Recipe for Romance

by Olivia Miles

  First loves are hard to forget…but blend one very special couple with a slice of blueberry à la mode and anything can happen in Olivia Miles’s delicious reunion story, Recipe for Romance!

  When Scott Collins walks into the Sweetie Pie Bakery on opening day, Emily is convinced she is seeing a ghost! It has been twelve years since he left town without a word—twelve years since he shattered her teenage heart. What has brought him back to Maple Woods? And why now?

  Time has only improved Emily’s beauty, Scott muses. He would give anything to take away her pained expression, to be able to hold her in his arms again. But the family secret that drove him away still stands between them. And telling her the truth could ruin more than just their second chance at a happy ending….

  “So, old friends, huh?”

  Scott grew silent and rested his forearms on his knees.

  “Seemed like the easiest thing to say.” She stole a glance in his direction, her breath catching at the intensity in his eyes

  “You were a hell of a lot more than just a friend to me,” he said, and Emily looked away, frowning.

  If she was so much more of a friend to him, then why did he leave without a trace?

  There you go again, Emily scolded herself. The past was over. What was done was done. When her father died, she had learned to savor the moment, to not take the present for granted. Sometimes it was easy to lose sight of that, especially more recently, when she was too busy getting lost in the future and all of its conflicting possibilities.

  She straightened her shoulders. There would be no thinking about the future today. Today was all anyone really had.

  A little shiver down her spine told her that today she had everything she had ever wanted, anyway.

  Dear Reader,

  Some of my fondest memories are those spent in the kitchen, gathered around the table for a family meal. I’ve always seen food as a way to bring people together, to give them a shared experience, and an opportunity to slow down and savor a moment. I collect cookbooks of all kinds (often to simply admire the beautiful photos, though I make a point of buying each of Martha Stewart’s books), but the most special recipes I have in my repertoire are the ones that have been passed down.

  For as long as I can remember, my mother has used a single cookbook: Joy of Cooking. It’s old and worn, with a loose spine and yellowed pages, and within its pages are the recipes I enjoyed as a child, on days when chicken pot pie could ease a broken heart or an apple pie with cinnamon crust could define a holiday. Not a birthday went by that I didn’t request Thanksgiving dinner…in March! The cookbook is stuffed with scraps of paper in all shapes and sizes, handwritten recipes jotted down in fading ink in a familiar scrawl—handwriting that is as eternally comforting as a slice of warm pie on a cold day.

  In writing Recipe for Romance, I wanted to evoke a sense of nostalgia for the characters, and an overall feeling of coming home. Setting much of this story in a pie shop, where Emily could keep her family’s tradition alive, underscored everything that Emily ever represented to Scott, and everything that had been missing from his life since he left Maple Woods: family, togetherness and memories meant to be cherished.

  One of my favorite scenes in this book was when Emily and Scott shared a pie made from a much loved recipe and turned a corner in their relationship. I’d like to think it signifies that no matter where you are, or how many years have passed, the taste and smell of a familiar recipe have the power to bring you home again.

  Best wishes,

  Olivia

  RECIPE FOR ROMANCE

  Olivia Miles

  Books by Olivia Miles

  Harlequin Special Edition

  ’Twas the Week Before Christmas #2304

  Recipe for Romance #2328

  OLIVIA MILES

  lives in Chicago with her husband, young daughter and two ridiculously pampered pups. As a city girl with a fondness for small-town charm, she enjoys incorporating both ways of life into her stories. Not a day goes by that Olivia doesn’t feel grateful for being able to pursue her passion, and sometimes she does have to pinch herself when she remembers she’s found her own Happily Ever After.

  Olivia loves hearing from readers. Visit her website, www.oliviamilesbooks.com.

  For my family,

  for their love, support, and encouragement.

  And for my editor, Susan Litman,

  for her invaluable feedback and guidance.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Reaching behind her waist to tie the strings of her crisp cotton apron in a jaunty bow, Emily Porter kept a firm eye on the clock, waiting with a quickening of her pulse until the long hand finally ticked to the twelve. She glanced to her friend and boss, Lucy Miller, who gave a nervous smile followed by a simple nod of her head. Eleven o’clock. This was it!

  With a deep breath, Emily crossed the polished wood floors and turned the homemade sign on the door of the Sweetie Pie Bakery. They were officially open for business.

  “I haven’t been this nervous since my wedding day,” Lucy exclaimed giddily, her voice high with sudden emotion.

  “It’ll be a huge success. I just know it,” Emily said, grinning ear to ear. This was the most exciting day she’d had in a long time, and heck, it hadn’t even started yet! Her stomach fluttered with anticipation as she glanced around the sun-filled bakery. The past few weeks had flown by in such a whirlwind of activity to get everything ready for the opening day that she hadn’t stopped to stand back and take it all in. The walls were painted a creamy ivory, nearly the same shade as the sleek cabinets that lined the wall behind the gleaming glass display case now housing fifteen different kinds of pie, all baked fresh that morning, with more in stock in the kitchen. The counter was a warm rustic cherrywood, chosen to complement the spotless floor. Ten cozy tables dotted the room, all eagerly awaiting the guests who would soon be coming through the front door.

