HEAT Vol. 3 (Master Chefs: HEAT Series #3) (3 page)

Pleased,
he smiled, took my hand and led me back inside.

Beaming,
Taryn looked at us.  “Now that’s more like it.  All’s well with the happy, young
couple?”

“All’s
well,” Bobby confirmed.  He pulled in a long and deep breath and let it out
with a hungry sigh.  “Smells delicious.  When do we eat?”

“Good. 
Now everything is settled, I can feed you all.  Head on to the table and I’ll
bring you something good and hot.”

During
the meal we avoided any talk of Rial and the ordeal he’d put us through. 
Conversation was light as we discussed a new opera in town, the latest
exhibition at a nearby art gallery and the success of a recent addition to the
menu at one of Errol’s restaurants.

“Nana
would be proud,” Errol said, holding a forkful chicken and vegetables.

“That
was fabulous,” Bobby said as he scraped the last of the pot pie off his plate. 
“I’m proud of you, too, sis.”

“Want
another serving?” she said with a laugh.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so
hungry.  This even beats when you were a growing teen.”

“Nope. 
I’m good.  What’s for dessert?”

“Following
the theme of Nana’s delicious home style cooking, I made her
gâteau aux fraises renversé
.”

Bobby
licked his lips and smacked his hands together in anticipation, but before
Taryn could bring him a serving, the doorbell rang.

“Great,”
Errol muttered as he got up and headed to the door.  “Now what?”

With
three plates of cake strategically held in her hands, Taryn watched Errol as he
looked at the security monitor.  Even from the table I could see who it was and
my breath caught in my throat.

“No,”
I muttered.  How could it be?  It couldn’t be.  He couldn’t have.

“Bastard,”
Bobby snarled.  “How’d he find out where we were?”

Taryn
looked at us, the question plain on her face; is it him?

Bobby
and I nodded.

“Looks
like you're about to find out just how much these brothers look alike,” Bobby
said.

Chapter 3

“
L
ooks like we won’t have to wait too long before
we get some answers,” Errol said.

Taryn
quickly and haphazardly set the dessert plates on the table and rushed to
Errol’s side.  “Is it him?  Is it…?”  On seeing the screen she cut herself
off.  “Oh, my God.  It’s remarkable.  He really does look like you.  I never
would have thought another man could be quite as good looking as you are, my
love.”

Errol
chuckled.  “I guess it’s a good thing you met me before you could meet my
dashing, young brother, Mrs. King.”

“I’m
sure he’s not nearly as charming as you are.”  She leaned in to kiss him and
Errol’s hands were instantly around her, cupping her rear end.

“Ahem,”
Bobby signaled.  “We’re still here.”

Taryn
pulled away, a sly grin on her face.  “What are you going to do?  Are you going
to let this brother of yours in?”

His
jaw tensed and he suddenly seemed unsure.  “He could be dangerous.”

“Of
course he’s dangerous,” Bobby said.  “He held Lilly hostage.”

“Not
that I’m defending him,” I said, “but he was gentle and careful with me.  He
didn’t hurt me.”

“Great. 
Maybe we should give the guy a trophy; Gentle Kidnapper.”  Bobby got to his
feet and took a defensive stance as if ready for a great battle.  “Gentle or
not, he held you against your will.  That’s reason enough for me to hate the
guy.”

The
bell rang again.

“He’s
not to be trusted, Errol,” Bobby said as Errol brought his finger to the
buzzer.

“We’re
four to his one.”  Taking in a deep breath, he pressed on the buzzer to let
Rial up.  “He wouldn’t be stupid enough to do anything while we’re all here.”

“He
looked that stupid to me,” Bobby let out.

Taryn
took Errol’s hand.  “I’ve never seen you so tense and nervous.”

“There
are so many questions I’ve never had answers to.  This is my chance to get
those answers.  This is my chance to get to know the parents I barely
remember.”

She
wrapped her arm around him.  “If he’s got your blood, I’m sure he’s a good
man.  Maybe on the wrong path, but a good man all the same.”

Still
glued to my seat, I watched them all as they waited for Rial’s arrival.  It
seemed an eternity passed before Errol finally opened the door and faced his
sibling.

