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As if he suddenly remembered something, Cal jumped up. “Right. I’m not part of the Cooking for the Future program, but I work for Chef Finn.” He fidgeted, just like his sister. They were similar in so many ways, but Finn was only noticing it now.
“He took me in when I needed to find my way. And he helped me find myself. I’m going to attend university next September. Although I’ve only worked here for a few weeks, I can’t thank Chef Finn enough for helping me when I thought no one was willing to lend a hand.”
Another of his former students stepped forward and addressed the crowd. “Five years ago I was forced into signing up for the Cooking for the Future program. I hated that damn guidance counselor at the time, but it was either join or my parents would take my car away. If I could, I would kiss that woman. But I’d rather kiss you, Chef, because your béchamel sauce is what convinced my girlfriend to go out with me.”
Finn laughed and turned to Cal, giving him a wink. He’d told him chicks love a man who can cook.
The guy continued, “I didn’t become a chef. Instead, I got a full ride to university and graduated with honors. And I know without a doubt I wouldn’t have ended up where I am if I hadn’t have met Chef Finn.”
“Me, too.” One of his line chefs stepped forward. Finn hadn’t even noticed him in the crowd. “But I did become a chef. I thought cooking was for chicks. Not the case.” He pointed to Cal. “Stick with it, little man. You think rock stars get a lot of ass…so do chefs.” He winked and merged back into the crowd.
Ten more former students spoke, each with their own success story, and each one of them paid tribute to him as the mentor of their success. But Finn could never take the credit. A teacher could talk until he’s blue in the face, but if the student doesn’t listen and learn, it doesn’t matter what he says.
Finally, Veronica addressed the crowd. “Despite what Finn may think—and I think you’ve all proved him wrong—Finn O’Reilly has touched us all in one way or another. Whether through friendship, through the p
rogram, or as a family member, he lives every day not for himself, but for others. And because of that we all have richer lives.”
She fidgeted. It was the cutest fidget he’d ever seen. But he had no idea why she would be so nervous. He was the one who should be nervous, with all this damn attention on him. Something he didn’t think he’d ever get used to.
“I met Finn when I was ten years old,” she said. “He had the same shaggy haircut, the same goofy smile, and most important, the same big heart.” She paused, and he knew without looking that her bottom lip was being chewed between her teeth and her fingers were picking at the edges of the paper in her hands. “And I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with him from that very first day.”
His head shot up and zeroed in on the face of his one true love.
“I don’t have a childhood memory without Finn in it. There isn’t a life decision I’ve made that didn’t have Finn’s input. He’s been there for me every time, in every way possible.”
Giving him an adoring look, she waited while the crowd awwwwed. His face heated, a crimson flush creeping up from his neck to his cheeks. “V,” he mumbled under his breath.
“A few weeks ago I told him I was going to seduce him,” she said, and the crowd hooted. “His eyes nearly bugged out of his head.” She chuckled at his stunned expression. “Kind of like they’re doing now.”
“Veronica!” He darted a sideways glance at Mark to see if he was about to get the beat-down he’d been expecting. But his best friend watched his sister with a huge smile. Relief settled in his shoulders but it did nothing to ease his discomfort at her public disclosure of their very personal, very intimate, relationship.
She stepped closer to his chair and gazed into his eyes, pushing aside a stray hair. “But he met the challenge. Heck, even took over the challenge.”
His brothers laughed. They knew despite his usual neutral opinions, he was very competitive, always on a mission to win.
When the laughter died down, she said, “But unlike the Finn O’Reilly you all know and love, when I told him a long-term relationship between us would never work, he gave up on us. Just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “But I’m here to tell you, Finn, I won’t let you give up on us. Just as you encouraged everyone else in this room to achieve their dreams, to keep going no matter what life threw at them. I want you to achieve yours, Finn.”
A collective sigh traveled all around the bar. He saw Sterling dab at her eyes with a Kleenex, along with every other woman in the place.
For the first time, hope filled his heart, but it stuttered in his chest.
He shook his head. No. This wasn’t right. It wasn’t what she really wanted. She was giving in to his wishes.
As if reading his mind, she said, “You were right all along, Finn. I do have the same dreams as you. I just lost mine along the way. You helped me find them again.”
Could it really be true? He searched her face for a sign, anything to prove he was reading too much into her words. But what stared back at him wasn’t a lie. His insides churned with hopefulness.
“You were my dream all along, I was just too stubborn to sit up and grab it.”
She reached out for his hand and after a brief hesitation, he took it firmly in his. He stood, and she pulled him into an embrace. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her chin on his chest and gazed up into his eyes. “Just as you’d do with your students, I’m going ride your ass until you understand I want to marry you.” She lifted on her tiptoes and kissed his chin. “And have your babies.” Then she kissed his nose. “And spend the rest of my life with you.”
“So the mentor becomes the mentee?” He didn’t think it was possible for a smile to be as wide as the one that broke out over his face then.
Despite the room full of cheering people, he indulged the rush of desire that never failed to take over whenever her hands were on him. “My ass is really looking forward to you riding it,” he said. When the crowd roared, he grimaced. “Wait, that so came out wrong.”
Her head fell back with a hearty, sincere laugh. “I think it came out exactly how you intended.” She smiled. “And I’m looking forward to fulfilling that promise.”
They shared a secret smile knowing there were many, many sizzling adventures in their future, then he hugged her tighter and gazed into the brown depths of her eyes. Those eyes that never failed to tell him everything he needed to know. And when he saw all the love, devotion, sincerity, and truth staring back at him, he knew that in this amazing woman’s heart he’d finally found the one thing he’d spent a lifetime searching for.
