Sydney’s hands trembled slightly. “The wedding is three weeks away. Maybe I should have waited and had Miss Trundel’s trip scheduled in January instead of over the holiday.”
Shane snorted. “Why? You think Matt’s not going to marry you if she gives a bad review? Get a grip, Syd. Mom and Dad will be home next week for Christmas, and we’ll have your wedding on New Year’s Eve. It’s all going to go as planned.” He cleared his throat loudly. “The same way I know how to run my kitchen and everything will go as planned in here—without your interference.”
“Okay, okay.” She held her hands up in surrender. “I know you’re right. I can’t micromanage you. Just keep her happy and make sure the food is great.”
Shane tilted his head, raising his eyebrows. “Have I ever served anything that isn’t fantastic?”
“No,” she grumbled, obviously working herself up again.
“Chill out, sis. You’re stressing way too much.” He leaned to the end of the counter and kissed her cheek. “Now, I don’t want to be rude, but get the hell out of my kitchen.”
Chapter 2
Elaina stepped into Paradise Point and found it hard to stay upright. What in the world did people need with such opulence? From the huge crystal chandeliers all the way down to the burbling water features along the walls, she’d never seen a place like this before.
“Look, Mama!” Kylee pointed excitedly, drawing Elaina’s attention to an aquarium along the back wall that might have contained half the ocean inside, it was so large. “Can I look at the fishes?”
“You’ll have to wait, Princess.” Elaina snagged Kylee’s hand just as her daughter attempted to take off. “We need to talk to someone about our table first.”
“I’m not hungry,” Kylee complained. “I want to go swimming.”
Taking a deep breath and praying for patience, Elaina glared down at her daughter. “And what, exactly, happened to your manners since we reached this island?”
Kylee’s ocean blue eyes, so closely a match to Elaina’s, grew wide. “Sorry. May I please look at the fishes and go swimming?”
Elaina laughed. “You want to swim in the aquarium?”
Kylee nodded, completely serious.
“No, baby. We can’t swim here. If you’re a good girl and eat your dinner, we’ll go to the beach before bed.”
“Yay!”
At least the child was easy to appease. Kylee had taken swimming lessons last summer at the local pool but hadn’t been able to practice her skills often. Elaina had been relieved to read in the welcome packet that a lifeguard was on duty at the main beach.
“Excuse me, miss?”
Elaina turned, only to see the most beautiful woman she’d ever laid eyes on. The lady’s dress alone must have cost a fortune, and her fancy up-do hairstyle was a vision of elegance. Nervously, Elaina patted down her flyaway blondish-brown tresses, attempting to stand just as proudly, even if her dress was a thirty-dollar special from the thrift store.
“Can I help you?” the woman asked once she had Elaina’s attention. “Do you have a reservation?”
Was she the hostess of the restaurant? If the employees had to dress so formally, Elaina knew she was outclassed. How embarrassing. Still, Kylee hadn’t had anything but airplane peanuts all day, and there wasn’t any food in their bungalow’s refrigerator.
Lifting her head high and meeting the hostess’s eyes, Elaina smiled. “Yes, thank you. I’m Elaina Trundel, here with my daughter Kylee.” She breathed an internal sigh of relief that the name came flawlessly from her mouth. “I was told we’d dine at the chef’s table tonight.”
If the hostess noticed the way Elaina’s knees knocked slightly together or the tremble in her voice, she gave no indication. “Of course, Miss Trundel. How lovely to finally meet you. The island has been abuzz about you and your daughter arriving today. I’ll show you to the kitchen and hand you over to the capable hands of Mr. McCallister. You’re in for a treat. His food is delicious.”
She led the way through the dining room, and though Elaina tried to keep up the appearance that she belonged in the restaurant, it was difficult to pretend in the presence of everyone else. The walk felt more as though she headed to a gas chamber, but would first stop off for a final meal, considering how nervous she felt.
