“Watch it, woman.” He dug in his pocket and brought out a wrinkled piece of paper. “I wrote something for you.”
Ava straightened. “For me?”
“It’s a review.”
She reached for the paper, but he held it out of her reach.
“I’ll read it to you.” He cleared his throat. “‘Ava Harper is new to the Jonathon Island scene. Some readers may remember her from the cooking fiasco she participated in with Island golden boy, Zachary Sullivan.’”
“I don’t think I like where this is going,” Ava said.
“Just give it a minute, it gets better.” Zach pretended to look for his spot on the page. “Here. ‘Turns out, losing that contest was in no way Ava’s fault. In fact, none of the things Zach accused her of were true. This reporter spoke to Zach, and he says he regrets his actions from that day and others. In this reporter’s opinion, Ava Harper would make an A-plus resident of Jonathon Island. She is smart, funny, kind, and beautiful. Five out of five stars. Completely recommend.’”
Ava laughed. “Thank you for the review. You’ll have to expand on what you mean about it not being my fault, but first, I wanted to say that I want to have you in my life.”
“I want you too.” He pulled her closer.
In that moment, it became clear what he should do. He would move back home to Jonathon Island. A place where all his dreams could come true.
Chapter Eighteen
Was there ever a time he felt more nervous? Zach looked around the hotel kitchen again. Everything was prepared and waiting. He pushed out to the dining room. Ava was lighting the candles on a long table they’d made out of several smaller tables in the middle of the room.
He’d decided to run the restaurant at the Grand two days after reuniting with Ava. It was a no-brainer, really. Where else could he be so loved and accepted? He could cook anywhere, but only here, on Jonathon Island, could he cook for the people he cared about most.
He’d spent the two weeks since then hiring staff, ordering food, and finalizing the menu for the restaurant.
The hotel dining room hadn’t hosted any guests yet, and he felt it was appropriate to christen the space with a family dinner. Full service would start in a few days.
“All set?” he asked.
“All set,” she responded. She put her hand to her stomach. “Why do I feel more nervous now than I did for the contest?”
“Relax.” He laughed. “It’ll be fine. It’s not like you’re eating with nearly my whole family tonight or anything.”
She laughed too. Her laugh stirred something deep within him, a pleasant flutter in his stomach. “I guess I’ve already met most of them anyway. How are you feeling? It’s been a whirlwind these past few weeks.”
He came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Her hair smelled of her shampoo and the rosemary they’d used in the malfatti recipe. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m nervous too.”
“What do you have to be nervous about? You already know they love you.”
“I doubted that for a long time. I guess it feels weird to find out how wrong I was. Wrong about a lot of things.”
She put her hands over his. “And you are forgiven and loved.” She turned in his arms and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’d better go check the garlic bread. We wouldn’t want to serve charred loaves.”
A few minutes later, his family started filing in. Ollie, Eliza, Kate, and Lincoln arrived together. His dad and mom came in, holding hands. His mom wore a huge smile. Dani and Liam arrived at the same time as Uncle Bryan and Aunt Mary. James came in a moment later. A general hubbub settled over the place as everyone found their places at the table.
His dad stood. He rapped on his glass, the chime silencing the happy chatter around the table. “I’d like to propose a toast. To Zach, who always knows how to rise to the occasion.”
Everyone around the table cheered.
Ava stood. “I’d like to make a confession.” Zach watched her swallow hard. She’d told him she wanted to do this, even though he’d reassured her it wasn’t necessary. “A long time ago, something I wrote did a lot of damage to Zach’s reputation. Most of you know the whole story. But tonight I want to tell yousomething that might damage my reputation.” She gripped her cup, her knuckles white against the glass. The silence lay heavy around them. “I can’t cook.”
A chuckle from one of the guests, Zach couldn’t make out who. Then Dani laughed, Liam going a second later. A wave of laughter rolled across the table. Ava’s mouth turned up on one side. Her gaze sought his, and he stood up. He took her hand, and her warm fingers curled around his.
“I’m eating something you cooked right now,” Ollie said.
“Yeah, it’s amazing. I can barely boil water,” Kate put in.
