Chef's Delight (Stories of Serendipity)

by Anne Conley

  Closing his eyes, he inhaled the scents surrounding him. Under the lavender and citrus, he smelled the musky goat dairy smells, as well as various herbs. It was certainly a comforting smell, and he had become lost in the flavors they evoked when he heard the door open from the hallway.

  Connor’s breath hitched a little as he looked at Jessie, fresh from her shower. She had put on a pair of loose jeans with holes at the knees, and had layered a black tank top under a gray one. He felt an urge to remove the clip that held her wet hair up, red highlights glistening. She had sandals on her feet, which he was seeing for the first time. Her toenails were polished a pretty coral color, and she wore a toe ring on the index toe of her left foot. He was seeing less skin than he had fifteen minutes ago, but for some reason, he thought she looked sexier than he’d ever seen her.

  Connor shifted in his chair, trying to alleviate some of the pressure in his shorts.

  “You ready to go look at the gardens?” She seemed eager to show him her herbs, and he was happy to oblige.

  “Sure.”

  As they walked out to the raised gardens in the front side of the house, Jessie told him about the different varieties of herbs she grew, and that she sold them, too. When they got there, Connor was amazed at the variety, and couldn’t stop himself from plucking leaves off different plants and tasting them.

  “Pesticides?” He asked, before putting an oregano leave on the tip of his tongue and biting down to release the flavor.

  “Nope. I use natural plant arrangements to detract bugs. See those marigolds?” Her eyes seemed to be glued to his mouth as she pointed to the bright yellow flowers. “They keep aphids away, as well as other pests. And most of the herbs themselves are pest-resistant.”

  “Hmmm…” Connor said thoughtfully. Maybe he could use her as an herb supplier, too. They certainly tasted better than the herbs he was currently using. And they would be fresher, too. And she was a local. Maybe he could play up that connection. His fingers reached towards a furry sage plant, snapping off a leaf, and placing it inside his mouth to taste it. Then he plucked off a marigold blossom, and put that in his mouth, as well.

  Her eyes widened when he started chewing the flower. “What? You didn’t know marigolds are edible? They’re tasty too, and they cleanse the palette after putting the others in my mouth.” He explained, before he started tasting the varieties of basil her garden offered to him. Connor was in heaven, with all of these flavors around him. His mind was in over-drive, coming up with flavor combinations, the subtle nuances of the different varieties of herbs making him want to be back in his kitchen, experimenting.

  She watched him, silently, leaning against one of the raised gardens, with an amused expression on her face. Finally, she leaned over, and reaching into a rubber tub next to her, pulled out a pair of scissors, a box of baggies and a marker. She handed them to Connor, “Get some cuttings to take back to your kitchen and play with. You can call me with an order later. Unless you know of something you need today.”

  Her voice seemed to lower in invitation with that last bit, and Connor turned to her, surprised. A flush had risen to her cheeks, and her eyes had darkened. Connor’s eyes fell to her lips, where her tongue snaked out to lick her bottom lip.

  “Um…thanks.” Connor could remind himself of all the reasons why he wasn't willing to get into anything with Jessie, but looking at her was an internal war he knew he couldn't win. So he turned rapidly and started snipping pieces of the plants and putting them into the baggies, before labeling each one.

  When he turned back to Jessie, she was still staring intently at him, and he wondered if she realized what kind of signals she was sending.

  As Jessie watched Connor expertly tasting her herbs, she marveled at his sensuality. Despite her convictions to not get involved with another man for a while after Chad, she couldn’t help but wonder if his sensuality extended to the bedroom. His lips and tongue were working her herbs over skillfully, and she could feel her breasts get fuller, and her nipples harden in response.

  When she got the baggies for him to take some cuttings, she couldn’t resist a little flirting. She hit her mark, as she watched him turn to her, and his eyes widened imperceptibly, pupils dilating. Bingo.

