“Oh, right. Listen I have an idea about that.” She wanted to tell Mari about what she’d just told Jake before she left them together. Alone.
“Cool, that’s wonderful. I can’t wait to hear it. Later.” She pushed out the kitchen doors and ran up the staircase.
Jake stared down at her, a grin on his face. Gosh, she was so out of practice here. What did she say to a man who’d become the hero yesterday and now wanted to take her out?
“Shall we?” He held out his hand and Bella didn’t bother overthinking it, she reached out and let him lead her out.
*
Over coffee and Danish pastries, they started chatting. Slow at first, about pleasantries involving the weather, it was stilted until she laughed. “This is stupid, talking about the weather.” Jake raised an eyebrow. “Oh, not you, me. I mean us, acting like this.” She huffed out a sigh and looked down at her hands. “Look, I’ll be frank with you. I haven’t dated in ages and even though I know this is just coffee and nothing more, I have the jitters. I’m not usually the nervous type but I’m kind of out of practice being in normal company like this. Plus, I’m a little bit at a loss of what to say apart from discussing kitchen appliances or ingredients.”
“We can start there if it makes you feel better, Bella. Let’s just say it’s a coffee between budding friends.”
“Okay. You got me.”
“Great. Now tell me why you’re so good at sorting out kitchens. I’ve never had someone design something that good that quick before.”
Bella laughed. “That’s very sweet of you, Jake, but I doubt you really want to listen to me prattle on about gas stoves, the right type of oven, or the benefits of warming drawers and my favorite models.”
“Possibly, but if it makes you feel better to go there to begin with, I’m your man. You have my undivided attention. At least until this coffee’s finished.” He sipped at his mug. “Tell me, Bella Moore. What is it you do that makes your sister so happy to have you in the kitchen?”
He didn’t know who she was. How was that possible? Bella knocked her cup with a start, sending the teaspoon skittering off the table onto the ground. She reached down for it at the same time as Jake and their heads hit with a resounding bang. With a groan of pain, she sat back up, her hand on her head, waiting for the stars to recede. Jake reached out to console her, his hand covering hers. Bolts of electricity shot up her arm, stealing her breath. No man’s touch had ever made her this jittery.
“Um, I, ah… I cook.” I cook. Heat raced up her cheeks.
What a stupid idiot she was. All but throw yourself at him then play coy. Way to go, Bella!
He grinned. “Me too but not to the standard I believe The Lake Hotel wishes to be noted for.” He laughed and her belly flipped. “Tell me exactly how and what you cook that makes your sister so happy.”
Bella pulled her hand back, slid the plate with her Danish toward her, and started picking at the layers of flaky pastry, separating them, thinking she would have rolled them thinner given the chance. But not everyone was as fussy as she was. “I won Masterchef a couple of years ago and now I kind of have my own show.”
He blinked. “You mean a television show?”
She nodded, embarrassed for the first time by her fame. “Yeah.”
“Wow. I mean, wow.” He stared at her. “You won the cooking show, Masterchef?”
“Yes.”
On cue, staged whispers came from a table close by. “That’s her, I know it is.”
“No. Why would Bella Moore be here in Cherry Lake? Get a grip, Melanie, she’s still in Seattle filming her next show.”
All she wanted was to slink under her chair until they went away.
“I tell you, it’s her.”
Bella tried to smile at Jake but the effort was too much. Still raw over her enforced break, she wasn’t ready for the recognition she got wherever she went. It reminded her too much of what she’d left behind. Her idea of dressing down and forgoing makeup and hair didn’t change her appearance as much as she thought it did. The last thing she wanted was to be recognized. Maybe a wig would have been a good idea along with thick glasses. She could have kicked herself for not being more careful. But what could possibly go wrong in this tiny town? She ripped the pastry in half and jammed it in her mouth doing her best to chew and swallow without choking. It sat in her mouth, refusing to budge like a failed white sauce.
