The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Text copyright © 2013 Carolyn Hughey
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance
P.O. Box 400818
Las Vegas, NV 89140
ISBN-13: 9781477808658
ISBN-10: 1477808655
LCCN: 2013911350
To Bob,
Without you, there is no music,
There is no light,
There are no words.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
Against All Odds Grilled Shrimp with Veggie Fruit Salsa
CHAPTER 4
Running Against the Wind Chocolate Cake
CHAPTER 5
Corey’s Angry Man Spiced Chicken with Cranberry Bourbon Sauce
CHAPTER 6
Corey’s Poker Face Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
Gabi’s “This Ain’t No Ticker Tape Parade” Confetti Rice Salad
CHAPTER 13
Corey’s “Burning Like a Ring of Fire” Spicy Seafood Stir-Fry
CHAPTER 14
Gabi’s “Stayin’ Alive” Hot Cross Buns
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
Gabi’s “Beat It, Buster!” Lemon Soufflé
CHAPTER 18
Corey’s “Haunting Me” Very Cherry Fruit Bars
CHAPTER 19
Gabi’s “Let’s Get This Party Started” Carrot and Apple Salad with Brandied Raisins
CHAPTER 20
Leslie’s Nutty Vibrations Chocolate Soufflé Bread Pudding
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
Gabi’s “It’s Greek to Me” Stuffed Eggplant
CHAPTER 23
Gabi’s “Outta My Head” Italian Cheesecake Piecrust
CHAPTER 24
Corey’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” Cherry Crumble
CHAPTER 25
Corey’s “I Will Survive” Spicy Shrimp Curry
CHAPTER 26
Corey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” Fruited Basmati Pilaf
CHAPTER 27
Corey’s “Fight for This Love” Creamy Champagne Mushroom Soup
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
Gabi’s “Such a Rush” Homemade Hummus
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
Gabi’s “Pick-Me-Up” Portuguese Slow Cooker Chicken
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
“Someone’s in the Kitchen with Gabi” Blueberry Coffee Cake
CHAPTER 36
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As the last student headed out the door of the Kitchen Widget, Gabrielle Johnson sucked in a deep breath and blew it out to relieve the tension weighing heavily on her chest. Do it now, before you lose your nerve, she chastised herself. One more release of air and she forced herself to say the words. “Cassie, do you… do you have a minute to chat?” She hadn’t meant to stutter, but the words came out that way. The expression on Cassie’s face as she walked toward Gabi caused her stomach to cramp like she’d been sucker-punched. Cassie must have surmised what was next. Cripes, it was hard to miss when she’d been tripping over her words all day.
“What’s up?” Cassie asked. “You’ve been nervous and jerky all day.”
“I’m leaving,” Gabi blurted out.
“Whoa!” Cassie’s voice rose, then lowered an octave. Frowning, she continued, “I knew something was brewing in that head of yours. I just wasn’t expecting those words.” She pulled two chairs over and gestured for Gabi to sit.
“I know you weren’t, Cass. And I hated saying them. But the truth is, I’m just not feeling fulfilled.” Gabi sighed. “I feel guilty even vocalizing it. You must think I’m the most ungrateful friend on the planet, especially after you were the only one to save me from my sluggish catering business.”
“Look, I’m not happy about you leaving either, but you don’t owe me anything. You helped me out when Jamie had to leave, after her sister died and she took guardianship of Bailey.” Cassie raised her shoulder in a shrug. “Things happen, and we support each other whenever we can.”
“It’s just that I’m missing the excitement of working in a restaurant kitchen,” Gabi justified.
“I do understand that.” Cassie paused and gave a nod of her head. “Sometimes, I feel the same way. But as the owner, there isn’t much I can do about it.” She twisted her lips to the side. “Besides, this is the best kind of business to raise a family—if I can ever get pregnant.” She opened her eyes wide. A few seconds later, as though reality had hit, Cassie stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. “So which New York restaurant has lured you away from me?”
“None of them.” Gabi gave a slow smile. “Remember when Matt and I spent the long weekend in Pennsylvania?”
“Yeah. And you haven’t wiped that smile off your face since then. I thought you might have had an intimate weekend with Matt, and I didn’t want to know the deets on that.”
Gabi laughed. “Good grief, no! We’ve been friends far too long to be anything more than buds.” She chuckled. “But he did call me last night to say he’s in love with Bethany James. Do you remember her?”
“Yeah,” Cassie said, frowning. “Wasn’t she that scrawny little redhead we’d see hanging out in the high-school library all the time?”
“Yep, that’s the one.”
“I guess that’s good if he wants a brainiac for a girlfriend. But let’s not get sidetracked here. Tell me about Pennsylvania—what has you so fired up?”
Gabi gave her a toothy grin. “What would you say about me buying an inn or a bed-and-breakfast there?”
“Yikes, Gabi.” Cassie jerked her head back. “I’d say it’s a heck of a lot of responsibility. You’ve been out of a restaurant kitchen for over a year. Do you really think you can pick up where you left off and run your own place?”
