Tempting Donovan Ford (32 page)

“They’ll be pissed if they hear you were here and didn’t pop in.” Sasha laid a warm hand on her shoulder. “Come on, chef.”

Julia’s throat tightened. Chef. She hadn’t been called that since she left La Petite Bouchée.

“Don’t you want to check and make sure nothing has burned down? I’d tell you everything is fine, but there was that one pan. The one you used for veggies and, well...
Poof.
But it led a good life.”

“You burned my veggie pan?” That had been her favorite pan.

“See? We need you.”

They needed her, just as she needed them. She swallowed. Maybe it was time to make her decision. One way or the other, she needed to step out of limbo and into her future. Possibility rose in her chest, made her pulse flutter.

As much as she’d appreciated the easiness of the brunch gig, it hadn’t even provided enough satisfaction in the short-term. Eggs and waffles, bacon and sausage weren’t why she’d attended culinary school, weren’t why she’d spent six years in France studying under the toughest and best chefs she could find.

She needed her own kitchen again.

The image of her name on the door flashed through her head again.

“Hey.” Donovan put a hand on her shoulder. “You ready to come back to the table? We have champagne.”

“In a minute. There’s something I need to do.” She kissed him, took a bracing breath and looked at Sasha. “Let’s go.”

She needn’t have worried about her kitchen. It was just as she’d left it. Including her veggie pan. She sent Sasha a pointed look when she saw it, with nary a scorch mark, being used to sauté the holy trinity—onions, bell peppers and celery. The crew swarmed her when she stepped up to the pass and called out the next order. They wanted to know she was okay, wanted to know when she was coming back and wanted to know if, since she was marrying the owner—word traveled fast in the kitchen—she’d put in a good word to get them all a raise. She laughed and joked and even handled a couple of orders as easily as if she’d never been away.

She couldn’t stop smiling when she got back to the table.

Donovan leaned over to put his hand on her leg. He did that a lot, always looking for ways to touch her, as though assuring himself that she was still here. She liked it.

She put her hand on top of his, feeling the pressure of the new ring around her finger.

She looked down at her hand. The engagement ring felt different—not heavy or ungainly, just different. There was something where she’d been used to having nothing. She tilted her hand from side to side so the diamond caught the light and sparkled. He’d even bought her a special-made chain so she could wear it at work.

Donovan leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “It suits you.”

“You suit me.” She pressed more closely against him.

Owen popped the cork on the champagne and poured a row of flutes. The liquid bubbled up but never over the top. He pressed a glass into everyone’s hands.

They toasted and tasted, and after another round of hugging, everyone sat down. Donovan leaned closer. “I do have one more bit of news.”

His hand slid up her thigh, making her shudder. “Donovan, your family.” But when she darted a glance around the table, no one seemed to be paying much attention. Still, as welcoming and easygoing as Gus and Evelyn were, Julia didn’t think they’d appreciate it if she and Donovan started making out.

“Not that.” But his hand slid a little higher.

Julia put her hand on top of his. Not to remove it, but just to keep him from pushing farther.

Donovan chuckled, the sound sending another warm shiver through her. He raised his voice, garnering the notice of everyone else. “I think it’s time for her engagement gift.” He gave her a brief squeeze before sitting up straight. “This is something from all of us.”

From all of them? Julia looked from face to face, seeing friendly and accepting stares. From all of them. Because she was one of them, or pretty darn close. They loved her, and Donovan loved her. She felt impossibly full, as though rainbows and canaries were going to explode out of her in a sparkly shower of joy. “I don’t need an engagement gift.” She already felt spoiled.

Impossibly spoiled. Luckiest-girl-in-the-world spoiled.

“We’d like to give you shares in the restaurant.”

Julia’s breath caught. What? But, but... Her thoughts devolved into a jumble of yes and she’d start tomorrow and had the Fords read her mind or was she just that obvious? She focused. Tonight had made what she wanted so blatantly obvious. All she had to do was say yes. But she’d already made her decision.

“No.” The word was drawn out, long and slow and full of the thoughts still bounding around in her brain.

A circle of surprised faces looked back at her.

“I mean,” she hurried to clarify, “that I won’t simply take shares. I’ll earn them.”

Donovan leaned toward her, whispered in her ear, “I have a few ideas I’d like to propose.”

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” He grinned and kissed her and it felt good. Better than that, it felt right. This all did.

She took a breath and looked back at the table. “I want to come back as chef. If that’s what you had in mind.”

They were all nodding as if that should have been obvious. “There was a reason we haven’t changed the signage.”

In her mind’s eye, Julia saw her name in that beautiful font beside the front door. “Okay. Good. And I’ll work for those shares. I have some money saved, too.”

“Julia.” Donovan put his arm around her. “This is a gift. You’re family now.”

She hesitated and looked around at the Fords’ smiling faces. She realized that was true. She was part of their family, had been becoming one of them for weeks now. She saw the smiles of the servers who were nearby, those who’d obviously overheard Donovan’s announcement, and she realized they were still part of her family, too. Even if she hadn’t seen them in weeks, they still wanted her to be happy, were happy for her.

