An Acquired Taste

by Kelly Cain

  “Did you run?”

  “No, I was heading out, but I somehow couldn’t pass your door to get to the elevators.”

  “Want to come in?”

  He turns his perfect bow lips into a smirk. “Very much so.”

  “Okay.” Somehow, I’ve forgotten how to string together more than five words. I do remember how to move aside so he can glide into the room though.

  He lowers himself onto the small sofa, right in the middle, and manspreads unashamedly.

  I grin and shake my head, the move bringing me out of my lust-fueled thoughts. “We’re still competing.”

  “Are we? You won pretty handily today.”

  “I did, didn’t I?”

  “Well, you had a little help. Hefty scores on the wine. Wyatt’s a wiz. Your coq au vin was aces too.”

  I move over to the couch and slide in between him and the armrest. “You’re right, Wyatt’s better than I thought. And an excellent sous chef, especially considering he’s actually an accountant. I’m definitely going to miss his skills wherever I end up.”

  “If you win, you’ll have what you need for your mother, right? How is she by the way?”

  “She’s much better. I spoke with her about an hour ago and she sounded strong. Daddy said she’s following all of her doctor’s instructions.” I take a breath, suddenly overcome with emotion. “She really had a scare. We all did.”

  Knox lifts my sock-covered feet and places them in his lap, rubbing the soles. “I’m happy she’s recovering.”

  “Thanks to your quick thinking.” He starts to protest, but I hold up a hand. “No, seriously. I’m not sure how dangerous it would have been if you and your quick action weren’t there. I was a mess. It was so unexpected.”

  He nods. “It was scary too.”

  “That feels really good.” I’ve worked long days before but there’s normally time to sit at least five minutes here and there, especially since we’ve had Hannah.

  “Today was brutal. More of that tomorrow, I’m afraid.”

  “Yeah, but at least I’ll have my sous chefs back tomorrow. They won’t need to make anything themselves although I may let Hannah. She has a lot of natural talent.”

  Knox moves his hands higher, incorporating my ankles. I adjust my posture since I’d gotten a little too comfortable, practically lying prone. “Knox.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “We’re waiting until after the competition, remember?”

  His hands move to my calves, continually massaging. “I assumed you meant sex. As you pointed out earlier, we’ve already kissed.” He looks up then, from under hooded lashes, and I nearly slide back down.

  But I don’t. Best to throw some cold water on this conversation. “Why’s your father here? And why’s he mad all the time?”

  That was more like dumping a snowdrift on top of him. He straightens from his slouch so I pull my feet out of his lap, but he grabs them back, massaging the soles again. “He’s protecting his investment?”

  I tilt my head in thought, not following. “How so? If you win, won’t it be your investment? Your brothers agreed, right?”

  He studies my feet as he works, not meeting my eyes. “That’s how it started. You know all I want is to get out from under his thumb, right?”

  “Right, I remember you saying.”

  “He’s decided now that we’ve made the final round that we’ll open a second location of Everheart Bar and Fine Dining. Probably in The Domain.”

  I sit up then, pulling my feet underneath me on the sofa. “He can’t do that.”

  Knox leans forward, rubbing his face with his hands. “He can and he will. Something you don’t understand about my dear old dad is that he’s a pretty big deal in our industry.”

  “I understand just fine. My mother has kept me well-informed over the years.”

  “Even your mother doesn’t know how truly ruthless he can be.” He inclines against the couch and finally looks at me. “He has made it impossible for me to get financing for my own place. Or to go anywhere else as a chef, even an assistant.”

  I blink. “Your own father? I thought you were exaggerating when you said that before.” Listen, Lillie has fought me every step of the way the past six years. She didn’t believe in farm-to-table, but Wyatt gathered the data, and she acquiesced. I wanted to add to the menu, and she shut me down firmly, but she’s never done me dirty.

  “Yes. He thinks he’s doing what’s best for me. I truly believe that, but ultimately, he’s just being controlling. If it were up to him, he’d order my steps for the rest of his life. Or mine, whichever ends first.”

