One Daddy Too Many

by Debra Salonen

  “We are?”

  He nodded with such boyish exuberance Kate couldn’t help but smile. “Mom told me the other night at dinner that she’d adopt you in a heartbeat if Yetta would let you go. She adores you and admires you—and I’m not just talking about your cooking skills. She thinks you’re an amazing person and a really fine boss.”

  Kate felt her cheeks start to burn. She’d never been good at handling praise. “Well, that’s nice, but…”

  He made an imploring gesture. “If accolades don’t work, will guilt?”

  “Huh?”

  “Mom’s been fighting a cold for a couple of weeks. If you won’t borrow my truck, she’ll have to do all the running around that you would normally do, right? Do you think it’s fair to make an old woman—?”

  Kate stopped him with a sharp squint. “Who are you calling old?”

  The twinkle in his eye told her he knew he’d won. He held up the key. “Are we done arguing?”

  “Two days.”

  “Or until you get your car back.”

  She reached for the keys but didn’t take them. “I’ll pay you…”

  He let out a low groan. “You’re impossible. Just take the damn truck, okay? Jeesh, try to be a nice guy and—” He stopped midsentence and pointed. “Whoa. What about that one?”

  Kate frowned, thinking he was trying to change the subject, but when she glanced over her shoulder to where he was pointing, she actually forgot what they were arguing about. “Wow.”

  They walked closer and stood shoulder-to-shoulder staring at the unique blown-glass sculpture on a lighted dais. Not a vase or anything functional, this piece simply was. The bottom portion seemed to represent the sea—dark and mysterious, yet brimming with life. Woven into the glass were threads of metal—fish, perhaps. The “sky” embodied every sunset Kate had ever watched while sitting on the beach.

  “It’s gorgeous. It almost makes me cry or something.”

  “Me, too,” Rob said, slowly moving around the pedestal. Neither spoke as they circled the display, but Kate sensed that they were both thinking the same thing. When she looked at him, he smiled and nodded. So, did she.

  She couldn’t say how long they stood there, in silence, but it felt like a minute—and forever.

  “I’m buying it,” he said.

  “I’ll wait here,” she said. And guard it. Which was silly. She was in one of the ritziest shopping areas in the world. No one was going to swoop in and steal their find.

  Rob’s find, she silently corrected. Rob’s gift to his father and Haley. Rob. The man she had no business liking so much. None at all.

  Chapter Five

  “Welcome the bride and groom,” someone shouted from one of the fabulously decorated tables behind where Rob was standing.

  The two weeks leading up to this moment had been a couple of the most hectic in his life, but Rob was satisfied that his father—and Haley Hunt-Brighten, Adam’s new bride—were more than pleased with the results.

  “Lights, action, cameras,” he mumbled under his breath as he stepped aside to make room for the onslaught of photographers following the wedding party into Romantique. Others were cruising the ranks, snapping shots of the beautiful people lined up to congratulate the newlyweds.

  His father was tall and distinguished in his Armani suit. Haley’s dress probably cost more than Rob’s car, but she looked damn gorgeous in it.

  Rob and his dad had golfed the day before. Snippets of wedding talk had filtered into their usual nonmeaningful conversation. Yes, she was Rob’s age. No, neither of them gave a damn. They were in love.

  Rob believed it. His father had never looked happier.

  “She’s restored my faith in humanity,” Adam had told Rob while teeing off on the fourteenth hole. “She’s so much more than a beautiful face. Her soul is pure, her heart adventurous.”

  “I’m really happy for you, Dad.”

  “She wants to start a family. Right away.”

  The last had caused Rob to send his ball into the rough, but he’d managed to keep his opinion to himself. Adam wasn’t a bad father, but Rob had never gotten the impression his father was really into kids—his own or anyone else’s. Why he’d want to go through parenthood a second time, Rob couldn’t imagine.

  Ten minutes later, his father slipped away from the crowd to join Rob near the bar, where Rob was helping to make sure the champagne flowed. “You did it, son. I’m really impressed,” Adam exclaimed. “This place is fabulous, even if it is a bit out of the way.”