“Do you want to leave?” The concern in his voice almost brought her to tears.
Here of all places, people recognized her. Part of the job and she’d never worried about it before, why was it making her uncomfortable now? Her stalker had more to answer for than she thought if this was how shot her nerves were. Russell had been right, forcing her to leave. She was so much closer to the breaking point than she realized.
Bella gulped at her coffee forcing the soggy pastry down; she had to do something to save herself from embarrassment. “No, it’s okay. If it wasn’t for my fans, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And I love my fans, really. I’m afraid the attention that goes with my lifestyle can get a bit overwhelming sometimes. Would you mind if I go and say hello? I’ll only be a moment and then we might be able to have our coffee in peace.”
*
“Not at all. I’ll sit here and keep guard on the pastries.”
She approached the women and Jake was startled at how they turned into giggling fans when she crouched down beside them. They took out their phones and snapped selfies with her before she managed to get back to their table.
“Sorry about that.”
“No problem from me. I didn’t realize I was in the company of TV royalty, someone quite so famous.”
“It’s not like I advertise it.” A shadow crossed her eyes.
“So, why are you here then? Tell me to mind my own business but it seems strange that someone who’s in the middle of filming a show, if those ladies are to be believed, would take a rental house for six months in a small town like this, miles away from the action or whatever you call the filming on set.”
She crossed her arms on the table, looked at him. Her pale blue eyes had a seriousness about them that wasn’t there when he saw her in the kitchen earlier. “My producer decided that I needed a break.”
“As in a holiday break or a mental health break?”
“He said I was taking on too much and didn’t want me to burn out before we start next season’s show.” She gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“But isn’t he responsible for giving you that kind of deadline?” Seemed counterproductive to make the guy’s employees exhausted when he was the one reaping the benefits. Fatigue was never worth it.
“The show, yes, but not the cookery books or all of the public appearances that I have to do. The books are a separate deal I signed and I don’t want to lose them because I enjoy them so much. I think I have more fun inventing the recipes and the photo shoots than anything else I do, including the series.”
“Why do the shows then?”
“Because, when I won the competition, part of the prize was a three-year deal for my own reality show.” She stabbed at the last of the pastry crumbs with her fork, pushed them around the plate. “Cooking is my life, always has been even when I was little. We wrapped up the season last week and, barring any issues, I don’t have to look at another camera until later this year when we do the last contracted series.”
“But…”
“I can’t stop cooking. It’s what I do, who I am. When I arrived, I made a deal with Mari that if she let me take over the kitchen so I could create and test recipes for my books, I’d keep the restaurant open for her customers three nights a week. Now that’s gone up in flames around us no thanks to me.” She rubbed her hands over her face, heaved out a sigh. “I don’t know what to do until I can organize another stove.”
“How about take a break?”
She looked at him as if he was nuts. “Seriously? Have you not heard what I said? It’s my life. I ca
n’t not cook, Jake.” She smiled and waved at the two women as they left the coffee shop, still giggling like star struck teenagers.
“Have you checked out the kitchen at the fisherman’s cottage? I’m sure that’ll have a decent stove in it. Dad’s very particular that the rentals have good appliances.”
“Sure, it’s lovely but cooking for myself is no thrill.” She stared at Jake as though she could see through him. A moment later, her eyes went wide and she grinned. “I can cook for you, because Cory told me you can’t cook anything more than…”
“Steak, steak, and more steak. Yeah, that’s right.” But at least he could do that, which was way more than he could do before Lisa passed away. And nobody had died from his efforts either, which was a bonus as far as he was concerned.
“Would you mind? I mean, I don’t want to take over or anything but I’m going to go nuts if I don’t do something productive. I’m sure it’s against the law for me to cook at home and take it into the restaurant, so that’s out. I don’t have that many options, not really.”
