by Stacy Eaton
The officer and I sat in my office, and I explained everything that had happened while giving him copies of all the reports from the Health Department and explaining about the cameras.
“Those cameras were a good idea, and the guy on the other end was observing. As soon as he saw something out of the ordinary, he called us.”
“Do you know who called?”
He glanced at his notes. “Mike Johnson, Safety Zone Security.”
I nodded. Not sure why I was disappointed that it hadn’t been Harvey, but I was.
He asked me a few more questions and then said that a detective would probably be in touch with me the next day. I stared at the phone. I needed to call Randolph, but it was after three in the morning there. It would have to wait until tomorrow afternoon.
I returned to the kitchen, where the conversation immediately died as I stepped into the room. I inhaled and then released it slowly.
“I’m only going to ask this once; was anyone in here aware that he was doing that?”
Everyone answered no immediately as they shook their heads. “That’s messed up, Chef,” Malick said.
Tobias, who had taken over Ricardo’s position, frowned. “I can’t believe he did that to you because he wanted your job. I’m glad you smacked him. If you hadn’t, I would have slugged him.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t right,” Ben called out. “ I can’t believe he hurt people to make you look bad.”
A few others voiced their thoughts, and I felt a little better knowing that they all disapproved of what he had done.
The meals were done, and we were starting our cleanup for the night when there was another bang at the back door, and I sighed. “Good god! What now?” I muttered and then raised my voice. “David, will you get that?” I called over my shoulder as I prepared to break my station down.
“Got it, Chef!” He opened the door, and I expected police to come rushing through again, but no one did. Instead, Dave stood at the back door for a moment, talking to someone. He glanced toward me, grinned, and then spoke to someone before he took something from them and closed the door.
I didn’t see what was in his hand, and he held it behind his back until he reached me. “Chef, you have a delivery,” he said as he attempted to hide a smile as he held an envelope out.
It looked strangely familiar, and as I took it, my heart fluttered nervously. I pulled the card out, and the original words that were written were scratched out with new ones written under it. “May I have this dance, Ali Davidson?”
My eyes snapped to the back door, and before I even consciously knew what to do, I was moving toward the door, shrugging out of my chef’s coat as I went.
I threw open the door, expecting to see Harvey standing there, but instead, there was no one. Well, no one that I could see right away. What I did see was a large spotlight pointing at the center of the alley.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Harvey
As much as I wanted to hurry things, I didn’t dare. If everything went as I hoped, I’d have a lifetime to be with Ali, and two days wouldn’t matter much.
I was preparing to head over to Mike’s when I got a call from him. I hit the speaker. “I was just getting ready to head over.”
“Yeah, well, I think Ali might have something big to celebrate tonight.”
“What’s that?”
“Trevor and I were watching the video in the kitchen tonight, and Trevor noticed one of the guys go into the locker room, then come out, and he was wearing a glove. He approached his station, touched the food, then slipped the glove off and into a baggie before he deposited it into the trash.”
“What was with the glove?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I’m pretty sure he probably had some type of container in his things that held the E. coli bacteria in the locker room, and put it on his gloved hand, touched it to the food, and bam, contaminated it.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“We already did. As soon as we saw it, we called the police and EMS and told them what was going on. They took him into custody, and he admitted he was doing it to get Ali fired so he could have the Head Chef position.”
“Are you kidding me? He was after her job, and that was worth almost killing people?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Mike said. “So, Ali’s probably ready to celebrate.”
“Then I guess this is good timing.” I paused. “That is if she accepts my invitation.”
“She will. I have no doubt. The only problem is going to be that it is raining.”
“I don’t care about a little rain.”
“You sure you don’t want to do it another night?”
“No, I’m ready.” I chuckled. “Actually, the first time I ran into Ali, it was in a rainstorm.”
“Really?”
I proceeded to tell him about it quickly, and then told him I was heading down to the restaurant.
He told me he’d meet me there, and we disconnected the call. I was nervous about what I was going to do, but Ali had told me to come to her. She had told me to ask her to dance, so that is what I was going to do. I owed her this plus a huge apology.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I parked out front on the street and walked down the alley. Mike was parked back there, and he was setting up some speakers and the spotlights that he had brought under a little tent. We were going to start with one light, and then he would turn on two more to brighten the entire area so we could see in the alley. It wasn’t a spiffy hotel ballroom, but I hoped that she would appreciate the gesture.
The rain was coming down lightly, and I hoped that it didn’t stop her from taking me up on my offer. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t, but I could be wrong. I sure had been wrong about things before.
Mike knocked on the back door to the restaurant, and a younger guy opened it. He wore a t-shirt and messy apron around his waist. I could just make out what Mike was telling him.
“We need you to do us a favor. Can you give this to Ali Davidson?”
