“Let me double check my list.”
Eva could hear papers rustling.
“Looks like forty-seven. Will that be all right?”
“No problem,” Eva replied.
“So tell me, Miss Raines, what are you cooking up for us? I’d like a little preview because from what I could gather, you made quite an impression on Mr. Abbott.”
Eva nearly choked. She covered the phone and coughed a couple times to clear her throat. She asked, “You want to hear the menu, you mean?”
“Yes, of course,” said Marsha. “What else?”
“Well,” Eva began, clearing thoughts of what else, “I thought we might start out with the usual suspects, guacamole and tortilla chips, but I’m baking the chips…” her voice became more animated. “There’s this great Mexican place a couple blocks from my home and I’ve asked them to bake a fresh batch of flour tortillas for me early Sunday morning. They’ll have them ready by seven a.m. I’m making a very traditional guac, not your typical green goop. This will be hand smashed, not too spicy… I think Gabe, I mean, Mr. Abbott, will like it. The guacamole and chips will be accompanied by a big batch of my homemade fresh tomato salsa with three chilies, and a green garlic, roasted tomatillo salsa.”
“You’ve got me salivating already,” commented Marsha. “Go on.”
“I’m doing a dry spice rub on six large beef briskets, and I’ve ordered twenty pounds of short ribs from the local market. I haven’t decided yet if they’ll be wet or dry, but I think wet. I’m working on my barbecue sauce right now. Do you think Mr. Abbott will have a preference?”
“No honey, I don’t think he cares a lick as long as you keep talking. Has anyone ever mentioned that you have a wonderful telephone voice? I can see why he got pretty excited about your food. Tell me more.”
Eva laughed into the phone. She liked Marsha. “I’m making a whole maple-smoked salmon for the non-meat eaters and I’m tossing together a Cesar salad with a Western twist. I’m baking some green chili-creamed corn buttermilk cornbread… I think you’ll like that. It’s super moist. I hate dry cornbread, don’t you?”
“Yes,” laughed Marsha. “By God, I do hate dry cornbread. What else?”
“I’m using my mom’s recipe for good old-fashioned Iowa farmer’s chop suey, her mustard potato salad and the Raines family’s famous barbecued beans and tamales.”
“Eva, that sounds absolutely yummy, but what on earth is farmer’s chop suey?”
“I guess you have to be from the Midwest to know what it is. You chop up baby spring radishes, the really hot little guys, peel and seed a few cucumbers, slice up young scallions and a little green garlic, toss in the smallest grape tomatoes you can find, and add a tiny bit of fresh parsley. You blend new farmer’s cheese with sour cream, snip in some chives, add salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar and then stir the whole thing together. Growing up, I swear I lived on it the entire summer.”
“Sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it,” Marsha said. “So tell me, if it’s not a big secret, what’s for dessert?”
“Guess,” replied Eva.
Marsha didn’t hesitate. “S’mores!”
“You obviously went to summer camp,” laughed Eva. “Yes, s’mores, along with frozen whoopee pies filled with a chocolate mint butter cream, and fresh grilled peaches and plums.”
“Oh my God, I can’t wait,” said Marsha. “Talk about making a good impression.”
“A good impression?” asked Eva. “On your staff, you mean?”
“Oh, of course. It’s just that Mr. Abbott mentioned to me he’d invited a woman who, well, that he’d invited someone special. I’m sure she’ll be as impressed with your menu as I am. It all sounds great.”
The air whooshed out of Eva’s lungs. A woman? Someone special? Oh God… I am such a fool. Fucking delusional, she thought. That’s what I am. How could I have deluded myself into believing that a man like Gabriel Abbott would be interested in a nobody like me? “Thanks, Ms. Frank. I’m glad the menu meets with your approval.”
“If I speak with Mr. Abbott, I’ll let him know you’ve got everything under control. Bye.”
Eva sucked in a ragged breath as she clicked off. She forced back a sob. It wouldn’t do to cry in the sauce. Damn. Damn. Damn.
