A Pinch of Salt (Three Sisters Catering Book 1)

by Bethany Lopez

  “Hey, Jericho!” I yelled out, lifting my hand in a wave to my buddy, who owned the steakhouse. We were part of the same Fantasy Football league, and often got together with a group of guys to watch games. Plus, he served the best steak in town.

  “How’s it going?” Jericho asked in reply.

  I shot him a thumbs up and a huge grin, then jogged around the truck so that I’d make it on time. I’d fill Jericho in later on why I didn’t have time to catch up, being on time to pick up Millie was more important.

  The door jangled as I opened it. The tables and chairs were empty, since they weren’t currently serving, but it only took a moment before Millie stepped out from the back.

  In a pale-blue dress with her hair hanging long and straight around her shoulders, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I was momentarily stunned. Speechless.

  I watched as Millie walked toward me, a small, uncertain smile playing on her lips, then I took a step toward her and reached out my hand. When she took it, I propelled myself closer and lowered my lips to her cheek, kissing her softly before saying, “You look gorgeous.”

  Millie

  I WAS OVERCOME BY NERVES. All morning I couldn’t stop fretting over this coffee date with Jackson. I mean, what did I really know about the guy. Sure, I knew he was a good dad, his house was nice, and something about those glasses he wore made my body pulse, but I didn’t really know him.

  Shoot, I hadn’t even known he was a teacher until he’d mentioned it in that text.

  Although, out of all the professions out there, high school English teacher was better than assassin, or jewelry thief.

  But, when I stepped out into the storefront and saw him standing there, not even trying to hide his pleasure at seeing me, I shoved my doubts to the side and decided to dive in.

  It was just coffee, after all, it wasn’t as if I was his new mail-order bride. There was no commitment being made.

  “Thank you,” I replied, when his compliment penetrated my thoughts. I’d probably tried on twenty different outfits before finally deciding on the blue dress. It was conservative, yet flirty. At least, that’s what I hoped.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose in what I was beginning to realize was a nervous gesture.

  “Yes,” I replied, giving him a true smile. It was easier knowing that he was just as nervous as I was. “Let’s go.”

  “It’s a beautiful day, shall we walk?” Jackson asked, mockingly holding out his arm in a gallant gesture.

  I laughed at his silliness and tucked my arm in his.

  “I’d love that.”

  As we started on the short walk to the coffee house, I asked, “So, what made you get into high school English?”

  “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I’ve always loved literature, so it seemed like a no-brainer,” Jackson replied easily. “I started out with your basic freshman English, but now I teach an advanced class, focusing on the classics, like Shakespeare, Austen, and Alcott, and it’s great because the kids in my class choose to be there, so they actually want to learn what I’m teaching.”

  “Wow, that sounds wonderful,” I replied, my heart pitter-pattering at the thought of Jackson laying down to read Jane Austen at night. “And very rewarding.”

  “It is,” he agreed. Just then, the wind kicked up and his scent hit me. A bit of spice, with a hint of something I couldn’t name. He smelled wonderful.

  I was beginning to wonder what the hell was wrong with this guy. There had to be something. No one was this perfect.

  Maybe he picks his nose or bites his toenails . . .

  But as I looked at his profile, my hand warm on his arm, I hoped that I was wrong. I wanted him to be real.

  “And for you,” Jackson added, pulling me out of my thoughts. “It must be rewarding running your own business. A family business at that.”

  I nodded, then looked down at the ground as we walked and said, “After our mother died, we decided to do what she would have wanted us to, and follow our dreams. Sure, it was risky, but we learned the hard way that you need to go after what you want before it’s too late.”

  “Hey,” Jackson said, stopping on the sidewalk and putting his hand under my chin. As he was lifting it up to bring my eyes to his, I noticed that he was no longer wearing his wedding ring.

  My heart leapt.

  “I’m sorry about your mom,” he said softly when our eyes met.

  “Thank you.”