  I place a hand on his and ease back down onto the couch. “Jeesh.”

  “He’s pissed off because I submitted my pasta restaurant for our finals round instead of the steakhouse. He found out just before we left, so he came with. I honestly don’t know at this point. There’s a chance we won’t even win, you know?” He manages a smile, maybe half a smile, upturning the left side of his mouth.

  What a pair we are. Even though one of us will win this competition, we’ll both lose on a personal level anyway. I won’t have a job or a restaurant or even an apartment, but Mama will be taken care of. That’s really what’s most important to me at this point anyway. I have plenty of time to realize my own dreams. But Knox. He’ll still be working for his father no matter what. He’ll still be in the grind even though he doesn’t want the long hours and no life. He’ll be a head chef, but never of his own restaurant. I can’t believe I ever thought he had everything handed to him. Well, there is still the matter of how he got into culinary school.

  “Knox, what do you have against Dean Ellerson?”

  He isn’t expecting the question. He moves my hand from his and whips his head around, narrowing his eyes. “Why would you ask that?”

  “Because it’s written all over your face whenever you see her. You’d frown when you’d see me, but you’d out-and-out scowl whenever she came into your line of sight. It’s obvious something’s up.”

  “I…” He drags his fingers through his curls and his face nearly crumples.

  “Hey, you don’t have to talk about it. Seriously, I’m sorry I upset you.”

  His chest expands, then he exhales a huge breath, the air whistling through his teeth. “No, I’ll tell you. It’s just that I’ve never told anyone before. Not even my brothers.”

  I hold my breath, waiting. Because although I don’t want to hurt him for once in my life, I’m still more curious than I have a right to be.

  He turns to me, resignation in those beautiful eyes of his. He looks back down at his hands, suddenly becoming interested in his cuticles. “I, um. I guess she was always a family friend. I remember her when I was a little boy before my mother died. She was around often although I don’t know if she and Mom were close friends. It would always be her with a group of others.”

  I nod in encouragement, but he still isn’t looking at me.

  He takes another breath, this one much shallower. “After my mother died, she stopped coming. At least that’s what I thought. Then I saw her in my father’s bedroom. She wasn’t wearing much. I was only nine or ten so I didn’t understand until later what was going on, but I knew it wasn’t right. When I finally did understand, my mind put together that she was probably having an affair with my father right under my mother’s nose. Probably even when she was so sick and—”

  I pull him into my arms then and he rests his head on my chest. He isn’t crying, but shaking nonetheless. If I had to guess, it’s more with rage than pain.

  Our history starts clicking into place for me with these new revelations. He’s a man who’s been betrayed by his own father; isn’t allowed to make his own decisions; has his natural talent consumed by an unworthy caregiver who was supposed to love and protect him. He was a boy who grew up without his beloved mother.

  Knox Everheart isn’t an asshat. I was wrong.

  Coq au Vin

  1 whole chicken (free-range), cut in
to pieces

  1 1/2 cups pinot noir

  1 cup chicken stock

  1/4 cup brandy

  3 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  1 medium onion, quartered then thinly sliced

  4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

  4 garlic cloves, minced

  2 tbsp tomato paste

  2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

  8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced

  8 ounces pearl onions, peeled

  Beurre manie (2 tbsp flour + 2 tbsp softened butter)

  Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the wine, chicken stock, and brandy. Prep the vegetables. Over medium-high heat in a braiser, cook the bacon until crispy then remove and set aside. Remove the chicken from the wine marinade (save the wine) and dry the chicken with paper towels. Working in batches, sear the chicken in the bacon fat, skin side down until golden brown on both sides then remove from pan. Pour all but 2 tbsp of the bacon fat into a heatproof dish and set it aside. Add the sliced onion and carrots to the bacon fat and let cook until the onion is golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste, cooking until it is fragrant and begins to darken. Pour in the reserved wine marinade, scraping the bottom to deglaze. Add the chicken into the vegetables and sprinkle the thyme over top. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour 1 tbsp of the reserved oil into a large skillet and add the mushrooms, sautéing over medium-high heat until brown, about 10 minutes. Add the pearl onions to the pot with the chicken and cook an additional 10 minutes.

