Cooking Up Love

by Gemma Brocato

“Thank you,” Jem said softly as Clooney finally wore himself out and trotted back to Jack’s side.

  Jack rubbed his hands across the dog’s wet coat, slicking water off his back. “You’re welcome.”

  Jem sat silently for a moment longer. The sky was a kaleidoscope of colors as the world came alive around her. Looking at her, he imagined them accepting the promise of the sunrise together. He allowed himself to think about what his days could be like, if he greeted the sunrise with this attractive woman at his side. A future slowly rolled out, the type of life he’d never foreseen with Tessa. He knew instinctively this woman would be a safe harbor. Just as instinctively, he knew her hurt was too new; it was too soon. She needed the type of healing only time could provide, to get over the anger and rawness of her shitty boyfriend’s betrayal. He understood the pain of a cheating partner. Tessa had strayed from their marriage vows and he almost didn’t recover from the hurt. Wise words from his father, Caroline’s quiet support and a shiny sunrise had helped him shed the anger, and lit the way for him. Jem would find that too, eventually.

  Calls from one boat to another on the nearby docks intruded on the moment. The traffic noise on the street picked up too, and in the distance, runners stretched on the beach, preparing for their morning exercise.

  Jack spoke softly, breaking the spell of the sunrise. “I’m sorry, but I have to be at a job site soon.” He stood, brushed the seat of his jeans and offered Jem a hand up. “Can I walk you back?”

  Jem nodded, took the offered hand and got to her feet. As she shivered with the cold, Jack put his arm around her and snapped his fingers at Clooney. Together, the three of them walked back to the café to face the new day.

  Chapter 6

  “He did what?” Resa had shrieked when Jem related the story of Stacey’s accidental phone call. That conversation had gone about as she expected it would.

  “Remember how we laughed the last time it happened? All we could think is how much of a sap her latest sex partner was for buying Stacey’s ridiculous purring sounds and baby talk. The only thing masterful about the whole encounter was Stacey’s acting ability. Of course, it wasn’t as funny once I recognized Phil’s voice.”

  Fighting to ignore the stinging ache she’d felt when she heard his voice over Stacey’s phone, she drummed her fingers on the tabletop. It was a nervous habit she’d developed lately when dealing with all things Phil and Stacey. God, even thinking of them as Phil and Stacey hurt.

  “Then, things just started dropping in place for me. Like Phil’s late-night meetings, and Stacey not wanting to film on those nights. Her smug attitude over the past two months, her rude questions about my sex life. As big of a bitch as she was, I was an even bigger fool for not figuring it out sooner.”

  “You weren’t a fool. You were a woman in love,” Resa protested. “For what it’s worth, Jem, I do believe Phil loves you as much as he could love anyone besides himself. But, he also loved your connections and what they brought to his law practice. He is a dog for cheating on you. A stupid, damn dog.”

  “I’ve been avoiding his calls. He’s being so tenacious that I thought about blocking his number,” Jem said, making an effort to still her fingers. “I’ve picked up his messages though. He keeps referring to it as his little indiscretion. Curiously, he doesn’t apologize for indulging, just that I found out. It’s nothing but radio silence from Stacey. Even about the show. That’s okay, though. I’m not sure I can handle talking to her. I don’t know what’s going to happen when I see her face-to-face.”

  “When are you coming back?”

  “I playing with the idea of never,” Jem said casually.

  “Now, I know you did not just say what I think I heard,” Resa responded. “Margo will have your hide, and I can’t work for her without you there as my buffer.”

  “So come to work for me. I’m thinking about staying here to run the café.”

  “What happened to ‘it’s a dump’?”

  Jem glanced around the café. “Once you get past the outdated decor there is plenty of charm in this space. It has amazing potential, and with just a few changes, I could make decent money here.”

  “Is this just a way to avoid Phil and Stacey?”

  “No! Well, maybe. Yeah, I guess a little. I’m not going to lie, Resa. I dread seeing either of them again. I’m ready for a change, and this would be a good one.”