  “It takes a lot of bravery and strength to take a chance on doing what you love. I know your mother would be proud of you and your sisters.”

  All my worries and doubts fled at his words, and I knew I wanted to see where things went with him. I wanted this coffee date to be our beginning.

  “I really appreciate that,” I said with a small smile, then tugged on his arm to get us moving again. A half a block down, we came to the awning above Rooster’s Coffee House, and I gave Jackson thanks when he held the door open for me to go inside.

  The smell of coffee, pastries, and cinnamon assaulted me as I walked in, and turned to Jackson with a sigh.

  “I love this place.”

  “I’ve never been,” he admitted, “but it smells great.”

  Not only did it smell great, but it was decorated in a rustic, farmhouse style. Lots of distressed wood, tin fixtures, and, of course, roosters everywhere.

  We walked to the counter, where he ordered a black coffee and croissant, and I ordered a salted caramel latte and a cranberry scone. Once we had our treats, we took the white iron bistro table in the back.

  “Salted caramel, huh?” Jackson asked after he held out my seat, then took his own. “I’ve heard that’s the current craze.”

  “You’ve never had anything salted caramel?” I asked, my jaw dropping slightly. “Candy, cupcakes, ice cream, latte, nothing?”

  Jackson chuckled at my dramatic response and shook his head.

  “Nope, the combo never appealed to me. I mean, salt on top of caramel, it just doesn’t seem right.”

  “Sometimes a pinch of salt is all you need to take something bland, and make it absolutely delicious,” I replied, holding my drink out to him. “Here, you have to try it.”

  Jackson accepted the challenge, taking my hot cup and lifting it to his lips. I was mesmerized by the sight of his lips on the rim of my cup, then laughed when he pulled away to reveal the slight whipped cream mustache that was left behind.

  He darted his tongue out to wipe his lip clean, then his eyes darkened when he noticed I was watching, my breath stuck in my throat.

  “Delicious,” Jackson said gruffly, and I had to agree, it was.

  Jackson

  I WAS ALMOST DONE WITh my coffee, and things had been going great, when Millie reached over and ran her finger over where my wedding ring used to be.

  “I, ah, noticed that you took it off,” she began, and I knew there was a question in there.

  I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the light caress of her finger on mine, then opened them and gave her a wry smile.

  “I’d known Julie all my life, our parents were friends, and we went to the same schools together,” I said, turning my hand under hers and holding it in place. “We started dating in high school, which made our families happy, and we just sort of settled into things from there. It was never love at first sight, or a match made of passion.” I paused, realizing my inner literature nerd was coming out, then I chuckled and continued, “Sure, we had the sweaty palms and stolen kisses of any teenaged relationship, but soon we just fell into an easy relationship. We went to college together, then Julie got pregnant and we moved back home to get married.”

  “Well, you got an amazing daughter out of it,” Millie said, her hand squeezing mine compassionately.

  “Yeah, K is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  I realized we were both done with our drinks and snacks, but wasn’t ready to leave yet, so I asked, “Would you like something else?
A water?”

  “Yeah, that would be great,” Millie replied sweetly, and I felt relieved that she wasn’t ready to end this thing yet either.

  I excused myself to go to the counter and buy two waters from the barista, then looked back at Millie while I waited. She was sitting at our table, looking around the dining room with a smile on her lips. I hadn’t really paid attention to my surroundings, but I followed her gaze and took in the décor of Rooster’s.

  It kind of reminded me of my grandparents’ house . . . Mental note, it’s time to make a visit, Kayla and I haven’t been to Grandma’s in a few months.

  Once the mental note was cataloged in the calendar in my mind, I grabbed the waters and strode back to Millie.

  “Where were we?” I asked as I placed her water on the table and took my seat.

