by Nicole Ellis
She leaned back in her chair, trying to enjoy the beautiful evening. The sun hung low in the sky but wouldn’t set for over an hour. The puffy clouds floating above it would make for a breathtaking sunset over the bay.
She straightened in her seat. “Hey, do you want to see the barn at the Inn?” For some reason, in all the time they'd been dating, she’d never shown him the barn. Once he saw it, he’d have a better understanding of what she was trying to do with the place.
He looked up from a spoonful of melting ice cream. “The one you’re going to turn into a restaurant?” He shrugged. “I guess so.”
They finished their meal and drove back to Willa Bay. Meg pulled into a space in the Inn’s parking lot and twisted the key to shut off the car. She turned to give Theo a faint smile, suddenly afraid of what he would think of the barn. Why hadn’t she shown it to him before? Had she been too busy, or was it because she was afraid to find out what he thought about her dream?
He looked at her and returned her smile. “Okay, let’s see this future restaurant of yours.”
They exited the car, and she led him around the Inn and along the path leading to the barn. When it came into sight, Meg paused and looked up at it. In the waning daylight, the massive structure appeared even more decrepit than usual. She glanced at Theo to gauge his reaction.
He didn’t bother to hide his disdain. With raised eyebrows, he asked, “This is the building you’ve been talking about?”
Meg’s heart sank deep into her chest. “Yes,” she said softly. “This is it.”
Theo took a good, long look at the siding and whistled. “With how much you’ve talked this place up, I kind of expected it to be in better shape.” He held his hand up to his forehead, shading his gaze from the last rays of the sun to scrutinize the broken windowpanes high above them.
“Did you want to see the inside?” Meg asked. She wasn’t sure she wanted to find out his reaction to the interior of the barn, but they were already there, and she was hoping to make the best of it. Plus, maybe if she described to him exactly what she envisioned, he would see it too.
She slid open the barn door and flipped on the lights, illuminating piles of junk. Theo leaned against the entryway, his eyes wide as he took it all in. In that instant, Meg saw it exactly as he did.
They stood in a trash-filled building that could fall down at any time. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he was thinking that it should be torn down. She wanted to show him where the kitchen would be, and tell him her vision for the dining room, but from the look on his face he wouldn’t believe any of it.
“So, you’re planning on having a restaurant in here?” he asked.
“Uh huh.” She searched his expression, hoping to see a glimmer of hope or excitement for her. Unfortunately, there was none.
“It’s great, babe.” He moved behind her and squeezed her shoulders. “I’m sure that someday this place will be a real showpiece.” He may have chosen those words specifically with the intent of sounding positive, but they didn’t conceal the heavy doubt in his voice.
“Thanks.” Meg leaned against him, hoping that the feel of his warm chest against her back would quell the waves of anxiety pulsing through her body. Was she crazy to think that she could turn this place into a restaurant? She turned and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Thanks for coming to see it.”
She grabbed his hand, led him out of the barn, and shut the door behind them. As the lock clicked into place, she felt an odd sense of remorse, like her negative thoughts had been disloyal to the old building.
“Did you want to take a walk on the beach?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not tonight. I'm getting a headache and should probably go lay down before it gets worse.” Ordinarily, she would’ve liked nothing better than to take an evening stroll along the bay, but his reaction to the barn had confirmed her worst fears. If Theo had reservations about the feasibility of turning it into a restaurant, Zoe and Shawn must as well.
Meg drove Theo back to the marina and idled in the drop-off zone. He gave her a quick peck on the mouth, then got out of the car and walked jauntily toward the ramp to the docks, whistling a little tune that floated to her through her open window.
He acted like he didn’t have a care in the world, and she doubted he understood how much his lackluster response to the barn had hurt her. She’d had fun during the first part of their date, but was merely enjoying each other’s company enough to sustain a relationship? She’d always imagined having a partner who would share in her hopes and dreams, and support her through both good times and bad. At the very least, she wished he would take the lead once in a while and surprise her by planning an outing or two.
They hadn’t dated for long, so maybe those qualities would develop as their romance matured. But what if they didn’t? As the top of Theo’s head disappeared below street level, she felt more unsure about everything than she had in months.
2
Taylor
Taylor Argo edged the metal spatula under the crispy skin of a pink salmon filet and slid it onto a plate. He took a second to admire the grill marks on the fish and how sharply they contrasted with the classic white plates used in the dining room of the Willa Bay Lodge. Elegant and simple—exactly the type of cuisine he was known for.
Brandon, the new sous-chef hired to replace Meg when she left, moved in sync with Taylor, plucking the plate from the counter to add the roasted root vegetables and rice pilaf to the dinner special. He set the fish entrée next to another on the warming countertop.
Brandon wasn’t Meg, but he was working out.
Taylor had just flipped a chicken breast to its other side when he heard a woman tentatively clearing her throat behind him. He turned to see Kaley, one of the part-time waitresses who worked the dinner shift.
“Excuse me. Taylor?” Her voice was so timid that he had to strain to hear her over the hissing meat on the grill and the pot of pasta boiling on the stove. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, her face contorted with worry.
