“Sorry,” Connor murmured, kissing his wife’s cheek as Will strolled over to join them, little Mick running alongside him. “I had to make things right with Jess. I told her she could beat me up, if she wanted to.”
Heather shook her head, regarding them indulgently. Then she turned to Jess. “And all you managed was that pitiful little shove? I’m ashamed of you. You should have clipped him a good one in the jaw for making you feel bad.”
Connor frowned at his wife. “Hey, whose side are you on?”
“In this instance, your sister’s.”
“Thank you,” Jess said solemnly, though her eyes were twinkling. She turned to Will. “I assume you were behind the groveling.”
“I might have mentioned that groveling is always an option,” Will said. “I assure you, though, that the invitation to beat him up was his. I usually don’t approve of physical violence, however much it’s called for.” He looked from one to the other. “Everything resolved now?”
Connor glanced at his sister. “Are we okay?”
“Yes,” she said, throwing her arms around him. “I don’t know why what you say matters so much to me, since you’re obviously such a big loser.”
“But you love me,” Connor taunted right back.
Jess grinned. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
Connor glanced in Will’s direction, then regarded her intently. “Then maybe you’d consider listening to a little brotherly advice from me.”
“No,” Jess said, her chin tilting stubbornly.
“Stop while you’re ahead,” Will advised.
“I was just going to tell her she ought to take a serious look at you,” Connor protested.
Heather heaved a sigh. “Connor, I love you, but Will’s right. You really don’t know when to quit.”
“I’m just saying—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Jess said emphatically.
“And I don’t need you interceding on my behalf,” Will added. He turned to Jess. “Want to get something to eat?”
“Yes, please,” she said at once.
Only as they were walking away together did Will notice the smug expression on Connor’s face. He had a feeling his sneaky friend had just played his hand very, very well.
Jess recognized that she’d just been manipulated by a master—her brother. “I just let Connor get away with practically throwing me into your arms, didn’t I?”
Will chuckled. “Yep. I fell for it, too.”
“Want to go back and beat him up? I think I could take him down with your help.”
Will’s brow rose. “Are you that unhappy to be spending time with me?”
She thought about it for a split second, then admitted, “Not really.”
“That’s progress, then,” he said with satisfaction.
“Don’t be smug. I liked having you on my side earlier, and I liked watching you with little Mick. You seem comfortable with both of us.”
He looked amused by the assessment. “Why wouldn’t I be comfortable with you?”
“I haven’t been very nice to you recently.”
“You’re wary. I get that.”
Jess thought of what Gail had said about having a man truly understand his partner. For the first time she was able to view Will’s understanding of her and his apparently boundless patience as a plus.
“What about little Mick? Are you comfortable with all kids?”
“I’d better be if I’m going to continue hanging around you O’Briens. Grandchildren are popping up right and left.”
She laughed. “They are, aren’t they? What about you? Do you want kids?”
“Absolutely,” he said.
She regarded him with amazement. “You said that without even the tiniest hesitation.”
“Because having a family has always been my dream.” He studied her curiously. “How about you?”
Jess didn’t have an immediate answer. She was afraid if she said what came to mind, it would be far too revealing and would give him something to analyze till the cows came home.
Unfortunately, Will was too perceptive. “Jess, are you worried you won’t be able to handle kids? Did what happened earlier with Connor reinforce that?”
She hated that he’d nailed it so easily…and loved that he knew her so well. Her reactions to Will were getting more and more confusing.
“Yes,” she admitted eventually. “I love all the kids in this family. A part of me has daydreamed about being a mom, but I’m not sure I have the slightest idea of how a mom is supposed to act. All I know is that she doesn’t run off the way mine did.”
“It’s true that for a time Megan wasn’t the best example. Her leaving was hardest for you because you were so young, but look at the examples Nell and Abby set for you. You couldn’t do any better than learning from them.”
“I suppose,” she said, though she still harbored a lot of doubts. “And then there’s the ADD. I know I was furious with Connor for suggesting I’d run off and leave little Mick behind, but it could happen, Will.”
“It won’t,” Will said with confidence.
“How can you possibly be so sure of that?”
“Because I know the kind of deeply caring woman you are. The fact that you’re aware that you’re easily distracted will make you even more attentive. Your kids will be lucky, Jess.”
She was surprised by the comment. “Lucky? Why?”
“Because you’re impulsive and unpredictable.”
“I thought those were negatives.”
“Not to a kid. You’ll be the fun mom.”
“But kids need reliability. They need stability.”
“Which is why you need a steady, reliable man,” he teased.
“Like you,” she said.
“Of course,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Exactly like me.”
She shook her head. “What am I going to do with you?” she murmured.
His smile spread. “Seems to me the possibilities are endless.”
For the first time since they’d started this cautious game, Jess let herself relax and remember that she and Will had a long history of friendship that would serve them well. How on earth had she let herself forget that?
There was something different about Connie today. Thomas couldn’t put his finger on it. Her eyes were brighter, her cheeks pinker. It finally dawned on him that she was wearing makeup for the first time since he’d known her. Something told him she’d worn it for his benefit, and that made him smile.
