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“Here,” he said, handing it over.
“She looks small,” his father said, moving out.
“Very pretty,” his mother said.
“Yes to both,” he said. “She’s funny. Most times. She has a bit of a temper on her.”
That he’d finally witnessed on her brother’s dock.
Well, not really the first time. Their first date at her house he’d seen a bit of it too, but she’d reined it in.
He didn’t mind it one bit. He didn’t want to be with a woman that had no backbone.
“I thought most chefs did,” his mother said, handing his phone back.
“Could be,” he said. “But she’s had to prove herself a lot. She doesn’t want anyone to think her job was just handed to her.”
“Sounds like someone else we know that has had to prove a lot of his life,” his mother said.
“Yeah,” he said. “We understand each other...for now. It’s early yet.”
“Don’t talk yourself out of being enough,” his father said. “You’ve done that too much in your life.”
“Not much I can do about that fault then is there?” he said, grinning.
“Sure, there is,” his mother said. “Just stop being a stubborn fool.”
His mother had a temper on her too and turned her back to go to the kitchen after that.
20
GET THE JOB DONE
“How are things going, Tracy?” Grace asked on Saturday morning.
She came in early. There was no reason not to. There was a wedding this afternoon she had to get ready for and make sure everything was exactly right. The wedding was later tonight and they had time, but she wanted to check in on Tracy who was still working on room service in the mornings. But she was actually plating the cooked food to bring up now.
“It’s going great,” Tracy said as she put the finishing touches on the Eggs Benedict, then wiped the plate clean fast and efficiently.
“And school is good?” she asked.
“It is,” Tracy said. “I made a friend. I think you know though.”
She grinned. “Ashley?”
“Yes,” Tracy said. “She’s nice.” Tracy was talking quietly like she always did. Her head was down and she was still shy but a hard worker. “I know you asked her to come over and introduce herself to me.”
“I did,” she said. “She’s family.”
“She told me,” Tracy said. “Family of sorts.”
“Family,” she said again. Chelsea French had custody of her younger sister and Roark took the teen in as if it was his younger sister and treated her as such from day one. “She’s spent some time here too.”
“She told me. And that she’s going to culinary school. Just two years.”
“That’s right,” she said. “I was happy to convince her to do that. She doesn’t work here during the school year. Her sister and my cousin have said no working other than babysitting.”
Ashley did babysit Ben and Jack a lot and several of the other cousins who had young children at times.