  Rob shrugged. “That’s what limos and taxicabs are for. You’ll never find better food. Or more privacy.” He said the last tongue-in-cheek, since one corner of the parking lot had been roped off for members of the press.

  “Yes, your Kate is a marvel. That lobster in endive!” He made a kissing motion with his fingers. “Thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”

  “Which is a distinct possibility if you eat too much of it,” a woman said.

  Rob and Adam turned to find Jo watching them. She stepped closer. Her tall chef’s hat barely cleared the top of the men’s shoulders. Rob hadn’t seen her or Kate since the limos arrived. Kate’s sisters, Liz and Alex, were handling the hostess duties. “Yetta is home with Maya,” Alex had informed Rob when he asked.

  Rob hugged his mother. “Everything is perfect so far, Mom. How are you and Kate holding up?”

  “Great. She’s a genius. I think your son should marry her,” she told Adam.

  Rob blinked in surprise. “Marry? Me?”

  Adam looked equally shocked. “I didn’t even know they were dating. He didn’t say a word. Even though we played eighteen holes yesterday.”

  Rob made a time-out sign. “Nope. Stop. Off-topic. Kate and I are not dating.”

  “He lent her his truck,” Jo confided. “You know how particular he is with his truck. It presently has a child booster seat in it.”

  Rob groaned when he saw his father’s brows arch. He knew that look. “Mother,” he said sharply. “My private life is not open for discussion. I never poked into yours or dad’s. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’d better check on that ice sculpture. Is it just the light or does Cupid have an erection?”

  His parents both turned to look at the buffet table.

  “Oh, damn,” Jo muttered. “That’s downright naughty. I’ll go find an ice pick.”

  Rob and his dad looked at each other and started to laugh, just as Adam’s bride arrived. “What’s so funny?”

  As Adam explained, Kate appeared, her cheeks rosy and eyes filled with concern. “I’m so very sorry for the—”

  Adam stopped her. “Please, Kate. Don’t give it another thought. Haley and I are thinking about posing beside him.”

  Kate watched speechless as the couple pointed out the risqué sculpture to their friends. The mood suddenly seemed to rise to another level. She’d seen this happen before. Sedate and serious suddenly became tipsy and fun.

  “Wow. They’re really good sports,” she said aloud.

  Rob, who was standing beside her, said, “Yes, actually, my dad always has been. He never let small things ruffle him. Apparently Haley is the same way.”

  Kate looked at him. She’d done her best over the past two weeks to keep her distance. She’d made use of his truck until her car was roadworthy again, but in a moment of cowardice had persuaded Jo to return it to him so she wouldn’t have to face him. Nothing could come of the attraction she felt toward him, so why court temptation?

  “Well, back to—”

  “Kate,” he said stepping close enough to be heard over the noise. “I know you’re swamped, but in case I get caught up in best man duties and we don’t have another opportunity, I want you to know I’m really grateful. Everything is fabulous.”

  She put her finger to her lips. “Bad luck to say so before you’ve eaten. If everyone is full, fat and happy when this is over, then you can tell me. Okay?”

  He took her hand in his and closed his own around it. He
brushed his lips across her knuckles, which were rough and red from being in water. She thought she’d lost sensitivity in her fingertips, but she was wrong. She felt every little nuance of his touch. “Later then.”

  Kate’s heart did a little sideways movement in her rib cage, and she fled back to her kitchen. To safety.

  Of sorts.

  AFTERWARD, no one could say how it happened. Jo had been reaching for something in the pantry. A lid? The box of salt shakers? She couldn’t remember because pain blocked every other thought out of her head, or so she claimed. And Kate believed her. She’d never seen her second-in-command look so shaky and gray around the lips.

  Somehow, a two-gallon can of tomato puree had fallen off the shelf and landed on its rim across the toe of Jo’s sturdy black shoes. Her toes were still attached to her foot, thank God, but the swollen purple digits looked abnormally puffy and painful.

  “Let me up. I have work to do,” Jo demanded.