“You’re looking especially lovely today,” he whispered in her ear. The pink in her cheeks deepened to a fiery shade of red that no makeup in the world could match or conceal.
“Stop that!” she said, her voice hushed, her tone indignant.
He laughed. “Stop what? Complimenting you?”
“Yes.”
“The only way that’ll happen is if you stop looking so beautiful. You take my breath away.”
She regarded him with exasperation, hands on her slender hips. “You know, for years now, I’ve been hearing about the O’Brien talent for blarney, but this is the very first time I’ve been on the receiving end.”
“It’s not blarney if it’s the gospel truth,” he insisted.
“Well, truth or fiction, your timing needs some work. You do realize that we’re surrounded by members of your family?”
“So?”
“They’re known for carrying tales,” she reminded him.
Thomas chuckled, unimpressed by her warning. “There’s no one in the family whose opinion worries me,” he said truthfully. “How about you?”
She seemed surprised by his attitude. “Are you really so confident that people aren’t going to be shocked or appalled if they find out we’re seeing each other?”
“I’ll have you know I consider you to be a perfectly respectable woman,” he said, enjoying the quick rise of color that stained her cheeks again. She was so wonderfully easy to tease.
“It’s not me they’ll be questioning,” s
he said, practically sputtering with indignation. “You’re the one with the wicked reputation.”
“Wicked, is it?”
“Two wives. That could be considered quite scandalous in some circles. In fact, I imagine your own mother has had quite a bit to say about it.”
“I didn’t have them at the same time,” he countered. “It was all in a perfectly respectable sequence. As for Ma and me, we’ve made peace over my decisions. She learned years ago it was a waste of her breath to try to control me.”
Her lips twitched at his response, and a sparkle lit her eyes. “Do you not take anything seriously?”
Thomas sobered at once. “I do,” he said. “My work and, lately, you.”
She blinked as his words sank in, then shook her head. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Quite a lot, I hope. Shall we start with dinner tonight?”
She hesitated for so long, he thought he might have overplayed his hand.
“I’m not at all sure I’m ready to handle a man like you,” she told him, though her expression was oddly wistful when she said it.
“Connie, my love, I think you can handle anything life throws your way,” he said with total sincerity. “I’ll be putty in your hands.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” she said tartly. “But I suppose dinner’s not too big a risk.”
“Good for you,” he said. “And tonight we’re going to Brady’s. No more hiding in out-of-the-way places.”
“Are you sure about that?” she asked doubtfully.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” he said. He studied her intently. “How about you? Are you worried about Jake’s opinion? Or your daughter’s?”
“I’ll admit they’re going to be surprised, but they’d probably be stunned if I got involved with any man after all these years.”
“Then there’s no one standing in our way, is there?”
“I suppose not,” she conceded.
“Good for you,” he said. Because if there was one thing he knew with absolute certainty, it was that if the two of them were to have half a chance, their relationship had to be open and aboveboard from the start. There was no shame in what they were doing. And whatever doubts his meddling family—or her protective one—might throw at them, it was better to get them out of the way sooner, rather than later.
When Jess got back to the inn late on Saturday afternoon, the kitchen was empty except for an obviously panic-stricken Ronnie.
“Thank goodness,” Ronnie said to her when she walked in. “I’ve been calling your cell phone for over an hour.”
She reached into her purse, then muttered a curse. “Sorry. I guess I left it in the office.” She mentally berated herself even as she admitted the oversight. Forgetting the phone broke one of her cardinal rules on the weekend: never to be out of touch with the inn. What was wrong with her? This was the kind of slipup that drove her crazy.
“You’re here now,” Ronnie said. “We’ve got a problem.”
“What?”
“Gail got sick and had to leave. She told me to take charge, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, and the restaurant’s going to be packed tonight. I took half a dozen reservations myself before I knew she was going to take off.” He gave Jess a pleading look. “Maybe we should close.”
Jess wondered for an instant if he wasn’t right about that. Then again, even if she were dying, Gail wouldn’t have gone off and left Ronnie to take over if she didn’t think he could handle it.
“Let’s take a look at the menu,” she suggested, trying to approach the problem methodically to minimize her own increasing panic. “Tell me which of the dishes you think you can handle.”
He glanced over the three main courses, then shrugged. “I’ve helped her with all of them. I guess I could manage as long as there’s some help in here.”
“I’ll get you help,” Jess said.
She picked up the phone and called Kevin. “I have a crisis.”
Fifteen minutes later, her brother arrived with Abby and Gram in tow. Jess regarded her grandmother with dismay.
“Gram, I can’t ask you to pitch in around here.”
Her grandmother gave her a withering look. “I don’t see why not. I’ve cooked for a crowd many a time. And, truth be told, I’m far better at it than your sister is. If Abby stays, I stay.”
Jess recognized the determined lift of her chin and nodded. “Okay, then, thank you.”
She turned to see that Kevin and Ronnie were already huddled over the menus and Gail’s laminated pages of recipes. Her brother glanced up.