  “I hope so.” Lucy sighed, glancing out the wall of windows onto Main Street.

  It was the first time Emily had seen her friend express any doubts since she’d first announced she was going through with the venture. She’d been working for Lucy for as long as she could remember at the diner across the street and never in all that time had she seen her boss so flustered.

  “You’ve been in the restaurant business for almost twenty years,” Emily replied, coming around the counter to get the coffee started.

  “You calling me old?” Lucy winked. Then, on a sigh, she admitted, “You’re right...” She began straightening chairs that were already straight. “I just don’t want to let anyone down.”

  Emily poured another heaping spoonful of fresh coffee grounds into the filter. “You aren’t going to let anyone down. Everyone in Maple Woods loves your diner and there’s no reason why they won’t love this place, too.”

  Lucy brushed an imaginary crumb from her pink and white pinstriped apron and squared her shoulders. “What would I do without you, Em?”

  A ripple of guilt crept over Emily, but she pushed the feeling aside as quickly as it formed and distracted herself by
setting the coffee to brew. She glanced around the bakery once more, wishing someone would just come in already! Deciding there was nothing left to do but wait until the first customer made their appearance, she announced, “I’ll water the flower beds.”

  Lucy nodded her approval, her eyes never leaving the window.

  “You know what they say about a watched pot...” Emily teased as she pushed through the front door with a wide grin, feeling the warmth of late morning sunshine on her arms and face.

  Bright pink tulips lined the tall windows of the storefront, and Emily gave each one a healthy drink while gazing down Main Street, which was unusually quiet for this time of day. In an hour the lunch crowd would hit, and then...then Emily didn’t know what to expect. She had visions of people pushing through a crammed door, eager to take a peek inside Maple Woods’s newest establishment.

  Still smiling at the thought, she whipped around to the sound of an engine revving in the near distance. A bright red sports car was sitting at the intersection of Main Street and Maple Avenue, the noise a dramatic contrast to the peaceful and simple life of Maple Woods.

  Emily watched as the car took a sharp left when the light turned, wincing as the vehicle rumbled offensively and took speed in her direction. She squinted into the sunlight as it quickly closed the distance, but as it zipped past her, her eyes shot open.

  It couldn’t be...not him. After all these years, there was no way. Why now?

  Emily peered at the sidewalk as she tried to logically process what she had just seen. Her stomach tightened with each ragged breath. Scott Collins hadn’t shown his face in this town in nearly twelve years. Would he really come back now, after all this time?

  She pursed her lips. It had taken months of heartache and waiting to learn the answer to that question. It was about time she accepted it, too.

  She swallowed the knot of disappointment that was quickly forming a lump in her throat, replacing her sudden shock. She hadn’t thought of her high school sweetheart in years, and look at her: all it took was one drive-by, one trigger to open wounds she thought had finally healed. One double take to have her thinking of those blue eyes and that lopsided grin all over again.

  She shook her head and pulled open the door to the bakery. The car had been too fast. Her mind had been playing tricks on her. Besides, Lucy would have surely announced if her own brother was paying a visit.

  “I just got a call from George,” Lucy announced breathlessly as soon as the door closed behind Emily. She finished untying the strings to her apron and hung it on a hook on the back of the kitchen door. “He needs me at the diner for a bit to help prep for the lunch crowd, seeing that we don’t have any customers here yet.” The last words of her statement were laced with disappointment.

  Emily studied Lucy’s face thoughtfully, wondering if she should even mention her possible sighting, but her friend’s expression showed nothing that would indicate Scott’s arrival any more than her words did.

  “Hurry back if you can,” Emily said as Lucy gathered her things to hurry to the diner that she owned with her husband. “I have a feeling that by tonight, we’ll be so busy, we’ll be wishing everyone would just go home.” She paused to stare out the window, idly searching for the mysterious red car. Suspicion engulfed her all over again. No one in Maple Woods drove a car like that. She turned back to Lucy. “Were you expecting anyone special for today’s grand opening?”

  She knew from Lucy that her father wasn’t well...but no. Scott hadn’t so much as bothered to come back for a holiday in all these years. Surely he wasn’t suddenly sweeping into town looking to make up for lost time. Unless...

  “Just the usual group of friends and family showing their support.” Lucy shrugged. She surveyed the empty room once more, her lips thinning. “I’m off, then. Call if you need me. I’ll just be across the street.”

  “Will do,” Emily said, sighing. Silly girl, she thought with a shake of her head. Of course it hadn’t been Scott. He was gone, never coming back.

  Besides, she was better off without him.

  * * *

  What the hell was he doing here?

