Taste the Heat

by Rachel Harris

  “Totally,” she answered, slinging her arms around his waist in a tight hug. Over his daughter’s head, Jason slid Colby the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen.

  Her insides turned to molten lava. For the better part of the last thirty years, she had lusted after the man in front of her. She’d seen him at the breakfast table with adorable bedhead. She’d seen him dressed up and smelling good, heading to a party. Colby had seen Jason at all ages and stages of his life—heck, she even saw him in his hero getup a few days ago. But without question, he had never looked more attractive than he did in that moment. Standing in the middle of a drug store aisle, surrounded by tampons, and holding his daughter after trying so hard to help her.

  Colby wasn’t interested in dating a dad or becoming a surrogate mother; heck, the thought of being responsible for molding a young mind gave her hives. But even she could admit that Jason made fatherhood look good.

  And that was cosmically unfair.

  Seeing Jason again had sparked all her childhood feelings, feelings that her sister had kicked into overdrive with her unhelpful suggestion of a fling. Now Colby was afraid a simple roll in the hay wouldn’t be enough. And it would have to be. At the end of the summer, she was moving back to Vegas. But the two of them could be friends. All three of them, actually. And it was even possible that hanging around Jason with his daughter in tow would help the desire to tackle the man and drag him to her bed subside.

  It was unlikely, but it was definitely worth a shot.

  Later that night, after an afternoon filled with culinary television, the best batch of chocolate chip cookies the world had ever seen, and endless advice on feminine supplies, Colby drove Emma back home. It was storming, and water pounded the windshield as she pulled into their circular driveway. Rivulets of rain cascaded down the gables on the sloped roof and gushed out the downspout of the gutter in front of them. It was so not the right weather for a white shirt.

  Grabbing an umbrella, Colby jogged around the front of the car, her feet splashing in the instant puddles. Emma grabbed her enormous backpack and together they sloshed up the paved drive.

  Before they’d made it to the red brick steps, Jason threw open the door. “Come in,” he said, his voice muffled by the rain beating against the roof. Wrapping a hand around Colby’s elbow, he dragged her inside, Emma squeezing in behind her. Jason took the umbrella from her hands and held it outside the open door, shaking off the water. “Stay for a few minutes while it dies down out there.”

  Cool air-conditioning kissed her wet skin and she shivered. But the response had as much to do with the man standing beside her as it did the temperature. With his feet bare and damp, coal black hair curling around his ears, it was obvious Jason had just stepped out of the shower. The clean scent of soap wafted off his skin. His MSFD T-shirt stretched over his broad shoulders and his jeans hung low on his hips. The desire to lick a trail from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head was so strong, her knees wobbled. She glanced at Emma, and as hoped, the effect was like an immediate cold shower. Get your hormones in line, girl.

  Swiping away the moisture on her face, Colby pinched the fabric of her own T-shirt and unstuck it from her body. Even without the aid of a mirror, she was confident she looked like a drowned rat. “Guess umbrellas are pointless when the rain comes down sideways, huh?”

  Jason laughed. After setting the umbrella in the holder on the covered porch, he closed the door and said, “The storm should pass over soon. Why don’t you stay for dinner? I just finished getting it ready, and while I might not own a big time restaurant or anything, you happen to be looking at an award-winning chef.”

  “Oh, is that right?” Colby shot Emma a sly grin and said, “You should know, I heard through the grapevine that the judge from the other day has horrible taste. I wouldn’t put much stock in her opinion if I were you.”

  Emma’s eyes darted between them, an excited smile on her face. “But you’ll stay, though, right?” she asked enthusiastically, the same way she did pretty much everything. “You can tell Dad about all the celebrities who’ve come into your restaurant!”

  Feeling cornered, Colby said, “Well, maybe…” She snuck a quick breath and inhaled the distinct aroma of oregano and basil. Italian. She was in luck. With an exaggerated sigh, she relented. “I guess you two wore me down.”

  Jason held his palm up, and Emma slapped it. “No one can deny a Landry,” he told his daughter.