“Say yes, Julia. He won’t give up.” Owen raised his glass from across the table. “When Donovan gets something in his head, it’s not easy to change his mind. I should know. It took months for me to convince him to believe I’m a capable manager.”

“I could still change my mind,” Donovan joked, but there was no tension in his voice, and Julia saw the look that passed between the brothers. It was one of appreciation and newfound acceptance.

This was the family she was joining, the family she was part of. A family that loved, that was open to change and always supportive.

She thought about the kitchen that was just waiting for her to come back and the family she’d found both in and out of the restaurant that wanted her to say yes. And when the guilt crept up, she beat it back. Maybe it had been a mistake to leave. Maybe it hadn’t. But what mattered now was how she moved forward. Was she going to stay stuck in the past, wallowing in old decisions, or lift her chin and step into the future? She thought about her mom, how proud she’d be to know that Julia wasn’t just running the kitchen, but owned a stake in it. So what was she holding back for?

“Yes.”

She could return to her condition later. This was a conversation that didn’t need to be had here and now. It probably wouldn’t have been heard over all the celebrating and glass clinking and smothering hugs anyway.

Julia waited until they were in Donovan’s bed, warm and sated from food and sex, to bring it up. She rolled onto her side to face him and put a hand on his chest. “Donovan?”

“Yes?” He opened his eyes and looked at her, trapped her hand against his chest. She could feel the steady thump of his heart.

“About the restaurant.”

He yawned. “You already said you’d take ownership. You can’t take it back now. We have a verbal contract.”

She laughed. “I’m not taking it back, but I want to do something for you.” She pressed a kiss to his lips—her fiancé’s lips—and felt a shiver of pleasure. Reminded herself to stay on track.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. “You’ve done plenty. Remember, I’m not sixteen anymore.”

“Do you ever think about anything else?”

“You’re naked in my bed. So, no.”

“Seriously, Donovan? I’m trying to have a meaningful conversation here.”

“Then quit rubbing up against me.” But he held her in place when she started to move away. “No, I take that back. You’re perfect right where you are.”

She settled against him, since she liked exactly where she was, too. “Tell me about the pub.”

“The wine bars are fine. Better than fine, actually. Owen’s made some inspired changes.”

“Not the bars.” Though she’d love to take the opportunity to talk up Owen, this wasn’t the time. “The upscale gastropub. Are you still moving forward with it?”

He looked surprised. “Yes, but what does that have to do with the restaurant?”

“I told you that I wasn’t going to just accept the shares. I meant that. I’m going to earn them. I want you to cut my salary, and whatever you’d sell the shares at, and put that money toward your gastropub.” It was only fair. He’d given her everything she wanted, so she would do what she could to assist him.

Donovan’s eyes softened. “Julia, the company has more than enough money to pursue both options. You don’t have to do that.”

Julia thought about it for half a second. “I want to.” She didn’t think it was enough, but it was a start. A way of showing him that she truly was part of the family. That she would sweat and labor and do whatever was necessary not just for her own happiness but for theirs, as well.

“I’m not cutting your salary. In fact, now would be a good time to ask me for a raise.”

“Put it toward my shares.” She snuggled closer to him. “And I want to do whatever I can to help get it ready for opening. Create the menu, hire your kitchen staff.”

“And run La Petite Bouchée?”

“They managed just fine without me these last couple of months.” She could ease off a little to help Donovan.

“Actually, they haven’t.”

Julia wasn’t sure that was true, but it was nice to hear her presence had been missed. “I can do both.” She already had some ideas for a more casual menu, thoughts that had risen to the surface as she’d sat in the restaurant, in
her
restaurant. She still got a little thrill when she thought about it. And hiring wasn’t an issue. In fact, she already could think of a few staff members who might be a good fit. Those who were ready for more responsibility and who she knew could be trusted to take care of Donovan’s dream.

Donovan kissed her. “I don’t know what we did without you.”

She smiled. “You survived.”

“Barely. We need you. I need you.”

“You’ve got me.” She leaned forward, kissed him softly on the lips. “Forever.”

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from CONVINCING THE RANCHER by Claire McEwen.

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CHAPTER ONE

T
HE HIGH DESERT
air nipped her skin with icy teeth. Tess hunched her shoulders and used her free hand to haul her collar up higher, but the frigid wind worked its way between the seams of her coat, stealing her warmth inch by inch. Clutching her phone, she paced the sidewalk, raising her voice as the wind tried to whip it away. “Ed, just because my friend moved out to this backwoods cow town, that doesn’t make me qualified for this!”

“We’ve been over this, Tess. You already know the area.” Ed’s voice was calm, and she pictured her boss, comfortable and snug in his San Francisco office, probably sipping excellent coffee. She’d had to endure vile convenience-store slop on the drive down, and she was pretty sure there wasn’t an espresso to be found in Benson, California.