  In a small bowl, knead the beurre manie. Remove the chicken from the pan, then add in the beurre manie. Stir it into the sauce and let it thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken back into the pan and top with the cooked bacon and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme.

  Yield: 4 servings

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Rowan is worthy.

  Our second challenge is to introduce five main courses that we would have as a staple in our restaurants. Plus, a signature drink. Wyatt says he has it covered, and I have no choice but to believe him because if it’s more than vodka and Sprite, I’m lost. He killed the wine yesterday, so I’m not worried.

  Now that my eyes are open, I know that I have some strong feelings for Knox. And as much as I feel for him, that maybe he still might have a chance to make the restaurant his own if he won, I can’t give up on what Lillie requires. She needs this to live basically. Daddy would take care of her—she wouldn’t even need to ask—but that hadn’t worked out well for her the first time around. It would break her spirit to rely on him.

  This time when the presenters come over, we’re a bit more ready instead of displaying the deer-in-the-headlights look.

  Lee says, “Welcome back, Townsend family. Yesterday you made dishes and wine pairings that wowed the judges. You won the round handily.”

  Aaron asks, “What main courses do you have for us today, Chef?”

  I say, “Thank you both. We’re up against great competitors, so that’s a wonderful compliment. Today, my family and I will be making bistro staples: duck cassoulet, beef Bourguignon, fillets of sole meunièree, mussels a la mariniere with crusty bread, and sautéed chicken in Riesling.”

  Later, I’ll ask Knox to read today’s menu to me. His pronunciation is much more precise than mine, but more than that, his French is toe-curling.

  Lee says, “That sounds divine. My mouth is already watering. Good luck today.” She smiles and walks to the other kitchen with Aaron and the camera trailing along.

  This time I listen to Knox and what they’re preparing today. Because I can’t see him, I watch his father and how he reacts to each menu item. Anolini with pesto alla Genovese, Flynn folds his arms. Incannulate carbonara with browned cauliflower and crisp pancetta, he puffs his chest out. Tortelli Piacentini, he looks around at the audience members, silently asking if they can believe this shit. Malloreddus alla Campidanese, his face reddens to an unhealthy color. And finally, cuttlefish squid ink fettuccine al nero di deppia with a seafood ragu, he gets up and walks to the elevator.

  All I can do is shake my head, and temper my fury until later. I want to call Mama and ask her about Flynn, but I also refuse to upset her in any way, and talking about Flynn always upsets her.

  This time Aaron compliments the dishes. “Chef, that menu is definitely something I’d pay good money for. Are these more traditional recipes or have you changed them up at all?”

  Knox chuckles and there’s a bit of hesitation. “All have been altered to my taste, but the malloreddus alla Campidanese has been tailored for someone special to me. It took some time, but I’ve been able to incorporate sassafras by changing some of the other ingredients.”

  I can’t see Lee, but her swoon is evident even through the microphone.

  For my part, I’m speechless. I figured he was creating a recipe with my middle name, but I thought it would be some sort of joke or prank. A real recipe that he’s using with malloreddus makes my neck heat—both with embarrassment and lust. In school, watching Knox flick malloreddus off an unfinished raw-wood board was sexy as hell, and clearly my thirst didn’t go unnoticed.

  When we’re given the go-ahead to begin, I glance at the audience. Mike smiles and I shrug, grinning. Flynn hasn’t returned so I give a moment’s hope that he went back to Austin.

  I start with the duck confit, which needs to go first because it’s the most intricate recipe and takes the longest. We were allowed to leave the beans soaking overnight so Wyatt retrieves those and pours the water off, then starts prepping carrots, tomatoes, shallots, onions, and garlic. We’ll use a shit-ton of all those today. So many that Hannah joins in along with prepping all the herbs.

