by Rye Hart
My daughter laid in bed, but she was awake. Her eyes were open in narrow slits.
“Everything alright?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I threw up.” She pointed beside her bed at a plastic trashcan. “Sorry.”
I said a silent thank you that I didn’t have to scrub vomit out of the carpet. “You don’t have to apologize, honey. Do you feel better?”
She shook her head again. “Not really.”
“Let me get you some lemon water.”
She gulped down the clear liquid like a champ, but a few minutes later, it all came back up again. Not good. It was almost time for me to head to the restaurant, but I couldn’t leave her when she was like this.
I texted Marla to let her know she had the day off. This was my responsibility. Besides, I’d just worry about Emery all day if I left her with the nanny. She would be fine in my office where I had plenty of room to give her a comfortable place to rest and keep an eye on her. If she didn’t get near anything or touch anyone, we’d be good. No cross contaminating the kitchen thanks to her not feeling well. Poor baby.
“All right, little one. Looks like you’re coming with Daddy to work.”
***
I showed up early to get Emery settled in my office. I spread a sheet out on my couch and propped some pillows up. Emery snuggled into her little nest happily.
I rummaged through the kitchen and grabbed a large steel stock pot. It wasn’t going to be used for soup today. I placed it beside Emery’s head.
“If you feel sick again, aim for this.”
Emery didn’t answer me. She looked over my shoulder at the office door, her eyes wide and bright. I turned to follow her gaze and saw Amber standing in the doorway.
I frowned. No one was supposed to be here yet. I’d planned on getting Emery tucked away before the crew arrived. This complicated things.
“You’re early,” I said, ignoring how beautiful she looked standing there, with her hair in a tight bun, revealing her beautiful long neck. The woman had no clue how sexy she was, or fuck, maybe she did, and I was an idiot.
Amber glanced from my daughter and back to me, a confused look on her face. “Yeah, I wanted to get a head start on prep. So, uh, what’s going on here?”
I opened my mouth to tell Amber to mind her own business and get to work, but I shut it again. I couldn’t be my usual asshole self in the restaurant with Emery around. She didn’t need to see me like that. It would just upset her, and considering she wasn’t feeling well, the last thing I wanted to do was make her feel worse.
“This is my daughter, Emery,” I said, keeping my voice even. I tried to give Amber a look that warned her to watch herself, but it was hard to maintain with Em right there.
Amber clamped her lips together like she was trying to hide a smile. “You have a daughter?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Yes, I have a daughter. Thank you captain obvious.”
She stared at me, like she was seeing me in a new light. I didn’t like it. Not one bit. There was a reason I kept my personal and professional lives separate. Things became confused when those two worlds collided, and women above everyone else overreacted to Em, like having a daughter made me something special.
It didn’t make me special. It made me a single father, which was the hardest job I’d ever had my whole life. It was the most important thing I’d ever do, and yet I was alone, making every decision and trying to keep up with molding my baby girl into someone that wouldn’t do what her mother did. She would be a different person, a better one.
Amber looked down at Emery, who stared back at her with a goofy smile on her face. Emery was usually shy when meeting new people. Seeing her react like this to Amber was a surprise.
“Well, hello there,” Amber said. “Nice to meet you.”
“I threw up today,” Emery said, beaming proudly.
Amber’s eyes widened in surprise. Then she burst out laughing.
I scrubbed my palm over my face. “She doesn’t need to know that, honey.”
“But it’s true.” Em gave her a sweet look.
Amber swiped away the tears of laughter from her eyes. She seemed to be enjoying herself. I sure as hell wasn’t.
“I’m sorry to hear that your tummy hurts,” Amber said.
Emery shook her head. “Not my tummy. My stomach.”
Amber barked a harsh laugh and shot me a dirty look. “Does everyone in your family have to correct me?”
I shrugged noncommittally. “Get it right, and that wouldn’t happen.”
Emery giggled and pulled her blanket over her face until just her eyes were peeking out. They twinkled with humor as she stared at Amber.
I couldn’t remember the last time Em acted like this with someone other than me. She was never this playful with Marla. It was good to see her happy.
I was almost curious to see how this played out.
“You’re pretty,” Emery said.
“Aww, and you’re sweet,” Amber replied.
“Are you my new mommy?”
Fuck. Too far. Time to shut it down.
“That’s enough, Emery,” I snapped.
Amber’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Whoa. What?”
I turned to Amber. “She’s messing with you. Don’t let that sweet innocent face fool you. She knows exactly what she’s doing. She thinks it’s funny. You’re not funny, Em.”
“You’re not funny,” she shot back and ducked her head under the covers, giggling like a little maniac.
“She’s got you there,” Amber chimed in, laughing too. “You are not in the slightest bit funny.”
I clamped my eyes shut and pressed my fingers to my temple, feeling a headache starting to build. Still, I couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at my lips. The girls were working me from both sides of the room.
Dammit.
“If you two are done ganging up on me, it’s time to get to work.”
“Hold on,” Amber said. She walked in and knelt beside Em, pulling the covers down.
Emery peered up at her with wide eyes.