It wouldn’t be a hardship to have someone of her caliber take over the meals for a couple of days. “How many dinners are we talking here? One, two? Don’t want the family to get so used to your food that I get more grief than I already get when you get the restaurant back again.”
“Sorry. I know I’m only here for a short time but it would save my sanity if you’d say yes. It’s only going to be a week or so if that. That’s if I can pull off this oven delivery. I’ll get on my producer today and see what I can arrange.” She gave him a sweet smile and his heart flipped, leaving a breathless hollow rising in his chest. “I’ll do my best not to smother you in my brand of love, okay? A week or so of home cooked meals and I should have my kitchen up and working.”
Jake was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. But he wanted to see more of Bella, and that left him with no choice but to go along with her suggestion. “Sure, sounds great to me.”
“And you’d actually be helping me out, Jake. I have a deadline with my cookbook and if I don’t get started, I’ll never make it and then the publisher will be on my back. I don’t want to let them down.”
Chapter Five
Bella held her phone, punched out the numbers her sister had given her and pushed the send button. Her heart skipped a beat while her throat worked to swallow her nerves. It was ridiculous. She wasn’t the fainting type of women but there was something about Jake that her vivid imagination wouldn’t let go of. Sure, he was handsome, tall and built and had saved her life. Not quite, but she wasn’t going to split hairs. He’d come to her rescue when things had gone pear shaped and for that she would be forever grateful.
Plus, he’d won brownie points from her for letting her take over their meals for the next few days. It would seem ridiculous to an outsider that something that simple would make her happy. But even though it was for her own benefit – she was on a tight schedule after all and couldn’t imagine losing three or four days or even a week’s worth of cooking hours because of a ruined kitchen – it wasn’t all one-sided. He’d win, but so would she. But Bella had to give him credit for letting her walk into his family life and serve up her kind of food when he had no idea of who she was and what she was capable of.
It gave her a strange feeling of warmth to know she was cooking for someone who really didn’t know her. The ring tone echoed in her ear. She’d been so lost in her thoughts that the sudden noise jolted her out of her wandering. “Jake Woods.”
“Uh, Jake. Hi. This is Bella.” She swallowed. “You know, Bella, from the pink cottage?” Idiot! Could she be any needier sounding?
“Of course. How are you this morning?” She heard the smile in his voice, which only made her cheeks heat more. “Hope there are no lingering aftereffects of the smoke or the enthusiastic fans didn’t put you off?”
“No. No, I’m fine, honestly. Listen, I feel a bit rude annoying you but I wondered if you were free for coffee this morning?” She rushed on. “It’s just that yesterday didn’t really go to plan and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you letting me cook for you for the next few days. You see, I didn’t even have a chance to ask if there was anything you or the family disliked or was allergic to. It’s important for me to know as much as I can about the people I cook for and their preferences.”
“If it comes on a plate, we’ll eat it.”
He chuckled and Bella felt relieved they weren’t picky eaters. With so many allergies out there it made it hard to please everyone.
“Listen, I appreciate the offer of coffee but I was heading out to do some maintenance on my boat while it’s out of the water for an hour or so. I don’t suppose you’d like to tag along for a while, would you?”
Spend more time with the hero fireman? Now that was a novel idea when she had so much on her plate. Would it really hurt for her to have a few hours off? She had all afternoon to plan and cook the meal. More time than they gave her in competitions.
“Bella? Are you there?” His voice jolted her out of the fog that filled her brain.
“Sorry. I was mentally rearranging my schedule. Look. I’d love to come out and see more of the area if you don’t think I’ll be in the way. I’d hate to hold you up if you’re busy.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t mean it. You at the cottage?”
“Yeah.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up in five then.” The phone disconnected and she blew out a sigh.
Bella hurried to dress in warm clothes and was pulling on her boots when Jake stopped outside her gate. She pulled on her beanie and ran outside.
“I thought we could grab a coffee on the way.” He smiled as she did up her seat belt. “Don’t want to deprive you of your java hit if you’re looking after our dinners.”
