A customer strolled in about two o’clock and scanned the menu. “I’ll have the avocado and spinach panini.”
“Comin’ right up.” But when Jilly reached into the fridge, the spinach was gone. Shit! She stepped back to the counter. “I’m really sorry, but I’m out of spinach. Is there something else I can make you?”
He perused the menu again. “Let’s go with the caramelized onion and mushroom one instead.”
She grabbed the bread and painted both slices with a sundried tomato spread, but when she went to grab the bowl of caramelized onions, it was gone. The empty bowl was in the sink. Crap! This made her look like the most incompetent café owner ever.
Jilly’s cheeks warmed as she approached the man again. “I’m so so sorry, but it’s been the busiest day ever and I’m actually out of caramelized onions, too.”
“It’s fine.” His smile widened. “Just make me something vegetarian. I’m not picky. A friend told me you’re a wiz of a chef.”
“Yeah? You’ll have to thank them for me.”
“He says he comes in here all the time. Colin Rutherford? You know him?”
What? Wait… All of this. It was all him? “He sent you here?”
“Yeah. I got an email this morning telling me about a new café in the area that I had to try.”
She hated to pry, but she needed to know. “What else did the email say?”
“Nothing. He said the chef was one of the best he knew and she made amazing sandwiches.”
Why would Colin do that? What would he stand to gain by promoting a business he had no ties to? Was it some kind of ploy, a way to get his hooks into her business?
Jilly finished the man’s sandwich with tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella, since it was just vegetarian and not vegan, then pressed it in her panini press. She handed it over, insisting it was on the house. And now that the man was gone, she was ready to give Colin a piece of her mind.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked when he answered the phone.
“Learning how to rebuild a carburetor. What are you doing?”
The cutesy stuff wouldn’t work on her anymore. “I’m recuperating from the busiest day I’ve ever had at the café.”
“That’s good to hear. I wish you tons of success.”
The chipper well wishes were irritating. “Why did you do it?”
“What?” He had the nerve to play dumb.
“Don’t pull that shit with me. You know damn well what you did. Why did you tell people about the café?”
“Because I think you’re an amazing chef and I thought my friends and business contacts would enjoy your food.”
“Is this some shady business move where you build it up and then snake your way in and steal it?” She knew how ridiculous she sounded, but she was upset.
He chuckled. “You watch too many movies. There’s no ulterior motive at all. I genuinely want you to succeed. I understand that I can’t be in your life anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still love you.”
Flutters again at hearing those words from him.
He continued, which was good, because she couldn’t. “I truly do think you’re a great chef and you deserve to make all your dreams come true. I saw an opportunity to help get the word out, so I took it. If that makes me a bad guy, I’m really sorry.”
He wasn’t a bad guy. Quite the opposite.
“Listen…” His tone changed. She could hear the regret in his voice. “I made a huge mistake by trying to take over and push my business ideas on you. I know that now. I never meant to make you feel as if I was trying to change you, and I’m sincerely sorry. You’re perfect the way you are and I just want you to be happy.”
Tears streamed from Jilly’s eyes. She didn’t know what to say. And she wasn’t going to get an opportunity anyway.
“But I really gotta go. A client is here to pick up their car. Good luck, Jilly.”
And then the line went silent.
As she stuck her phone in her apron pocket, dread filled her core. What had she done? Had she thrown away a wonderful man over a misunderstanding? Had she continued to judge him even after she’d sworn she never would again? The sad truth was yes, and it might have cost her the only man she’d ever loved.
* * *
Colin wasn’t someone who lied, and it killed him to lie to Jilly. Even something as minuscule as a white lie. There was no client. He just couldn’t bear to hear her voice any longer. He tried to sound nonchalant, but it hurt like hell to talk to her and know it was all over. He’d fucked up and a few emails spreading the word about her talents was hardly sufficient in making it up to her.
“Hey, boss? You ready to put that carburetor back in?”
“Yeah.” He stood from his desk and headed back to the garage. Back to working on his own dream. At least he had that going for him.
The business was doing well, but he knew he could do more. Maybe he should go on a trip, see what gems he could find. It had been a while since he’d been to the UK. He should also start looking for more guys, add to his team. The more people he had working for him, the more cars they could restore.
By the end of the day, he’d mastered carburetors and learned a few things about upholstering. As the guys cleaned up for the day, he headed to his office to check email, play online, anything to avoid going home. He saw Jilly when he went there. And it sucked.
He had a long list of emails, all praise for Jilly and her food. And they vowed to spread the word. That made him really happy.
As he sat there, lost in thought, he could feel her in his arms, her body pressed to his. The way her silky hair felt between his fingertips. He could even smell her, a sweet scent of lemons and sugar. Like that first day he met her.
“Hey you.”
He looked up. Was she really there? Or was this some cruel dream?
“Thank you for what you did today.” Jilly walked toward him, her loose hair in waves, just how he liked.
“I didn’t do anything. It was all you.”
“You got them to give me a chance, and that means a lot to me.” She stepped closer. “But that’s not all I came here to tell you.”
“Oh?” He stood from his desk and moved toward her. “What else?”
Jilly placed her hands on his chest, sending a shot of electricity straight to his core. She looked up at him, those baby blues sparkling like gemstones, as anxiety surged through his body. “I love you.”
