Sweet Town Love

by Maggie Ryan

  "You are going to do just fine," she assured him, giving him a hug. "Don't be surprised if I don't eat all that much. I think I just ate about five dozen shrimp." She squealed when he popped the seat of her dress.

  "You know you could have saved a few for the cook," he said, removing his jacket and hat, stating he wanted to greet their guests without them.

  "You aren't a cook, you're the great Chef Wright," she said with a shrug. "And, honestly, that never crossed my mind. They were delicious!"

  She finally learned the identity of his chosen guests as they began to arrive. She'd known about Bridget, Tony, Jen and Dave but seeing her parents and then his was a surprise.

  "This is such a treat," Janice, Max's mother, said, giving her a hug.

  "I'm so pleased you came," Cara said, happy that Max wouldn't miss his mother's annual birthday call.

  Vicky and Tom came as well, and Max had her giggling when he said that any food she couldn't eat, he was sure Tom could. Monica and Chad made up the final couple and after getting their drinks ordered, Cara led them into the restaurant proper and they settled into places around the largest grill.

  "This is a very creative gift," Delores, Cara's mom, said, giving her daughter a smile. "Your dad and I normally don't go out on Valentine's Day, but I'm so pleased to have been invited."

  "I'm glad you could come. I promise it is going to be a great show."

  She'd just finished her statement when the large gong rang, drawing their attention to the front of the room. Everyone broke out into applause as Chef Wright paused in the doorway and performed a very regal bow, the hat on his head not daring to fall off.

  Max took his place in front of the grill. "Thank you all for coming. I can't imagine a better birthday but I also want to thank you for spending your Valentine's Day with me." He reached beneath the counter and pulled out a bunch of roses.

  One by one, he presented them to the women of the group, causing Tony to say, "Way to show us up, buddy." His quip had the other men agreeing and the women smiling as they pressed their noses to the fragrant blooms before tucking them in beside their plates. Max just shrugged with a grin and nodded towards the door. An assistant wheeled a cart up to the grill.

  "Shall we begin?" Max asked and his guests enthusiastically agreed.

  Cara held her breath as her boyfriend picked up two knives and gave them a bit of a show, not releasing it until the knives were once again on the cart. She hadn't seen him practice that but could tell he was pretty pleased with himself. After wiping down the grill, the hiss and steam showing exactly how hot it was, he picked up a plate that held several shrimp.

  "Oh, this is cool," Cara said, practically bouncing on her chair. As the shrimp hit the griddle, they sizzled and they watched as he expertly and quickly removed their tails, placing the first on the end of his knife.

  "Twenty bucks says he misses," Dave said as more chuckles filled the area. Cara just grinned and held her breath again as the tail flew into the air and landed in his hat. She clapped louder than anyone else. Max shot her a grin and gave her a small nod. When he successfully flipped three more, even Dave was impressed.

  "That's twenty bucks you owe me," Max said, after he gave them another bow.

  "Fine, just give me some food, I'm starving," Dave said, tapping his empty plate. They nibbled on the shrimp as they watched him spread a mountain of white rice in the middle of the grill to allow it to heat while he chopped green onions and fried some eggs, added some green peas before finally mixing everything together and adding soy sauce and other spices until the fragrance was making their mouths water. After scooping the servings into their bowls, he sliced an onion into rings. They all laughed and kept encouraging him to try again as the rings seemed to refuse to be stacked one atop the other.

  "You can do it, babe," Cara said, leaning forward as if to offer him more support.

  "But you better hurry, those rings are looking a little toasty," Tony said, earning soft boos from the women. A third try was all it took and the volcano tower was ready. It steamed when he poured the contents of a bottle into the center.

  "How would you like your steak?" Chef Wright asked, nodding as each person stated their preference.

  "How are you going to remember all that, son?" his mother asked.

  "Oh, I'm not," Max answered with a grin. "I was just being cheffy as my beautiful Cara likes to say. I'm going to cook it and hope for the best."

  "There goes your tip," Tom said, making Vicky giggle.

  The vegetables were sliced and diced on one side of the grill as the steak was grilled on the other. After slicing it, he served it onto each plate and not a single person protested how it was cooked. It was absolutely perfect. Chicken followed with more seafood and despite stating she was afraid she'd not be able to eat much, Cara managed to enjoy every single bite. With a final flourish of knife work and another cleaning of the grill, Max bowed again to thunderous applause.

  "Dessert will be coming," he said, sliding into a chair next to Cara and taking his own plate that he'd filled as he cooked. They all chatted and enjoyed another round of drinks as he finished his own meal.