“My
calendar cleared up and it looks like I’ll be able to squeeze in that lunch
with you after all.”

“Fair
enough.”  Errol made no move to let Rial in.

“Aren’t
you going to let me in?”

“Just
so we’re clear; we may be related, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping a
very close eye on you the entire time you're here.  If you enter my home, I
expect you to act respectfully to everyone in it.”

Rial
smirked and nodded.  “I’ll do my best.”  He made a dramatic show of wiping his
shoes on the hall carpeting and tipping an imaginary hat before crossing the
threshold.  The moment he stepped in, the harsh, uncompromising lines of his
face softened.  He took a few more steps inside, sniffing the air as he went.

“Smells
of home,” he said softly.

Errol
and Taryn glanced at each other then looked curiously at Rial.

“I
don’t know what you cooked up, Errol, but it smells just like something Mama
used to make.  Strange that you would do that even though you never really knew
her, much less her cooking.”

Taryn
cleared her throat and glanced at Errol before stepping up to Rial.  “Um,
actually, I’m the one who made it.”  She seemed almost embarrassed to admit
it.  “Lately I’ve been trying out recipes I found in the journals Errol’s Nana
wrote.  I guess this is a recipe she passed on to your mother, and she made it
for you in turn.”

Rial
turned and looked at Taryn for the first time.  “So you're the new Mrs. Errol
King.”

“The
only Mrs. Errol King,” Errol corrected.

“Actually,
if you men don’t mind, I’m Mrs. Taryn King,” Taryn said with a playful laugh.

“Well,
either way,” Rial said, reaching for her hand.  “You are even more beautiful
than the press stated.  What a lovely addition to the family you are, my sister-in-law.”

Impressed,
Taryn cocked her brow and glanced back at Errol.  “I take back what I said
about the charm.  This little brother of yours might give you a good run for
your money.”

Errol
quickly made his way to her side and wrapped a possessive arm around her waist.

“I
thought you said he was some bum.”  She turned back to Rial with a gentle
smile.  “You seem to be a fine, young gentleman.”  Her light laughter cut
through some of the tension in the room, but Bobby took a heavy step toward
them, still ready for a fight.

“Don’t
let the smooth words fool you,” he warned.

Amused
but unimpressed, Rial ignored Bobby.  He looked to his brother, his eye
twinkled with mischief as he leaned in to say, “Don’t worry.  Your lovely wife
is safe.  I already have my eyes set on that one over there.”

I
stared at him as he made his way to me.  Unable to move I just sat there,
waiting.  He came to my side, took my hand and bent down to kiss my fingertips.

“I
found this among my mother’s treasured possessions.”  He pulled an exquisite,
antique diamond ring out of his pocket.  The diamond was impressive without
being overwhelming, but the silver ring was intricately designed and I was
instantly drawn to it.

As
I stared at the ring, he held my hand and deftly slipped the ring onto my
finger.

“If
I remember correctly, this ring was meant to go on this finger the moment you
turned of age.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find you at that time, but
now….  Now it’s official.  This ring seals our engagement.”  He closed my hand
and held it between both of his.

The
warmth that came from him was startling and I was mesmerized and stunned by the
strange effect he was having on me.  So stunned, that when he bent down to me,
I couldn’t imagine what he wanted.

But
then his lips pressed against mine and I was suddenly prepared to give him
whatever he wanted.  Soft yet passionate, his lips took mine, possessed them in
a way they’d never been possessed before.  My entire body reacted to the kiss
and I was thankful I’d remained seated.  If anything, I was tempted to lean
back and welcome more of the passionate kiss.

When
he pulled away, my lips were tender and hungry for more.  I never knew a man’s
kiss could be so electric, so arousing.  My heart pounded like thunder and my
skin was suddenly hot and alert.

Bobby’s
angry grunt brought me out of my aroused stupor and I was once again aware of
everyone in the room; everyone who’d watched Rial kiss me.

Oh,
my God.  They had all witnessed the passionate kiss, witnessed how easily I’d
succumbed to it.