  Once I have the duck simmering, I can go on to something else, because it’ll need two hours or so to do its thing. Next, I put the beans on because they’ll take a bit to cook as well. Wyatt has cut up enough carrots and garlic, so I grab a few plus some of the herbs Hannah has readied and add them to the pot for the beans. Then I take an onion and stick it full of cloves, balancing the strong smell. I add a bay leaf and cover with water, then it’s on to the next.

  Hannah has seasoned and floured the beef, so I take it up and brown it in batches, adding it to a Dutch oven. After cooking up some bacon, carrots, onions, and garlic, I throw everything except the bacon in the pot with the beef, and add more herbs and mushrooms. Lastly, I whisk beef demi-glace into pinot noir and add to the pot, which I put in the oven for the next three or so hours.

  More sandwiches are brought in for us, so I take that time to check in with Hannah and Wyatt.

  “How are we looking?”

  Wyatt just took a large bite of his sandwich so Hannah replies, “I’ve washed and debearded the mussels, and everything’s ready for the fish and chicken. I didn’t cut up the chicken because I know you like to do that. All that’s left is to make the French bread and let it rise and to roast some potatoes.”

  “Oh wow. We’re really ahead of schedule then. I still have the duck to contend with and to combine the cassoulet because it’ll need about two hours. Besides the bread, do you want to do the fish and finish the mussels?”

  Her eyes widen. “Really?”

  I chomp on a couple chips. I’m sure Knox is downing all this salty cholesterol-in-a-bag right now. Focus, Rowan.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Wyatt stops scarfing down his sandwich long enough to chime in. “I don’t really have anything else to do so it wouldn’t hurt to practice the drink?”

  Uh oh. “Um, okay. Practice?”

  He places a hand on my shoulder and moves an inch away from my face. “Don’t worry, it’ll be magnificent.”

  I narrow my eyes and stare for a good minute, right there in his face. He doesn’t shrink under my gaze so he must be confident. “Okay. What alcohol are you using? Just curious.”

  He stitches his e
yebrows together. “Champagne, of course. What else?”

  I nod. What else indeed.

  At the end of the day, when the judges have spoken, Knox and brothers come out on top this round. Not by as much as we beat them yesterday which I take with some gratification. It’s still a win for them though.

  A win for all of us is that Flynn never came back. It will be interesting to see if he has indeed left.

  I’m packing my knives into my backpack, when Knox saunters up, grinning. “Good effort today, Amber.” He winks, but it’s not like before. He’s teasing and happy and for once, I’m happy right along with him.

  “You too, Everheart.” I lean in a bit closer and check out my surroundings to ensure no one can hear me. “What’re you doing tonight? We have a late call tomorrow.”

  He plants his feet but leans all the way back and raises his brows. “Are you asking what I think you’re asking?”

  I jerk him back to me by his chef’s jacket which is covered in lots of red and green. “Do you always have to be so loud? Damn. You look like a Christmas stocking by the way.”

  “That’s not a clarification, Amber.”

  “Probably not thinking the same, but maybe a little light making out if you have the time.”

  “I’ll make the time. Are you heading back to the hotel now?”

  Smirking, I look around again. “Yes, to change and talk to Lillie, and then out to dinner. Later I’ll be back at the hotel.”

  “Oh, okay. With Wyatt and his fiancée?”

  I snort, then cover my mouth. “As if. They’ve already left me and headed out on their own. They never want a third wheel. I don’t blame them though.”

  Knox glances at the audience where some of the previous contestants are chatting up the presenters.

  I follow his line of sight. Maybe he’s looking for his father?

  “No Mike tonight?”

  Tilting my head, I really study him. Maybe not just jealous. Is Knox insecure? I immediately throw that thought out the window. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s been the most confident person in the whole wide world. Still… “No. I spoke to him earlier. He’s going out with the lovely Dolter sisters tonight.”