Recipe for Kisses (23 page)

Four men stared at him from around the large conference table inside Wyatt’s plush offices.

“Breathe, Michael,” he said to his publicist, who sat rigidly still beside him. “This isn’t the end of the world.”

Suddenly the stout, portly man at the end of the table jumped up, pounding his open palm on the polished mahogany. “It’s the end of your world, you cocky prick.” James Wyatt was as well known for his outbursts as he was for his world-class restaurants. He and Ben had that in common. “Is this some kind of a fucking joke? Some sadistic mind trick cooked up by the producers of that crock-of-shit show of yours?”

“It’s no joke, James.”

Another string of expletives erupted from the restaurant mogul’s mouth, so colorful and inventive that Ben thought he should take notes.

“I’m sorry.” The words felt rusty in Ben’s mouth, but he found he meant them. His temper, always simmering just under the surface, was shockingly passive. For the first time in years, he felt peaceful. Well, not in years. He’d been at peace with Chloe wrapped in his arms. She’d changed not only his life, but also his heart. This time in Las Vegas had showed him that he couldn’t go back again. He didn’t want to go back again. He wanted to move forward, with his family and with the woman he loved.

He wanted to be a man who deserved her love, but first he had to get back to her.

“You string me along for weeks then refuse to sign? I’m going to open this restaurant without you and fucking have your balls as the nightly special.”

Ben smiled. He couldn’t help it. The thought that he knew what he wanted in life and was going to go after it made an unfamiliar bubble of joy . . . actual joy . . . inflate in his chest. “I hope you season them better than the scallops we were served last night.”

Just as Wyatt launched himself across the table, the door burst open and Ben’s father, Chloe, Abby, and Zach ran into the room.

He was so distracted at the sight of the four of them that he took his attention off Wyatt, who landed a swift punch to his jaw. Ben reeled back, his chair flipping over as Chloe and Abby screamed. By the time he lifted to his elbows, his father had hauled the short owner off him as Michael helped hold back the man.

“You’ll never work in this town again,” Wyatt spat out. “I’m going to fucking ruin you.” He tried to shrug out of Harry’s grasp, but Ben’s dad was like a pit bull when he wanted to be.

One of the man’s lackeys moved forward. “Sir?”

“Get your fucking hands off me,” Wyatt hissed to Harry. “I’m done here.”

Harry let him go, giving the man a hard push toward his assistant. Everyone in the meeting except Michael cleared the room.

Chloe was at Ben’s side in an instant. “Are you ok?” she whispered, cradling his head between her hands. He rubbed a hand along his jaw. It stung, but he’d had worse hits.

“It wasn’t as bad as being maced,” he told her and earned a small smile. He should get up now since he really was fine, but he didn’t want her to take her hands off him. This felt too good. He could smell her, the combination of flowers and citrus that was uniquely Chloe. He glanced at his niece and nephew, his dad, and then back to Chloe.

“What are you all doing here?”

“We came to rescue you,” Zach said.

“You can’t move to Las Vegas,” Abby added. “We need you in Denver.”

Zach pointed at Harry. “Grandpa bought a ton of junk food at the grocery.”

Harry playfully smacked the kid on the back of the head. “Not supposed to rat me out, boy.” His blue eyes met Ben’s. “But, yeah, we want you to come home.”

Home. That word echoed in his mind. Nothing had changed about the house where he’d grown up except . . . everything had changed. He’d changed.

“I said no to the restaurant.” He turned to Chloe with a smile. “Maybe we should get off the floor?”

The blush he loved so much flared in her cheeks. “Right. Of course.” She scrambled up, away from him, and he followed, straightening the chair as he stood.

“You’re coming back to Denver?” Abby’s voice was quiet, and the uncertainty in it melted away the last of his walls.

“Yes. We’re a family, and we need to stick together.”

“You’ll do the cooking, right?” Zach asked, pointing at Harry and making a gagging noise.

“We’ll share the cooking,” Ben told the boy. “I’m going to teach you.”

“What about traveling for the show?” Abby still didn’t look convinced.

Ben glanced at Michael. “There’s been a change to my contract. I’m not doing a full season of
A Beast in Your Kitchen
. There’s going to be a new show where I bring chefs who need an attitude adjustment to Denver for boot camp. We’ve even hired an anger management counselor to help the hot-headed chefs find better ways to deal with their tempers.”

Harry leveled a look at him. “All the hot-headed chefs?”

Ben glanced at Chloe then nodded. “Even me.”

His agent let out a long-suffering sigh as he headed for the door. “I can’t believe you convinced EatTV, but they love the idea.”

Ben nodded. “Of course they did. I’m fucking brilliant.”

“Language,” Zach and Harry said at the same time.