“I would hope my five years as sous-chef at Logan’s has given me what I need to run a restaurant. I admit I might be a little rusty, but it wouldn’t take long to get back in the groove if I was in and out of a working kitchen every day.”
“That’s a good idea, I guess. Where is it in Pennsylvania?”
“New Hope.”
“Ooh, nice. I remember Mom and Dad taking me there many years ago. I’ve wanted to take Josh there because he’s never been, but with him working so much in New York, it’s difficult to set the time aside.” Cassie put her hands on her hips. “So what has taken you so long to tell me?”
“Well… I didn’t know how.”
“For God’s sake, Gab, we’ve been best friends since high school. How can you even think I’d get mad at you?” Cassie shook her head and sighed. “You, Megan, and I grew up together, and although I don’t get to see Megan as much, if she decided to stop doing the accounting for the Widget, I wouldn’t be mad at her either. Or Jamie for that matter.”
“Well,” Gabi whined. “I was worried because my dad always used to say, ‘Hiring friends or relatives to work for you is a toxic combination,’ and I was afraid you’d write me off if I bailed on you.”
Cassie shook her head from side to side.
“You’re silly. Okay, so tell me what you found in New Hope.”
Now that Cassie had made revealing her plans easier than she’d expected, Gabi felt she could concentrate on how she was going to make it all happen. “So, there’s this inn for sale. I didn’t talk to the owner about it yet, but I really want to check it out.”
Cassie nodded. “Tell me about it.”
“Matt and I didn’t have any particular place in mind when we left. We decided we needed a break from New York and all the noise, so we got in the car and just drove. When we came to New Hope, I suggested we rent a room because it was such a lovely, quaint area. So, we drove around for a while and then stopped at a place called Lahaska, a tiny little town with a center called Peddler’s Village, lined with gift shops from one end to the other.” She grinned. “We got out of the car and walked through all the shops, and later, we ate at a restaurant called the Inn at Carters’ Mill. I swear this place was like a trip back in time, with its eighteenth-century decor. I asked the waitress about the place, and she told me the owners were elderly and very anxious to sell. Ever since then, I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Do you have the money to buy it?” Cassie asked.
“No. I have a little savings, but honestly, I have no idea how I can do it without help from my parents. But if I don’t check it out, I’ll never forgive myself.” Her toothy grin made Cassie smile. “So let me tell you all about it. My guess is the place was originally a residence because of the way the dining rooms are set up.” Gabi’s hand clutched her chest with dramatic flair. “Small and intimate, with two beautiful fieldstone fireplaces and crackling fires burning in each. Just amazing! I didn’t count the tables, but my guess is maybe about six four-tops and eight two-tops spread throughout the rooms.” She grinned as she stared into the distance.
“Uh-oh, I think somebody’s already hooked on this idea,” Cassie said. “But you need to relax a little. What will you do if your parents can’t lend you the money?”
“Then I’ll go to the bank for a loan, or I’ll see if the owner will float a loan for me. I don’t know. But what I do know is I’m determined enough to make it happen.”
“Okay, okay.” Cassie’s hand went up. “I’m just trying to… well, I don’t want you to be disappointed if you can’t do it.”
“Now, you know me better than that. So hush, and let me finish my dream.”
Cassie giggled and backed off. “Okay.”
Gabi’s wide grin returned. “The place was really magical… and cozy.” Her eyes opened wide with surprise when she remembered something else. “And then there was an outside patio next to a babbling brook that ran across the back of the grounds. The sound of water rushing over the rocks was like a waterfall in the background. That was all it took.” Gabi stopped and stared at Cassie. “So what do you think?”
“I think you definitely owe it to yourself to check it out. Maybe your idea of having the owner float a loan would work. Maybe you could work there first, with the understanding that you’re interested in buying the place.”
“Yeah… that is a good idea,” Gabi bounced back in response to Cassie’s suggestion.
“And I don’t think we should wait too long to see this place,” Cassie continued. “How about this weekend? Josh is going deep-sea fishing with my dad, so I’m free to hang out with you. How about we call Jamie and see if she can get away from Carlucci’s?”
“Oh my God, that would be wonderful,” Gabi exclaimed, and rushed off the chair to hug her. “I wonder if we’d be able to get a room at this late date.” Gabi began dancing around the room.
“You’re a nutcase.” Cassie poured water from the pitcher on the table into two glasses and handed one to Gabi as she settled back in her chair.
“Maybe Chase will watch Bailey so Jamie can come!” Cassie said. “But if he can’t, I know Mom would be happy to play nonna for the weekend.” She snickered. “Actually, Mom would like to keep Bailey forever.”
“Yeah, Lucy is in love with that little girl. On the Chase front, hmm, I’m not so sure about him anymore. Jamie hasn’t said much about him lately, but then she’s always so busy. But I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if him doing his sportscasting in Baltimore and her working here in the city hasn’t caused a major strain in their relationship.”
“I’ve sensed that too. But you know how independent Jamie is,” she said, chuckling. “Even now that she has her niece full-time.”
“Either way, my mother will relish the opportunity to smother that cute little munchkin’s face with kisses and spoil her rotten for the weekend.”
