Recipe for Attraction

by Gina Gordon

  “What about me?” Martin asked, his expression hopeful. He still hadn’t moved from his spot on the floor.

  Carson patted her father on the arm. “I got this one, Dad.” She looked over at Martin and glared. “Like my father said earlier, you’re fired. Now get lost you weasel before we have security throw you out on your ass.”

  Satisfaction filled her chest. Damn it felt good to say that. It felt good to be vindicated. To prove to her father once and for all that she was the one he should have trusted, the one who wouldn’t let him down.

  “We should start discussing the lead designer position. First thing Monday morning I want you in the office and—”

  She placed her hand on his chest. “I’ve been waiting all my life to hear you say that. But…” For the first time she believed she could do it on her own. Neil believed in her. And despite their tense relationship, she wouldn’t let him down. “I think I want to try things on my own.”

  Was it completely wrong to feel a mild excitement at the fact that her father was finally giving her what she wanted…and that she had the courage to turn it down?

  “Carson, don’t be silly.” Her father shook his head and laid his hand at the small of her back, ushering her out of the utility room. “Let’s not be hasty. I didn’t start my own firm until I was much older and established.”

  She stopped just outside the door and pinned him with her stare. “I’m not you.”

  “Carson.” For the first time he was actually at a loss for words, his only communication, an annoyed expression at the fact that he’d lost the battle. He no longer controlled her life. She’d no longer let him.

  As he stared into her eyes, her father said, “He’s changed you.”

  They both knew who he was.

  He looked on with confusion, as if he was looking for something, a physical manifestation of her new confidence.

  Neil Harrison had changed her. On the inside. And she would forever be thankful.

  She placed a kiss on his cheek. “Goodnight, Daddy.” And walked away.

  She sidled up to the rented bar, resting her hand on the cherry wood. She surveyed the party and all of the happy faces. Lively conversations and clinking glasses told her people were having a good time.

  The barn was serving its purpose. It was the perfect event space. Tonight had certainly proven that. And for that she deserved a pat on the back.

  Penn flitted from table to table flirting and touching every man between the age of eighteen and thirty-five. Cole and Finn were huddled off to the side with a man and woman she’d never seen before. And Sterling and Jack were attached at the hip as he introduced her to some of the guests.

  But despite the joy happening around her, she still felt empty. Like something was missing. And it wasn’t the weight of disappointment and judgment that usually sat on her shoulders.

  Was it recognition? She scoffed.

  Screw recognition. She had a promising career ahead of her, one she could build on her own terms. She didn’t need anything else. Or anyone. Especially not Neil Harrison.

  She’d done a pretty good job avoiding him so far tonight. And she wasn’t going to risk ruining her moment of transformation that had been ten years in the making.

  …

  The guests had arrived sporadically, but at least they showed up. Neil was afraid his recent internet celebrity status was going to ruin the opening.

  He headed straight for the bar and secured the biggest glass of scotch he could get his hands on. He nodded and smiled to a few people along the way. With their duties in the kitchen complete, his kids from the program had secured their own table where they sat with their parents and guardians. Those kids should be proud of the job they did tonight and Neil wanted to make sure their families were there to witness it.

  He hoped it would be a night they’d never forget. It was their first time cooking for a party, for discerning customers. And hopefully, at least one of them would go on to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Even if they didn’t, he knew he was providing them with skills they would take with them for the rest of their lives.

  Even though this was his party, he was just too anti-social to mingle. He had hoped to see Carson. But her absence sent the message loud and clear. They were over.

  He’d screwed up with Carson. Big time. But this event, this venue was something he’d been working on for the last two years. It was more important than his love life. But did he have to be such an asshole? He’d told Carson from the beginning he wasn’t in for a relationship. And it would have been much easier to stick to that deal if she hadn’t changed the terms of their agreement. Damn her.

  Penn sidled up to him, looking spectacular in a black dress with a plunging neckline. He thought for sure Cole’s eyes were going to bug out of his head when she walked through the door of the barn. But she didn’t hold a candle to Carson. Who hadn’t even bothered to show up.

  “You’re on in five minutes. The bar is flowing, the food is plentiful and the music is a little boring if you ask me but this is a classy event, I have to keep reminding myself.”

  Neil groaned. He hated having to talk to a crowd full of people. “Penn, you’ve done a fantastic job.”

  “Sounds like there was some doubt as to whether or not I could pull this off.”

  Neil held up his hands. He knew better than to argue with a woman, especially Penn. “Never.”

  But it made him think of Carson and how easily he failed at that rule. All they did was argue.

  “Good, because I managed to get an editor from every design magazine in the country here tonight. I personally invited them.”

  “Thank you.” Neil wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tugged her close.

  She tensed but when he didn’t let go, or yell psyche, she realized he was sincere and eased into his embrace. “You’re welcome.”

  Maybe if he treated people a little nicer, they’d stick around. It was worth a shot.

  “Neil?” Cole walked over, Finn right on his tale. “Look who’s here?”

  Neil smiled when he saw their old friend, Mark Whitfield, approach. Mark had lived with Finn and Cole in foster care. Behind him was his little sister, Veronica, looking as uptight as ever in a non-descript dress, her hair tied back and glasses atop her thin nose.