  Scott leaned on the hood of the red Porsche, his eyes narrowing as his gaze swept down Main Street and over to the town square. The charming little gazebo bordered with hydrangea bushes. The bronze statue of the town’s founder standing tall and proud under the umbrella of a magnolia tree. His stare lingered on Lucy’s Place, his gut knotting at the familiar sight. In all his life, he never expected to see that diner again, or any place in Maple Woods, really. There was no circumstance that could bring him back, he’d thought, and yet here he was.

  He shook his head in disgust, angry at himself for giving in. He shouldn’t have come back. He should have stayed away. Twelve years was a long time. Longer than the innocence of some childhoods. Longer than most marriages. But twelve years wasn’t enough time to put distance between him and Maple Woods. Or the secret the town held. The one he had sworn he would take to his grave.

  Scott turned and regarded his rental car, grimacing with regret. He’d rented the exact model he owned in Seattle, out of habit, but with its flashy red paint and six-figure price tag, that car didn’t belong in Maple Woods any more than he did. It would only garner more unwanted attention and speculation, and God knew this town was full of enough gossip. Sleepy little towns like this enjoyed a good scandal, or in his case, a good secret. It kept things interesting, and gave an otherwise dormant community something to talk about other than marriages and births. Deaths.

  Scott scowled as his stomach began to burn again. It had been happening a lot lately—ever since Lucy had called and begged him to come back to Maple Woods, pleading with him to take over the rebuilding of the town library, which her son had damaged in a fire he had accidentally started. “Kids,” Scott had told her over the phone, when she’d tearfully explained his nephew’s involvement, but something about it touched a nerve, evoking memories that were better kept buried. Lucy wanted to set things right: Bobby was doing community service, he was working hard to get into a good college on a football scholarship, and the plans for the new library were moving along nicely...until their father got sick.

  He didn’t know why he gave in to her request in the end. Maybe it was because she’d let him stay away as long as she had, maybe it was because he respected her need to set things right for the wrongdoings of her son, or maybe it was because she didn’t ask him directly to come back and be there for the family in their hour of need that he felt he couldn’t say no to her. Whatever the reason, he was here.

  You’re gonna pay me back for this one, Lucy.

  His breath hitched on a rueful laugh. Who was he kidding? He could never stay mad at her for long. How could he? With their seven-year age difference, they’d never had the kind of banter or rivalry one expects with siblings. Lucy had always doted on him, right up until the time she married George Miller and moved across town to start a family of her own.

  She would probably be in the diner right now, filling coffee mugs with that no-nonsense grin and a twinkle in her eye. In a matter of minutes he could see her again. He had to admit the idea of it was appealing, despite the circumstances.

  Scott pushed back from the car and straightened his shoulders. Hands thrust into his pockets, he began wandering down the sidewalk, taking his time in surveying the shops that lined the quaint street. He was struck with wonder as his eyes roamed over the storefronts. Absolutely nothing had changed. It was all the same. The pizza place. The flower shop. The bookstore. The fashions in the window of the clothing boutique sure had changed, though. He paused to study the dress on the mannequin with furrowed interest before his gaze slid to a wide-eyed face staring back at him through the glass. He flushed as the woman mouthed what he was nearly sure was “Oh, my God, it’s Scott Collins!” and another slack-jawed face quickly appeared on the other side of the mannequi
n, eyes gleaming in the ray of sunlight that poured through the shop window.

  Scott frowned before turning on his heel and quickening his pace toward the diner. He remembered those girls, all right. Women now. They were both in his math class senior year. They’d been some of the prettiest girls on the cheerleading squad. From the looks of it, they’d remembered him, too.

  He’d put a hundred bucks on the notion that the women in the clothing shop were calling around to every one of their old classmates right this moment and grimaced to think of the reaction he was going to elicit when he pushed through the doors of Lucy’s Place. After all, a man didn’t disappear from this town for twelve years without prompting a reaction when he returned.

  He didn’t think he could stomach it, honestly.

  Scott closed his eyes as his chest tightened. He could only hope that one person could be spared. If he was in and out of town quick enough, he might manage to avoid her altogether.

  A chalkboard sign up ahead boasted the loopy script Grand Opening! and Scott grinned. Of course! Lucy’s new bakery. She had mentioned on the phone that she was planning to launch this week but his mind had been so muddled with the thought of his return that he’d almost forgotten. He glanced to the diner across the street, noting the swarm of customers filling every table near the windows and exhaled in relief.

  He couldn’t face that diner—those curious faces and eager smiles—and now he wouldn’t have to. He strode up to the bakery and registered the open sign. One glance through the windows revealed an empty establishment: a safe haven. With any luck he’d have a chance to catch his breath and reunite with his sister without forty sets of eyes memorizing the exchange, eager to report it verbatim at the dinner table later that evening.

  He glanced back up the street to where the women from the clothing shop were now standing on the sidewalk, cell phones pressed against their ears, staring at him as if he was some carnival freak. He swallowed the acidic taste that filled his mouth.