Chapter Eleven
As soon as the plane took off, Gabe reclined his seat and closed his eyes. He wondered if he looked as exhausted as he felt. He’d barely slept since he’d arrived at Father Green’s bedside. Now that the man was on the mend and had been transferred out of ICU, Gabe found himself preoccupied with concern for his half brother, Quincy, and he wondered about the lousy father who’d abandoned two wives and three children. The priest was right about the young man. Quincy reminded Gabe very much of himself at seventeen. The kid was smart, he was sharp, he was tough, and he tended to push things to the limit. Like Gabe, he didn’t give his trust easily and he kept people at arm’s length. At least he treated Elise with respect. The young man obviously held women in high esteem. Gabe could tell he’d loved his mother very much, but it was also apparent that her death was a major sore spot and Quincy didn’t want to talk about her.
When Gabe had first explained the situation to his sister, she didn’t seem nearly as shocked as he’d expected. She told Gabe she figured a sibling or two would turn up sooner or later. Patrick McIntyre was a smooth talking low-life who seduced nice girls and abandoned them when things got sticky. Or maybe when the cops were closing in. Gabe wasn’t certain. His mother had never been entirely clear about what her husband had done for a living. Gabe didn’t know where his father was, but he hoped Quincy would be the only other kid to turn up. He hated the thought that his deadbeat dad might have fathered children all over the Midwest, but he had to admit he was intrigued by the fact that he had a little brother. Gabe had always taken his role as a big brother seriously and he’d protected his little sister when they were growing up. Now he’d do the same for his brother. He was only sorry he hadn’t known sooner. Thank God Quincy had ended up with the priest.
Like Father Joe said, Quincy was reticent at first. He had no intention of being anyone’s pity party, but between the two of them, Gabe and Elise somehow managed to convince Quincy that they didn’t pity him, rather they understood his hesitation. They might be blood relatives, but they were complete strangers. After much discussion and cajoling, the boy finally agreed to spend a month with Elise and her family when school ended and Gabe planned to fly the young man to California for July and August. That meant Gabe would have to take some time off to show him around the city and teach him the ropes. The boy could stay in Napa, but Gabe didn’t want to leave him alone and unsupervised at his cottage. Gabe offered to help him enroll in a high school in San Francisco for his senior year, but Quincy wanted to finish school in Chicago. Gabe understood. Quincy’s friends were there, Father Joe was there, and Chicago was home.
As soon as he and Elise left the school, they headed to his mother’s town home. She was dressed and ready, waiting impatiently to go to the hospital. Gabe made his sister lie down in the extra bedroom and he broke the news to his mother. As always, she was a trooper. She’d gotten over Patrick McIntyre years ago. Her only concern was for another abandoned child. Gabe chauffeured his mom back to Father Joe’s bedside and then to the school to meet his half-brother. It was nearly another twenty-four hours before he was able to catch a little shuteye.
Gabe felt the plane level off and he let himself drift. He heard the flight attendants moving through the cabin but kept his eyes shut and ignored them. He wondered what Eva was doing. Was she at his house, working late, getting ready for his barbecue? Or had she returned to her own little home? Was she lying in her bed, curled up like a kitten beneath her quilt, warm and soft and delectable? Her thick, waving, dark hair scattered across her pillows? Her luscious lips parted slightly as she relaxed in sleep? Gabe surrendered his mind to that picture for a few minutes, remembering the smell of her clearly, as clearly as if she’d bee
n seated next to him. He inhaled her sweat, the musk of her arousal, the slight metallic tang from her bloody knees. Gabe felt himself stir at the olfactory vision and he shifted slightly in his seat, allowing for a little more play in his jeans.
He noticed that she’d phoned twice, but he simply hadn’t found a single moment to call and there was no cell phone service at the hospital. He’d hoped to have the time to give her a ring from the airport, explain what had happened, let her know that he was on his way home and that he hoped to see her before the party, but he’d been running late. His mother and his sister had both called when he was in the cab on his way to the airport. He’d had to hustle to catch his plane and he shut his phone off the second he was seated. He’d only managed a single, brief conversation with his assistant in four days. He’d asked her to check in with Eva and he hoped she’d remembered to do so. He felt a little guilty. He’d rushed out of the office Monday evening, dumping everything in Marsha’s lap. Fortunately, she was a very capable woman.