“I can’t give up all my vices at once, you people.”

“Tell them the best part,” Michael said. “And I’ll go smooth things over with Wyatt’s people.”

“I don’t give a damn about—”

“It’s my job,” the agent said. “I’m part of the team, Ben.”

Ben nodded then turned to Abby and Zach. “I’m also going to open my own restaurant in Denver. Something for families, real food done my way.”

Finally a smile broke across Abby’s face. “Then it’s settled. It’s all working out just how it was supposed to.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ben saw Chloe backing away. “Almost settled,” he told his niece and turned to Chloe.

“You came for me,” he said softly and held out his hand to her.

Chloe eyed Ben’s outstretched fingers, but didn’t place hers in them just yet. If she touched him again, she was afraid she’d totally lose all control. This was what she’d come to Las Vegas for, to reunite him with his family. And now . . .

“I want you to have the building,” she said softly. “If you’re really going to open a restaurant, that’s where you need to do it.”

He shook his head and took a step toward her, the heat and scent of him crowding her senses. “The toy store is yours, Chloe. Cory understands that his fight isn’t mine anymore.”

“But . . .”

“The Toy Chest is yours if you want it,” he repeated. “Just like I am.” His voice was solemn in a way that made her heart clench. “Take the store or leave the store. I don’t care as long as you stay with me. I’m bullheaded and loud, and I know I hurt you.” He placed his fingers on either side of her face. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I’m sorry for being an idiot.”

“We hurt each other,” she answered. “I’m sorry for wanting you to change.”

“I have changed.” He crouched down so he could look directly in her eyes. “Loving you has changed me, sweetheart. And I do love you. So much.”

“I love you, too.” She sniffed and blinked, trying to stop the tears she knew were coming. Happy tears were so embarrassing. “But I love you just the way you are.”

“God help her,” Harry muttered, and Chloe giggled as Abby punched him in the arm.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” Ben whispered, ignoring his father. “You’re my home, my one true place in this world. Let me take care of you, be gentle to you. Not because you can’t take care of yourself, but because I love you. I want to be your safe harbor, Chloe.”

“You are.”

He kissed her then, sweet and full of promise. “Marry me,” he said against her lips.

“Really?” Chloe flushed as hope and anticipation thrummed through her. She never expected to be in this place again with a man. But Ben was everything she never knew she wanted in her life. He wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for her.

“I hope by ‘really,’ you mean yes,” he said with a laugh.

“I do.” Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her, holding her tightly against him. “Yes, Ben. Every day, yes.”

“You can get married right now.”

They both turned to where Zach stood at the window of the conference room, pointing across the street to the garishly painted wedding chapel with a neon-pink steeple anchoring it.

“The sign says they’re open until midnight so we’ve got plenty of time.”

“Oh,” Chloe said on a breath. “I don’t think—”

Ben’s grin widened. “It’s perfect. Marry me today, Chloe. Now.”

“No way.” Abby’s voice cut through her shock. But when she looked at the girl, Abby was smiling. “You need a dress. A white one.”

Harry nudged the teen. “Still got Ben’s credit card?”

Abby nodded. “There’s a mall around the corner. I saw it when we drove up. We’ll meet you at the wedding chapel in an hour.”

“Awesome,” Zach shouted.

Ben pulled her close again. “What do you think? If you need more time . . .”

Chloe didn’t need more time. She’d spent hours and days and years planning and worrying. But this moment, full of uncertainty and spontaneity, felt more right than anything that had come before.

“I think I’ll see you in an hour.” She kissed him then grabbed Abby’s hand and headed for the door.

It didn’t take an hour. On the racks of the first shop they went in, Chloe found the perfect dress, a simple chiffon sheath with cap sleeves that was both elegant and understated. Turns out money might not buy happiness, but it could pay for an amazing wedding gown with just a swipe of a credit card.

The men were waiting and had managed to find matching deep-blue Oxford shirts. Harry walked her down the aisle while Zach and Abby served as best man and maid of honor.

It felt exactly right to stand with this family—her family—and officially join her life with Ben’s. Already her heart belonged to him, and Chloe couldn’t stop giggling during the ceremony, until the moment when the minister pronounced them husband and wife. The intensity and love in Ben’s gaze as he looked at her nearly took her breath away.

He kissed her again, and it was perfect. This moment, this perfect kiss, was the start to the life she’d always dreamed of having, and so much more.

EPILOGUE

C
hloe stood in the doorway of the café’s ramshackle kitchen for a few minutes before Ben noticed her. She never tired of watching him work. His broad shoulders filled out the white chef’s jacket he wore, and the muscles in his forearms bunched as he lifted a heavy pot off the stove. He dumped its contents into a sink strainer then finally looked up, a wide smile lighting his face. He smiled a lot these days, and she loved being part of the reason for it.