  “You moved back home to have Kayla,” she supplied, then opened her water and said, “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” I replied, then thought back to my time with Julie. “She dropped out of school and we got married, while I transferred here and started taking classes. We rented a crappy two-bedroom row house, but we were happy. Excited about the baby. A few years after I started teaching, we had enough money saved to put a down payment on the house I live in now. Our marriage was a partnership. We didn’t fight, or have some deep-seated resentment about getting pregnant before marriage. We were just your normal family. When she said she was leaving, I was blindsided. One hundred percent.”

  I lost my words as I thought back to that day, when Julie said she was leaving, and I swear, I thought she was joking. It had never occurred to me that we wouldn’t spend our lives together.

  “She said she needed to live her own life. That she’d given up everything to become a mother and wife, and she wanted to see what else was out there. I told her she was crazy, that she’d regret it, and asked how she could do that to Kayla . . .”

  “What did she say?” Millie asked softly, her hand once again on mine.

  I brought my eyes to Millie’s, caught momentarily in the green and gold flecks I saw there.

  “She said she was sorry, but that Kayla would grow to understand, and then she left.” I sighed, then took a sip of my water. “I haven’t heard from her since.”

  “What about your parents, or hers; are you all still close?”

  “Yeah, my parents still live next door to hers, and Kayla spends time at both of their houses. She’s the only grandchild for both, so they spoil her to death. We go to my parents every Sunday for brunch, so she sees them at least once a week, sometimes more.”

  “That’s wonderful, that she gets to be close to her grandparents, and I’m sure it helps you a lot, that they’re all so close.”

  I nodded as I thought about last Sunday, when we all celebrated Kayla’s birthday together. She got to have her party with her friends, and then another with her family. She’d been over the moon, and even though I sometimes worried that we were all spoiling her too much, while we all tried to make up for her mother leaving, I couldn’t regret making my little girl happy.

  “I don’t know how I would have made it without them,” I admitted. “Whenever I have something going on at school, they help me out by watching her, and anytime she wants to go shopping, or get her nails done, my mom and Julie’s, are always happy to take her.”

  “And, have they heard from Julie?” Millie asked gently. “Her parents?”

  Shaking my head, I replied, “No, at least not that they ever told me, although I haven’t asked in months. They felt just as abandoned as we did, and I know they’ve wondered where they went wrong. They were always very close, especially Julie and her dad, and he was just as baffled as I was when she left.”

  “That’s terrible, I’m so sorry for you all,” Millie said, then looked up at me through her eyelashes. “Do they also babysit when you go on dates?”

  I fought back a grin at her question, knowing she was trying to find out if I’d been seeing anyone since Julie left. I liked that she wanted to know. I hoped that meant she wanted to see more of me, because I sure as hell wanted to see more of her.

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I haven’t dated anyone since Julie.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” I replied, then I turned her hand in mine and brought her palm to my lips. I kissed her there once, a soft brush of the lips, then placed her hand back on the table. “But, I’m hoping that will change. Maybe they can babysit Friday night, while we go to Prime Beef?”

  A beautiful smile blossomed over her face, and she gave a slight nod.

  “I’d like that. Let me check our schedule and see what I can do.”

  “Do you have an event?”

  “We always do. Our only day off is Monday, but, I can always take a break for dinner,” Millie said, and although I was disappointed that I wouldn’t get a full date with her, I loved the fact that she was willing to rearrange her schedule to fit me in. “It helps that Prime Beef is right across the street,” she added with a laugh.

  “Okay, great. You check your schedule and see if you can swing it, and I’ll check with my parents and see if they can take Kayla.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she said, and I fought back regret when she rose from her seat. “I’d better get back.”

  We walked back to Three Sisters hand in hand, Millie talking happily about the menu she’d prepared for a bridal shower they were catering that evening. All too soon, we were at her door and she was turning to me, her face flushed with pleasure, as she said goodbye.

  “Thanks for going with me today,” I said, reaching out to tuck a long lock of hair behind her ear, my heart racing when she turned her cheek toward my touch. “I had a great time, and can’t wait until Friday.”

  Her face went soft at my words, and I noticed her eyes were trained on my lips.