Colin brought his hands to her cheeks and captured her mouth with his. Jilly sighed as her body pressed to his, deepening the kiss. God, he loved this. Loved her. He wrapped his arms around her tight, lifting her off her feet and spinning in a circle. She giggled, the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.
He set her down and pulled away from her. He wanted her to see the sincerity in his eyes. “I love you, Jilly. I’ve never loved anyone, but I know I love you. And I promise to spend every day cherishing you. I just want to be here for you and support you in every way you need.”
“And I want to be that for you, too.”
He kissed her again, the official start of something real for them. They were so different, but alike, too. For both reasons, life would never be easy, but nothing easy was worth having. They were hard workers determined to make it in the business world, doing it their own way—the only way they knew. And they were determined to succeed at love. They refused to settle for anything less.
Epilogue
Two months had passed since Jilly and Colin had kissed and made up, and it was a glorious two months. Who knew love could be this blissful?
With the surge of new customers, and the steady influx of profit, Jilly was able to hire a few employees and expand her operating hours to dinner on the weekends. With a small loan from Colin that she was diligently paying back, she was able to remodel the inside of the café for maximum seating capacity and upgrade her kitchen. But she refused to buy new tables. She liked her eclectic look, and the place was looking pretty spectacular.
“Are you ready?” Colin asked as they stood at her door, ready to open for her official Grand Re-opening Party.
“Absolutely.”
He leaned and placed a kiss on her nose then yanked the door open. Colin greeted guests and Jilly seated them. Her new employees began circling and pouring water, handing out menus and baskets of bread. Charlene played waitress for the night and started taking food orders.
“I better get to work,” Jilly said and headed to the kitchen where her new sous chef was busy prepping. Orders began pouring in and they banged them out one at a time.
After the initial rush died down, she turned to her kitchen assistant. “You okay in here if I leave for a little while?”
She smiled. “I got it under control.”
Jilly stepped out from the kitchen to a bustling café, exactly what she had always dreamed of; happy people eating her food. She saw lots of faces she recognized, and many she didn’t. She waved to Sandra and her husband, daughter, and son-in-law, then searched and found Colin standing near a table. As she stepped closer, she realized it was his parents.
“Hello, dear,” his mother said as she stood and hugged Jilly, kisses to each cheek.
When she released her, Jilly turned to his dad. “Good evening, Mr. Rutherford. How are you?”
“Very well, thank you.”
Things were still strained between Colin and his dad, but they’d talked a few times and he seemed to be coming around. Baby steps. His showing up tonight was a huge leap in the right direction.
“I’m impressed with your menu,” he said.
“Thank you. I hope you enjoy your meal.” Jilly met Colin’s gaze, glee and a bit of shock on both their faces.
“Some of the guys from the shop just walked in,” he said. “Excuse me.”
Colin left the table and Jilly excused herself as well. She checked on her guests and cleared away some plates from a table. She sailed past Colin and Charlene just in time to hear the introduction to her possible future boyfriend.
“Charlene, I’d like you to meet my friend Joe.”
“Hi! So nice to finally meet you.”
Jilly checked back in the kitchen and jumped in with her sous chef. They’d already developed a wonderful partnership.
“Hey, Jilly?” Charlene said, sticking her head into the kitchen. “There’s a woman here to see you.”
After wiping her hands on a towel, she headed for the hostess station, holding out her hand as she approached. “Hello! I’m Jilly. How can I help you?”
The woman shook her hand. “Hi! I’m Gloria Morgan from Soothing Waters Day Spa. Everyone is going nuts over your cookies.”
“That’s so wonderful to hear.”
“Any chance we can double the order?”
Double it? The standing weekly order was already for twelve dozen cookies plus a few dozen other assorted pastries. “Absolutely.”
“Great. Our clients are so appreciative that we’re offering healthy options for them.” She smiled then looked around the café. “You’ve got a great turn-out for your party. Any chance I can get a table? I’m dying to try one of your pasta dishes.”
“Absolutely.” Jilly showed her to an empty table and made sure she was well taken care of. She stepped behind the counter, observing the room, finding it hard to hold back tears.
Jilly thought about her mom and wondered if she was proud, if she had properly honored her memory. She pictured her sitting in the café, smiling and laughing, enjoying the night. Sometimes it was hard to remember, but if she tried real hard, she could still hear her laugh. She had a great laugh.
Colin joined Jilly, a kiss to the spot on her neck just under her ear. “Is it everything you dreamed it would be?” he asked.
She turned to him. “Everything and more.” Her dreams had never included such a wonderful man to share it with. Someone who loved her for her, who supported her and genuinely wanted the best for her.
Her mother would definitely be proud.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank Nicole Kuhn for inviting me to do this. It was a fun challenge! Thank you for answering all my dumb questions and listening when I was freaking out. And thank you for creating such a beautiful cover and giving my Jilly her lavender hair.
Huge thanks to my editor, April Larrechea. You were there at the beginning of my writing career and I’m so glad you can help me with this venture.
Author Biography
Stephanie Haefner is a wife, mother of two, and contemporary romance novelist from Buffalo, NY. A member of Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers subchapter, she loves creating sassy heroines and tossing them into sexy circumstances. When not writing, she celebrates her sassiness with dance and zumba classes, and her nerdiness with boybands and Disney World.
Visit Stephanie online:
Website: http://www.stephaniehaefnerthewriter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Haefner/99513980888?ref_type=bookmark
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephaniHaefner
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/SAH9877/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4038345.Stephanie_Haefner
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