Noel drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as a couple of more people left The Sizzling Skillet’s side door and hurried to their waiting vehicles. If he weren’t parked right next to Claire’s car he’d figure she must’ve gone home already.
Finally the door opened again, silhouetting Claire and someone behind her as the light went out.
Noel pressed the button to slide down his window. “Claire?”
She turned, and so did the tall skinny person.
“Who is that?” a young male voice asked.
“It’s okay, Tony. Thanks. Go on home.” She locked the door.
Man, she sounded beyond exhausted. She moved toward his truck window with a speed — or lack thereof — that matched her voice.
The kid leaned against the restaurant door with his arms crossed.
Noel couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. Nice to see Claire had someone who looked out for her.
“What are you doing here, Noel?”
“I came to talk to you. I see you’re tired, but it really can’t wait. Is there someplace we can go for a coffee?”
Her back stiffened. “I don’t know that I have anything to say to you. And no, The Sizzling Skillet is open later than anyplace else in town. Everywhere else closed hours ago.”
On a Friday night? Wow. “Okay.” He slid out of his cab.
Her white coat gleamed in the darkness except for where food had splattered on it. Her short hair, usually neatly swept to the side, hung in clumps. Noel longed to wipe the smud
ge off her cheek.
He should have caught her in the morning, but too late now. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I really blew it with Amber.”
Claire crossed her arms. “You’ll have to take it up with her.”
“I did, this afternoon. But you were there when I opened my mouth and were witness to my boneheadedness.”
She nodded and glanced toward her car. She took a wobbly step toward it. The kid zipped there in no time flat, holding her elbow.
“Thanks, Tony. Go on home. Noel won’t bite. Really.”
Noel leapt to open the driver’s door for her and she slid behind the wheel.
“If you’re sure . . .” The boy sounded dubious.
Claire nodded, and Tony gave Noel the once up-and-down before striding out of the parking lot and down the street.
Noel squatted beside the open door. “Mind if I get in the passenger seat and talk to you a minute?”
“Whatever.” Claire leaned against the headrest and closed her eyes. “I thought you’d said your piece.”
“That was only the prelude.” He jogged around the car and slid into the other side before she had a chance to change her mind.
“What’s up? And please, why can’t this wait until tomorrow?” Her eyes sprang open. “Did something happen to Amber?”
He rested his hand on her forearm. “No, she’s fine. Shawn got in a few hours ago and they’re all right.”
“Good.”
“A couple of months ago you applied as chef to Enterprising Reforestation. I, uh, didn’t hire you.”
“Uh huh.”
That didn’t sound encouraging.
“Things have come up. The woman I did employ is doing a poor job. She swings between burning the food and undercooking it. She’s repeating the cheap parts of her menu much oftener than the other stuff, and she’s sloppy and surly.”
Claire slipped her arm from under Noel’s hand. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Not half as sorry as my crew is to be experiencing it. They’re threatening to walk off the job.”
She rubbed a tired hand across her forehead. “So what do you expect me to do about it?”
A Farm Fresh Romance Series 1-3 (A Farm Fresh Romance Box Set) Page 37