“What can I do for you, Mr Max?” she said. It was just three days ago that she last saw him and he looked a lot more relaxed now. She searched his face, hoping to see a sign that he remembered his brothers but she saw nothing behind that friendly smile.
“Drop the mister. I’m Mad Max to you.”
Layla spluttered. “I can’t...” She couldn’t possibly call him Mad Max. That sounded rude.
Max laughed. “Fine. Max then.”
“Okay. Max.” She leaned across the counter and smiled warmly. “Are you here to order another custom cake?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. I’m having another party. I thought I should place the order earlier this time. You did a great job with my buddy’s birthday cake, but it’s not fair for me to constantly put you under that kind of pressure. I don’t think your mate will be very happy,” Max said, looking around.
“Dean’s not here,” Layla said gently. “He’s at the restaurant.”
“His restaurant, Dean’s Kitchen, right?” Max paused and said, “Your mate and his brother are pretty successful business people.”
“Yeah. Dean and Zack are really smart and hardworking.” You should be proud of them.
Layla watched Max as he looked around her little shop. Had Max been checking up on Dean and Zack? Hope flared in her heart. If Max dug deeper, maybe something would jog his memory.
Layla swallowed and said tentatively, “Max, do you remember...” Your past? Your family?
Max quelled her with a look. “There is nothing to remember.”
Layla snuffed out that twinge of disappointment. Max just needed more time, that’s all.
The important thing was that they had found him at last. As long as Max didn’t disappear on them again, they would give him all the time he needed.
Layla grabbed her pen and watched her brother-in-law out of the corner of her eye. There was no doubt in her mind that Max was Dean and Zack’s big brother. That made Max her family too.
Max was pretending to look at the baked goods on the shelves. He was casting frequent glances out her window, looking at who was coming and going along the street.
She smiled to herself. This was a good sign, and she wanted to nudge Max in the right direction but she had to tread carefully. “Dean usually goes down to his restaurants in the city in the mornings, but he should be at the Haywood Park restaurant in the afternoons and he’ll stay till late evening,” she said conversationally. “He seldom comes by my bakery in the day.”
Max turned away from the window and feigned nonchalance. “I’m here to order a cake,” he said flatly.
“Of course,” Layla answered. “What design would you like? Is it a birthday cake?”
“No, it’s an engagement cake.”
Layla gasped, almost dropping her pen. “You’re getting engaged?”
“Of course not!” Max looked both amused and taken aback. “Why would you think that?”
“Well...”
Max rolled his eyes and huffed. “Anyway, I’ll give you the names of the happy couple. They’re good friends of mine, so I’m hosting the engagement party for them.”
He scribbled the names down and pushed the notebook back to her. “Put the names all over the cake. They’ll like that. Oh, and decorate the cake with flowers and boiling pits of lava. It’s a fae-demon engagement.”
Layla blinked at him. “Ah, okay...”
“I’ll need the cake next weekend. I can send one of my guys to collect it from your shop,” Max said, pulling out his wallet.
“It’s okay. I’ll deliver it to you. I got your address.” She gave a sly smile. She was thinking of asking Dean to drive her to Max’s grand mansion. Maybe Zack could come along.
She could create opportunities for the brothers to meet. Hopefully the more they saw one another…
Max dumped a stack of cash on her counter. “Next Saturday, seven o’clock,” he said. “Oh, can you throw in some donuts as well? That will cost me extra right? How much...”
Layla gaped at the stack of notes. “That can buy you all the donuts you can possibly eat!”
“Great! Those demons seem to love jelly donuts.”
Layla remembered the guests at Max’s costume party and said suddenly, “Um, that last party at your house...”
“Yeah.”
“That wasn’t a costume party, was it.”
Max gave her a lopsided smile. “Nope. It was supposed to look like a costume party, but...I guess you saw through the glamour. Venom told me you’re a witch.”
Layla started. “Venom?”
“Yeah. Venom’s specialty is combat magic. She’s the one who cast the glamour. She’s a good witch, and an even better bodyguard.”
As Max turned to walk out the shop, Layla called out suddenly, “Since you are in town, you should give Dean’s Kitchen a try.”
Max slid his shades on, hiding his eyes from her. Finally he said, “Is the food there any good?”
“Try it. You won’t regret it,” she said earnestly.
Layla ran to the window and saw Max get into his Bentley. She held her breath as she watched Max drive off. Would he go to Dean’s Kitchen?
She glanced at the clock. The lunch crowd should be gone by now. The staff would be taking a short break before preparing for the dinner rush. But they would be glad to serve any walk-in customers.
Should she give Dean a call?
Layla snatched her phone up and put it down again. What if Max changed his mind?
She could imagine a teenage Dean watching the door every night, hoping desperately that his big brother would come to his senses and come home.
Her heart ached for the family. This was her family now.
She would do everything she could to reconcile the family.
Good thing that Max seemed to be a big fan of her cakes. As long as he kept coming back, the family would stay in touch.
Layla gave a small, hopeful smile.
Who would have thought that her brother-in-law would be her biggest customer?