“Great. I would have made some but you didn’t really give me much time. I could have put a picnic basket together.”
Jake turned the truck around and headed down the lane to the main road. “Next time, okay? I’ll give you more notice and you can plan to your heart’s content. Not sure if a picnic in this weather is a good idea though.” He pulled up outside the coffee shop and put the truck in park. “Give me a minute.” He slid out the door, slammed it behind him, and ran into the shop.
People went about their business as she waited for Jake to return. When he hurried out with two takeout coffees in his hands, she leaned over and opened the truck door for him, held out her hand and took possession of the coffees. “Smells so good.”
“Figure if we’re going to freeze our butts off scraping the boat, may as well be warm from the inside.” He pulled out in traffic again and headed out of town.
Bella gazed at the scenery as they left the town behind. He turned onto a dirt road, gave her a swanky grin as the truck bumped over ruts in the road. “Sorry. It’s a bit rough but it’ll be worth it. The view is pretty special out here.”
He drove through a dense forest of pine trees following a well-used track. “Bill and his family don’t have a boat so he lets me use the jetty out here. I’ve had my boat moored here for ages. Suits me to come out whenever I get a chance.”
Bella held onto the dashboard of the truck to help stop her bouncing around so much. “It’s lovely out here. So quiet and peaceful. It must be nice to get away from town now and then.”
Jake spun the wheel and drove out of the trees into a clearing. The lake loomed large in front of them.
“Oh, my. How beautiful.” A sense of wonder came over her. So peaceful and calm, the waters of Flathead Lake came right to the edge of the land. She opened the door and slid out, sucking in a breath as the cold air hit her.
Jake got out and walked around to her side of the truck. “It’s very special, isn’t it?”
“I can see why you like it out here so much. It’s just amazing. I mean the lake is pretty from where the cottage is but this is like being in a remote forest park.” She took a few steps closer to the
edge. “How come it’s not frozen over here like it is in town?”
“The water is much deeper here. When we have a really cold winter it’s been known to ice up but generally it doesn’t. I still drag the boat out anyway. At least it gives me a chance to do some maintenance on it.” He pointed at a large ramshackle shed behind them. “There she is in all her glory, my little runabout.”
Bella glanced over at the boat half hidden under a canvas sheet. The hull was propped up in a cradle under the roof of the structure out of the weather. “Looks like you’ve been busy scraping her down.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “You know about boats?”
She grinned and walked over to the shed. “A little. I went out with a guy once that had a boat. Let’s just say that he loved that boat more than me.”
“Sounds like a lovely chap.” Jake laughed. “I’d better not make the same mistake. Love my boat but it’s not worth losing a friend over.”
“Tell me what you’re doing today.” Bella ran her hand over the hull and inspected the newly patched fiberglass.
“Well, I was going to do a bit of sanding but I missed a couple of patches last time. It was getting dark when I finished up so I’d better do that first, I guess. I can finish up next time I get out here.”
“It’s a shame you don’t get more time out here, Jake. If I helped you, we could get a lot more done.” She pulled over a drum and perched her butt on it and watched as he pulled supplies out of an old tin cupboard.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind really. An hour or two here and there gives me enough to make a dent in the work, so I’m happy. You can go explore if you want to. I didn’t expect you to help me or just sit here, Bella.” He put on a mask and started to mix a pot of fiberglass.
“I’m quite happy to sit here and watch you, actually. The drive out here was nice and I don’t often take the time to sit and do nothing. Don’t worry about me.”
*
He couldn’t help but worry about her and the idea didn’t sit well either. With just Cory to care about, life had been running along smoothly. When Bella had called and asked him to join her for coffee, he’d been pleased but surprised. He didn’t think she’d enjoyed herself the other day when Mari had thrown them together but he must have been wrong.
The Moore Sisters of Montana: The Complete Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 20