He crooked a finger in her direction. “Come here, wife.”

“That sounds like a command,” she said but took a step forward. All Ben had to do was look at her to make her melt.

“Please,” he added and met her halfway. He swung her into his arms as they kissed, heat pulsing through her at the first touch of his mouth.

“Give it a rest,” Abby hollered as she bustled through the kitchen door. “We’re working here, people.”

“Your friends act like they haven’t eaten in months,” Harry added, hefting an empty serving bowl as he followed Abby toward the prep counter.

After another quick kiss, Ben set Chloe to the ground. “The food is
that
good,” he told his father, earning a hearty chuckle from Harry.

“Then stop screwing around and let’s have more of it.”

“If tonight is any indication,” Chloe said, moving toward the trays of appetizers waiting to be served, “the restaurant is going to be a huge success.”

“We’ve got a ways to go before Not Your Mama’s is ready,” Ben answered but couldn’t quite hide his satisfied smile as he met her gaze.

Renovations were set to begin on the café next to The Toy Chest the following week. Tonight they were hosting an intimate engagement party for Kendall and Ty in the old space, a chance to try out a few of the recipes Ben had developed for his new restaurant, which he’d named Not Your Mama’s as a nod to the recurring compliment Abby, Zach, and Harry gave to their favorite recipes.

After their whirlwind wedding two months ago, they’d returned to Denver to figure out how to merge their lives and what the future held for each of them. Ben had decided that his dream restaurant was one that merged classic, down-home dishes with fresh ingredients and an eclectic twist. Although the café was outdated, it was the perfect size and location. Ben wanted a place where families felt comfortable dining with their kids and to keep it small enough that he could get to know his patrons. Gone were the thundering rants that had become the hallmark of “Ben the Beast.” Her new husband still had a tendency to yell, but he was learning to control his temper and not the other way around.

In fact, he was about to begin filming the first week of the new EatTV show,
Boot Camp with the Beast
. Ben was actually excited about the idea of hot-tempered chefs coming to Denver to work with him and gain access to both his culinary expertise and his growing skill at keeping calm under pressure.

For her part, Chloe had retained ownership of The Toy Chest but made Karen the manager of the business. Chloe had applied for her social work license and taken a position as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Safehouse Shelter. She wanted to help more women gain the confidence to rebuild their lives away from the domestic violence that in many cases had dominated it for years.

They’d bought a rambling home in the Highlands neighborhood and moved Abby and Zach in with them. Chloe had gone with the three of them to visit Cory, and from what she could tell, he’d made peace with Ben’s decision to abandon the plan for revenge against The Toy Chest.

“I’m getting money.” Zach bounced into the kitchen from the dining room. “I took some lady’s empty plate, threw it in the trash, and she handed me five bucks.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “You’re wearing a shirt that says ‘Tipping . . . it’s not just for cows.’”

“I don’t even know what it means,” Zach said with a grin. “Grandpa brought it home and told me to wear it.”

“Stick with me, buddy.” Harry winked at Zach then nudged Abby with his hip. “I had one for you, too.”

“So embarrassing,” Abby muttered.

When Harry’s face fell, she gave him a small hug. “But I appreciate the thought, Harr—”

“What do you call me?” the old man asked with a growl.

“I appreciate it,
Grandpa
,” she amended.

“That’s better.”

“No more sappy stuff,” Ben shouted. “We’ve got people to feed.”

“We just caught you and Chloe kissing,” Abby shouted back. “What the hell?”

“Language,” the four of them said in unison.

Ben laughed and came up behind Chloe, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re about to see it again if you don’t get out of my kitchen. Be off with you, faithful servants.”

The rest of the Haddox clan groaned as they picked up dishes and bowls and disappeared into the dining room.

“We’ve got to get out there,” Chloe said then moaned as Ben dipped his head to capture her earlobe between his teeth.

“Give me a few minutes,” he whispered against her skin.

“Two?” she asked with a laugh.

“That comment will cost you.” He whirled her around and claimed her mouth for a slow, languorous kiss that made her want to ignore their friends and family for the rest of the night. But after a few glorious moments he pulled back. “Thank you for making me happier than I knew I could be.”

The love and devotion in his gaze made her insides melt all over again. “The happiness goes both ways, Chef Hottie.”

“Your Chef Hottie,” he told her. “I’m yours forever, Chloe.”

“My everything,” she agreed and kissed him again. There was no more hiding, no more fear. With Ben at her side, Chloe knew her life would be a perfectly imperfect, chaotic, joyful, satisfying adventure. And she planned to savor every moment of it.

The End