This didn’t look like something that could wait. Taylor glanced back at the grill to assess its contents. Nothing was in danger of burning, so he turned his full attention to the teenager standing a few feet away.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. Kaley was a newer member of their staff, but she’d acclimated quickly and didn’t seem prone to panicking unnecessarily. Besides, it was just after five o’clock, and they’d only had a few guests so far.
“Um, sorry to bother you, it’s just that some of the customers are asking about dessert.” She held up the tall, narrow dessert menu he’d printed out earlier in the day.
“Okay?” He cocked his head to the side. “I’m not sure I understand the problem.”
She took a deep breath. “We don’t have anything to offer them for dessert. I can’t find anything that’s on the menu.”
He stared at her. “That’s impossible.” He strode toward the walk-in refrigerator and yanked open the door, certain he’d be able to locate what their pastry chef had made earlier in the day. “Lara made mini cheesecakes and blackberry pie before she left. She was supposed to make some mousse too.” He scanned the shelves of the walk-in. His confidence sank as his gaze slid over each item that wasn’t one of the desserts on the menu. He spun on his heels. “Where are all of the desserts?”
Kaley shrank back, and Brandon poked his head around Taylor to see into the refrigerator too. “I saw Lara put something in there while I was prepping the salad greens earlier, but it looked more like a big cake than a pie or mini cheesecakes.”
He stepped out of the way, and Taylor shut the heavy door before looking at each of them in turn. “Did either of you see Lara make any desserts for the Lodge before she left?”
They shook their heads in tandem.
“Nope.” Brandon stared at the stainless-steel door. “I just figured she made them before I got here.”
“She was gone before I arrived.” Kaley’s eyes were as wide as t
he saucers for the espresso they served with dessert. “Does this mean we don’t have anything to give to the guests?”
“That’s what it’s looking like.” Taylor’s sense of calm was rapidly dissipating. He was at the end of his rope with Lara, but maybe there was a logical explanation for why they couldn’t find any desserts. “Okay, give me a few minutes to find out what’s going on.” Taylor told Brandon to man the grill and excused himself to his office, shutting the door and leaning back in the chair to take a few deep breaths before picking up the phone to call Lara.
It rang four times before she finally answered, her voice bright. “Hello, this is Lara.”
“Lara. It’s Taylor.” His voice was brittle, even to his own ears. He counted to five before continuing. “Where are the desserts for this evening?”
A pregnant pause followed. “Oh. I didn’t actually make any. I had a cake that I needed to get to a client tonight and I didn’t have time for the Lodge desserts.”
“You didn’t have time?” His brain was spinning. “Lara, that’s your job. You make the pastries and sweets for the Lodge.”
He could almost see her shrug as she answered, “I didn’t have time. I’m sure there’s something else you can give the guests tonight. I made plenty of cookies for the front desk and there’s some ice cream in the freezer.”
“You want me to feed them cookies for dessert?” She had to be kidding. The Lodge wasn’t five-star rated, but it was well-regarded throughout the area and had a reputation to keep up.
“Yeah, why not? Everyone loves my peanut butter cookies.” Voices murmured in the background on Lara’s side and she was quiet, then came back on the line. “Listen Taylor, I’ve really got to go. I’ll make sure to do the desserts tomorrow, okay?”
She hung up before he could inform her that it was most definitely not okay. He closed his eyes and rubbed at the ache in his jaw from gritting his teeth during their conversation. The Lodge’s former pastry chef, Cassie, had always been the consummate professional, even though, like Lara, she’d also had a cake decorating business on the side. But Lara thought that just because her father owned the Lodge, she could pull a stunt like this.
His stomach clenched. It was times like this that he really missed the camaraderie he’d had with Meg. She’d always known how to calm him down—although, ironically, her own run-in with Lara had caused her to quit her job at the Lodge and go to work full-time at the resort she’d recently purchased with some friends. Four months ago, his life had been much different, before he’d ever heard of the Inn at Willa Bay or met Lara Camden. Unfortunately, there was no going back in time, and he had a restaurant to run.
He stood so suddenly that his chair careened across the plastic mat protecting the Berber carpet under his desk and hit the wall behind it. He took a deep breath and pushed the chair back in place. He’d figure out a solution to this problem—he always did.
His first stop was the walk-in freezer. Lara was right, there were several tall cartons of ice cream on the shelves. He frowned as he read each of the labels: Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Orange Sherbet. If all Lara had made were peanut butter cookies, none of these would pair well. Still, they could offer scoops of ice cream à la carte. It was better than nothing.
He shut the freezer door and strode back out into the middle of the kitchen where Kaley and Brandon were talking in hushed tones.
Kaley looked up, her eyes filled with hope. “Did you find anything?”
He shook his head. “No.” He fought hard to keep the anger out of his voice, but couldn’t keep a small amount from leaking through. “There was a miscommunication and she didn’t make the desserts for tonight.”
Kaley’s face fell. Missing desserts didn’t sound like a major issue, but it was one of the things the Lodge was famous for. A large part of Kaley’s income came from tips, so with a lower bill for dinner and disgruntled customers, her nightly earnings were at stake. Taylor sighed. He hated to let her or their guests down.
