Truth and Solace (Love at Solace Lake Book 3)

by Jana Richards

  He nodded. She was probably right about that.

  Phyllis bowed her head, her shoulders slumping. “It’s a very sad thing, you know, for your child to die before you do. It’s not supposed to happen that way.”

  “I’m sorry, Grandma.”

  He worried about how Reese and his grandmother would cope when his mother was gone.

  But mostly he wondered how he would cope.

  The soft footfall alerted Luke to a visitor. He looked up from his desk to see Maggie standing at the open door of the office, a tray of coffee and baked goods in her hands.

  “Can I come in?”

  Her face was unsmiling and tense. He gestured to the chair in front of the desk. “Yes, of course.”

  She set the tray on the desk, but remained standing. “Would you like coffee?”

  “Sure.”

  He watched while she poured coffee from a carafe. She had beautiful hands, petite yet elegant, with slim, tapered fingers and neat fingernails. He remembered how soft her hands had been as they’d touched his bare skin…

  Don’t go there.

  Using tongs, she placed a shell-shaped confection onto a dessert plate and then pouring from a small jug, swirled a bit of creamy yellow sauce around the cake. “Would you like to try one of these?”

  He accepted the plate from her. “What are they?”

  “They’re called Madeleines, my grandmother’s recipe. These are blueberry-lemon and the sauce is a lemon curd. I’m developing some recipes that I thought we could use for afternoon Sunday teas. I figure not everybody is going to want to mush a dog sled or skate around the lake.”

  Breaking off a small piece with the fork Maggie handed him, Luke dipped the cake into the sauce and popped it into his mouth. The Madeleine was light and fluffy, and the blueberries and lemon curd combined to create an explosion of fresh flavors, like a little taste of spring.

  “It’s wonderful. I’m sure guests will love it.”

  “Thank you.”

  She fidgeted with the coffee carafe, picking it up and then setting it down again. “Do you mind if I close the door for a moment?”

  Luke tensed, but nodded his assent. “Go ahead.”

  She closed the office door with a soft click, then turned to face him, her hands clutched in front of her. She lifted her gaze to his. “I know you said you didn’t want me to apologize, but I can’t let it go. What I said to you about…about not coming home until your mother was dying, it was a horrible thing to say and I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve it.”

  “But you were right. I haven’t been around for my mother or my grandmother.”

  Maggie sat in the chair on the other side of the desk. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

  He nodded, even though guilt clawed at him. He couldn’t make up for lost time, no matter how much he might want to.

  She looked down at her clenched hands, the knuckles white with strain. “I lashed out at you because you hit on a sore point. I’m scared. I went with the three desserts because I’ve been preparing them for years and know I can do them well. I was afraid to try something more ambitious because if I fail, the restaurant fails. I can’t let Harper and Ethan down.”

  “You never used to be afraid to try anything. What happened, Maggie?”

  “Life happened. Turns out I’m not the hot stuff I thought I was.” She looked away. “I’m not even the decent person I thought I was.”

  Luke leaned forward, his heart stuttering. Someone had hurt her badly. It suddenly occurred to him that he didn’t know her anymore and the realization saddened him. Once, he would have said he knew her better than he knew himself. “I know for certain neither of those statements are true.”

  She frowned and gave a negligent shrug, dismissing his words. “I want to do the best job I can for the lodge, and I need to work with you to make that happen. Can you forgive me?”

  Lines of tension had formed around her mouth, as if she was afraid the things she’d said were beyond forgiveness.

  He couldn’t let her believe that. Luke got to his feet and extended his hand across the desk. “Apology accepted.”

  She eyed his hand. “Just like that?”

  “Just like that. Truce?”

  Maggie rose and grasped his hand in a firm shake, her mouth unsmiling. Luke tried to ignore the awareness that shot through his body at her touch.

  “Truce,” she said.