  And that’s what worries me. Grown-up Jason had a playful side, one that Colby liked a lot. Maybe too much. “Do you two mind if I freshen up first?”

  “Not at all,” he said, inclining his head for her to follow. She kicked off her shoes and padded across the soft carpet through the open living room. A black leather sectional sofa dominated the space, along with a wall-mounted television and a coffee table littered with what appeared to be a strange mix of various martial art and teen magazines. Frames on the walls displayed the passing years of Emma’s life, and in the middle of the focal wall, a family photograph showed a gap-toothed girl surrounded by her adoring parents.

  Colby wanted to stop and study the picture, but she kept on moving. She didn’t want to upset Emma. And she didn’t want to ruin the light-hearted mood that had fallen over the room. Stealing a final glance at the cozy family unit, she followed Jason into his rather large kitchen, outfitted with stainless steel appliances. She could imagine father and daughter working together in the roomy space, laughing, cooking together, creating…much like she used to do with her dad.

  Nope, not gonna happen. Colby shut down the thought before it could go any further. Thoughts of her past weren’t going to ruin the night, either.

  Jason stopped in front of the gas stove. “Emma, why don’t you show Colby the way to the bathroom? Maybe change out of those wet clothes while you’re at it.”

  “On it.” She took Colby’s hand and led her through a rounded door into another hallway lined with frames.

  “Someone is certainly photogenic,” Colby said, smiling at an eight-by-ten school photo of Emma, trademark ponytail in place.

  “Yeah, Mom was a photo nut,” Emma explained. “I think Dad’s afraid to take anything down, like it’s going to upset me or something. So he just keeps adding new pictures to the walls. Soon he’s gonna have to hang them on the ceiling.” She pushed open a door and pointed inside. “This is the bathroom. My dad’s room is at the end of the hall, the laundry room is on the other, and here’s my room,” she said, indicating the closed door across from the bathroom. Turning the knob exposed a sea of blue walls and a matching bedspread. “Just holler if you need anything.” Then Emma ducked inside and closed the door.

  Colby turned back to the bathroom. She needed to clean herself up, and try to get a handle on the wet mess otherwise known as her hair. But the large wedding photograph she just spied at the end of the hallway was calling her name. If she was quiet, she could slip down the hall now and get a good, unaccompanied stare at Ashleigh on her wedding day, and the look in Jason’s eye she already knew she’d find when he gazed at her. With a quick glance in either direction, Colby sprinted across the plush carpet and toward the gilded frame.

  Ashleigh had been tall, blond, and gorgeous. Basically everything Colby wasn’t. In the picture, she stared up at her new husband, obviously head over heels in love. Like she did back in high school. Colby had only been a freshman when they were seniors, but she used to watch them from across the cafeteria. They were the golden couple, and Jason loved surprising his girl with a single flower or a box of candy. Little things that fueled Colby’s fantasies. And every time he brought those gifts, Ashleigh would look up at him with the same expression of love she did in their wedding photo.

  As for the groom, the Jason in the photograph was the Jason that Colby remembered from her childhood. Young and handsome, with that mischievous glint in his expressive eyes. His dark hair was longer then. Studying him closer, Colby decided he couldn’t be older than early twenties; she’
d say twenty-one or twenty-two at the most. A love-struck smile tugged at young Jason’s lips, and an irrational sense of jealousy flared in her gut.

  Turning back to Ashleigh, Colby glimpsed what Emma would look like in about ten years. While the girl had Jason’s eyes, the rest was clearly all Mama. From her height, to her smile, to the color of her hair, Emma had to be a daily reminder of Jason’s deceased wife.

  How painful must that be?

  Knowing her time was running short, she took another step closer to the picture, soaking up every detail in pathetic curiosity. The way Jason held her hand, the way he looked at his wife, the old-fashioned style of the bride’s wedding dress…

  Colby narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on how the gown flared at the bride’s stomach.

  Unless she was mistaken, that was a decided baby bump. Another piece fell into place.

  A thump sounded from inside Emma’s bedroom. Not wanting to be caught snooping, Colby flew down the hall and enclosed herself in the bathroom.