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Dean finished up the call with one of his suppliers and hung up. “Hey, boss!” One of his waitstaff popped his head round the door of Dean’s small office at the back of the restaurant and flashed him a quizzical, amused look.
“What’s up, Ronny?” Dean said, pushing away from his desk.
“A customer just walked in and I showed him to a nice table near the window.”
Dean shrugged. “Yeah?” Nothing unusual about that.
“Do you have an older brother?”
Dean tensed. “Why?”
“Well, this guy looks a lot like you. I’m not kidding. Heck, if I didn’t know better, I’d have thought he’s the future you. You know, like the older you coming back from the future to dispense some advice to the present-day you.”
Some of the cooks snickered. “Ronny, you’ve been watching too many time travel movies.”
Others ran with the joke. “We’ll have to keep Dean here until Future Boss has left the premises.”
“Yeah, we can’t let Dean meet his future self...”
“It would cause a time-space warp...”
“...and his molecules might get zapped into nothingness!”
“There would be no Boss, present or future...”
“...and no one would pay our wages!”
Dean ignored his chortling, tittering staff and turned back to Ronny. “You took his order?” he asked the young waiter.
“Yup.” Ronny whistled. “The guy has a humongous appetite. He ordered a steak, two burgers, grilled salmon and extra fries. And he said he’ll order dessert later.”
Dean’s brows rose a fraction. “All that food for one person?”
“Yeah. He’s eating alone.” Ronny grinned and ducked out of the kitchen.
Dean stood motionless for a moment. He refused to get his hopes up.
It couldn’t be Max. Max wouldn’t even acknowledge them. Why would he be here?
Max
seemed to have erased his past completely. He couldn’t or wouldn’t remember anything about their family. Was it shame or guilt that made him block out his memories?
Dean wanted to go out and see for himself. He wanted it to be Max. He needed to know that his big brother wasn’t a heartless, gutless, spineless coward. Someone who refused to face his family, his past and his mistakes.
His oldest chef and friend, Emily, nudged him gently. “Go,” she said. “What’s the use of hiding in the kitchen? Go out there and see for yourself.”
Emily was the only one among his staff who knew about Max. “You’ll find him,” Emily had told him. “Blood flows together. He’s your brother, your family, and family always comes together in the end.”
Dean took a deep breath. “It’s probably just another customer.”
Emily shrugged. “Maybe.” Maybe not.
Dean walked out to the restaurant and his eyes darted to the corner table. He saw Max at once.
Max seemed to sense his eyes on him. He turned from the window and looked straight at Dean.
Max gave a curt nod.
Dean’s throat and chest tightened.
There was no anger, resentment or hostility in his eyes. But no recognition either. Max really didn’t remember them at all. To Max, Dean was a stranger, an acquaintance at most.
He’s not our brother, Zack had said.
Dean realized that Zack was right.
The man sitting in his restaurant was Mad Max. There was no sign of Max Howell. Their big brother was still lost, but maybe someday he would return.
They would wait for him.
They would wait for Max to come home.
Dean walked quietly to Max’s table. “Mind if I sit down?” he said.
CHAPTER FORTY
Dean sat down and regarded Max for a long moment. He fought down the urge to reach across the table, grab the man by the collar and shake him. Hard.
What the hell are you playing at? Where have you been hiding? What are you hiding still?
Mad Max looked back at him calmly, with only a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Max Howell was in there somewhere. The impulsive, hot-headed sixteen-year-old who had stormed out of the house more than twenty years ago was buried under this smirking, arrogant billionaire.
Max was now a grown man in his early forties, and it was obvious that he had made good.
There were so many questions that Dean wanted to ask. But as Dean stared at the man sitting opposite him, he knew that he would not receive the answers he was looking for.
The man sitting in his restaurant right now was just Max, Mad Max. And Mad Max didn’t know him from Adam.
Mad Max studied Dean in silence. And when Dean met his sharp blue eyes, Dean realized that they were like mirror images of each other. They were both leaning back in their chairs, their faces betraying little or no emotion as they watched each other curiously and warily.
Ronny came with Max’s food. He placed the steak in front of Max, and arranged the plates of burgers and salmon neatly on the table.
“Enjoy your meal, sir,” Ronny said, canting his head slightly at Dean before moving off.
Mad Max picked up his knife and fork. “Care to join me?” he said, indicating the food on the table.
“Why are you here?” Dean said, leaning forward.
“I heard the food here is palatable.” Max waved his knife as he chewed and swallowed.
As Max speared the fries on his plate, he reached forward and pushed a burger towards Dean. “Eat up.”
Dean stopped breathing and blinking altogether.
Eat up.
That was what Max used to say to him and Zack at the dinner table. When they were younger, Max would push the remaining food on the table to his younger brothers and order them to “eat up”. Max used to shovel just a few mouthfuls into his mouth at mealtimes before pushing away from the dinner table. “I’ve had enough,” was all he said before disappearing into his room.
Dean picked up the burger slowly. He suddenly realized that there was so much about Max that he didn’t know or understand. There were a lot of doubts and misunderstandings to be cleared, but to do that, Max had to come back to them.
Max and Dean ate their burgers in silence. They finished their burgers at the same time and licked the sauce off their thumbs.