  Scarlet craned her neck to see the back of the wedding dress in the three-way mirror. She frowned. “I don’t know. All this stuff – the crystals, the train, the beading – feels like too much. We’re having a simple wedding. I think I want a simpler dress.”

  “Of course,” the saleslady said politely. Maggie was sure she heard disappointment in the woman’s voice at the prospect of a smaller commission. “I’ll search the racks again and come up with some simpler options. But I want to remind you that with your wedding being in a couple of weeks, it will have to be a sample dress that fits you well without a lot of alteration needed. That limits our selection somewhat.”

  “I understand. A dress I can take home with me today is exactly what I want.”

  Maggie and her sisters had taken the day off from preparations for the wedding and the grand opening to drive to Minneapolis to shop for Scarlet’s wedding dress. She cherished this rare opportunity to spend time with them. With both her sisters finding love with the Hainstock brothers in the last few months, she’d become a fifth wheel, an outsider. Reconnecting with Harper and Scarlet made her happy, even if it was only for the day.

  “This may not be your wedding dress, but I have to tell you, it looks beautiful on you,” Harper said.

  “What doesn’t look beautiful on her?” Maggie said with a laugh. “The woman could wear a sack and look great.”

  With the three of them facing the mirror, Maggie marvelled at the dissimilarities in their physical appearances, as she had so often. Harper and Scarlet were tall and fair and lithe, and she was short and dark. As a child, she’d asked her grandmother why she didn’t have blue eyes like her sisters. Grandma told her she resembled her own brothers and sisters who were short in stature and dark-haired, and she wasn’t to worry about it. Maggie had never met any of these great-aunts and uncles so she couldn’t judge for herself, but the answer satisfied her at the time.

  Scarlet lifted the voluminous skirts of the wedding dress and followed the saleslady to the dressing room. “I’ll be back,” she said as she disappeared down a corridor.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Scarlet so happy,” Harper said. “She seems at peace.”

  “Yes, I think you’re right. Cam makes her very happy. Just like Ethan makes you happy.”

  A dreamy smile spread across her sister’s face. “Yes. Ethan makes me very happy.”

  Maggie wondered if happiness like that would ever come her way. A picture of Luke came to mind. Once, long ago, she’d been that happy. But she’d been far too young to understand how precious love like that was. It had ended quickly, and with a heart-breaking wrench, as did her next relationship. They’d both left such painful scars, she wasn’t sure she even wanted to try again.

  Maggie’s breath caught in her throat as Scarlet re-appeared and stepped up on the pedestal in front of the big mirrors. Scarlet wore a full-length dress in a delicate ivory lace. From the front, the dress appeared relatively modest; an allusion neckline of sheer tulle and lace appliques covered her upper chest and shoulders and swept down her arms to form full-length sleeves. But the back of the dress was the true stunner. The same sheer material covered her entire back, giving the simultaneous impression of being both completely open and modestly covered. A simple lace train fell in soft folds and formed a half circle around Scarlet. The ivory color suited her red hair perfectly and made her fair skin look warm instead of washed out like the bright white had. The dress was deceptively simple, yet utterly stunning. Not to mention ridiculously sexy.

  “I love the lace, and I think the colo
r suits me. And it fits perfectly. No alteration necessary.” Scarlet’s eyes met Maggie’s in the mirror. “I think this might be the one. What do you think?”

  Maggie burst into tears, shocked at her emotional reaction. She was relieved to see tears streaming down Harper’s cheeks as well. At least she wasn’t the only one.

  Scarlet laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  She lifted her skirts and stepped off the pedestal, her arms open wide. Maggie and Harper stepped into them and, laughing and crying, they hugged each other.

  “Oh, my God,” Harper said through her tears. “Cam’s going to lose his mind when he sees you in this dress.”

  Scarlet laughed. “If this is what the dress does to you, I can’t wait to see his reaction.”

  “I’m thinking this means you’ll take the dress,” the saleslady said with a smile.

