by Judi Lynn
While he helped carry food to the buffet table, he made up his mind to give Daphne plenty of space for a few days. She and Shelby could catch up with each other and yak stained glass until they got it all out of their systems. Besides, he and Daphne were just friends, he reminded himself. The whole point of keeping an eye on her was to keep her mind off the professor. It sounded like he was off the hook on that job, at least, for the rest of this week.
Two days later, though, when he hurried down the shop’s inside staircase to slip out the back door, Daphne spotted him and waved him closer. A few customers milled in the aisles, but no one seemed serious about shopping. There were days like that when people browsed more than they bought.
“Can I pick your brain a minute?” she asked Tyne. “I took Shelby to Ralph’s diner her first night here, but she doesn’t like home cooking. We drove to a restaurant in Columbus the next night and went to Indy last night, but it’s late when we get back to Mill Pond. Can you recommend a restaurant that’s closer to home?”
“What kind of food does Shelby like?”
He heard footsteps approach and looked up to see a tall blonde, who was striking but not pretty, leave Daphne’s workroom. She wore black, tight leggings with a long, hip-hugging, zebra-striped sweater over them. She locked gazes with him.
“Ooh, are you the guy who lives upstairs? Daphne told me you’re a chef, but she didn’t tell me you’re a hunk.”
Tyne gave his best self-deprecating grin. “She doesn’t seem to notice. My usual ploys don’t work on her.”
Shelby narrowed black-rimmed eyes. “My friend’s a little oblivious most of the time, but I appreciate gorgeous when I see it. I just broke up with my boyfriend—a sculptor. I have a thing for the creative types.”
“Nashville’s probably full of those.” She hadn’t been subtle. Why should he? Tyne returned his attention to Daphne. “What kind of food are you interested in?”
Shelby answered in Daphne’s place. “I ordered scallops in Columbus. They came with a sun-dried tomato sauce. In Indy, I ordered Steak Diane. I love cream sauces with brandy. I like to be impressed.”
Tyne raised his eyebrows, surprised. “You must have brought plenty of money to play. You can only get those at upscale restaurants.”
Shelby’s gray eyes went wide. “Daphne insisted on paying, since I’m the guest.”
Sure she did. He didn’t believe her. Maybe if they went to the diner or Chase’s bar, but for fine dining every night? Tyne knew Shelby’s type. She was going to milk Daphne for everything she could, but that was Daphne’s choice. She could tell her friend to scale it down. He thought a minute. “I like the Malibu Grill in Bloomington. Have you been there?”
Daphne shook her head. “Patrick and his wife thought the piano was too loud there.”
“Good, so you won’t run into them. That might be a good place to try. I’ll make reservations for you. I met the chef at the Danzas.” Shelby laid a hand on his arm, and Tyne frowned at her. “Yes?”
She cleared her throat. “Tomorrow’s my last full day here, so Daphne and I thought we’d go to Chase’s bar for supper and stay for the music and dancing. I don’t suppose you’d agree to fix us breakfast, would you? Something fancy, so that it doesn’t matter if we order hamburgers for supper?”
“I love Chase’s hamburgers.” Tyne glanced at Daphne. She looked flustered and embarrassed, so he caved. “I can fix you something special if you get up early enough. Say nine? I have to get to the inn earlier than usual. The resort’s at full capacity for Ian’s Halloween bash.”
Shelby’s smile was meant to dazzle. It annoyed him. How fake could one woman be?
“What are you going to make me?”
He bit back what he wanted to say. He’d like to make her eat crow. Instead, his smile matched hers. “A chef never tells. It will be a surprise.”
She clapped her hands together. It was all he could do not to roll his eyes. She touched his arm again. “You’re just everything wonderful wrapped up in one package, aren’t you?”
“That’s me.” Damn, she was full of herself. Tyne looked to the door. “It’s always nice to meet a friend of Daphne’s, but I have to go. Like I said, the inn’s full this weekend. Guests arrive for supper tonight.”