  …

  “I guess that judge knew what she was talking about after all,” Colby declared, slapping her hands over her flat stomach. Jason averted his eyes from the sexy flash of skin. What is wrong with me? “Because that pasta was positively delicious. Well done, Chef Landry. You’d give me a run for my money any day.”

  He nodded his thanks, grateful for the compliment, as unlikely as it may be. He’d cooked many meals in his life. Even before Ashleigh died, he’d enjoyed tooling around in the kitchen. Focusing on the tasks of chopping, stirring, and adding the occasional random spice to the recipe he was using quieted his overactive mind. And after becoming a widower and the sole provider for his daughter’s daily nutrition, well, that enjoyment turned into more than just a hobby. As Emma grew older, sharing that time with her, watching cooking shows and inventing new recipes, brought them closer. Jason had definitely learned a lot about food in the last few years…but a restaurant quality chef he’d never be.

  “Coming from you, that is high praise indeed. But had I remembered your restaurant in Vegas was Italian, I might’ve been too intimidated to ask you to stay.”

  Colby laughed, a soft, musical sound that made him smile. And tonight, he’d heard it a lot. Between her jabs at him for his Zack Morris fade haircut, his digs at her about her metal mouth years, and Emma teasing them both for their “weird” taste in music, the night had been comfortable and fun. Dinner had always been a special time for him and Emma, a natural extension of their mutual love of cooking. Whenever he was off-duty, they would eat together at the table, catching up on the highs and lows of each other’s days. Truth be told, it was his favorite part of the day. He hadn’t thought it could get any better. Tonight, Colby proved him wrong.

  In so many ways, she was exactly what he was looking for.

  But Colby wasn’t for him.

  That was what he had to keep reminding himself. If Cane’s obvious opposition wasn’t enough, during dinner Colby had revealed her plan to leave at the end of the summer. Regardless of how well she seemed to fit, pursuing her to become Emma’s stepmother was not an option.

  “Emma told me earlier that she makes a mean lasagna, too,” Colby said, tossing his daughter a smile. “I told her I could use a good set of helping hands in the kitchen. I was thinking she could maybe come by the restaurant after school on Friday and be my junior sous-chef.”

  Emma squealed, and they both laughed.

  “Clearly, she has no interest whatsoever,” Jason said, giving her ponytail a playful yank. It was obvious she wanted to spend as much time with Colby as she could. Part of him worried about her getting too attached, knowing Colby would be leaving in three short months. But spending time inside a real restaurant kitchen beside a real chef would be an amazing opportunity for his daughter. One that he couldn’t keep her from experiencing. “I’m at the station that day,” he said, “but I’m sure my mom can drop her by after school.”

  “Oh, how is your mom?” Colby leaned forward, setting her elbows on the table with genuine interest.

  Jason grinned. “Mom’s good. She’s retired now, her and my dad both. She still helps at the school as a substitute now and then, but mostly she spends her days reading romance novels and helping with Emma when I’m working a shift.”

  “Emma, your grandmother is the reason I started reading anything other than recipes. She was hands down the best teacher at Magnolia Springs Elementary.” Looking back at Jason, she said, “But while I’d love to see your mom again, Emma could always come by on Saturday if it’s easier.”

  “I can’t,” Emma broke in, setting down her glass of milk. “That’s my birthday camping trip. Actually, my birthday isn’t until next Thursday, but this year it’s a golden one—you know, when your birth date and age match? So Dad said that I could pick anything I wanted to do—”

  “Anything within reason,” Jason amended with a grin.

  Emma rolled her eyes, as if she wouldn’t have asked for a trip to New York had he not added that stipulation, and continued. “Anything I wanted, and I’ve never been camping before.” Then a strange expression crossed over her face and her lips twitched. Colby shot Jason a look.

  “You just said anything within reason, right, Dad?” Emma asked. Jason slowly nodded, curious as to why she kept emphasizing that word, and Emma slid their dinner guest an innocent, wide-eyed grin. “Then could you join us, Colby?”