Everywhere she looked, people were dressed in the same designer-type clothing as the hostess. If anything, the guests eating at the tables were more formal. Not to mention the jewels dripping from the women’s earlobes and necks or the expensive-looking watches the men wore.
Elaina had worked as a waitress most of her life and had never served customers like these. She wasn’t sure if the looks of scorn she thought came her way were real or imagined, but she wouldn’t blame any of these people for wondering what she was doing amongst them.
After what felt like an eternity of enduring the stares, the hostess paused at a doorway. To the left sat a tall counter where servers picked up food. The remainder of the wall cut away, showing through to the kitchen so patrons could watch while the cooks prepared their food. The hostess pulled the door open and indicated the kitchen with a sweep of her hand. “Please have a seat at the table here. I’ll find Mr. McCallister.”
Elaina preceded the hostess into the space, clutching Kylee’s hand. She didn’t know if being inside the kitchen was an improvement over the stares and glares of the other diners or not. The chefs paused what they were doing as she and Kylee walked to the table, some smiling, others going right back to work. They called out times and names of food Elaina had never eaten before, and the place seemed to be organized chaos.
“Mama, Mama!” Kylee tugged on Elaina’s hand, trying to squirm away. “We can see the fishes now.” She pulled once more but when Elaina didn’t release her, Kylee stopped and looked up. “May I please go look? I promise to stay where you can see me.”
With a nod, Elaina released Kylee’s hand, watching her daughter skip across the floor until she reached the back wall of the aquarium. Knowing that would keep Kylee occupied, Elaina scooted into the nearby booth. Luckily, the side was low enough that she could still see her daughter as Kylee stared into the fish tank.
After a few minutes, a handsome young man approached. He only looked a few years older than Elaina herself. “Miss Trundel?”
Realizing this must be the waiter, she grinned. “Please, call me Elaina. I’ll never get used to all this “miss” stuff.”
“Sure.” A charming smile lit up his face. “I have to say, you’re a breath of fresh air. I like that you don’t have a stick up your ass, insisting I defer to you as though I’m some lowlife. That’s how most of the people here act. You’re a nice change.”
Elaina looked around quickly, hoping no one heard him. The formality of this place was astounding. She’d hate to get him into trouble, and he really should watch his language. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard before, but she was certain the other diners wouldn’t appreciate it. “Don’t let your boss hear you talk like that. I’m supposed to meet Mr. McCallister tonight. He could show up at any time.”
The man chuckled, making his eyes sparkle. Unlike Elaina and Kylee’s eyes, which were the blue-grey of the ocean during a storm, his mischievous eyes were the bright blue of the sky on a cloudless day. She couldn’t help but stare at them. His lashes were long and dark, a contrast to his light-brown hair. High cheekbones framed a strong chin with just a hint of stubble. He was a gorgeous man, and his apparent humor made him that much more attractive.
“Did I say something funny?” she asked, unable to stop herself from returning his smile.
“Excuse me. I was so captured by your beauty that I forgot to introduce myself.” The man took her hand, bending over to brush a kiss lightly against it. “I’m Shane McCallister, owner and head chef of Paradise Point.”
“But you’re so young,” she blurted, then pulled her hand from his to cover her mouth as a blush crept up her face. “Goodness. That was rude. I didn’t mean to—”
“Most people my age don’t have things figured out like you do,” Elaina said, relieved he hadn’t taken offense. “I work two jobs to support my daughter, watching all the twenty-somethings around me drink and party and have fun. I expected you to be older because of that, but it’s amazing you run this place. It’s a beautiful restaurant.”
Shane nodded. “My mother will be pleased to know you think so. She helped with the décor, considering I’m about as fashionable as a middle-aged man in a Speedo.”
Elaina covered her mouth again, muffling a giggle at the image that brought to mind. As stuffy and uncomfortable as she’d feared this dinner would be, Shane McCallister seemed like a normal person.
“Now,” he continued, “I’m sure you and your daughter must be famished after traveling all day. Let me grab your menus, and I’ll be right back.”