“What’s this about?” he asked as I stepped out of the shadows. The kid grinned. “Oh, man! Yeah, I’ll give it to her.”
“Thanks.” The kid turned and disappeared into the restaurant again. Mike dashed off to the side where his car was parked, and I stepped back into the shadows again. Last night in the middle of the night, I had come here and walked the dance, making sure we would have the room and that it wouldn’t be a safety issue. It was perfect.
It was a minute before the door flew open, and Ali stood there. Her chef’s coat in one hand, the invite in the other, as she searched the darkness. When she noticed the spotlight, a smile began to slip over her face.
“Ali Davidson, I owe you an apology,” I called out from the other side of the alley.
“Do you, Harvey Melton?”
“Yes, I do. I jumped to a conclusion. I should have asked. I’m sorry.”
“How are you going to make it up to me?”
“May I have this dance and show you?”
I saw some of her coworkers peeking around her into the darkness. Ali stepped forward, and someone leaned against the door to hold it open.
“Here?”
“Yes, here.”
She looked up at the rain and laughed. “Why not!”
“Music, Mike.”
A moment later, the music started, and Ali was grinning as she pushed her chef’s coat into someone's hands and began to walk toward me. We met in the spotlight just like we had on the ballroom floor, and this time, when she lifted my chin, I knew that I had won as I stared into her eyes.
As Ali twirled away from me, Mike hit the switch, and the alley lit up. I noticed briefly that there were several people off to the side, watching us, but I didn’t care. I wanted everyone to see us. I wanted everyone to know.
Ali and I danced even better than we originally had. It didn’t matter that we weren’t on a fancy floor or that it was raining. Our bodies fit against each other, and there was a stronger c
onnection now than there had been that night.
By the time we were done with the dance, we were breathing hard and soaked, but we stared at one another as I cupped her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Ali. I was a bastard for how I treated you.”
“I forgive you. I know you didn’t know. I figured that out. You thought I was cheating on Blake.”
“I’ve had it done to me; I couldn’t do it to someone else. My conscience just stabbed me in my gut that night. As much as I wanted you, I couldn’t because I didn’t think you were free.”
She ran her fingers over my cheek, blinking back the raindrops as they fell against her lashes. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I should have.”
“When you were in the kitchen, later that day, I heard what you said. I did feel it. I do feel it. I feel so much when I am with you, Ali. I think that day that we first ran into each other in the storm, well, I think I felt it then too, but I was distracted.”
“I think I did too, Harvey.”
I leaned my forehead to hers. “Ali, I want to get to know you better. I want to learn everything about you and fall in love with you, build a future. It just feels right.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck. “I’m pretty sure I agree with you, but there is one thing that I need to know before I commit to anything.”
I leaned back and frowned. “Okay, what? Anything.”
“During the show, you said you wanted to be able to cook for your woman.”
“Yes, I enjoy cooking.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Do you use jar sauce? Because if you do, that’s a deal breaker.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “I have been known to use it on occasion, but I make a mean alfredo sauce from scratch.”
“Scratch, huh?”
I grinned at her as I took her face in my hands. “I’m going to kiss you now, Ali.”
“Hurry up, Harvey.”
I didn’t waste any more time as I brought our lips together. Neither of us knew for sure if our relationship would last, but for the first time in my life, I honestly wanted to do anything I could to make it happen.
There was something about Ali that spoke to my very soul, and I hoped that she felt it too. As we stood in the rain and kissed, there were claps and whistles off to the side. All but one light was turned off so that we stood in the middle of the single spotlight.
“Harvey, will you be my partner, now and forever, however long this lasts for us?”
“Yes, I will, Ali, but I have a feeling that it’s going to be a very long time. No matter what storm comes our way, I think we’ll be able to make it through.”
She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling, her lips almost touching mine. “Just ask me to dance, Mr. Sexy, and we can let our bodies do the talking.”
THE END
The Unexpected Series
I hope you enjoyed Unexpected Storms, if you did, please consider leaving a brief review. It’s the best way to tell an author you enjoyed their book!
If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the rest of the Unexpected Series.
Unexpected Packages, Book 1
Lexi Miller restarted her life five years ago and has been living a regimented routine ever since. With a great job and a best friend who tries everything to get her to break-out of her boring life, it’s not until her birthday present arrives at her door, opened by a stranger, that things finally start to get interesting.
Alex Miller is ready for his second career after retiring from the military. He’s excited to start training contractors in safety issues and getting to know his daughter after being away for so many years.
When a package addressed to him shows up on his doorstep, he is kind enough to deliver the box to the rightful owner. When Lexi opens the door, Alex quickly realizes that he’s found the beautiful woman he has been catching peeks of as she comes and goes from the building.