Gabe cracked his eyes and shot a glance at his watch. He should be landing about midnight. He’d call Marsha’s office line when he landed and leave her a message, then he’d catch a cab to his apartment and if he wasn’t too tired, head up to Napa. He needed a day to chill. If he thought he could get away with it, he’d keep his phone off, but he’d told his sister to call him if Father Joe’s condition suddenly worsened or if anything came up with Quincy. Jesus. A brother.
Gabe shook his head. A newly discovered brother, a woman he intended to, as his sister so charmingly put it, bed the first chance he got. A big party, the first he’d given at his home in Napa, coming up in less than two days. One thing at a time, Gabe reminded himself. One thing at a time. First Eva. Second barbecue. Third and fourth, Quincy and Father Joe. Then Eva again. Gabe closed his eyes and stretched his long body. Despite his worries, he grinned. Yes, Eva… again and again and again.
Gabe thought of how she felt inside, how hot, how wet, how silky and how close he’d come to burying himself in her sweetness before they’d been interrupted. Goddamn. There would be another opportunity and nothing as insignificant as burning potatoes would keep them from finishing what they had started.
* * * *
Eva had been fighting back tears since she’d talked to Marsha. Damn that son of a bitch, leading her on like this. Planting the notion in her head that he wanted her. Well, fuck him! Eva would do the barbecue and that was it. That was the last she wanted to see of Gabriel Abbott. From now on, he could hire someone else and she didn’t care if Tom and Marcus fired her. Let them. She could find another job in a heartbeat. In a heartbeat! Bringing someone special to the party. Probably that woman Luis had mentioned. I am so stupid, thought Eva, to read so much into the fact that Gabe took her home early, that his seduction dinner didn’t work out. She probably got a call from a client or something. Eva just knew the woman was a lawyer. She had to be. She was some kind of professional for certain. She probably didn’t eat, let alone cook. Cooking would be beneath her. Oooh! God, I am so mad! I want to smack that man from here till Tuesday!
She’d worked her ass off at the White’s on Friday, rushing to finish early so she could prep for the barbecue. Gabe still hadn’t bothered to call her and Eva had no intention of calling Marsha back to ask about anything. She would give him what he paid for. In fact, she would be perfect… the perfect caterer. Her food would be to die for and she’d ignore Gabriel Abbott the entire day.
Eva threw the book she was reading across the room. It crashed against the wall with a satisfying, resounding thwack, and fell to the floor. How the hell was she supposed to sleep when all she could think about was the man who didn’t want her? The man who was going to flaunt his new special friend in her face the day after tomorrow. Eva glanced at the clock. Oops…make that tomorrow. It was one a.m. and Eva needed her rest. She wanted to be at Gabe’s house early to avoid running into him. The weatherman had predicted a high-pressure system for the weekend and she expected it to be hot. Great weather for a barbecue and a swimming party, not so great for her. She’d be sweating up a storm and her hair would smell like smoke and barbecue sauce, while Gabe’s date would probably be cool as a cucumber and look like a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model in her designer bikini. Eva toyed with the idea of doing something utterly juvenile like putting green bell peppers in everything, but the truth was, Gabe wasn’t the only one who hated green bell peppers. Eva couldn’t even stomach the sight of them so she figured the only person she’d make sick would be herself. Gabe would probably be so wrapped up in his friend that he wouldn’t even notice.
Eva shut off the light. She tossed and turned for a while, her stomach churning and her cheeks growing warm, and despite her best efforts, she relived the feeling of his hands on her intimately, his finger sliding inside her. Eva could feel her entire body flush. She slipped a hand beneath the quilt. She was wet just because of that one little memory. She wanted him and that made her so angry. Fuck it all, she wanted him in a way she’d never wanted anyone. She knew she’d make a fool of herself over him if given half a chance. How insane was that?
* * * *
By the time Gabe made it to Napa, it was four o’clock in the morning. He wished he could call Eva, but he knew that would be just plain cruel. He didn’t have the heart to wake her up, no matter how much he wanted to hear her voice. He considered swinging by her house, and he nearly pulled off the highway, but a knock on her door at this time of the night would probably scare her to half to death. Besides, he desperately needed at least a few hours of sleep himself. He headed straight to his cottage, parked his Harley in the shed and pulled the door closed. He headed into the house, as tired as he’d ever been in his life. He washed up, leaning on the sink more asleep than awake, and finally collapsed into bed. Within a few minutes, Gabe was dead to the world.