* * *
Shane had not expected Elaina Trundel to be so hot. When he’d harassed Sydney earlier about his tendency to flirt with all his female guests, he had no clue that he’d actually enjoy it with their V.I.P. Not to mention the cute way she blushed so easily. Elaina had a good-girl vibe. Considering she’d had a daughter, he knew she couldn’t be quite as innocent as she looked. He liked that even more.
It was a shock to see the young girl over by the aquarium, however. When Sydney said Elaina was twenty-one and had a daughter, Shane feared they had wasted the grand opening of the Adventure Palace on an infant. However, the girl was the perfect age to explore the new center. At least that should please Sydney and get her to calm down.
Elaina called to her daughter, making the girl come back to the table.
Although she pouted, the child did as she was asked, crawling onto the bench next to her mother. She was cute, her hair a lighter shade of blond than her mom’s, but with the same beautiful eyes.
Shane would have to thank his mother for insisting the back wall of the aquarium was visible from the kitchen. He had wanted to block it off, but his mom saw it as a nice backdrop for diners at the chef’s table. In the case of more children coming to the island, it gave them something to occupy their time while they waited for food.
Grabbing the kid’s menu he’d had made up earlier in the week and a regular menu, Shane walked back to the table, keeping his smile wide. “And who might this lovely lady be?” he asked as he set the menus in front of them.
She looked up, challenge in her young gaze. “I’m Princess Kylee. Who are you?”
“Kylee!” The red coloring Elaina sported so well covered her face again. “I’m terribly sorry, Mr. McCallister. We don’t go out a lot and—”
“Shane,” he corrected softly, not taking his attention off the girl. “Princess Kylee, huh? That’s a beautiful name. I had no idea I would serve royalty tonight. I guess that makes your mom Queen Elaina.”
“No.” Kylee shook her head. “She can’t be queen without a king, silly. I’m just the princess.”
Obviously, Elaina hadn’t taught her daughter that women didn’t need a man to make them great, but it did make Shane wonder where the ‘king’ might be. It wasn’t his business to be curious, however. He already swore in front of Elaina, which could have been a disaster if she wasn’t so good-natured. It would be beyond rude to ask where Kylee’s father was.
“What do you like to eat, Princess Kylee?” he asked instead. “I can make anything you want.”
Elaina grabbed the kid’s menu from in front of Kylee. Her eyes grew wide and then she blinked rapidly. After a few seconds, she seemed to get ahold of herself, but Shane wondered what had happened.
“She’ll have macaroni and cheese,” Elaina said, not letting her daughter answer for herself.
Shane tipped his head sideways to look at her, eyes narrowed. “You sure that’s what she wants? There are lots of other choices. I’ll let you browse what’s available and return in a few minutes.”
“No.” Elaina shook her head, setting the menus on the edge of the table. “I’d like a glass of water, please, and bring Kylee the mac and cheese.”
“Water?” Shane picked up the menus, uncertain what was going on. “You aren’t going to eat? Sydney said there wasn’t a meal service on your flight. You have to be starving.”
Elaina looked down, not making eye contact. “I-I c-can’t afford this.” She looked back up, blinking rapidly even though tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “They gave me two-thousand dollars for expenses, but that macaroni and cheese is twenty by itself. I don’t know what you put it in, sir, but that’s crazy expensive. I’ll never make it the entire trip if I have to spend a hundred dollars for each meal.” She wiped angrily at her eyes, obviously frustrated that she’d let herself cry.
“Oh, shit. Elaina, no.” Without asking for permission, Shane set the menus down and slid into the booth on the opposite side of Kylee.
“You said a bad word,” Kylee scolded. “Mama, will you wash his mouth with soap?”
Damn. He should be used to watching his mouth around kids, considering his oldest brother, Quinn, had a five-month-old daughter, and his second oldest brother, Parker, now had two children.
“Sorry, Princess Kylee,” he said. “I didn’t mean to curse, but I’ve upset your mama and didn’t mean to.”