Max put the napkin on the table and looked around. His mood seemed to have improved. “You’ve got a great place here,” he said. “Nice décor.”
“It’s just been redecorated,” Dean answered. “Layla chose the wallpaper and the pictures.”
“You two work well as a couple. She’s the one who recommended your restaurant to me. Don’t look so surprised. Your mate is a talented decorator and baker. I just ordered another cake from The Magic Oven. An engagement cake.”
“You’re getting engaged?” Dean sputtered.
Dean felt a pang in his heart when he realized that neither he nor Zack would be present at Max’s wedding. He had been the best man at Zack’s wedding, and he had shared his brother’s joy and pride.
Dean swallowed hard. The gulf seemed to yawn even wider between them.
There was so much about Max that he didn’t know. So much time had passed and so much had happened in their lives. They weren’t even in each other’s lives. Of course he would know nothing about his brother’s engagement.
Max chuffed and rolled his eyes. “That’s what Layla said as well. My goodness, you two even think alike.” Shaking his head, Max said, “Nah. I’m just hosting the engagement party, but I’m not the groom-to-be.”
Dean felt himself relax a fraction.
“It’s funny,” Max was saying. “When I first met Layla, I felt an affinity with her. It sounds crazy but...I felt like she could be my sister.”
Dean bit back his words. That’s because she is. She’s your sister-in-law.
“She’s right. The food here is pretty good. And that burger...the best!” Max said generously.
Dean got up. “I’ll pack a couple of burgers for you. To go. It’ll just take a few minutes. If you’re not in a hurry...”
Max looked genuinely surprised. He stared at Dean for a moment. With a barely perceptible nod, Max said, “I’ll have a coffee and cheesecake while I wait.”
Dean went back to the kitchen and started preparing two large burgers. He couldn’t describe what he was feeling at the moment. He was happy to see Max again, but sad that Max’s memories were broken. He felt angry at Max for leaving, but he was also mad at himself for not being able to see the full picture.
He wondered if Max had gone hungry often in the past.
The thought pained him. Dean wanted his big brother to never go hungry again.
Dean carefully wrapped the burgers up and placed them in a large bag. Max was finishing his coffee as he came out.
“Here you go,” Dean said.
“Thanks.” As Max stood and flipped his wallet open, Dean said, “On the house.”
“No...”
“You support Layla’s bakery. This is my way of saying thanks,” Dean said with a shrug.
“But...”
“Come by again. I’ll let you pay next time.”
Max hesitated before putting out his hand. “Deal.”
Dean watched Max walk out of the restaurant. He stood at the window and watched Max’s car until it was out of sight.
Max would come back. He had to believe that.
Closing the rift and healing old wounds would take time. Everyone deserves a second chance. They would have a chance to make things right between them.
Dean let out a slow, heavy sigh. Mad Max seemed like a nice guy and a good friend. If Max’s memory never came back, if he never remembered his past and his family…at the very least he could be their friend.
It wasn’t what Dean wanted, but it would have to do.
Max was alive.
That was enough.
For now.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Layla slid i
n through the side door and entered the restaurant. All the staff had left and the front entrance was locked. It was almost midnight now, so of course Dean’s Kitchen was closed.
But the chef was still around.
Layla went to the kitchen and wrapped her arms around her mate. “Hey,” she said, nuzzling his neck.
Dean turned around and kissed her. “Hey, your aunts are waiting for you,” he said, grinning. “They finished two plates of dumplings already.”
“They didn’t leave any for me?” Layla gasped in mock outrage.
Dean pointed to the sizzling pan. “There’s more coming up.”
“God, I love you,” Layla said, squeezing him.
Dean shot her a heated look and whispered, “If you keep touching me like that...”
She squealed as he lunged for her and darted out of the kitchen. “Tonight,” he warned with a low, dangerous growl.
Layla giggled and went out to meet her aunts. This was their regular meeting place now. Most of their coven meetings were held in Dean’s Kitchen.
Being the honorary member of the Dumplings Coven meant that Dean didn’t have to attend the meetings but he had to provide the dumplings. Dean was happy to oblige. Layla loved everything about her wonderful mate. Dean loved making her happy, and he loved making the people she loved happy.
Layla saw Aunt Ruth and Aunt Ursa sitting at the long table in the middle of the restaurant. There were a few empty plates and a big teapot on the table.
“Layla!” Her aunts waved her over. “Let’s get the meeting started!”
Aunt Ruth pointed to the huge teapot and grinned. “The honor of providing our drinks tonight goes to...the Crone!”
Layla clapped and rubbed her hands. “Let’s fill her up!”
She muttered the spell under her breath and cupped her palms over the teapot’s rotund belly. The teapot vibrated against her hands and the lid rattled noisily.
“All done,” Layla declared.
Aunt Ursa picked up the teapot and filled all three teacups. The three witches picked up their cups of warm, fragrant tea and yelled, “Bottoms up!”
Layla smiled as she refilled the cups. She could now cast spells with accuracy and confidence and she seldom slipped up.
Billionaire Chef Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Beast Bears Book 2) Page 10