From misunderstandings to new beginnings, Alex and Lexi come together, but a business trip threatens their future right before Valentine’s Day, and neither is sure they will ever be reunited.
Unexpected Arrivals, Book 2
Trevor Vaughn loves his job, his women, and his bachelor lifestyle. Sadly, for him, all of that might change when Davina Daniels walks into his office pushing a stroller.
The problem is that Trevor doesn’t have any idea who Davina is. After she explains that he is the baby’s father, he finds himself clueless as to what to do next.
After begging for her help, Davina and Trevor begin to form a friendship that will bring them together in time for their friend’s wedding and a single night of steamy romance.
It’s after their moments of bliss when words are misspoken, strangers show up, and baby Devon is raced to the hospital that their newfound romance is put to the test. Will Trevor and Davina find a way back to each other, or will the storms continue to crash down over them?
Unexpected Trouble, Book 3
Big things are happening at Safety Zone Security, and before a client meeting, Gregory Blaire heads down to Cocoa’s Coffee Café to grab some much-needed caffeine. Running into his high school sweetheart was almost the last thing he excepted, but the jewelry store heist that went wrong tops even that.
As hard as Maggie Valor works to build her career as a serious journalist, she’s stuck as a romance advice columnist, and she’ll do just about anything to change that. When Maggie runs into Greg and then gets taken hostage, her mind is torn between the story and the man who broke her heart.
With Maggie putting herself in the way of danger, stepping into Safety Zone Security to help with a client, and then pushing to join an operation, all Greg can see is trouble. Now the police are questioning her, a thief is out to get her, and the only thing Greg can do is take her on a delivery operation to keep her out of more unexpected trouble.
Unexpected Storms, Book 4
Ali Davidson is ready for a serious relationship; only the conventional methods aren’t much help in finding the right man for her. Could being a contestant on the May I Have This Dance television show help her find love on the dance floor? Her friend and producer, Holly Melton, believes it will be the perfect way to find a connection.
Harvey Melton works long hours and travels a lot, but while burning time off from work, his sister begs for his help. Harvey would do anything for his sister, including dance on her silly television show.
Ali has to decide between her three dance partners, which two she will ask back for a second dance, and then choose between them to explore a relationship. With Ali trying to make her decision between the two final men, she has significant distractions in her kitchen.
When more patrons get sick, and the threat of the restaurant and her reputation are on the line, Holly steps in to get Ali help and enlists the guys at Safety Zone Security. When they show up, Ali is surprised to see Harvey, and the attraction between these two is undeniable and stormy.
Coming Soon:
Unexpected Desires
Unexpected Ties
About the Author
Stacy Eaton is a USA Today Best Selling author and began her writing career in October of 2010. Stacy took an early retirement from law enforcement after over fifteen years of service in 2016, with her last three years in investigations and crime scene investigation to write full time.
Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, who works in law enforcement, and her teen daughter. She also has a son who is currently serving in the United States Navy and has two grandchildren.
Be sure to visit www.stacyeaton.com for updates and more information on her books.
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Also by Stacy Eaton
Download a FREE Series Guide of books written by Stacy Eaton
ROMANCE TO GET YOUR BLOOD PUMPING
This guide includes a listing of all of her current books and upcoming releases. It includes genre’s, heat levels, series links to other series, and the fi
rst chapter of almost all of the books.
Paranormal Romance:
My Blood Runs Blue Series
My Blood Runs Blue, Book 1 **
The Pulse of Blue Blood, Book 2 (Short Story) **
Blue Blood for Life, Book 3 **
Mixing the Blue Blood, Book 4 ***
Blue Bloods Final Destiny, Book 5 ***
The Return of Blue Blood Series:
Kristin: Blue Blood Returns, Book 1
Hugh: Blue Blood Compelled, Book 2
Zander: Blue Blood Reborn, Book 3
Lena: Blue Blood Desired, Book 4 (coming soon)
Garda ~ Welcome to the Realm
Domestic Violence – Crime - Suspense:
Whether I’ll Live or Die**
Barbara’s Plea
You’re Not Alone**
Romantic Suspense:
Liveon ~ No Evil ***
Second Shield ***
Distorted Loyalty**
Six Days of Memories **
Second Shield II: The Return ***
Contemporary Romance:
Tempt Me Too**
Finding the Strength
Finding Love in Special Places:
Stacy’s Short Story Series
Finding Love on Christmas Vacation
Finding Love on the Summer Surf
Finding Love with Dear Santa
Finding Love with a Champagne Toast
Heart of the Family Series
Mistletoe & Cocoa Kisses, Book 1 **
Roses & Champagne Kisses, Book 2 **
Orchids & Hurricane Kisses, Book 3 **