  Jason hadn’t been expecting that. And from the panicked look on Colby’s face, neither had she.

  “U-Uh,” she stammered, taking her napkin off her lap and placing it on the plate in front of her. She licked her lips and sent him an unidentifiable look. “Well, Emma, I’m honored you want me to be a part of your special day,” she said carefully. “But wouldn’t I be intruding?”

  Jason couldn’t tell by the look on her face if she wanted an out or not. And he still wasn’t sure if he should encourage Emma’s hero worship. But the more Jason thought about it, the more he realized that he wanted Colby there. Emma deserved a special birthday. She deserved a dozen of them. And within reason, he wanted to give her everything she asked for. If Colby’s presence made her day that much better, that was what he wanted to give her. Plus, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the idea of spending more time with the enchanting chef himself.

  So he answered honestly. “You wouldn’t be intruding at all. We’re just going down the street to LeBeaux Park for the night. Walk a few trails, roast a few hot dogs, and eat a few dozen s’mores. We’d love to have you join us,” he said. Then he realized the one flaw in the plan. “That is, if you can take off on a weekend.”

  Colby bit the corner of her pouty lip. “Normally, I can’t,” she admitted. “Fridays and Saturdays are super busy at the restaurant, at any restaurant really. The earliest I’d usually get off is eight, and that’s rare. But I guess family businesses do have some perks…” She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled at Emma. “Golden birthday, huh? The big one-two?”

  Emma nodded. “Only one year left before I’m officially a teenager.”

  “And Dad officially has a coronary,” Colby added with a grin. She slid her phone out of her pocket and her fingers began flying across the screen. “Man, I haven’t taken a weekend shift off in years.”

  His precocious daughter sent him a private wink. He knew she was playing matchmaker. Between her and Sherry, they’d have him married to Colby by Labor Day. And therein lay the problem, since by her own admitted timetable, Colby would have already returned to Vegas by then. Maybe asking her to come with them wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  But before he could say so, Colby lifted her head. “Rhonda says she can handle the shifts on her own.” She leaned up to pocket the phone and tousled Emma’s hair. She slid Jason a smile. “Any chance your tent has room for three?”

  Chapter Six

  Jason set down the last of the camping equipment and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of fresh pine, wet mud, and wood smoke. Ac
ross the campground, metal clanged near the horseshoe pit. And near the edge of the bayou, standing beside her idol, Emma plunged her hand into a bag of stale bread and chucked a handful of torn pieces into the water. Mayhem instantly ensued. Dozens of paddling ducks honked and fought, diving for the same soggy piece, as birds flew from the trees, squawking their disapproval. Colby bent her head close to his daughter’s ear. Emma’s ponytail bounced with her laughter. And Jason’s chest constricted.

  How different would it be if Ashleigh were here today?

  Listening to his daughter’s animated laughter and glancing at the array of supplies at his feet, Jason figured probably not much. Ashleigh had been a girly-girl—she didn’t do camping. But for Emma, he knew she would’ve done anything to make this the best camping trip a soon-to-be twelve-year-old could have. The same thing he and Colby were trying to do. Which led to the question he really wanted answered: what would Ashleigh think of Colby?

  His wife had died way too young. They never thought to talk about the future or what they should do if tragedy struck. In Hollywood, dying heroes and heroines always encourage left-behind spouses to find love again, but Jason didn’t want love. He’d been there, done that, and had the deep gash in his heart to prove it. But would Ashleigh have wanted him to remarry for Emma? Honestly, he didn’t think he was selfless enough to want another man to raise his daughter, to have her call someone else Dad. But without a doubt, he’d want Emma to have the best life possible. If Ashleigh felt as he did—that having a two-parent household would ensure Emma’s happiness—then she’d have had his blessing. Jason believed he had Ashleigh’s. But Colby was not the woman for the job.

  That became obvious at dinner three days ago. She was leaving at the end of summer. No amount of wishful thinking on his part would change that. He had to get back out there and start dating again. But for the last few days, he saw smoky gray eyes everywhere he looked.