“When I was little and I got sick, there was one thing that always helped.”
“What?” Emery asked.
“It’s like a magic potion that will make you feel better. Would you like to try it?”
Emery nodded. “Oh, yes. Please?”
“Be right back,” Amber said.
She returned to the office with a cup of fizzy, yellow liquid. I leaned in close to Amber so that Emery couldn’t hear. “What is that?”
“Ginger ale,” she said softly and glanced at me. “Excuse me, please.”
I hadn’t realized how close I was. I moved back, but held my apology from her. Big fucking deal. My office. My space.
I nodded, and Amber offered Emery the cup. “Here you go. You have to sip it slowly if you want it to work.”
“Okay.”
“All right, honey. Amber and I have to get to work. Holler if you need anything.”
We left the office and moved into the kitchen.
“Sorry about that,” I said. I wasn’t used to apologizing, especially in my own kitchen. I wasn’t doing it in my office though. Once was more than enough.
“No need. That kid is adorable.”
I smiled. “She is. But she can be a bit of a handful.”
“I noticed,” Amber said, grinning and shaking her head. “It must run in the family.”
“What?”
“The both of you love breaking balls.”
I actually laughed at that. “Well, when she does that, it means she likes you.”
Amber looked up at me, her deep blue eyes staring into mine. “Oh yeah? So, what does it mean when you do it?”
The woman was cocky in a way that had my pulse spiking a little.
I didn’t have an answer to that, nor was I going to make one up. “Come on. Let’s start prepping for lunch.”
Amber chopped vegetables while I arranged pans near the stove. There was so
mething kind of soothing about prep time. Getting everything just right before the chaos started was a daily ritual for me.
“So naming the restaurant Emery,” Amber said. “Is that after your daughter or someone else?”
“Of course, I named it after her.” I didn’t glance her way. My body was already reacting poorly to her being in the same goddamn room with me. Like jacking off that morning had been nothing more than foreplay to what my cock was expecting from the day. Tough shit, buddy. It’s not happening.
“Good, cause the other way would be weird. Like naming your kid Ronald McDonald.”
I chuckled at that. “That’s horrible.”
“It is, but you know there’s at least one Ronald McDonald running around out there. Doomed to a life of ridicule and sadness.” She smiled.
“Sure, with a little sister named Wendy,” I said, grinning.
“Holy shit,” Amber said, turning to look at me.
“What?”
“That was a joke. An honest to God joke, right?”
“Was it? You’re not laughing.”
She shook her head. “No, it was funny. I’m just surprised. Who knew Chef Harrison had a sense of humor?”
I shot her a sour look. “Don’t spread it around. I’ve worked hard to get the reputation I have.”
“I bet. It’ll be our little secret,” she said, placing a hand over her breast like she was swearing an oath. My eyes moved down to her chest and my breath caught. She had to be a D cup or something nice and heavy like that. I wanted to test out the theory and strip her down. My hands itched to knead at her breasts, my mouth wetting a little to taste her.
Shit. Chill the fuck out.
Her cool blue eyes danced with amusement as she looked at me. She looked damn beautiful when she smiled like that. It was a shame I so rarely got to see it. It was my fault. My prickly demeanor made it impossible to share real moments of connection with someone.
It felt good. Almost too good.
The back door banged open. Danny and Sergio came stomping in, arguing about which basketball team was better.
I spared one more glance at Amber. The look on her face told me she knew what was coming. Our little moment of peace was over.
It was time to put my game face back on.
“Danny. Get your ass in here and start prepping the meat. Sergio. That silverware you cleaned last night is spotty as hell. Do it again, and make sure you do it right.” I locked my façade on tight.
***
Later that night, once the dining room was closed, and everyone had left, I gathered up the trash and went outside to toss it in the dumpster. The cool night air felt good on my skin after the heat of the kitchen.
I noticed Amber’s car was still in the parking lot. I thought she’d already left. I hadn’t seen her after the dinner rush ended. Where the hell was she?
CHAPTER SIX - AMBER
Emery seemed like she was feeling a bit better. She sat up on the couch, her legs crisscrossed. I sat beside her while she chattered on about her friend from school.
“Josie’s house has a pool. I go swim there sometimes. She also has a dog, but he’s little and he barks a lot. I don’t like him. I want a dog. A nice dog. I’ll name her Sprinkles.”
She’d been going on like that for a while, talking in a steady stream of consciousness like only kids do. She barely paused to take a breath.
Not that I minded. The poor kid had been cooped up in the office all day. I’d have been dying to talk to somebody too. I hadn’t meant to start a conversation with her or anything when I came in though. I just wanted to check on her one last time before I left. She seemed so excited to see me, I couldn’t just walk away.
“And sometimes Josie braids my hair. Daddy doesn’t know how to. Do you?” She looked up at me with such a sweetness in her face. Poor thing. I knew what it was like to lose a mom. That was the world I came from, and it was a long life of wishing you had moments that you never would experience.
“Sure. Would you like me to braid your hair right now?” I offered with a smile on my face.
She clapped as her little face lit up. “Yes, please! I would love that!”