I
brought my hands to my face, hoping to cool the flame that quickly rose to my
cheeks, but when I saw the pain and anger in Bobby’s dark eyes, the heat of my
cheeks only intensified.

Chapter 4

“
T
hat certainly was interesting,” Bobby said. 
His hands on the wheel, he stared at the road straight ahead.  We’d left Taryn
and Errol’s place nearly five minutes earlier and it was the first time he’d
spoken.  Before I could say anything, he turned the car into the parking lot of
a department store.

“Why
are you stopping here?”

“Because
we need to talk and I can’t drive and talk about all this at the same time.” 
He grabbed my hand and raised it so I could see the diamond still on my
finger.  “If you believe this whole engagement thing is just some ploy, why are
you still wearing the ring he gave you?  You like it?  Are you going to keep
it?”

“It’s
stuck on my finger, Bobby.  I tried to pull it off, but it won’t come off.” It
went on.  It should be able to come off.” Bobby turned off the engine.

“What
are we going to do if he pushes this engagement and wants to marry you?”

“He
can’t very well force me to marry him.  We’re not in the middle ages.”

“Arranged
marriages still happen, you know.”

“I
know.”  I had no real argument for him there.

“And
what about that kiss?”

I
wanted desperately to avoid talking about that.  What could I say?  I couldn’t
tell him the truth.  It would kill him.  And I couldn’t very well lie.  It went
against everything I’d ever been taught.

“It
was embarrassing,” I finally said.

“You
bet it was embarrassing.  Here I am trying to save my girl from the clutches of
some rogue brother and she actually melts into his kiss.”

“I
didn’t melt, Bobby.  I was stunned and shocked.  It was the last thing I
expected him to do.”

He
pulled in a long, tired breath.  “It was the last thing I expected too.”

“Forget
about all that.  It was just a silly kiss from a man who obviously has some
problems.  Let Errol deal with him.  For now, I just can’t stop thinking about
my father.  I keep repeating over and over the words Rial said about him… and
that accusation he made against my father.  I’d die if I found out my father
actually killed someone.  I couldn’t live with the guilt.”

“Guilt? 
Why should you live with the guilt?  You had nothing to do with it.”  He took
my hand in his and held it tight.  “Look, I’m prepared to put the whole
engagement thing with Rial aside.  You're right.  We’ll let Errol deal with
him, and let me deal with you. I’ll help you find out what really happened to
your father.”

“Really?” 
After that blatantly passionate kiss with Rial, I hadn’t dared ask Bobby to
help me find my father.  “I think I could find a lot of answers to my questions
back at the convent.”

“Okay. 
We’ll head out there then.”

“Now?”

“The
sooner you get your answers, the sooner we’ll be able to put all this behind
us.”

Wasting
no time, he put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot.  Before long
we were rolling down the familiar country roads that led far away from Paris,
and closer and closer to my childhood home.

My
heart was pulled in two.  I wanted to know the truth, but I was afraid of what
that truth would be.

Bobby
must have noticed my growing agitation because he reached for my hand and gave
it a loving squeeze.  “I’m not happy about Rial coming into our lives and
disrupting everything, but I’m here for you, Lilly.  No matter what happens,
I’m here.”

I
leaned back and let out a soothing sigh.  “I know you are, Bobby, but it’s good
to hear you say it all the same.”

“What
do you think you’ll find at the convent?”

I
shrugged.  “I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, but I can only pray
Mother Superior knows something… anything.  A number, an address, an alias. 
I’d be thankful if she could offer any clue.”

The
closer we got to the convent, the more doubtful I became, however.  “Surely if
Mother Superior had known something she would have told me, don’t you think?”

Bobby
shook his head.  “Not if she was asked not to.”

 He
was right.  If my father didn’t want me to know he was alive, he probably gave
strict instruction regarding his privacy.

The
convent finally came into view, and my heart raced.  So much was at stake. 
Bobby pulled into the long drive and parked the car.  Looking at me, he waited.

“Ready?”
he said after a long moment.