  “You bet.” Scarlet gave Maggie a wink. “Now all we have to do is find bridesmaid dresses for my sisters.”

  Maggie groaned. “More shopping?”

  Scarlet threw her arm around her shoulders. “We’re just getting started, sweetie.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Luke listened attentively as Anthony Bennett sat on a stool in Maggie’s kitchen and spoke to her about his work experience. On paper, Anthony appeared to be the perfect candidate for sous-chef. He had experience in a couple of high-end Minneapolis restaurants, and he was able to start immediately because of the closure of his current restaurant. He’d even passed the test Luke used to weed out the lazy assholes. Every applicant was required to send a resume, at least three references, a cover letter stating why he wanted to work at Solace Lake Lodge, and a list of three chefs the applicant believed were changing the food world. If they couldn’t be bothered to meet all Luke’s requirements, the application went straight into the garbage. Anthony Bennett had provided all he asked for, proving he could follow instructions. Not to mention that he’d driven to the lodge today on short notice for this interview.

  So why were alarm bells going off in his head?

  Maybe because Anthony had been the head chef at his last position and sous-chef would be a step down, and likely a blow to his ego. Or maybe it had something to do with the way he’d caught him checking out Maggie’s ass as she bent to retrieve a dish from the oven.

  Of course, he couldn’t blame the guy since he’d been doing the exact same thing. Still, it pissed him off.

  He and Maggie asked questions about Anthony’s training and education and then Luke gestured to the grill. “Let’s get down to business. Make us each a burger, Anthony, including one for you. You should be able to find everything you’ll need in the fridge.”

  “You want me to make you a burger?” Anthony sounded perplexed and more than a little disdainful. “I was under the impression this was to be a high-end dining room.”

  “It is. We’ll serve a lot of high-end dinners at the lodge, but we’ll also do a good business in what we’d typically consider fast food meals like burgers, fries, and sandwiches, especially at lunch. We’re going to cater to a lot of families here and they’re not always going to want foie gras.”

  Anthony dipped his head in a curt nod. “Of course. So the ingredients are in the refrigerator?”

  “Yes,” Maggie said, as she opened the refrigerator door. “We’ve got a choice of ground meats – beef, pork, and bison. Anything you need, but can’t find, let me know. We’ve probably got it.”

  He nodded again, then began bringing out ingredients. Luke surreptitiously checked his watch, intending to time him. How fast was this guy? Would he get the job done quickly and efficiently or endlessly deliberate?

  Fortunately, he jumped in quickly. Luke noted the skillful, quick movements Anthony used to dice the onion and mentally checked the “yes” box next to “knife skills”. But it went downhill from there. Once he’d added the diced onion to the lean beef, he appeared totally unfamiliar with what else to include. He went with salt and pepper and some dried garlic, adding a beaten egg at the last minute as a sort of afterthought. He mixed the ingredients with a wooden spoon, then formed patties with his hands. Luke didn’t miss the look of disgust on his face, as if he couldn’t stand the idea of touching the meat.

  Finally, he slapped the patties on the grill and turned them every couple of minutes. Removing three buns from the bag, he sliced them open with a bread knife and plated them. He squirted a bit of ketchup and mustard on the buns, and garnished each with a slice of dill pickle. Then, he slid the meat on the bottom half of the bun and covered it with the top.

  “Okay.” Beads of sweat dotted Anthony’s upper lip. “There you go.”

  Luke handed one of the plates to Maggie and kept one for himself. He nodded at the remaining plate. “Try some of it. I’d like you to critique your own work.”

  Anthony shook his head. “Sorry, no. I’m vegan.”

  That would explain his apparent revulsion. He’d have no way of knowing if his food was any good if he never tasted it.

  “Fine.” Luke ate a mouthful of the burger. It was bland, with a dense texture, and dry. Once he’d managed to swallow, he turned to Maggie. “What do you think?”