But what was he going to do? Desserts suitable for a fine dining establishment couldn’t just be pulled out of the air. Taylor surveyed the kitchen, his gaze landing on blocks of baking chocolate Lara had left out at the baker’s station. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” He looked directly at Brandon. “Can you make a chocolate mousse?”
Brandon nodded. “Of course. One of the first things I learned in culinary school.”
Taylor snapped his fingers. “Perfect. Please make a batch of it and think about how we can jazz it up a little.” He turned to Kaley. “Let the guests know we have a special chocolate mousse and some wonderful, locally made ice cream on the menu tonight.”
Doubt clouded her expression. “Okay, but I’m not sure that’s going to be enough.”
“It’ll have to be for now.” Taylor had an idea, but he wasn’t sure if it would work. He jogged over to the grill and removed the fully-cooked meat. Brandon stood by his side, ready to take the plates over to his workspace. “Brandon, can you take over for thirty minutes? It shouldn’t be too busy until later in the evening.”
“Sure, no problem.” The sous-chef’s eyes were bright with curiosity, but he didn’t ask any questions.
Taylor jogged over to his office and hung up his chef’s jacket on the hook behind the door, then rushed out to the parking lot. He jangled his keys, considering his options. It was only five-thirty, so both the local fine-foods market and the Sea Star Bakery would still be open. The bakery would be more likely to have what he needed, but he wasn’t sure how much inventory they’d have left this late in the day.
He decided to take his chances on the bakery. Fate must have been smiling down on him, because not only did he find a parking space only a few stores down, but the glass display case inside bulged with baked goods. The dining area was empty, with the exception of Cassie’s son, Jace, who was chewing on the eraser of a pencil as he focused on a piece of paper bearing what appeared to be math problems.
“Hey, Taylor,” Cassie called out from behind the counter. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay at the Lodge?”
“Yes,” he answered automatically, then frowned. “I mean, no. Things are not going well. Lara decided it wasn’t important to make desserts for this evening at the restaurant.” He probably shouldn’t have told Cassie about his troubles with an employee, but at this point, he didn’t really care who knew.
Cassie’s eyes widened and her lips formed a silent “Oh”. “She didn’t make anything?” she said in a stage whisper as he neared the counter.
“Nope. Nothing.” He trained his eyes on the display case, but thinking about Lara’s unperturbed attitude regarding the whole mess made his vision blur with rage. The baked goods swam in front of him, their tantalizing aromas reminding him that he’d forgotten to eat dinner. After working in kitchens for so many years, he was used to smelling food all day, and had trained himself to work long shifts without a break. However, with this snafu, his defenses were down and now he could add hangry to his list of woes. “I need to buy something to serve. What do you suggest?”
“Hmm.” Cassie squatted down to look through the display case, her face distorted behind the curved glass. She grabbed a tray from the bottom and popped back up. “What about these mini cheesecakes? I’m still trying to figure out how much to make of everything, so I have a lot of these left over today.” She held up a raspberry-topped cheesecake in a ribbed foil wrapper. “What do you think?”
Taylor stared at the treat, mesmerized by the streaks of pink and red marbling the creamy surface. They looked amazing. Better than amazing. She’d made exactly what he’d asked Lara to bake. What were the odds? “I’ll take them.”
“How many do you want?” Cassie’s hand hovered over the tray.
“All of them,” Taylor said, rapidly calculating in his head how many customers they normally had on a Wednesday night in the summer. Way more than the three containers of ice cream could satisfy.
“I’ve g
ot more in the back if you need them.” She furrowed her brow and peered into the case. “What about the berry pies? Could you use those?”
He looked at her solemnly. “Cassie, you’re a lifesaver. Thank you.”
She blushed and grabbed a box from behind the counter. “I should be thanking you. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with all of these.” She stacked the cheesecakes two-deep in a box with a thin layer of cardboard in between, then disappeared into the back room. A few minutes later, she returned with two more closed boxes and set all of them on top of the counter.
The bells over the front door jingled and they both looked in that direction.
Cassie waved at the newcomer. “Hey, Meg. After I finish ringing up Taylor, I’ll get the kids ready to go with you. I can’t even tell you how much Kyle and I appreciate you taking them for a few hours tonight. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a dinner date alone.”
“No problem.” Meg sidled up to the counter, raising an eyebrow at the number of boxes. “How hungry are you, Taylor? Cassie’s stuff is good, but this will take you a year to get through.”
He chuckled, and some of the tension melted out of his shoulders. He hadn’t run into Meg in a while and seeing her brightened his day. “It’s for the Lodge.”
“Lara forgot to make the desserts for tonight.” Cassie didn’t even try to hide the glee in her voice, reminding Taylor of how much she disliked Lara.
“Seriously?” Meg shook her head. “I bet she had some lousy excuse for it too.”
“She had to finish and deliver a cake for her side business.” Taylor handed Cassie his credit card. He’d get reimbursed by the Lodge, but the total still made him cringe.
“Typical.” Meg glanced at Jace, then returned her attention to Taylor. “It looks like the little guy’s pretty into his homework, so I’ve got a few minutes. Do you want some help carrying everything out to your car?”