  "You were magnificent," Cara said, squeezing his arm.

  "It was a lot of fun," Max said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. He tucked a curl behind her ear. "Ready for dessert?"

  Moaning, she rubbed her stomach but then said, "What is it?"

  "A surprise," Max said, standing again. With another nod, a different server wheeled in a second cart. Bowls of ice cream were passed around and then Max said, "I made these this morning. Please don't open your box until I say."

  Faces showed curiosity as everyone accepted the typical Chinese take out white boxes except these had red hearts stamped all over them. "I know this is a Japanese grill, but, well, forgive me," Max said. Everyone smiled, not caring a wit about the mix of cultures.

  "I want to thank Cara for setting this all up. I will never forget this night." He gave her a smile and she had to wipe a tear from her cheek. "Don't cry, babe. Go ahead, Dad, please open your box and read what's inside out loud."

  "Oh, I bet we get fortune cookies," Bridget said, clapping her hands.

  Opening the box, his dad pulled out, not a fortune cookie, but indeed a cookie. It was heart-shaped, iced with red frosting with white letters. His dad looked at his son and then across the table where Cara sat on the other end. Clearing his throat, he read the words on his cookie and each person followed:

  Cara,

  You are my love

  You are the light

  in my life

  You make me

  a better man

  You are the most important

  person in my life

  I love you

  with all of

  my heart and soul

  Will you

  Every head turned to watch Cara who had tears streaming down her face as Max reached beneath the table before he knelt on one knee, and lifted the final cookie up for all to see

  "Marry me?" Max asked, echoing the words written in white on the cookie.

  "Yes," she said, her tears still falling as he rose and lifted her out of her chair and twirled her around as every person in the restaurant cheered and clapped.

  "What about her box?" Bridget asked, wiping her own tears with her napkin.

  Max grinned and set his fiancée back in her chair. She fumbled at the box and then gasped. Max reached in and took out the box nestled among a pile of candy conversation hearts. He opened the lid of the velvet box to display a beautiful engagement ring. The band was platinum, the one carat diamond cut in the shape of a heart. Her hand was shaking but he managed to slide it onto her finger, kissing the ring and then cupping her face between his palms and kissing her deeply, causing another round of cheers.

  "Well, damn, guess he got a tip after all," Tom said, causing their group to laugh again.

  They all agreed it was a night not a single one would forget. After accepting hugs, kisses, and co
ngratulations, the newly engaged couple stopped and thanked the manager and the chef who had trained him.

  "We'll be back every Valentine's Day," Cara promised, looking at her ring again. "I can't imagine spending my fiancé's birthday anywhere else."

  "Sounds like a plan," Max said, accepting the bag that held his jacket and chef's hat. "Seriously, I've never had such fun. I wasn't nervous about cooking, but man, I began to sweat when I watched you start to cry when the cookies were being read."

  "I just never ever imagined something so romantic," Cara said.

  "You deserve a life time of romance," Max said as he helped her once more into the truck. Cara felt her heart rate increase. Forget the grill, she only needed to hear this man speaking and feel his touch to have her entire body heating.

  Chapter 7

  Once back in the truck, he grinned as she plucked one of the candy hearts from her box and turned to him with a smile. "Love me," she read the tiny words imprinted on the candy.

  "I do, with all my heart." She popped it into her mouth and chose another.

  "Kiss me."

  "Believe me, there aren't enough of those little hearts to count for all the kisses I'll be giving you." He gave her a kiss and then started the truck as she ate the tiny pink heart.

  Her giggle had him glancing towards her as she held up a yellow heart and said, "I think I'll save this one."

  "Why? What does it say?"

  "Cool," she read, giggling again. "I'm thinking the next time you spank me, I'll give this to you so that you'll have to ice my poor behind to 'cool' it. Isn't that clever?"

  Max's laugh echoed in the cab of the truck. "Clever and adorable."

  "I love these!" Cara said, dropping the yellow one back into the box.

  At home, he finally got a chance to cuddle with her on the porch swing. Settling her onto his lap, he rocked her as he fed her tiny bites of the cookie he'd presented to her at the restaurant. She had protested and he'd laughed and told her that no, it wouldn't last if framed. She was satisfied when he snapped a picture of her holding it, her ring showing her answer in the photo.

  "Did you really make these?" she asked, accepting another bite.

  "Sure did. While you were out buying this pretty dress, our moms were here helping me ice them. There is no way I could have written all those words without messing them up. My hands were shaking too hard."