On the drive to the resort, he shook his head to rid it of Shelby. How had Daphne ended up with a status seeker like her? But then, he corrected himself. Sometimes in life, you don’t choose your friends. They choose you, and for whatever reason, with Daphne and Shelby, it stuck. He started thinking about Saturday morning. If Shelby wanted something fancy, he’d give her fancy. He decided to make duck confit with rösti potatoes and fried eggs. Let her take a bite out of that!
He could do Friday night suppers at the inn almost by rote, so he’d have plenty of time to get things ready for Daphne and Shelby. Ian had decided to serve the usual prime rib and salmon, but since parents brought kids along for the Halloween weekend, they’d added chicken fingers to the menu. Tyne was going in early to help Ian set up a wine and cheese–tasting bar, along with shrimp cocktail, in the foyer when guests arrived. The adults could imbibe while Paula’s mom, Maya, and Steph organized a scavenger hunt outside for the kids. Tyne and Paula had made snacks for the back patio—little chocolate coffins filled with cheese slices and pretzel sticks, “eyeball” buckeyes, decorated cookies, and hot chocolate. Supper wouldn’t be served until seven, so he had plenty of time to get everything organized. Tessa had made a “dirt” cake and red velvet cake for desserts.
The Halloween extravaganza was going to be a lot of work, but Tyne was as excited about it as Ian was. Tyne had already set up the cooker for the hog, so that he could start the meat on low and slow before he left the inn for the night. Saturday was going to be even busier, especially since he’d added breakfast onto it at Daphne’s place. No matter. A little extra effort, sometimes, yielded big results.
Chapter 25
After Tyne left, Daphne meant to join Shelby in the workroom to finish the last panel in her standing, stained-glass screen, but a handful of customers wandered into the shop, and she had to wait on them instead. At five-feet tall, with three panels, Shelby’s piece needed larger cuts of glass than Daphne usually used, so they’d gone through most of the workroom’s stock, trying to finish it. Behind and almost out of time, Shelby worked on the screen every day while Daphne handled customers, but whenever Daphne had free time, Shelby asked her to help. Even working together, it cost them every spare minute they had. The only saving grace was that Leesa ran the shop on Saturdays, so they’d be able to finish it tomorrow afternoon.
Daphne struggled not to feel used. When Shelby left on Sunday, she was going to have to order more glass to make more inventory for her shop during the slow months. She suspected her friend had come to Mill Pond only because she didn’t have the supplies or time to complete her entry for the big exhibit she’d entered. She’d been taken advantage of. She’d never been good at setting boundaries, and Shelby knew it.
In college, as freshmen, they’d been assigned to the same dorm and taken many of the same art classes. Proximity made them acquaintances, not friends. Shelby had been a partier. Daphne preferred meeting people in cafés to discuss books, art, and music. In her sophomore year, Daphne’s parents had trusted her enough to pay for an apartment for her—on the condition that she’d drive home to stay with them on weekends—and Shelby had tagged along as a roommate. Daphne had told herself it was better than being alone, but by the time graduation rolled around, Daphne couldn’t wait to get away from her.
The apartment was always clean by the time Daphne returned on Sunday evenings, but rumor was a string of men came and went on Friday and Saturday nights. Shelby was smart enough to never push Daphne too far, and when she thought Daphne was miffed with her, she’d bring home a pizza and stick around to talk about their latest art projects. But to say that they were a good fit? Not so much.
Daphne only saw Shelby at major art shows now, and even then, smal
l doses of Shelby were more than enough. Her friend liked being the center of attention. Even when people came to praise Daphne on her work, somehow Shelby always made the conversation about her. The last straw was when she’d had the nerve to throw herself at Tyne. At first, Daphne had been jealous. What would it be like to be that sure of yourself? To go for what you wanted, no matter who got in your way? But then she noticed Tyne’s reaction to her, and Daphne could tell he didn’t like her. She allowed herself a small smile.
A customer carried a small, stained-glass jewelry box to the counter and chuckled. “That smile looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.”
Daphne laughed. “Celebrating a small victory, that’s all.”
The woman waited for Daphne to process her card. “Every victory counts, as far as I’m concerned. I celebrate every single one of them.”
