In high school, I’d spent most of my nights cooking dinner while Mom finished up work or drove Colin to sports. When Colin was in high school, he spent most nights with friends and most weekends going out.
If our mom needed something, I just did it without telling him or asking him for help.
Some habits died hard, I guessed. With how quickly the move came together, I couldn’t even remember if I’d told him that I wasn’t in Portland anymore. Or that I was helping Mom with the house.
Surprised that Eliza was staying quiet, I looked over, only to find her worrying her bottom lip. She had something to say but was holding back. That seemed unlike her.
I raised a brow, and she let go of her lip.
“He hasn’t changed much, has he?” she said. “I saw him last summer in Madison, and it was more of the same. Maybe it’ll be different now that you’re closer?”
My lips pressed in a thin line, a tinge of jealousy shooting through me. Jealousy I knew I hadnoright feeling.
Of course, Colin and Eliza had seen each other. They both lived in the area. They’d ended on decent terms, from the little I knew. It made sense. Sort of.
It wasn’t any of my business that they’d seen each other or what they did. Nope. Not even going to ask about it.
“Yeah, maybe.” I sighed, setting my knife on the counter with more force than I would’ve liked. Eliza’s eyes flicked to my hand, and if she sensed any of the tension emanating from me, she didn’t say anything. I scooped the lime wedges into the container. “I should call him. It’s been a while since we’ve spoken.” I hadn’t talked to him since New Year’s, if that even counted. It was mid-April. All that likely confirmed that I hadn’ttold him about the new job or the move. Hopefully, Mom had said something.
Once we’d finished the prep, Eliza grabbed the two cardboard boxes the fruits had been in and started breaking them down. “And then when you talk to him”—she looked up at me, fluttering her dark eyelashes—“you can see why he calledmeand give me the details.”
I snorted a laugh. “I’ll leave that to you. I’m not getting involved with whatever is going on between you two.”
Eliza rolled her eyes and stood up straight, facing me. “There’s absolutely nothing going on between Colin and me.” Her firm tone didn’t leave any room for misunderstanding. “I’m not getting back together with him, and I don’t want you to think that.”
“Why not?”
“Why am I not getting back together with him? Or why do I want you to know that?” she asked, tucking the cardboard under her arm. She raised an eyebrow, as if she was daring me.
So, maybe we both were dancing around the line we didn’t dare to cross.
My jaw ticked under the pressure of her stare, and I ran a hand over my beard. “Both, I guess.” I stopped there. If she wanted to get more out of me, then she’d have to ask.
“Well, I have no interest in getting back together with him because we didn’t work out for a reason, and I don’t feel like he reallygotme when we were together.” Eliza rolled her lips. My gaze dropped to the curve of her mouth, watching how it opened and closed as if she wanted to say more. But she stopped there. Looked like ifIwanted to know more, I had to ask, too. “And I want you to know that I’m not getting back together with him, so you don’t accidentally give him the wrong idea when you talk with him and ask why he called me.”
“Fine,” I conceded. “I’ll ask why he called you. Doesn’t mean he’ll tell me anything, though.”
Eliza perked up, her lips spreading into a satisfied smile. “Pleasure doing business with you, chef.” With the cardboard still under her arm, she reached for the two containers of fruit and sauntered off.
I’d like to say I was a better man and wasn’t hypnotized by the way her hips swayed or how her jeans molded to her curves. But who was I kidding? I didn’t stand a fucking chance.
7
ELIZA
Within a few hours,Lake Ridge roared to life on a Friday night.
Classic rock played over the speakers—Wes’s choice, no doubt—and nearly every table, booth, and seat at the bar was filled.
Wes had considered the summer setup tonight, with the garage doors open and extra tables, but ultimately decided against it. While the days were in the forties and fifties, the temperature at night cooled down to the thirties. Plus, the extra tables would strain the servers.
It seemed like people didn’t mind waiting, though. Most ordered a drink and played darts or pool until a table opened up.
The whole town had come out tonight. As much as Wes was going to downplay it, a large part of it was because they were proud of what he was doing for the bar and the town. The other part was everyone wanted to meet the new chef and taste his food.
Gabe and Lily were at a table with Gabe’s grandfather Hal. Next to them were Lily’s parents Mark and Laura withJules and Cooper. Gran and the knitting club ladies were sitting around a circle table, sneaking glances at Leo whenever he came out of the kitchen to run food. Word had gotten around that he wasverygood-looking and a complete gentleman.
Gran’s words—not mine.