Kylee pouted her little heart-shaped mouth. “Why are you crying, Mama?”
Elaina sucked in an audible breath and smiled at the girl, wiping her face. “I'm all right, baby. Don’t worry. This nice man is going to bring you some macaroni and then we’ll go swimming, okay?”
“But I want pizza,” Kylee said. After a second, somewhat sullenly, she added, “Please.”
“I’ll get you pizza,” Shane promised.
Elaina whipped her head around to glare at him. “I can’t afford—”
“Your meals are covered, Elaina.” Even though he knew he shouldn’t touch her, Shane grabbed her hand, patting the top of it with his other hand. “I’m sorry you didn’t understand that. The money Syd included in the package was in case you wanted to buy things at one of the shops here. This is an all-expense paid vacation. That means everything. We provide all the food you need while you’re here. You probably didn’t check, but the cupboards and refrigerator at your bungalow are fully stocked.”
Her eyes widened, looking stormier than before. “But there isn’t any food in the room. I was going to buy a sandwich to share with Kylee at the Kona airport, but they wanted fifteen dollars for it so I thought there might be a snack in the bungalow. I have no clue how I’ll afford anything from a store here to eat. I imagine the grocery store is probably ridiculously expensive too.”
“There’s no food in the bungalow?” he asked.
Elaina nodded.
Crap. His sister would be livid if she found out. Someone had dropped the ball. Shane searched his memory, trying to figure out who should have done the food shopping. He thought it was housekeeping. Whoever it was, they would be in deep trouble when Sydney heard about it.
“Hey, Shane?” His sous chef stood at the pass, putting food on plates before handing them to the servers. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need you for a second.”
“Be right there.” Releasing Elaina’s hand, he pushed the menus from the corner of the table back in front of her. “I’ll make sure the food that should have already been delivered is in your room before you’re finished with dinner. Pick whatever you would like from the menu. It's on us.”
Chapter 3
Elaina had never felt so stupid in her life. First of all, her clothing was nowhere near good enough to be in a restaurant like this. Then, she’d had to admit to Shane that she couldn’t afford a meal here. While it was a relief to find out she and Kylee would have food provided, it burned that she’d been forced to admit just how poor she was.<
br />
At least not having to spend the two-thousand dollars they’d given her on food meant she might be able to save a bit of it to help out with wherever she and Kylee ended up next. They couldn’t go back to North Dakota, and Elaina had half a hope she could find a job either here or over in Hawaii, but the trip money would certainly help while she waited for a first check.
“Why are you sad?” Kylee put her head against Elaina’s shoulder and patted her arm. “This is a happy trip.”
Knowing she had to control her facial expressions, considering Kylee didn’t know anything about the man who now suddenly wanted to call himself her father, Elaina took some cleansing breaths. “Of course, it’s a happy trip. I’m not sad.”
Humiliated and mortified for what she had revealed to Shane might be better words, but Kylee wouldn’t understand that. In fact, Elaina hoped Kylee never understood what a struggle every day was. No matter what she’d had to go through to keep her child, every hardship had been worth it. Seeing Kylee’s grin, watching her grow up—no sacrifice was too big.
“Now, Princess, the nice man said you could have pizza.” She ruffled Kylee’s hair and kissed her forehead. “Should we see what toppings they have to choose from?”
“I want ‘roni,” Kylee said, not needing to think about it.
“Of course, you do. What should Mama eat?”
Kylee peered over Elaina’s arm at the gold-embossed menu, looking for all the world as if she could read it. “Try the duck.”
“Duck?” Elaina wrinkled her nose. “What made you think of that?”
“My teacher said her family always eats duck at Christmas.”
While it was good Kylee learned about other people’s traditions, Elaina knew duck wouldn’t be one they started. Glancing through the menu, she decided it had been far too long since she enjoyed a steak that didn’t come from the reduced meats section for food unwanted by others and about to spoil.
Love's Ride (McCallister's Paradise Book 4) Page 22