“Good advice.” The woman looked the type who’d have lots of wins in life. Daphne decided to heed her advice.
Daphne had three short breaks for the rest of the day. She worked with Shelby during each of them, and they stayed at the shop after Daphne closed up to work a couple hours more. After seven, though, Daphne pressed a hand to her stomach and said, “I’m starving.”
They’d made a lot of progress. Another three hours of work, and the screen would be done. Shelby nodded. “Let’s go to your place and change before we go to Bloomington.”
Daphne was fine with that. She’d be able to feed Shadow and spend a little time with him. It was eight before they left Mill Pond to drive to Bloomington, though. Shelby had changed into a long, navy skirt that flipped at the hem and black, dressy boots. Her cream-colored top draped over one shoulder. She’d pulled her long, blonde hair up in a chignon and added dangling earrings. Daphne felt frumpy beside her, but not enough to motivate her to glam up.
When they walked inside the restaurant, Daphne could see why Tyne had recommended it. It was classy, but low key, and it boasted a stone oven for fire-roasted entries. A pianist was playing in a room on the far right, and a woman was singing along to his music. When the hostess took Daphne’s name, she smiled. “You’re a friend of Tyne’s. The chef is expecting you.” They were led immediately to a table.
Shelby preened as she glanced over the menu. When the waiter came, she ordered a Cosmopolitan and one of their specialty appetizers, the smoked salmon and trout plate. The most expensive item on the menu was their pound-and-a-half, bone-in Delmonico steak, and she ordered that, too. Daphne had no idea how anyone could eat that much, so she ordered the filet medallions with peppercorn-cognac sauce, along with a glass of wine.
When their drinks came, Shelby reached for the bread basket. “I like it here.”
Daphne had to agree. The ambience was friendly and upscale. When their food came, Tyne would have approved of it. At the end of their meal, the chef himself came to greet them. “Tell Tyne he was right about the quality of David Danza’s quail. We served it as a special, and we got lots of compliments on it.”
Daphne assured him she’d pass on the information, and then they took their leave. It had been a long day. She was glad they had a shorter drive to reach home. Shadow pounced on her foot when she stepped inside the house. She smiled and picked the kitten up to cuddle him.
Shelby made a face. “Pets take too much time and attention.”
“Cats are pretty independent.” Daphne went to the kitchen to find Shadow a treat. He was partial to shredded cheese.
Shelby followed her and glanced out the kitchen windows. “It’s so dark out here. There’s nothing close by. Don’t you get bored with nothing to do?”
“No, I bought this place because of the views. I love looking out to see the forest and park.”
Shelby grimaced, then covered a yawn. “I’ve gotta get some sleep. Tyne’s coming early in the morning to make us breakfast.”
Food didn’t even sound good to Daphne right now. “How do you stay so thin? I couldn’t believe you finished that whole steak tonight.”
“I work out when I’m home. I usually spend two hours a day at the gym.”
“Two hours? How do you find the time?”
Shelby shrugged. “That’s why I put my stuff in exhibits and shows and work on commission instead of owning a shop. Shops tie you down. I’d rather work at home and have more free time.”
Daphne wondered about that. She did spend a lot of time working with customers. She’d worked and saved to put a down payment on the shop, felt a huge sense of accomplishment when she opened it. Would she have been better off freelancing? No, the shop was right for her. She wasn’t great at networking or selling herself. Shelby didn’t like anything that tied her down, but Daphne liked stability, security.
They headed to their separate rooms, and Shadow came to cuddle with Daphne during the night. Daphne blew out a breath when she set her alarm for eight a.m. She usually slept another hour on Saturdays, but she wasn’t going to meet Tyne in her pjs and bathrobe. The idea of a big breakfast brought a sigh. By the time Shelby left on Sunday, Daphne would be lucky if she didn’t waddle. She fell asleep, thinking of a week of salads, day after day, until she had an appetite again.