  “Well, don’t offer me a job unless you mean it. If you leave, I’ll have to get out, too. Margo always liked you best. She’ll make my life hell,” Resa said. “I’m only halfway kidding, you know. What’s that old movie quote? ‘You jump, I jump’?”

  “I haven’t made any decisions. Yet. As much as I’m not looking forward to it, I have to talk to Phil. He owes me an explanation. And an apology. Not that I’m likely to get either of those. I’d like to think I’m the bigger person, giving him a chance to explain before I end it with him.”

  “You don’t have to be the bigger person. He doesn’t deserve to occupy the same planet as you do. At the risk of repeating myself, he’s a lying damn dog. Listen to his explanation, then dump him anyway. Break up with him via text. You don’t need him to be happy. You know that.”

  “Still, two years is—”

  “Jemima George, don’t you give an inch. No sympathy, no chance. He’s a pig. I’ve never known you to be soft. Don’t you dare start now.”

  “Message received, loud and clear, Sergeant Sills. No quarter given,” Jem teased.

  “Damn straight.” Resa laughed. “Seriously, keep me posted, and let me know if you need anything. You know I have your back.”

  “Thanks, Rees. I’ll call later. Love you. ’Bye.”

  Now, amid the minor chaos created by a laptop, papers and books scattered about, Jem sat tailor-style on the floor. The late morning sun spilled over her head and neck, warming her, making her drowsy. She reached for a paper and a curtain of hair fell forward. She impatiently pushed it behind her ear as she grabbed what she sought and leaned back to review it.

  And found her thoughts wandering to Jack Kerrigan.

  Since leaving her at the door to the apartment the morning they’d watched the sun rise, Jack hadn’t called. She’d opted to silence her cell phone after receiving two calls each hour from Phil, having no interest in speaking to her cheating, soon-to-be ex. Each time she bothered to look at the display screen, she experienced a tiny disappointment that none of the calls she’d missed came from Jack.

  Now, as she sat in the sunlight looking over the plans, she made notes right on the page. Minor changes to the drawings could make a world of difference, especially in the design of the kitchen.

  Jem had trained as a chef at the Culinary Institute of NYC, where one of the mandatory courses was kitchen functionality and design. It hadn’t been her favorite course, but she had learned the basics plus some. When she’d graduated, the job she took with Margo started as personal chef and evolved to personal assistant. She missed cooking full time. It had been a love of hers since working as a teen with Caro in the summer months.

  She and Caro had talked about Jem joining her in running the restaurant once she graduated from high school. While in culinary school, Jem had renewed her relationship with Caro, regularly trading phone calls with her beloved aunt to discuss her coursework and social life, despite her parents’ stern instructions to not ever speak to Caro again.

  Now, Jem was seriously considering staying in the small tourist town Caro had loved so much, embracing a dream they’d created years ago.

  She knew she could do it. The café and the town offered a lot. The memory of bold eyes, sinfully kissable lips and a long, powerful frame promised plenty too. She knew she shouldn’t go there, especially in light of her tanking relationship with Phil. Processing her anger over his infidelity was difficult enough and she didn’t trust herself or her ability to judge character because of the situation. How could she even begin to trust someone she’d met only days ago? Her thoughts, while she looked ov
er Jack’s drawings and estimates, kept straying back to the kiss and the comfort he shared when she needed it most.

  At the sound of noisy barking outside, Jem twisted around a bit to see a broadly smiling Jack, with Clooney, on the sidewalk in front of the café. Her pulse quickened as the object of her daydreams materialized. She smiled at Jack and motioned them to come in. Jack bent over and whispered something in Clooney’s ear before letting himself through the door. Clooney trotted in after him and went to sit next to Jem on the floor.

  The dog impatiently nudged her hand and Jem reached out to scratch behind his ears, receiving a delighted woof. Jack settled on the floor next to her, hands propped on top of his knees.

  “Hi.”

  Jem smiled a greeting at Jack as she ruffled the dog’s fur. “Hi, back.”

  “Are you okay?” he asked, shifting slightly, getting comfortable. Clooney lay down and dropped his head on Jack’s lap, leaving his back available for Jem to pet.

  “Doing okay.”