“I
guess.”  Half-heartedly, I got out of the car and headed to the main entrance. 
In the distance I spotted Sister Anne.  “Come on,” I said to Bobby as I grabbed
his hand and pulled him in her direction.  “
Soeur
Anne. 
Soeur
Anne.”

She
turned to us, all serenity and wisdom in her pale eyes.  “Why, is that you
Lilly?”

I
hurried to her as she open her arms to welcome.  “It’s me, all right.  How good
it is to see you.”

“And
what a surprise it is to see you; a very pleasant surprise.  What brings you
back?  Feeling a little nostalgic?”  She glanced at Bobby, then at the ring on
my finger.  “Obviously things are going well for you on the outside.  For a
moment there I thought perhaps you’d changed your mind and decided to return to
the veil.”

Snuggling
up to Bobby, I smiled, but didn’t bother with an explanation about the ring. 
“I still have God in my heart, but I do love Bobby.”

She
gave him a firm pat on the cheek.  “You look like a good boy, a good boy for
our Lilly.”

“
Soeur
Anne,” I said.  “I’d like to visit with Mother Superior.  Do you know where I
could find her?”

Shaking
her head, she patted my hand.  “She left early this morning.  Didn’t tell me
where she was going, only that she’d be back at half past six.”

I
glanced at my watch.  It was almost five thirty.  We had an hour to kill.

“I’m
sorry, dear.”

“That’s
all right.  It’ll give me a chance to re-visit the place.  Do you think it
would be all right if I took a look at my old room?”

“I
don’t see why not.  No one is using it.”

“And
I’ll take Bobby through the gardens, if that’s okay.”

“Make
yourself at home, dear, and let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank
you.”

We
walked through the long corridor that led to the gardens in the back.  “It
feels so strange to be back here.”

“Good
memories?”

I
looked out at the gardens with a wan smile.  Were my memories good?  “I’m not
sure.  I mean, they’re not necessarily bad memories, but I guess I always felt
like a part of me was missing.  I know I was loved by the sisters, and Mother
Superior was always very caring and attentive, but…”

“But
it wasn’t like having your mom and dad.”

“Yeah.” 
I reached out to finger the bright green leaves of parsley.  Pressing my
thumbnail into the flesh of my index finger, I snapped off a few leaves. 
“Parsley; such a neglected herb.”

“You
mean those few leaves they put on top of a steak or mashed potatoes.”

“The
ones that people always leave behind.”

“I
could make a barrel full of taboule with the parsley I’ve picked up from empty
plates over the years.  I even argued about it with my mom once.  Like what’s
the point of putting it on the plate if no one ever eats it.”

“Garnish,”
we both said in unison.

Laughing,
we continued to stroll through the garden.  Little had changed since my
departure.  The weeds were pulled out, the plants were all trimmed and pruned,
and any ripe and ready vegetable had been picked.  The only area of neglect was
at the flower beds.  It seemed no one had fertilized them for a while.

“Come
on,” I said.  “I want to go see my old room.”

The
halls were quiet and bare as I took the familiar route to my room.  Only the
sounds of our footsteps accompanied us.  Just to be on the safe side, I knocked
when we arrived at my door.

“Sometimes
Sister Anne forgets,” I told Bobby before opening the door.

Fresh
air wafted in from the open window, but the room was still a little stuffy with
the faint scent of moisture.

“I
never could completely rid this room of the humidity.”

“I
can’t believe you grew up in such minimal comfort.”

“When
it’s all you’ve ever known, you can’t really miss the luxury other little girls
grow up with.  I couldn’t imagine having more.  I didn’t know what a pink
princess room looked like until sometime last year when I passed in front of a
furniture store and saw the beautiful white canopy bed with pink frill covers
and everything a little girl could want in her room.”

“Did
you at least have a doll or teddy bear to keep you company at night?”

I
pressed my lips together and shook my head.  “I had Jesus to keep me company.”

He
frowned.  “I’m not one to bash anyone’s religious beliefs, or anything, but is
that enough for a little girl?”

