“They are,” he agrees. “And you fit in, Amber. You have good instincts. You anticipate things. Knox noticed, you know.”
“Knox?” I laugh. “He barely tolerates me.”
“That’s just his face,” Eli says, walking over to me. “He respects you. He wouldn’t let you near the pass if he didn’t trust you not to screw up his plating.”
I look down at my sneakers. “So… everyone’s okay with me being here? I know it was a last-minute thing. I don’t want to step on toes or mess up the dynamic.”
Eli steps closer, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch is gentle, grounding.
“We’re more than okay with it. Fallon loves having someone else to torment with bad jokes. And I…” He pauses, a smile playing on his lips. “I like looking up and seeing you. It makes the long days bearable.”
My heart stutters. He steps in, his body heat radiating against me, and kisses me. It’s a slow, sweet kiss, unhurried now that the rush is over.
I taste the lingering mint from the gum he’s been chewing and the underlying warmth that is just Eli.
I want to stay. I want to lean into him and let him hold me until my feet stop aching. But I can’t.
“I have to go,” I murmur against his mouth, though I don’t pull away.
“I know,” he sighs, resting his forehead against mine. “The flowers.”
“Yeah. I promised Wren I’d check on the stock at Fox & Fern. We moved the rest of the roses and hydrangeas there this morning. I need to make sure the cooler is holding steady and that none of them wilted in the move.”
“Go. I’ll lock up here.”
I grab my coat and purse. Eli walks me out the back door into the cold night air. The snow has melted into slush, puddles reflecting the streetlights.
We walk to my car in companionable silence. When I reach for the door handle, he stops me.
“Tomorrow,” he says. “Same time?”
I nod. “See you tomorrow.”
“And Friday,” he adds. “You’re sure you’re up for the Evans dinner? Serving? It’s going to be a full house.”
“I’m sure,” I tell him. “I need the hours, Eli. And honestly, it sounds fun. Ruth is sweet.”
“Okay. Just checking.”
“I’m sure,” I tell him, leaning back against the cold door of my car. “Besides, Ruth is a sweetheart. She won’t bite. And if she does, I have you guys to back me up.”
Eli smiles, that soft, crinkly-eyed expression that makes my chest feel tight. “That you do. Drive safe, okay? Text me when you get home.”
“I will.”
He steps back, tucking his hands into his coat pockets, and watches as I slide into the driver’s seat. The old sedan groans in protest as I turn the key, the engine sputtering to life with a shudder. I wave once, shifting into gear, and pull away from the curb.
In the rearview mirror, Eli stands under the streetlamp, a solitary figure watching me go. I don’t look away until I turn the corner.
The drive to Fox & Fern is short, but it feels like a transition between two different worlds.
The streets of Fox Hollow are quiet, the snow piled in dirty heaps along the sidewalks, melting under the amber glow of the streetlights. My tires crunch over the patches of black ice, the car’s heater blasting lukewarm air that smells faintly of antifreeze.
My body is heavy, a deep-seated ache settling into my lower back and calves. Standing on concrete for six hours will do that to you. But beneath the exhaustion, there is a strange, vibrating energy. I feel… capable.
I keep replaying the service in my head. The way the kitchen moved like a single organism. Thethwackof Fallon’s knife. The smell of the searing scallops. And Knox. God, Knox.
He had been terrifying at first, a monolith of focus and discipline, but watching him work had been hypnotic. He didn’t just cook; he conducted. Every movement was precise, economical. There was no wasted energy.