* * * *
Eva arrived at the entrance to Gabe’s property at seven on the nose. As she pulled in Luis waved to her from the cab of his pickup. She parked her car and walked over to him.
“Buenos días, Eva,” he said, his voice friendly.
“Buenos días, Luis,” she replied. She felt very tired, but she mustered a smile for the man. She genuinely liked him.
“Has everything been delivered, Señorita Eva?”
“Yes, it’s all here,” she answered. “There will be some last minute shuffling around, but the set up is more or less completed. I just need to finish up with the food.”
Luis squinted his eyes in the morning sun and it seemed to Eva that he was giving her the once over. “You are not sleeping, Eva, I can see it in your face. You seem troubled today.”
“I’m fine, just tired.”
Luis appeared unconvinced.
“Will you be around today?” she asked, hoping she wouldn’t be alone with Gabe if he showed up.
“Sorry, Señorita, no. I need to drive my sister to a doctor’s appointment and then I will take her into Fairfield for some shopping. She wants something pretty to wear to the fiesta tomorrow.”
Eva smiled again, this time her smile was genuine. She hadn’t met Luis’ sister, but she was willing to bet she was a proper lady. “I’m looking forward to meeting her tomorrow, Luis.”
“Gracias. I’ve told her all about you and she is quite excited to be invited.”
“Have you… have you heard anything from Mr. Abbott? About when he’s coming home?”
“No, sorry, I haven’t heard from him, but I certainly expect him early tomorrow morning, or perhaps even late tonight.”
“Good,” mumbled Eva. She glanced up at Luis and his look was questioning. “I mean I’d like to have everything ready by the time he gets home.”
Luis glanced at his watch. “Adiós, señorita. I must leave you. Hasta mañana.” He waved as he headed down the long drive.
“Adios Luis,” Eva replied as she waved back. When he was out of hearing, she muttered, “Fuck mañana.”
Eva flipped open the doors to her car and
began to unpack. She planned to more or less finish everything today, have the tables and chairs arranged and waiting to be decorated. The food would either be cooked and ready to be served, or ready to be cooked tomorrow. She carefully unloaded her ice chests containing the marinating meats. As she wrestled them into the kitchen, she wished she’d asked Luis to wait, but she just as quickly realized she’d rather do it alone. The man was far too discerning and she didn’t want to discuss her feelings with anyone. Not yet, maybe not ever. It wasn’t pleasant to be made a fool of.
Eva opened the back doors and stepped out onto the patio. She kicked off her flip-flops. The day was a perfect Napa Valley morning, cool and clear. Eva decided to leave the patio doors open and she walked through the main floor, opening all the windows wide to let the morning air inside. It would get hot soon enough. She glanced at the stairs, but she couldn’t bring herself to set foot in Gabe’s bedroom loft. She’d been up there only once, the day before, just to leave a check on his desk, to repay him for the bike repairs. She reminded herself firmly that any notions she’d had about spending quality time up there were mere fantasy, nothing more, and the sooner she forgot them, the better off she’d be.
Chapter Twelve
By one o’clock, Eva was hot. She was damn hot. She’d been hauling, cooking, cleaning and setting up tables and chairs for six hours. If she wasn’t so stubborn, she could give Tom and Marcus a call and they’d send help or come themselves. She didn’t feel like it. She hadn’t even brought her iPod. It was much better to wallow in self-pity. Eva snorted.
She decided to take a break and she wandered out back to the pool. Luis kept the water sparkling. In the sun, it glowed an electric Caribbean blue. Eva stuck a toe in. Nice. She knew Luis was gone for the day, but she looked around nonetheless, just checking to make absolutely certain she was alone before she removed any of her clothing. Eva noticed a man’s white button down shirt over the back of a patio chair. She’d somehow missed it yesterday when she was checking out the pool area. Eva walked over and picked it up. Bringing the shirt to her nose, she inhaled. She was hoping maybe it would smell like Gabe, but all Eva caught was sunshine and a little chlorine. However, Eva figured she could swim in the shirt. That way she wouldn’t have to swim in her underwear and it would be safer than swimming naked. It was always possible that some delivery guy would stop by.
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