“This is really beautiful out here,” Jamie said, driving down River Road along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. “Look at all this greenery.” She pointed to a cluster of pine trees. “But are you sure you’re going to be able to live out here?” she asked Gabi. “It’s beautiful and all, but you’re a city girl, and it’s going to be a lot different than living in New York.” Jamie viewed Gabi’s reaction in the rearview mirror, waiting for a response.
“Geez, I hope so. But that all hinges on whether the owner even likes my idea of working for her with the intent of eventually buying the inn.”
“Yeah, that certainly will give you a taste of what it’s like to live on Green Acres,” Jamie teased.
Gabi rolled her eyes and looked at Cassie for support.
Cassie widened her eyes. “Hey, I’m staying outta this one.”
“Oh, stop,” Jamie defended. “She knows I’m only teasing. But it is kind of desolate out here, City Girl.” Gabi gave Jamie a raspberry. She laughed and slowly pulled over to the side of the road and shoved the gear selector into park. “Okay, you. Now it’s your turn to drive. Besides,” she said, “I think it’s best for you to drive since you’re a little more familiar with the roads around here than I am.”
“Sure.” Gabi checked the clock on the dashboard. “Hey, you guys want to go to Peddler’s Village first, have some lunch there and then shop for a while? Our check-in isn’t until four o’clock, so we have all afternoon to look around,” she said, before exiting the car to exchange seats with Jamie.
“Ooh, how fun,” Cassie said, squeezing her friends’ shoulders. “This feels like old times having the three of us together.” They each gave a satisfied nod of their head. “So Jamie, what’s happening with you and Chase?” Cassie asked.
Jamie gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “Things are a bit rocky! He’s not happy about my work hours.” She sighed. “He wants me to quit my job and pack up Bailey and move in with him, so we can travel wherever he’s sportscasting. When I told him I wasn’t about to do that to suit his needs, he suddenly became ‘unsure of our relationship.’ Hey,” she said, “first and foremost, I have to think of Bailey. Her dad died right after she was born, and then her mother was killed in an automobile accident—I can’t risk taking something else away from her if it doesn’t work out between us. Besides all that, I’ve worked too hard to restore Carlucci’s business to quit now. There’s no way. And right now, things are especially good. Once Mama Carlucci gave up on the squinty, evil eye thing because I wouldn’t marry Vito, her fifty-year-old son, things got better. Maybe it’s because I did bring the business back, and they’re making a lot of money again.”
“You’re her insurance, and maybe she’s afraid you’ll leave and the business will go downhill again,” Cassie said. “Is she still lighting those freakin’ votive candles and placing them at saint what’s-his-name’s feet?” she asked with a laugh.
“No, Saint Raphael, the patron saint of love and marriage, is no longer within her reach. I encased the statue in acrylic and shoved it on the top shelf—one she can’t reach, and she’s too old to get on a ladder. Maybe she figured her son put it away.” Jamie grabbed the Italian horn charm on her necklace. “Or maybe this is what’s stopping her. She still hints about me marrying her Vito, but I pretend I don’t hear, and I’m sure at her age, she’s forgotten what she’s said by the time the words are out of her mo
uth.”
“Hey, did you ever wonder if Mama Carlucci was praying to the wrong saint?” Gabi quipped.
“I wondered,” Cassie said, “but did you know that squinty eye thing is called malocchio in Italian? Just ask my mother. She’s real good at that stuff too. Those two women are like two peas in a pod.” Cassie giggled. “But hey, if Mama Carlucci is anything like Lucy Pirelli, she has her own personal directory of saints and what they represent. These ladies are no slouches when it comes to that stuff.”
Jamie groaned. “I don’t know if she was praying to the wrong saint or not, and I really don’t care if she misdirected her prayers. All I can say is, thank God she did. Vito’s old enough to be my father. I guess they married very young in her day.” She pointed her finger toward her chest. “But not in this chick’s day.”
“What will you do if Chase asks you to marry him?” Gabi inquired.
“He has asked—”
“Whoa! You’ve obviously said no.”
“I did. Quite honestly, I’d rather have a man in my life who wants to support my goals—not one who tries to ruin them. He stormed out after our last heated argument, so I’ve considered our relationship a moot issue.” She tilted her head to the side. “And if you’re wondering why I haven’t said anything to you guys, it’s because I’ve been too busy, and frankly, not bothered by the way things stand between us. It’s time to move on.”
Gabi and Cassie looked at one another and shrugged. Gabi eased the car into a parking space and cut the engine. “Jamie, you’re the only one who can decide that,” she commented. “I agree that at times I was surprised by Chase’s selfishness. But then, he is older than you and apparently knows what he wants.”
“I agree,” Jamie admitted. “What he doesn’t seem to understand is that taking guardianship of Bailey changed my life dramatically. Not that I’m complaining. I love her like she was my daughter, but for me to give up my career too, would only have me resenting him and her down the road. And I know my deceased sister, Missy, would never have made me guardian of her daughter if she thought I was giving up my career because of it. Bailey and I are doing just fine without a man in our lives.”
Catering to Love Page 1