  Although it had been almost fifteen years since I experienced a first kiss with a woman, I knew the moment was right, so I took a step closer, one hand on her waist and the other cupping her cheek. Millie’s eyes fluttered closed as I bent my head, and a soft moan escaped her lips when I brushed mine against hers.

  She tasted of caramel and cream, and when I ran my tongue lightly across the seam of her lips, she opened for me, and I accepted her invitation.

  The kiss was sweet, with just a hint of reckless, and I knew when she sagged slightly against my chest that it was time to pull away. With what felt like the strength of twenty men, I did just that, then dropped one more kiss on her lips before taking a step back.

  I knew I’d keep a picture of that dreamy look on Millie’s face with me forever, and when I walked to my truck, there was a spring in my step.

  Millie

  I FLOATED THROUGH THE STOREFRONT, across the kitchen, and into the office in the back I shared with my sisters.

  It was a good-size room. Big enough that you could fit three desks, some bookshelves, and a couple chairs. My desk was the smallest, since most of my work was done in the kitchen, with Tasha and Dru having full-size desks, which were always put to use.

  While Dru’s was completely covered, and cluttered at all times, Tasha’s was organized and always clean. Dru had an old oak desk with decorating magazines, a large organizer, and swatches all over it, while Tasha’s had a modern feel, with chrome finish and smooth lines.

  My desk was shoved up against the corner with a small purple chair tucked under it. It was white and feminine, and held only my recipe cards, cookbooks, and notes full of ideas.

  Tasha and Dru had been talking about the wedding reception we had this upcoming Saturday, but when I walked in their heads turned to me and their conversation stopped. Dru’s lips turned up into a grin, and Tasha slapped her hand on the table, causing me to jump out of my daze.

  “You didn’t take him to your apartment,” Tasha complained.

  I chuckled softly. “You knew that wasn’t going to happen.”

  “A girl can dream . . .”

  “Something happened thou
gh,” Dru said, still grinning. “I’m thinking the only thing that could put that dazzled look on Mills’ face is a big, sloppy kiss.”

  “Ooooh,” Tasha exclaimed, scooting forward on her chair and clapping her hands. “Do tell.”

  “You guys,” I began, then sighed and spun in a circle, letting my dress flair up, much like I had after my first kiss in high school. “He’s . . . amazing.”

  “She’s smitten,” Tasha said, then pushed back and spun her chair in a circle.

  “I think you’re right,” Dru agreed, her eyes soft on me. “The girl’s in deep smit.”

  Tasha chuckled and I shook my head.

  “He teaches Shakespeare and Austen to teenagers . . . He talks about his daughter like she’s a miracle, and he kisses like a dream,” I gushed, then fell in the overstuffed floral chair that was in front of Tasha’s desk with an exaggerated sigh. “I’m in trouble. I really, really like him, and I don’t even know him yet.”

  “Why does Millie get all the luck? Perfect boobs, the ability to make people weep with her talent in the kitchen, and now? She’s caught the eye of a swoony, dimple-having, glasses-wearing, romantic, who’s great with kids.” This Dru asked Tasha dramatically, before turning to me and saying, “We shared a womb, you know . . . you could have left something for me.”

  I rolled my eyes at my gorgeous, funny, and equally talented twin.

  “Pulease,” I replied sarcastically. “The one thing you’ve never lacked, my dear sister, is confidence.”

  “True,” Dru said with a shrug, then her expression turned wistful. “But I wouldn’t mind a dreamy stranger walking in off the street and sweeping me off my feet.”

  “Maybe if you worked less than eighty hours a week, you’d meet someone,” Tasha said, and I knew she was right. We’d been so focused on building our business and following our dreams, that we’d forgotten to live our lives.

  “Maybe it’s time,” I suggested as I sat up in the chair. “We’ve talked about making some of our part-time employee’s full time, and hiring more part time. I know this is our baby and we’ve put everything we had into making it work. But, now that it is working, maybe we should loosen the reins a little and take some time to actually enjoy our success.”