Unable
to choke out a response, I simply shook my head.  “Later, when I grew up,
having Jesus in my life was enough; it had even been a blessing, but as a
little girl, lost and all alone, without a mother or father, a doll or teddy
bear…”  The emotions of that lost little girl hit me hard.  “Anything to hug
and hold when I curled up on the hard, cold bed would have been comforting.  At
that time Jesus was just an abstract notion.  Everyone talked about him, told
me how much he loved me, and told me he was always there with me, but I
couldn’t understand who he was, why I was supposed to love him, or where he
was.”

I
sat on the edge of my bed, just as hard and uncomfortable as it had always
been.  A spark of anger took over for a moment and I gripped the thin
mattress.  Why had my father abandoned me and left me to grow up here alone
when he was alive?

“You
okay?” Bobby said.

“I
was just thinking; what am I going to say to him?”

“Who? 
Your father?”

“Yeah.
 When I come face to face with him, what will I say?  ‘Hi, Dad.  Long time no
see.  What have you been up to lately?  Why did you abandon me?  Why did you
leave me here, cold and afraid?  Are you a murderer?”  With every question, my
voice hardened with anger and bitterness.

I
quickly closed my eyes and sought the inner peace I knew I had in me.  I
couldn’t let the bitterness take over.  Quietly, I muttered a prayer.

“What
is that you're saying?” Bobby said.  “A prayer?”

“Serenity
prayer.”

He
looked at me with a blank expression.

“Lord,
give me the strength to change what I can change, the serenity to accept what I
cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  My heart full of
questions and doubts, I looked up at him.  “I can’t help but get upset at my
father, but I know I shouldn’t.  No matter the reason for what he did, I have
to find it in my heart to forgive him.”

“You
have to believe there was a good reason for doing what he did.”

“Yes,
but what?”

He
looked at his watch.  “Your Mother Superior should be back now.  Let’s go ask
her.”

I
led the way, praying with every step, with every inch that brought me closer to
her, that she would give me an answer.

“
Qui
est a la porte
?” she asked after I’d tapped lightly on the door.

“Mother
Superior, it’s Lilly.  Lilly Cooke.”

“Lilly! 
Entrez
,
cher enfant
.  Come in.”

I
opened the door.  “Bobby’s with me.”

“He’s
welcome to come in as well.”  Beaming, she looked at us.  “You’re radiant,
ma chère
.  Absolutely radiant.”

“Thank
you.  You're looking well, too.”

She
smiled and gestured to the chairs facing the large desk that was clean and
clear of any object except the open book in front of her.

“
Soeur
Anne said you wanted to speak with me.  What can I do for you,
mon enfant
?”

“I’ve
recently heard some rumors, and I was hoping you could clarify them.”

“Rumors. 
Lilly, I’m hardly in the gossip and rumors business.  I fail to see how I could
help you, but I’ll try.”

“The
rumors are about my father.”

“Oh?” 
She closed the book on her desk and leaned back, clasping her hands over her
chest.

“Yes. 
It appears that he’s alive.”

“Oh?” 
She pressed her lips together and it was clear she was uncomfortable with the
conversation.

“Mother
Superior, my father deliberately left me here and went on with his life without
me.  Why?”

“How
could I possibly answer that, Lilly?”

“Please. 
I need to know the truth.”

“The
only truth I can tell you is that we were blessed with a beautiful little girl
who was frightened and lost, but who became a beautiful young woman who is now
strong and capable.”

I
smiled despite the knot in my gut.  “If he did leave me here, if he is still
alive, I just can’t help but wonder if he’s ever contacted anyone here, ever
asked about me.  Does he care what happened to me?  Does he want to know who I
became?”

Offering
me just a brief smile, she then cast her eyes to her clasped hands and I knew
she would say nothing more.

With
more calm than I felt, I rose.  “I’m so sorry if I put you in a difficult
position,
Mère
.  It wasn’t my intention.”

“God
bless you, Lilly.  It was good seeing you again.”

I
nodded and walked to the door with Bobby following silently behind me.  “Good
day,
Mère
.”  I walked out and closed the door
behind us, but couldn’t move after that.  I was frozen, paralyzed by the
thought of never finding out what had really happened to my father.

“Don’t
worry, Lilly.  I’m sure there are other avenues you can take,” Bobby said.