  He wanted to hear her honest opinion. If she was going to run this kitchen, she’d have to be tough. And she’d need the ability to figure out who would do the best job for the restaurant.

  She swallowed her bite of hamburger and drank some water from her bottle before speaking. “I’m sorry, Anthony, but that was really dry. A burger should be juicy and flavorful, and I’m afraid yours wasn’t.”

  He lifted his chin. “I’m more accustomed to working with vegetarian and vegan dishes, but I’m sure I could learn to work with meat. If I’d had more time—”

  Maggie held up her hand. “I appreciate that but as Luke said, we expect to serve a lot of meals featuring burgers and other meats. We’re opening soon, so we have to hit the ground running. I’ve created several vegetarian dishes, including a veggie burger, but I’m sure it will be only a portion of what we serve.”

  “I have impeccable references.”

  “Yes, that’s why we called you for an interview.” She picked up Anthony’s resume. “I don’t recall seeing any restrictions in your resume. Do you ever work with meats?”

  “No.” He cleared his throat. “Not since I became a vegan.”

  “Why didn’t you mention that you only prepared vegan dishes?”

  Anthony’s face flushed. “I didn’t think it mattered.”

  “I’m afraid it did. You don’t need to love every item on my menu, but you shouldn’t be repulsed by them either.” She held out her hand. “Thank you for coming to Solace Lake Lodge, but I’m afraid we won’t be able to offer you a position here.”

  Anthony ignored her hand and stared at her open-mouthed, clearly shocked. “You must be joking. You’re dismissing me?”

  “I’m afraid so.” She lowered her hand, her tone kind but firm. “We aren’t a good fit for you. I wish you good luck in your employment search.”

  “Just as well,” he said, ripping off his borrowed apron. “This place won’t last six months anyway.”

  He grabbed his jacket and stormed out the kitchen. When he was gone, Maggie blew out a breath, one hand over her stomach. “That went well, didn’t it?”

  Luke snorted, then laughed out loud. “Perfect, I’d say.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah? What was the best part, do you think? The part where I accused him of fudging his resume, or when I told an award-winning chef to hit the road?”

  “Anthony Bennett is a prima donna and isn’t a good fit for the restaurant. You knew that and you did what you had to do.” Luke put his hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. “You did the right thing, Maggie. Don’t ever feel bad about doing the right thing.”

  She stared up at him with her large, dark eyes. He could drown in those eyes, the same way he had ten years ago. Her lips parted slightly and he fought the urge to kiss her, to take her in his arms and taste her
sweetness once more. She trembled under his touch. He cupped her face with his hand as he closed the distance between them, ignoring the guilt screaming in his ear. If she knew the truth…

  Maggie turned her head and stepped away. Luke’s hand fell to his side.

  She threw the remains of the burgers into the garbage and began cleaning the grill. “No, I won’t feel bad about doing what I have to do.”

  Luke knew she wasn’t talking about hiring staff.

  Jerry Fields hit a few keys on Luke’s laptop and turned the screen toward him. “I’ve given you a temporary password to the network. The first time you log in, you’ll need to change it to something else. Every month, the system will force you to change your password. Make sure you keep track of it and create a good, strong one.”

  “So, you’ll come back later to finish once we get the rest of the computers in place?”

  “Yeah, for sure. Then if you want, I’ll periodically upgrade the security system. You always need to keep one step ahead of the hackers.”

  Luke was impressed with Jerry’s knowledge and efficiency. He’d helped to set up some of their computers, and had begun to put sophisticated security measures into place to prevent malcontents from hacking into their internal network. He really knew his stuff.

  “Did you work with computers while you were in the military?” He simply wanted some background about the man who fathered him. He wasn’t interested or anything.

  Jerry grinned. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

  Luke grinned back. “So, top secret stuff?”

  “Let’s just say I worked in some sensitive areas.”

  Okay, then. “Mom said you were stationed in some bases overseas.”