In the morning, she heard Shelby moving around before her alarm went off. She groaned and rolled over, but couldn’t block the noise. Finally, she got up and went to see what her friend was doing. She shook her head. Shelby was blow-drying her long, blond hair, carefully rolling each section on a round brush for volume. It was Saturday. Who cared?
Shelby noticed her in the doorway and smiled. “What’s Tyne’s favorite color? Do you know?”
Daphne blinked. “Not a clue.”
“Oh, well, I thought I’d wear something he’d like. I’ll just have to go for snug so that he notices I have great boobs.”
Did Shelby have great boobs? She’d never noticed. Daphne left her and padded into the kitchen to start coffee. Shadow went to his food bowl, expecting his breakfast. Daphne dutifully served it up, then looked out the kitchen windows. Sunshine. After so many gray days, it lifted her mood. The trees had lost some of their leaves. They looked patchy now, but they were still beautiful. A few of the big, old oaks stood out in the background, their leaves rust-colored and bronze.
A half hour later, Shelby came into the kitchen and frowned at her. “You’re going to get dressed for when Tyne comes, aren’t you?”
Daphne glanced at the clock. “I still have twenty minutes.”
Shelby frowned. “You’re going to go to more bother when we go to Chase’s bar tonight, aren’t you?”
“I’ll wash my hair.”
Shelby shook her head. “Pitiful.”
But by the time Tyne walked to the kitchen door, laden down with grocery bags, Daphne had washed her face, brushed her teeth, and pulled on old jeans and a V-necked tee. She held the door open for him, and he stopped to study her. “You even look good with no makeup. You have beautiful skin.”
Daphne could feel heat flood her cheeks when Shelby hissed with displeasure.
Tyne’s gaze didn’t leave Daphne. “Your friend said she wanted fancy, so fancy I brought.”
Daphne helped him unpack his supplies, but Shelby wedged herself between them to hover close while he started cooking. “I’ll learn from the best if I watch you.”
“The duck’s the secret ingredient.” He took out a small Mason jar filled with what Daphne assumed must be duck fat. He held up a Ziploc bag filled with shredded meat. “Duck.” Another baggie held grated potatoes. “Do you have a bowl?”
She handed him one, then pressed herself into the corner, out of the way. He mixed the shredded meat with the potatoes. He took a few pieces of meat that stuck to the sides of the bag and bent to give them to Shadow.
Shelby rolled her eyes. “You’re as bad as her. Pets should eat dry pet food.”
Tyne grinned and winked at Daphne. “I’m a chef. I don’t feed anyone or anything something ordinary.”
He scrounged in a deep, bottom drawer where he knew Daphne kept her skille
ts. He added the duck fat to one and when it was hot, added the potato mixture. “That takes a while to crisp up and set.”
While the potatoes cooked, he added chives and lemon juice to sour cream. “For a topping.” Then he started on a quick, spinach salad with walnuts and strawberries.
Shelby tried for conversation while he worked. “How has your week been?”
“Busy. The inn geared up for Ian’s Halloween weekend special. You?”
“Daphne’s been helping me finish my stained-glass screen. It’s kept us busy all week. We can do the last pieces this afternoon.”
Tyne glanced up from his work. “Helping you how?”
“It takes a lot of time to cut the individual pieces of glass and solder them in place.”
He frowned. “You didn’t bring the glass pieces already cut?”
Shelby bit her bottom lip. “No, Daphne always has lots of different colors at her shop. We used those.”
Tyne quit working and turned to look at Daphne. “That was all right with you? I thought you needed those to make new inventory for your shop.”
Shelby sighed. “I sort of ran out of money for supplies, and Daphne’s always helped me out.”
He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. Daphne thought his expression said it all. He went back to working on the salad.
Shelby tried again. “I’m so happy you recommended the Malibu Grill last night. The food was wonderful.”
That brought a smile. “What did you get? I love the Steak Neptune. Filet with crab meat and hollandaise is a great match.”
She told him her picks, and he looked unimpressed. “You go for big ticket items. I like finesse.”
Daphne studied him. Was he purposely trying to bait her friend?
Shelby crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes sparkled with temper. “Nothing I do seems to please you.”