“Okay, scooch over and turn around.”
Emery sat with her back to me and I gathered her long, blonde hair behind her head. “Maybe you can teach Daddy how to do it. He’s no good at fixing my hair. He can barely make a pony tail.”
I laughed softly. “Well, I’m sure he’s doing the best he can.”
“I know, and I love him for it.”
I heard the door open behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Chef Harrison walk in.
“I thought you went home. What are you still doing here?”
“She’s braiding my hair!” Emery yelled with joy in her voice.
“You heard the kid. I’m braiding her hair.”
He moved around the couch so I could see him without craning my neck. “I can see that. But it’s been a long day. I figured you’d be home, getting some rest.”
“I stopped by to see how she was doing. One thing led to another and here we are.”
He nodded. “It’s getting late, little lady. It’s time to get you into bed.”
For a split second, I thought he was talking to me. The thought of him getting me into bed had my heart skipping a beat. What I wouldn’t give. But no, I knew it was a horrible idea. I couldn’t imagine getting into bed with a man like him not wanting to do it over and over and over again. Or worse, falling for Mr. Scrooge in the process. No thank you.
Not that he was offering. I almost snorted at the thought.
“But Amber’s not finished, Daddy,” Emery complained.
“Yeah, I’m not finished, Daddy.” I cringed when the word came out of my mouth. “Eww. Sorry. I’m never calling you that again. Forgive me.”
He gave me a look and sighed, ignoring my teasing. We were back to being stiff from what I could tell.
“Fine. She can finish. But it has to be quick. Someone needs their rest.” He lifted his eyebrow and stared down at Emery.
Chef Harrison sank down in the chair behind his desk. No, not Chef Harrison. He wasn’t Chef Harrison right now. Not with Emery around. Now, he was just Luke. The way he’d been when we prepped the kitchen earlier. The hard exterior falling away, revealing the real him.
And the real him was way better than the chef.
Even though he’d told me to be quick, I found myself slowing down, not wanting this moment to slip away like it had earlier. I liked spending time with Luke, the man, not the boss.
He sat there watching us with a curious expression on his face. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he didn’t seem unhappy for once. That had to be a good sign. The softness of his expression left me wanting to know his story, wanting to heal his hurts if I were able. He was so fucking hot, so masculine and strong as he sat there, relaxed. Everything about him turned me on.
Emery hummed softly while I braided her hair. There was something so sweet and innocent about the tuneless melody. It filled me with a warm glow, and it awoke a feeling of longing I’d never felt before.
I always knew I wanted to have kids someday, but I’d never really thought about it seriously. I was way too young to think about it then.
Either way, cooking came first. Then going to school. Then finding the right job. The whole kid thing was just something that was far off in a nebulous future.
But sitting here with Emery, I realized just how much I wanted a family. How much I needed it. Oh well. Maybe someday.
I finished the braid and tied it off with a rubber band from my purse. Then I grabbed my compact mirror and held it in front of Emery’s face. “What do you think?”
Her eyes lit up as she looked at her reflection. “I love it.” She turned around and threw her arms around me. “Thank you so much.”
I didn’t know why, but I got a little choked up by the hug. Some deep, raw emotion welled up in me, making me feel happy and sad at the same time.
>
“You’re very welcome,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray my feelings.
Emery looked up at me. “Will you come over and put me to bed?”
The invitation caught me off guard. I wasn’t really used to being around children. It was easy to forget they had no filter sometimes. She wanted me to come over so she asked. It was as simple as that.
Luke spoke up from behind his desk. “Honey, we can’t ask Amber to do that. She needs to get home, too. She worked really hard today.”
Thank God he noticed. I used to think he didn’t pay attention to anything good, but rather which ass to chew next when he was in the kitchen.
“Puh-lease?” Emery begged, drawing the word out.
“I don’t mind,” I said, wanting to score points with my boss. “Besides, how could I say no to this little face?”
“Awesome,” Emery said.
I looked over at Luke. Deep furrows lined his brow, like he was conflicted. Finally, he shrugged. “Well, then I guess you’re coming over.”
***
Being in Luke’s house had my nerves on edge, but I played it off well. There was no reason to overthink it. I was there because his daughter wanted me there. Not him.
I sat on the edge of Emery’s bed while she settled in. Her whole room was ultra girlie. Frilly lace everywhere, floral patterns on the sheets and curtains. And everything was a shade of pink. I imagined Luke walking into a store and buying all this. I would have paid money to be a fly on the wall for that.
“You can play with my toys if you want,” Emery said, her voice filled with sleep.
I shook my head softly. “Maybe another time. You need to get some rest.”
“Okay. You know, you’re a nice lady.”
“You’re nice, too, cutie.”
“Do you like my daddy?”
I shrugged. “Sure, when he’s not being an a—I mean, yeah. Of course.”
“Good. He likes you, too.” Her smile widened.
“Sure,” I said, even though I didn’t believe that for a second. But I wasn’t about to argue with a child.
Luke walked into the room. Had he heard what Emery said? If so, he made no indication one way or another. “You ready for bed, sweetheart?”