  “Absolutely not. Alex, run and find Rob. He should take his mom to have her foot X-rayed.”

  “No,” Jo said imperiously. “Not on your life.”

  “It’ll be covered by worker’s comp. Go.”

  “Forget it. Is your garlic burning?”

  Kate sniffed the air then dashed back to the stove. She tossed the capers she had waiting in a dish into the pan. A cloud of steam billowed up. Once the cloud cleared, she added a measure of champagne, followed by sea salt, white pepper and shrimp. Her version of scampi. Once she had the concoction under control, she called for her under-chef to slowly stir in the thick white cream. Another helper was preparing the fettuccini.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the recent graduate of culinary school that she’d just hired reach for the shredded Parmesan cheese. “No,” Kate shouted. “That’s for the scampi. You’re adding Asiago to that sauce. It’s in the walk-in.”

  A hand touched her shoulder. She turned and found Rob standing beside her. His suit coat had been replaced by a white apron. “I won’t be as much help as Mom, but since she refuses to leave, you might as well let me try to fill in.”

  Kate looked from son to mother. Same stubborn set to their jaws. “Jo, until we get the main course served, Rob can be you. Tell him what to do and don’t let him get killed or maimed. My insurance can only handle so much.”

  After that, she didn’t have time to think, let alone lust after the debonair man at her side. Occasionally they brushed against each other in passing. She could smell his fabulous cologne even over the mouthwatering aromas she was preparing. Shirtsleeves rolled up. Forearms lightly brushed with medium-brown hair. He moved with a natural grace his mother lacked, but he shared Jo’s intense focus. He followed his mother’s orders to the letter.

  The gruff commands added to the general chaos, but somehow every plate got served. When the last server was out the door, Kate could finally take a deep breath and wipe the sweat from her brow.

  “We did it,” she whispered, straining to hear the general tone of the diners.

  “I need a smoke,” Jo said. “Help me up, son.”

  Kate rushed to take one arm while Rob held the other. They’d just eased her to the bench outside the back door when Jo slapped her thigh and said, “The vegan parfaits. I forgot to take them out of the walk-in freezer. If we don’t get them out now, they won’t be thawed in time for dessert.”

  Kate gulped in a breath of fresh air then pushed to her feet, arching her back slightly. “I’ll get them.”

  “No. You deserve a break. Point me in the right direction, Mom. I can handle this.”

  “Absolutely not,” Kate countered, blocking his return to the kitchen. “You need to get back to the party. Don’t you have toasts to make or something? Besides, you’re a guest. You should be eating.”

  “Children, stop bickering. Somebody rescue my parfaits.”

  They looked at each other. “She’s feeling better.”

  “The aspirin must have helped.”

  Jo’s low growl and threatened attempt to stand sent them both hurrying indoors. “The walk-in is over here. I think there’s only one tray. The party planner wanted a vegan option for people who don’t eat cake.”

  Rob followed her, his senses on high alert. He’d never in his life experienced such a powerful, exciting rush of emotions as he had working in Kate’s kitchen. Even waiting for a verdict was low-key compared to the orchestrated flurry of food preparation. The combined energy of her assistants and various helpers along with the servers coming and going and his mother shouting orders should have spelled chaos, but he’d never felt that things were out of control. Because of Kate, who was both commander-in-chief of her kitchen and a sexy, powerful woman.

  Damn, he wanted to kiss her.

  And they were alone for the first time all night.

  He opened the freezer door for her. The chill, so inviting after the heat of the kitchen, enticed him to step inside even though this put him in close proximity to Kate. Encircled by chrome shelves, he pivoted to take it all in.

  “I’m still not completely restocked,” she said, apparently noticing his interest. “We lost a lot of inventory because of the E. coli fiasco. You don’t make that up overnight.” Her tone was resigned. “Oh, there’s the tray your mom made.”

  She rose up on her toes to reach for the shallow pan, which was resting on an upper shelf just beyond Rob. On impulse, he intercepted her hand and drew it between them. She tensed, but allowed him to turn it palm-up. His thumb skimmed over calloused ridges that made her skin feel different from any other woman he’d dated. Hers were not pretty fingers with long, sculpted nails.