  “I tried to reach you, but my call went to voice mail. I assumed you turned your phone off. You know, avoiding the lying cheater’s calls.” At her nod, Jack continued, “There was an alumni thing at Boston College I couldn’t get out of.”

  “No worries.” She slanted a shy look at him. “You don’t owe me an explanation, you know.”

  “I don’t owe you one, sugar, but I do want you to know why I didn’t come by to check on you. I was worried about you.”

  “You don’t need to be concerned. I’m fine. Actually, I’ve stayed busy. I started to pack up some of Caro’s things.” She pushed a pencil behind her ear. “That reminds me. I found a lockbox buried under the kitchen sink, but no key. Do you have one on the key ring she gave you? You know, in case you had to answer the alarm.”

  “Don’t think so. I’ll check when I get home, but I think the four or five keys on it just unlock the café doors. What else have you been up to?”

  Jem looked down as he reached over and pulled the drawings off her lap. She stroked Clooney’s short gray coat as Jack looked over her notes.

  Yep, Jack definitely smelled like hot guy. As he leaned toward her, Jem inhaled as discreetly as she could, enjoying the mixture of spicy outdoors and manly man scents. She watched his long index finger tracing over the changes she’d made on the diagram, wishing it were moving just as slowly over her body. The backs of her legs tingled at his nearness. God, she needed to quit thinking like this. Resolutely pushing her anger at Phil and her attraction to Jack away, she turned her attention to the remodel plans.

  Unable to bear Jack’s silence as he perused the drawings, she cleared her throat and leaned nearer, pointing to a comment she’d written on the plan. “I noted some thoughts for improving the functionality of the space. I have questions about the plumbing and gas lines, but I couldn’t find those plans with the others you left. Is it possible to move the prep sink there? It would vastly improve work flow.”

  “That could work. And it would solve a couple of other potential problems at the same time.” He pulled the pencil from behind her ear and began making minor adjustments to her changes as he spoke. “Yeah, that’s a definite improvement. Great suggestion.”

  “I also thought about adding a soup well by the prep area, but I wasn’t sure how to draw it in. Expanding to include a lunch menu makes sense, even if it’s only in the summer months. Grant DuBois pointed out there’s plenty of commerce around here to capitalize on, and opening for lunch would be a sure thing.”

  Jack gazed speculatively at her. “Sounds as if you’re planning to stay in Granite Pointe to run a restaurant.”

  “Well, I haven’t thought through everything, but since my life in NYC is not as appealing today as it was a week ago, there is a strong chance I’ll be staying.” Jem shifted until she faced him, her hands resting casually on her knees. “The day of the funeral, Grant asked me if I was passionate about my job, or just working at it. It’s a fair question and I kept coming back to the thought that being a personal assistant to a pampered rich woman wasn’t a job I would ever love. Yeah, I like it, and I’m pretty damn good at it, but love it?” She shrugged. “The answer had to be no. I would go back to it because my life is there. My friends, the man I thought I would marry and live happily ever after with, are there. Those things make the job worthwhile. Now, since it appears my relationship with Phil is going to end in ashes, I decided maybe the phoenix rising would be a new me.”

  “You’re sure? I’m not trying to talk you out of it.” Jack pulled one of her hands toward his knee and laced their fingers together, shooting tingles up her arm. “Far from it, actually. But, it’s a mighty big jump to uproot yourself and leave your comfortable life. Especially after this emotional week.”

  Letting her eyes caress his face, Jem sensed his interest in her was more than as a potential construction job. She stared at his lips, remembering the sensual feel of them pressed to hers. Raising her eyes, she didn’t bother to hide that she was reliving the memory.

  This was what Jem had hoped for since the day she’d found herself in his arms in the small pantry. The kiss they’d shared ignited something in her. She wasn’t making this decision to get farther away from her cheating boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, so much as get nearer to Jack. If she stayed, if she agreed to work with this man to make the renovations, there would be time to nurture a growing interest in being part of his life. He appeared to have feelings for her in return. His passionate kiss had been filled with interest. It might have started out as a distraction, but it definitely ended with desire.