  "That is so sweet," she said, snuggling a little closer. "You do know that even though you might be tired of hearts, every year we are going to make a batch of these cookies."

  "I can do that," he agreed. "And every year we will repeat another tradition."

  "What's that?"

  Max smiled. "Well, in order not to shock the neighbors, we'll have to go inside."

  Cara squealed when he stood with her in his arms. "Don't forget your box," he reminded. She snagged it from where she'd set it on the porch railing and he took her into the house. He walked to the couch, sitting down in the center and giving her a huge grin. "Do you love me?"

  "Of course I do. I'm going to be your wife soon."

  "Which makes me the happiest man on the planet," he said, bending forward and giving her a kiss. Pulling back, he smiled again and she squealed when he effortlessly flipped her over so that she was lying over his lap. "We still have the matter of the birthday spanking to attend to."

  "What? Hey, it's not my birthday!"

  "Didn't I ever tell you that in the Wright family, it's tradition that the women we love accept the swats in honor of the birthday boy?" he asked, already drawing up the hem of her dress.

  "No, you most certainly did not!" Cara said, her head turned back. "What sort of stupid tradition is that?"

  Max locked his eyes with hers, his dimple deepening as he grinned. "A very clever one," he said, mimicking her earlier words. Hooking his fingers into the waistband of her lace panties, he slowly lowered them until they rested at her knees. Rubbing his palm across her bare bottom, he lifted his hand and brought it down with a smack. Cara's eyes widened as she gave a little yip. When he slowly massaged the spot he'd just spanked, soothing away the slight sting, she smiled, tucked her hands beneath her cheek and laid her head down, giving a little moan.

  Smacks, followed by slow, sensual rubs continued, her pale flesh taking on a pretty pink hue. Max grinned seeing that her eyes were closed, her features relaxed and she was practically sighing in contentment. After a few moments, she opened her eyes.

  "Why did you stop?"

  Chuckling, he shook his head. "Because, babe, that was thirty."

  "It was? Really?"

  He adored the fact that she actually sounded disappointed. "But, of course, there is the tradition of adding one 'to grow on.' "

  She giggled and wiggled her rear. "Well, we must keep to the tradition. I'm ready, my wonderful, amazing, romantic chef."

  "Is this coming from the same woman who is always whining about getting a spanking?"

  She giggled and wiggled her behind again. "No, this is coming from your fiancée who didn't know that a spanking didn't have to hurt."

  Max gave her the last swat across the center of her bottom. Lifting her to sit on his lap, he brushed her hair from her face and looked into eyes that were sparkling. "I couldn't love you more, Cara. I am looking forward to spending the next hundred years waking up to you every morning and holding you while we fall asleep every night."

  She smiled and laid her palm against his cheek. "I love you more than I ever believed I could love anyone." Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. Sitting back, she giggled.

  "What's funny?"

  "I was just thinking, a hundred years is an awfully long time. Do you think we'll still feel this way on our hundredth anniversary?"

  "Babe, I have absolutely no doubt that we will be just as happy when we are old and gray as we are at this very moment. After all, you are marrying a chef, remember?" He grinned when she gave him a puzzled look. "We've learned in our cooking classes that all it takes to create a meal worthy of a five-star review, or a marriage that will last for our lifetimes are the right ingredients: a pinch of salt for flavor, a dash of spice to keep things interesting, a bunch of respect to make sure each of us both listens and communicates our needs and thoughts. Put them all together and add a bushel of love, mix them all together and…" Slipping a hand beneath her and giving a plump cheek a little squeeze, he added, "Add the necessary amount of heat and what do you have?"

  Shaking her head, she laughed. "The Wright recipe!"

  "Exactly."

  The End

  Maggie Ryan

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  #1 International Best Selling Author in Victorian/Historical,

  Contemporary and Western Erotic Romance

  Multi-award Winning Author

  Fantasy is a world that offers endless possibilities. Whether you travel back in time to when the plains were open, take a journey to the cobblestone streets of London, take a stroll along the beach or walk through the streets of some foreign country, every letter of every word offers infinite possibilities. I love to write stories that take a reader on a journey, one they can disappear into and experience what might have been or what is to come. I never try to restrict myself to any one genre because there are just too many delicious possibilities out there and inside my head. I hope you will curl up in your favorite chair and take the journey with me. Happy Reading!

  http://www.maggieryanauthor.com/

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  Email: maggie.ryan.writes@gmail.com

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