  He felt an odd pang deep in his chest. He didn’t know why or what it meant.

  Kate yanked her hand away and hid it behind her back. “What are you doing?”

  “Something I shouldn’t,” he admitted before he took a step closer.

  Her chin rose and her eyes narrowed—a warning, if ever he’d seen one. But he had to do what he’d wanted to all night. And while Kate might deny it later, Rob knew she felt the sizzle between them, too.

  “Rob. This isn’t—”

  He pressed his lips to hers, stopping her protest. Not the most chivalrous thing to do, but when she melted against him a heartbeat later, he stopped thinking. His right hand moved behind her back to pull her closer. His left brushed against her neck, expecting to find the mass of curls that fascinated him, but her hair was braided and pinned—unreachable.

  She made a little moan—that Rob realized a second later was the sound of regret. “No. Stop. Bad idea,” she said, pushing him away.

  Rob stepped back and took in a deep breath of icy air. The sharpness didn’t jibe with the heat that still surged through ninety percent of his body. But as his rational mind kicked in, he admitted to himself that she was right. This was madness.

  “Good call. My mother will be hopping in here on one foot if we don’t show up with her parfaits,” he said, striving for a normalcy he didn’t feel.

  He turned and picked up the tray. “Can you get the door for me?”

  “Of course.” Her voice was husky, the sound so sexy he almost changed direction. Almost. Fortunately, sanity was slowly returning, and with it, all the reasons why he needed to keep his distance.

  Once outside, she directed him to place the tray on a counter in the kitchen. “You’d better take off that apron and rejoin the party,” she said, her tone brisk. “Don’t you have to make the best-man toast?”

  Her reminder hit him like a glass of ice water across the face. What kind of son was he? His mom was hurt, his dad’s wedding reception was only half over and Rob was playing kissy-face in the freezer.

  He yanked on the tie at his waist, which only served to tighten the knot. “Damn,” he said, frantically picking at the strings.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Kate muttered.

  She brushed his hands aside and took over. Her nimble fingers worked quickly, but not fast enough.

  “Hmm, what’
s going on?” a voice asked.

  Kate let out a low groan. “What does it look like?”

  Rob turned his chin to see over his shoulder. Liz and Alex Radonovic were standing a few feet away with matching smirks on their faces. He quickly looked down to see if Kate had succeeded in setting him free. Not even close. In fact, she was actually leaning over, her face just inches from his groin.

  “Umm…I…I’m dyslexic. I’ve never been able to tie anything right,” he said, hoping to distract them.

  “Oh, hell,” Kate said sharply. “This is going to take all night. Liz, hand me that knife on the counter.”

  Before he could protest, the largest butcher knife he’d ever seen was resting against his belly—sharp side out, thank God. Kate looked him in the eye—and Rob could have sworn he saw her grin—before she made a slight flick of her wrist. The apron strings fell away.

  “Coffee, people,” she shouted, motioning toward a group gathered by the back door, where he’d left his mother. “Break’s over. We aren’t done yet.”

  Rob pulled off the apron that was hanging loosely from his neck. He handed it to Liz as he walked past.

  “You’re a brave man,” she said, with a wink.

  “You’re right. I have a toast to make.”

  TWO HOURS LATER, after supervising the cutting of the cake, Kate leaned against the back wall of the dining room and watched the man who had kissed her in the cooler step up to the microphone. A four-piece band was set up to entertain the party until the wee hours of the morning, but first, the best man had to make a toast.

  “Dad…Haley…may your life together be blessed with good health, happy memories and the harmony of love, and may the road you travel together be filled with joy.”

  Short. Simple. Elegant.

  And for no reason that made sense, tears raced to her eyes.

  She blinked them away and quickly lifted her glass. It was that damn kiss, she thought, taking a chug of champagne. That and the wedding. The combination had stirred up too many emotions. She’d been down this road before. A bride. Filled with hope and wonder and fear. Wed to a man who, at face value, was all any woman could ever ask for. Tall, handsome, charming. Romani.