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Then everything had changed in an instant.
She had done a lot of thinking last night, after they all returned from the hospital.
Dad never asked for much. So, it was a big deal that he’d requested she help Grandma Abigail.
And then there was the fact that she owed her grandmother a debt she could never fully repay. Without Grandma Abigail’s generosity, Summer could have never set out on the road that had led to her very own restaurant, SummerTime.
It had been a dream come true… until last month.
That was when her business partner Gregory Brandywine had emptied the restaurant’s bank account and vanished. His theft had forced Summer to cover the week’s payroll from her personal funds.
She’d filed a complaint with the police, of course, but not much had happened since then. And she didn’t have the funds to hire a private detective, not with all of her other debts right now.
At least the local news hadn’t picked up the story, thank God.
But Summer wasn’t willing to admit defeat, not yet. She’d worked too long and too hard to just walk away from SummerTime. Sheknewher restaurant could turn a profit. All she needed was enough money to pay her staff and suppliers to re-launch it.
So, she’d decided to keep paying the rent, but closed the restaurant while she tried to find a way to finance its reopening. The official story was SummerTime was undergoing a major renovation. Of course, everyone in San Francisco’s restaurant community knew real story.
Most of her fellow chefs expressed support and sympathy, but they all considered her place DOA. Even her general manager and friend, Maggie Tang, thought Summer was crazy for continuing to pay the rent on her closed restaurant and not calling it quits.
Summer was determined to prove them wrong. But there had to be a better way than working with Brock! She was going to talk to Grandma Abigail and see if—
A flash of red fabric warned her an instant before she walked right into Brock’s hard chest.
Startled out of her deep immersion in her thoughts, Summer squeaked and stumbled back. A pair of large, sinewy hands gripped her upper arms and steadied her.
“W-what are you doing here?” she demanded, her heart pounding.
“Havin’ a talk with your grandma.” He gave her a crooked grin, his brown eyes warm and appreciative as they met hers.
Her heart began pounding crazily. She suddenly felt like she was back in high school, when every casual encounter with him sent her into transports of dizzy joy.
“Oh. It’s, um, really nice of you to visit her.” Summer stepped back, trying to wrestle her hormones under control. She eyed him suspiciously.Talking about what, exactly? My perfectly reasonable suggestions for improving the diner?
She couldn’t help noticing that Brock’s worn jeans molded perfectly to his long, muscular legs, and that he wore another one of those sinfully tight t-shirts with “The Yummy Cowboy Diner” printed across his broad pectorals.
He was definitely hotter than he’d been in high school.And he was so nice to me and to Grandma Abigail yesterday, too.
She didn’t want to like him, not after the way he’d stomped on her teenage heart.
Maybe he’s changed.
She sure had. Restaurant kitchens were brutal. You had to be strong to survive and thrive there, especially if you were female. Her first year of working had been hell. She’d toughened up in a hurry.
These days, she kicked ass when she had to, and she sure as heck didn’t take crap from anyone.
“We had a lot to talk about. Looks like we’re gonna be partners… at least for the next three months.”
“What?” Summer felt shock run through her body like a splash of ice water. “You mean you’re actually going to let me help you give the diner a makeover? Why? You hated all my suggestions!”
“Let’s just say that Abigail just made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” His grin deepened and became devilish. “I’ll see you tomorrow,partner.”
His repeated use of the term pinged in her head.
“Wait, what do you mean by ‘partner’?” Now she was confused… and a little worried.What the heck did Grandma Abigail tell him?
“You’ll see,” he shot back. “Your grandma has an interesting proposition for you.”