“Abby, you’re on salads,” he said. “You can’t screw those up. Gram, Ronnie says the desserts are made, but they need to be cut into proper portions, put onto serving plates. He says Gail usually adds a swirl of raspberry sauce or chocolate for decoration, but you can skip that.”
“No problem,” Gram said. “I know how to jazz up the presentation of a dessert.”
Jess watched the four of them go into action. “Thank you, you guys. You’re amazing. You, too, Ronnie. Gail obviously has a lot of faith in you for good reason.”
He beamed at her. “Thanks. I guess this is going to be my indoctrination by fire, huh?”
“I guess so. I’ll be out front seating people, so let me know if you need anything at all. I can probably shift one of the waitresses in here if you need more help.”
“We’ll be fine,” Kevin assured her.
Feeling confident as she walked out of the kitchen, she placed one more call, this one to her father. “Ronnie’s running the show in the kitchen tonight. Do you think you could get his father over here to see what a natural he is as a chef?” She knew it was a risk, but she also knew how much his father’s approval meant to the young man. It was something to which she could relate.
“I’ll get him there,” Mick promised. “I think I’ll avoid mentioning Ronnie, though, just in case something goes awry. How about that?”
“Perfect. Thanks, Dad.”
To Jess’s astonishment and relief, the evening passed without a hitch. No one seemed to have a clue that the kitchen was being managed by an inexperienced kid, an ex-paramedic, an investment adviser and a woman in her eighties. Jess was in awe of them.
When she strolled by to chat with her parents and the Forrests, she looked Ronnie’s father in the eye. “How was your meal?”
“Excellent. That chef of yours gets better each time I come here.”
Jess beamed at him. “Then you should tell him that.”
He blinked for a moment. “I thought your chef was a woman.”
“It is, but tonight we’ve had her assistant filling in. I’ll bring him by.”
She emerged from the kitchen a moment later with a reluctant Ronnie trailing along behind. “Mr. Forrest, I’d like you to meet the man who ran our kitchen tonight.”
The man did a double take. “You cooked this meal?”
Ronnie nodded. “Gail’s been training me and I’ve signed up for some classes.”
“Gail thinks he’s going to be an extraordinary chef,” Jess told Mr. Forrest.
“Well, he’s obviously off to an amazing start,” Megan chimed in. “Ronnie, the food tonight was superb.”
“It was,” his father agreed, looking at him with new respect. “I suppose I should have taken you seriously when you said this was something you wanted to do.”
“Well, thankfully, Ms. O’Brien and Gail did,” Ronnie said, standing straighter. “And to be honest, I can’t take all of the credit for tonight. I had a lot of O’Brien help in the kitchen.”
Now it was Mick’s turn to look startled.
Jess grinned at him. “Long story, but Kevin, Gram and Abby pitched in, too. They were awesome.”
“Nell must have been in her glory,” Megan said with a laugh. “I have to run into the kitchen to compliment her.”
“I’ll go with you,” Ronnie said, clearly eager to escape.
Mr. Forrest looked at Jess. “You’ve be
en good for that boy.”
She shook her head. “No, it was Gail who first saw his potential.”
“Well, I owe you for giving him a chance in the first place.”
“I’m just glad it worked out,” Jess said, then went off to speak to the other remaining diners.
By eleven, when the last of the customers had left, she was not only exhausted, she was exhilarated. She looked up from closing out the register just in time to see Will approaching.
“You’re too late. The kitchen’s closed.”
“I was hoping you might have time for a nightcap,” he said, just as the kitchen door swung open and her makeshift staff came into the dining room. Will stared at them, openmouthed. “What the devil’s going on here?”
Kevin laughed. “We got called into emergency service.”
“Did a darn good job of it, too,” Gram said, her eyes sparkling despite the weariness evident on her face.
“Yes, we did,” Abby agreed. “But I need to get home to my husband and kids. They were laughing their fool heads off about this when I told them where I was going. Gram, you coming with me?”
“I most certainly am,” Nell said, though she seemed oddly reluctant to go. She gave Jess a fierce hug. “Thanks for letting me be a part of this. I loved pitching in.”
“Letting you? We couldn’t have done it without you,” Jess told her. “I’m the one who’s grateful.”
Kevin sank down onto a chair. “What’s a man have to do to get a drink in this place?”
Will regarded him with amusement. “Wine okay? I know where that is.”
“Get a bottle of red,” Jess called after him. She glanced at Ronnie. “Are you sticking around?”
He nodded eagerly. “If it’s okay. I’m too wound up to go home.”
“Of course it’s okay. You’re a vital part of this team. You did well tonight.” She called after Will. “Bring four glasses, okay?”
Kevin’s gaze followed Will. “Seems awfully comfortable around here,” he commented.
Jess shrugged. “He’s been by a few times.”
Kevin’s gaze narrowed. “Is that so?”
She frowned at him. “We are not having this conversation. Just because you helped to save my butt tonight doesn’t give you interrogation privileges.”
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