  Then he had turned away from her, and she was flooded with disappointment. She couldn’t stop staring at the man, though. He was indeed a beautiful specimen, and she decided she would make a little effort to woo him to her bed. It usually didn’t take much, men were all so predictable, as far as getting them to bed was concerned.

  Even if she couldn’t get him into bed, he was certainly pretty to look at, and she would definitely get an eye-full. She would put the memories of him in her erotic cache, to use at a later time, with her favorite toys.

  Crossing one leg over the other, to relieve a little heat, which built every time he bent over to snip another herb, giving her an exquisite view of his backside, she asked him, “Is there a Mrs. Wright in the picture?”

  He stiffened, but didn’t turn around. “No.”

  “Hmmm…”

  “Do you grow tomatoes?” He had straightened, but still didn’t turn around.

  Taken aback slightly at his change of subject, Jessie responded, “Of course. They’re in my greenhouse.”

  He did turn around at that declaration. “You have a greenhouse, too?” His eyes were wide, disbelieving.

  “Yeah, I do. Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “It’s just you do so much, here. It’s…surprising.”

  “Because I’m a woman?” Her spine stiffened. This was not surprising to her. People in this town just couldn’t believe that she did all she did here without a man's help. She'd honestly thought somebody from out of town wouldn't think that way.

  “No…well, maybe, but it’s just that…” She watched as he ran his long, tapered fingers through his sandy blonde hair, making a mess of it. “I’m from the city, and people don’t do that kind of stuff, there. You know?” He looked incredibly uncomfortable, and she was perversely enjoying it.

  “Well, City Boy. Come inside the house, and let me give you a new experience, before we go over to the greenhouse.”

  “What? I, uh, don’t think…” She knew her words would cause him some discomfiture, but his reaction still amused her.

  “Relax. I’m going to make you an exceptional drink. I’m not sure what you were thinking I was going to do…” She smirked at him, knowing exactly what he thought she was going to do.

  “Oh…uh…” He blushed. The man actually blushed, sending a tingle to Jessie’s nether regions, making her giggle.

  “Come on, City Boy.” She walked back into the house, Connor following, meekly.

  In the kitchen, she sat him down at the kitchen table and pulled out her blender. Filling it with whey, honey, and a little yogurt, she blended it up before pouring two glasses full for them. She sat at the table across from him.

  “So, tell me about Connor.” She looked at him, evenly. “What brings you to the tiny town of Serendipity?”

  He relaxed into his chair, taking a sip of his smoothie. “This is really good. What’s in it?”

  “It’s whey, from the cheese curds, and honey. Are you avoiding my question?”

  “No. It’s always been a dream of mine to have my own restaurant. I needed to get out of Houston before it drove me mad. And the cost of living is so much cheaper, here. I could never buy a place like I have in Houston. And I got it for a song, here.”

  He paused, drinking deeply of his smoothie. “This is awesome. What else do you make with your goat’s dairy products?”

  “Not much. I make the different cheeses, which I usually crumble up over salads, pasta, TV dinners and stuff. I make the smoothies. I drink the milk, and make shakes out of them.”

  “You don’t cook much, then?”

  “No. I can my vegetables, sometimes. I make fruit preserves. Mostly, I just sell as much as I can, though. I need the money more than I need to cook.”
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  He looked at her with one eyebrow raised in question.

  “I inherited the house from my Dad, when he died. My grandparents built it. It was in really bad shape when I got it, and I had to take out a loan to get this operation going. The fencing and licensing requirements for the dairy were pretty expensive. The herbs and tomatoes are mostly just extra income, though not much.”

  “I totally understand. I sunk all of my savings into the restaurant, plus a loan to renovate it to make a commercial kitchen.”

  They sat in silence, drinking their smoothies. Finally, when he was finished, Connor said, “What else do you do out here, Jessie?”

  “Let’s see…I’ve got the goats, the herbs, the tomatoes, and the orchard. That’s about it.”