  “It’s been a long time.” Mark held out his hand. Mark, Cole and Finn had been inseparable from what he’d been told. And every weekend they’d all travel to the suburbs to see Mark’s sister, Veronica, who had been put in a separate foster home.

  “Mark, Veronica, this is Penn Foster, our marketing and public relations coordinator.”

  “I’m basically the wind beneath their wings,” she joked, shaking both Veronica and Mark’s hand. “You’re the wedding planner?”

  Neil had forgotten. Veronica was supposed to coordinate Jack and Sterling’s wedding. Her fingers fiddled with the material of her dress and her gaze darted to her left. Where Finn stood.

  “Oh, this is so exciting,” Penn blurted. “Sterling wouldn’t let me handle a thing because she wants me to concentrate on maid of honor duties.”

  Veronica smiled. “I’m going to have much more time on my hands in a couple of weeks. Our younger siblings are off to school and I’m so looking forward to getting my life back. Since I’ve had no help from this guy.”

  Mark and Veronica had found out eight years ago that their mother had two more children. Unable to leave them in the system, the two of them became their legal guardians.

  “You’ve done a good job, little one,” Finn said.

  “Ugh…are you going to call me that forever? I’m twenty eight years old.”

  “Have you met Sterling yet?” Penn asked, stealing the conversation back to her.

  Veronica shook her head.

  “Let’s go. We have so much to discuss.”

  “Penn you know it’s not your wedding right?” Cole asked.

  She sneered. “It might as well be. Sterling is my best friend. We shar
e everything.”

  “Except for me.” Jack sidled up to the group with Sterling on his arm.

  “Ugh, she can keep you to herself.” Penn shot Jack a look of disgust but it quickly morphed into excitement when she pulled Sterling forward and introduced her to Veronica.

  At that point Neil had tuned out. Weddings in his barn had been appealing when all he was thinking about was money. But since Carson… weddings had taken on a different meaning. Did he even want a wedding? Maybe, if it was with Carson. Unlikely to happen now that she hated his guts.

  But it was for the best. Probably. That’s what he told himself.

  “It’s not about being the man you think you are.” The sound of Jack’s voice knocked him out of his own head. “It’s about being the man she makes me want to be.”

  His brother pulled Sterling into his arms and kissed the top of her head. Both Veronica and Penn looked on with tears in their eyes.

  He had missed the conversation. He had missed what prompted his brothers’ deep thoughts. But suddenly, everything became clear.

  Penn slapped him on the shoulder and pulled him away from the group. “It’s show time, boss.”

  “I…I’m not ready.” He was having a moment. A self-realizing, how-huge-did-I-fuck-everything-up, moment. Because he was…

  Penn waved him off as she jerked him through the crowd. She heaved him up onto the makeshift stage where she had set up a podium just for him. He noticed his brothers and friends take position in the front by the edge of the riser.

  He pulled at the collar of his dress shirt and put his hand up to cover his eyes as flashes of a camera stung his vision.

  Finally, he stared out into the crowd. They were all nameless, faceless individuals. The only person he wanted to see was Carson. He missed her. He…

  The realization slammed into him with the strength of a freight train.

  His heart thumped a mile a minute in his chest. His suit jacket was all of a sudden two sizes too small. And underneath that jacket, he was sweating like he’d just played twenty innings of baseball.

  He loved her.

  She made him a better man. She made him want to be a better man. And he could be, he knew he could be. With her by his side.

  “Neil?” Penn whispered from his right. “You’re supposed to be talking now.”

  His hands gripped the side of the podium, he took a deep breath, and looked out into the crowd.

  “This isn’t what my mother wanted.” The words blurted out before he even coordinated the sentence in his head.

  Murmurs from the crowd grew louder, camera flashes went off again. “This is what I wanted. What I needed to make it all right in my head.”

  The people in the front of the crowd stared at him with a confused looks on their faces.

  “I…I’ve spent the last seventeen years wondering why I’d gotten so lucky. Why a woman like Vivian Madewood would take in a broken kid like me just didn’t make sense. What she wanted with four of us just didn’t make sense.”

  Neil looked off to the side, his three brothers watching over him. Jack had an I-told-you-so gleam in his eye. Finn sent him support with a soft smile and Cole just looked sick, expressing feelings not his strongest suit.

  “But I wasn’t lucky. We weren’t lucky to have been taken in by the most generous, beautiful, loving woman in the world. It wasn’t luck. It was the way it was supposed to be. I may not have the Madewood name, but I’m a Madewood. I will follow in my mother’s footsteps giving back to this city that she loved so much. Beginning with the Madewood Farm. It embodies everything my mother loved, good food and family. I thought I was doing this for her. But I’m doing this because it’s what I love. I didn’t fully realize it until this very moment.”

  But he could never fully love his work without someone to share it with. Because work wasn’t the most important thing in his life. If he was lucky enough, it would be Carson.

  Taking a deep breath he smiled. He looked out into the crowd. “I have to go.”

  Carson had seen something in him, something he never believed was there. But he believed it now.