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” she said, tipping her face slightly, inviting his kiss. Her eyelids lowered as she followed the path of his mouth toward hers.

  Clooney growled as a loud rap sounded on the window above their heads. Jem jumped and they both turned to see who was interrupting them, knocking their brows together in the process. Laughing and rubbing their heads, they saw Grant standing just behind them, his hand raised in a greeting, a sneer decorating his mouth.

  Jack helped Jem to her feet as the newcomer entered the café. Today, Grant sported a pair of skintight, acid washed jeans that had gone out of fashion in the eighties. His long hair, pulled back in a low ponytail, flowed down the back of his vintage Members Only jacket. In spite of the cold temperature, the cuffed sleeves were pushed up on his forearms and the zipper was at half-mast. Jem shuddered when she saw the gray hair peeking out of the collar of a white v-necked t-shirt. And, oh God—were those Earth Shoes on his feet? Forty years ago the look might have worked, but he really needed to rethink it now.

  “Jemima, darling. BC.” Grant gushed, air kissing Jem’s cheek and nodding coolly toward Jack. “I’m glad you’re still here. I was wondering if you wanted me to put you in touch with a realtor. I’m not trying to be pushy, but I may have a party interested in buying the café. Have you given the matter any more thought?” The attorney settled his hip against a table, crossing one ankle in front of the other.

  “You know, Grant, I think I’m going to hold on to the business and give it a go. It’s not definite yet, but possible. Jack and I were just discussing some renovation plans.”

  “Wonderful! Will you be remodeling the apartment also?” The warmth in Grant’s voice didn’t reach his eyes.

  “I hadn’t thought about it. It’s a great space, with a lot of memories.”

  “What about Caroline’s things, her papers and personal effects? What will you do with those things?”

  “I started boxing up some of her things. I’m probably going to give her clothes to a charity, but I haven’t made any decisions.”

  “Well, if you need help with packing or reviewing papers or whatever, I’d be delighted to offer assistance. I was more than just an attorney to Caroline. I was her friend, too. Oftentimes, the paperwork alone can be so confusing. You never know what secrets you might find among Caroline’s personal effects.”

  Something in Grant’s tone, a misplaced anxiousness, made Jem eye the
aging lawyer speculatively. Maybe it was her own trust issues, but an alarm in her head clanged like bells on an antique fire truck. Did Caro have secrets he hoped to hide, or expose? Grant didn’t seem like Caro’s type. But her aunt had said once that she’d known him for years. They’d been on the same side of environmental and political arguments almost as often as they’d been against each other. Had Caro and Grant ever been a couple? Maybe she’d have to take a closer look at Caro’s personal papers. There might be something interesting in the lockbox she had under the sink. Darn, she needed to find that key.

  “Thanks for the offer, but this is something I have to do. If I come across anything I need help with, I’ll call you.”

  “Marvelous!” Grant’s exuberance belied the mild animosity Jem saw in his eyes. “Oh, I know my client will be devastated, but I do believe you’re making the right decision. Caroline must surely be smiling in heaven right now. When will you be open again for business?”

  “Nothing is final yet. I still have some things to work out before I make any decisions. How long do you think a remodel will take?” Jem asked, turning toward Jack.

  “It depends on when we can get the necessary permits, order the equipment and hire workers. Once everything is good to go, we can get the job done in two to three weeks.”

  Grant clapped his hands excitedly. “So around mid-March. You know, we get scads of Easter visitors, so the timing would be critical. You want to be open before then so things run smoothly.”

  Jem laughed at Grant’s enthusiasm. “As I said, there are some details to work out, but I think we can be ready to go before the holiday. If I decide to do it, I’m thinking of expanding the menu to include lunch service. I think the area can support it, even if it’s just locals taking advantage of it.”

  “Excellent idea,” Grant said as he opened the door to leave. “You let me know how I can help. I must run now.” The bell above the door tinkled as he slammed the portal closed behind him

  “That was just weird. What do you suppose is up with him?” Jem watched as Grant purposefully strode across the street, skirting the light traffic on the road. “He seemed ready for an extended visit until I declined his offer to help with Caro’s papers.”