  “What do you grow in the orchard?”

  “Peaches, figs, and plums. I’ve also got an apricot tree. I dry the fruit I don’t sell or can. I also dry the tomatoes I don’t can. And it’s all for sale.”

  “I think I need a new supplier for a lot of my stuff. I need herbs, tomatoes, figs, a few peaches, and cheese. I also need some goat’s milk, and some of this whey stuff. It’s amazing.” He paused as if he had more to say.

  “What? You can ask me, whatever it is. I may not answer…” She laughed nervously.

  He smiled at her, sending a pool of warmth down to her toes. “Earlier, outside, you seemed ready to pounce on me for something. You thought I didn’t think you could run this place without a man. Do you get that a lot?”

  “You wouldn’t believe it. This town has a lot of old-school men in it, whose wives just cook and clean. My neighbor across the fence is one of the worst. He’s constantly giving me a hard time. It’s like they feel threatened because a single woman can run a ranch on her own, a business, something.” She stood. “Your cheese is in the fridge, here. I can get you some tomatoes today, and the fruit I can bring by tomorrow, if you want. I’ve got a couple of gallons of milk in the freezer in the barn, and you can help yourself to the herbs. I’ll give you bulk rate, since you’re getting so much. I assume you’ll need it on a regular basis?”

  He rose with her. “Absolutely, as long as everything’s in season. I’d appreciate it.”

  “Well, the tomatoes grow year-round in the greenhouse, and I rotate the goat’s breeding schedule so I can milk them year-round. The fruit, though, unless you want dried or canned will be out of season soon.”

  “I do want some dried. It reconstitutes well.” Jessie could see the gears of his brain turning. His face held a look of intense concentration. She had noticed a lot of his actions seemed intense, as if he never did anything by accident.

  “Come with me out to the greenhouse. We can pick tomatoes for you to take back with you.” She led him out a side door, which opened up into the yard right next to an old greenhouse, built with what looked like windows from old houses. Inside, it was filled with green vines, and emitted the spicy, earthy smell of tomato leaves.

  Jessie grabbed a couple of bushel baskets by the door and handed one to Connor. “Pick what you want. I’ve got Roma, Cherry, Grape, and those giant bastards over there. The green ones on the big tomato plants are good for frying, if you want some of those, too.”

  “You pick me some Romas and Grape, if you don’t mind, and I’ll go over there.” He motioned toward the other side of the greenhouse, where the big tomatoes were growing.

  After about ten minutes, both baskets were full, and Jessie followed Connor to his truck to put them into the floor board of the passenger side.

  “I’ll go get the cheese. Help yourself to the herb garden.” She turned to go back inside the house, and Connor went towards the raised gardens on the side of the house.

  After two trips to Connor’s truck, putting the cheese in, and then his milk, she lingered, inhaling the smells inside the truck. Connor’s scent was all over the interior, citrus and some sort of herb, and underneath, was the scent of pure manliness. There was something about a man with a truck.

  She had to admit, this restaurateur was sexy. And she wanted him. But he was her best customer. Ever. If she had sex with him, like she really, really wanted to, it would probably mess up their business relationship. And she couldn’t afford to lose his business.

  His using her products in his restaurant could be the big break she was looking for. It had potential to bring in more business for her, and she really needed the business. Selling a package or two of cheese here and there wasn’t cutting it. She needed more regular customers like Connor. And she couldn’t afford to lose him.

  Making up her mind to keep her libido in check, for once, she turned to him with a bright smile when she heard him walking up behind her from the herb garden.

  “Get everything?” She said brightly.

  “Yeah. I think so. Thanks.” He had a bushel basket full of various herbs, and she chuckled as she noticed a piece of green on his lips.

  “What?” He asked her.

  “You have a little something…” She tentatively reached up to his face, and rubbed her thumb along his lower lip. “…here.” At the contact with his soft, warm lip, a jolt of electricity ran up to her elbow. Lowering her voice, she said, “Sampling the merchandise?” His eyes darkened, and she could see his chest rise erratically as his breath hitched at her touch.