  He walked up to Penn and kissed her cheek. “The party’s all yours.”

  He jumped down off the makeshift stage and scanned the room. There in the corner was Carson Kelly…the father.

  He stalked over to him, his eyes never wavering from his target. Carson must have been a little uncomfortable because he looked to both sides as if letting those around him know something was about to go and he needed witnesses.

  “Where is Carson?” The mere mention of her name caused a growl to emanate from his throat.

  The old man hesitated.

  Neil backed off. What father in their right mind would tell the whereabouts of their daughter to an overbearing, possibly angry-looking man?

  “She was here…” he stuttered, “but she’s gone.”

  So she was here. And did her best to avoid him. That explained her mindset. He was going to have to work overtime to get her to forgive him. To love him.

  He straightened and looked up to the roof of the barn and smiled.

  God, he loved her.

  He looked down at the aging man. ““You have a beautiful, talented, creative, ball-busting daughter.” He laughed. “And with all due respect Sir, you have no idea what she’s capable of.”

  “You don’t get to tell me about my daughter.” Carson pulled at the collar of his dress shirt. For the first time since he’d met the man he looked unraveled.

  Neil shrugged. “Fine….but that weasel you have working for you is going down. Carson may never want to speak to me again, but I swear on my mother, that I will do everything I can to bring down that sleeze and—”

  “Mr. Harrison,” Carson said as he eased his shoulders. “You’re right.”

  Neil straightened. He wasn’t expecting agreement. He was expecting…well he was expecting him not to say anything. He thought it would be pretty awesome to walk up to this man, put him in his place then just walk away.

  Carson sighed. “It seems I am getting my fill of nasty words today, Mr. Harrison.”

  He looked at the old man in confusion.

  “My daughter just told me where I could shove my company.”

  Neil smiled.

  “And you’re absolutely right. My daughter is smart and talented. I didn’t know how to parent a teenaged daughter and unfortunately, I chose the wrong handbook.”

  She still turned out pretty damn good in his eyes.

  “What about Martin?”

  A shimmer of anger flashed across Carson’s eyes. “I know what he did. He’s been taken care of.”

  Carson held out his hand and Neil gripped it. An unspoken respect passed between them.

  “She’s at home I suspect,” Carson said. “If you were looking to go and tell her you love her.” The man smiled and leaned in, lowering his voice. “I think she’d like to her that.”

  Neil looked back at his family and their happy faces. Sterling was crying. Jack and Cole were grinning from ear to ear. Finn stood just behind him, giving him a nod of support.

  Neil stalked out of the barn past the stares of his guests. He’d made a scene. A spectacle. And it had all been worth it.

  He hopped on his bike, parked at the side of the barn. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Tiny drops of rain sputtered on his helmet as he placed it on his head.

  He kicked the bike into gear and raced down the dirt path to the road. It would take him half an hour to get to Carson’s place. He only hoped that when he got there, she was willing to see him. Because there was no way he was going to let the woman that he loved get away again. Not this time.

  …

  Carson turned the taps on her bathtub, letting the water rush out. She held her hand under the heavy stream, adjusting the temperature to her liking.

  A crack of thunder rumbled the walls of her condo, the sound of rain against her window was soft at first then grew loud, the heavy pelts pinging off the glass as i
f they were solid.

  She needed a bath. She needed some time to digest what had just gone down with her father.

  When the water was the perfect temperature she pushed down the plug and let the bath do its thing. She tightened her robe as she walked out of the bathroom to her kitchen where a bottle of red wine sat on the counter breathing.

  She poured herself an over-sized glass, filling the liquid almost up to the rim. A definite wine faux pas. She didn’t care.

  She walked to her bedroom and placed the too-full glass of wine on the vanity. After pouring in some bubble bath, she turned off the taps. With her robe half off her body, she jumped when a loud bang sounded at her front door.

  She grabbed the bat she kept hidden behind in her bedroom just in case. She wasn’t expecting anyone and with the drama that had just gone down with Martin, she didn’t trust him not to show up and seek vengeance.

  She tiptoed toward the door, gripping the bat tightly in her right hand.

  “Carson!” She jumped when the person banged again.

  But she knew that voice. She unlocked the door and swung it open and jumped back at the sight of Neil, his clothes soaked through. At the mere sight of him her, breath quickened and her heart sped up.

  He looked up and met her gaze. But this Neil didn’t look like the confident man she had had meant over a year ago. He didn’t have his larger-than-life attitude she had become accustomed to. Nor did he have that brilliant smile that never failed to make her weak in the knees. He looked…scared.

  They stood staring at each other. “You’re supposed to be at a party right now.”

  “I know.”

  She straightened her robe on her torso. “So you left the party? To come here?”

  He nodded.

  “Why?”

  “I have something to say.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. Was here to tell her he’d moved on? Despite her broken heart, she hoped he was moving in the right direction. He might not love her, but someone, someday, would be lucky enough to have Neil Harrison all to themselves. And she would be the luckiest girl in the world.

  “Don’t marry that jerk,” he whispered. “You can’t marry that jerk.”

  Not exactly the declaration she was hoping for.