  She left her fingers on his lip, enticing him, even though she had just told herself she wouldn’t do this. His mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. His blue gaze locked on her with the intensity she had just marveled about. He grasped her hand with his, and lowered it from his face, pulling her to him. His breath came in ragged gasps, even though she had barely touched him. His hand stayed on hers, while his other hand went around her waist, pulling Jessie closer, until her breasts touched his chest. She could feel them getting fuller, and her nipples hardened to peaks under her shirt.

  Connor looked deeply into her eyes, until she thought he might see down into her soul. As the hand holding hers came to his lips, Jessie’s breath hitched in anticipation. He raised her wrist to his mouth and tasted it, like she had imagined he would. His soft lips grazed the sensitive flesh of her wrist, before he opened his mouth and stroked her pulse point with his tongue. It was warm and wet, and soft, compared to the stubble on his chin, which raked across the hypersensitive spot. The whole time, his eyes never left hers.

  Jessie gasped, her knees weakened, and she leaned against him. She would have reached up and kissed his lips, but what he had just done to her left her breathless, unable to think. Surprised such a seemingly innocent gesture could elicit such a response, she just looked at him, breathless.

  “Come to dinner at the restaurant tomorrow night. I want you to taste some things.” His voice was a rough whisper. He hadn’t released her from his grip, nor had he stopped staring into her soul.

  “Okay.” She responded, huskily, suddenly aware of his erection pressing against her hip. She released herself from his grip, cursing herself for starting something with him. She stepped back, uncomfortable, crossing her arms over her chest to try to ease the fullness she felt there.

  He ran his fingers through his hair, and looked at his feet. “Um…I’m sorry…about that. I guess we need to keep this professional.” He folded his long body into the cab of his pick up and looked at her.

  “Yeah. I’m sorry, too. I feel like I started it.”

  “I meant it, though. Come out tomorrow. I want you to try the food I make with your products. I think you’ll be pleased.”

  “Sure. Looking forward to it.” Her gut clenched as she watched him close his door and drive down her driveway. She felt ridiculous, as she realized she missed him already.

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, when she came out of the barn, Jessie’s jaw dropped when she saw flashing lights from the Sheriff’s department car in her driveway. It wasn’t Chad’s car, thank goodness, but it still couldn’t be good news.

  As she walked out of the barn, she glanced over at the paddock holding the female g
oats who weren’t nursing. Her stomach dropped. It was empty. Her gaze swept over to the buck’s paddock. Also empty. Dammit. She knew why the Sheriff’s department was here, and it upset her.

  “Morning, officer.” She said pleasantly, trying to hide her annoyance. She was unsure if she was more annoyed with herself, for not double-checking things, or her goats, for escaping.

  “Ma’am.” He tipped his hat, reluctantly. “We’ve had a report filed against your goats, Ms. Stillwell. I’m going to have to issue you a warning ticket. You need some fence work done?”

  “I didn’t realize I did until you showed up, officer. I’m terribly sorry.” She looked over again at the fence, which was supposed to hold the bucks in their enclosure, and sighed with frustration.

  “Well, this is just a warning. But if we get the call again, we’ll have to come impound the goats. And it’ll cost you a hundred and fifty dollars each to get them out of impound.” He pulled out a small ticket book and began writing.

  “Can you tell me who filed the complaint?”

  “No ma’am, I can’t. And it doesn’t have to be the same person on each complaint, either. It is your responsibility to make sure your fences are sound.” He continued writing, then stopped and looked at her. “My brother does fence work, and he’s pretty good. I can give you his number before I leave, if you want it.”

  Jessie gritted her teeth, trying to stay pleasant. “No thank you. I’ve got it under control.”

  He handed her the citation, neatly tucked around his brother's business card, and got back into his car. “If you need anything, just give me a call.”