AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Fourteen – Brock
The Yummy Cowboy Diner
Friday, June 17, 8:45 p.m.
Katie popped her head into the kitchen. “You guys, come out!” she said in an excited tone. “Autumn’s gonna announce the winner now.”
Brock finished plating one last dessert order and slid the plate onto the pass. “Two strawberry shortcakes for table ten,” he announced, then peeled off his gloves with a sigh of relief.
The Yummy Cowboy Diner’s very first dinner service was over. And thanks to Autumn Snowberry’s social media magic, Contest Night had been a colossal hit.
When five p.m. had rolled around and Brock unlocked the diner’s front door, a line of customers already stretched down the street and halfway around the square. The diner was crowded to capacity during all four hours of dinner service.
“Got it, boss,” Katie said, grabbing the plate and vanishing into the dining room.
The burden of worry that he’d been carrying all day about canceling breakfast and lunch service finally dissipated in the non-stop flood of orders pouring into the kitchen. All three of them had worked at a punishing pace, pushing out dishes in a steady stream.
He knew in his heart that he’d won tonight. Summer would have to follow his orders for the next twenty-four hours. He couldn’t wait to have her at his beck and call.
Except that she’ll probably use her damned safe word as soon as I try anything.
He blew out a frustrated breath.
All evening, he’d done his best to ignore her temptingly curvy figure. They moved around the kitchen in a fast but controlled dance, she cooking her entrées, he cooking his, and Marlene cooking the sides and plating for both of them.
Most of tonight’s customers were locals, but Terri and Katie had popped into the kitchen a few times to announce that guests from Livingston, Ennis, and even Bozeman were among the diner’s usual customers.
Now, sweaty and exhausted, but exhilarated by success, Brock emerged from the kitchen, followed closely by Summer and Marlene.
He was dying to hear the results. He’d tried keeping track of the incoming tickets while working, but it had proved impossible to figure out which of the dishes on the new dinner menu had taken the lead.
Did that mean it was going to be a close race? He’d hoped for an overwhelming victory. But he’d take what he could get, as long as he won.
As the three of them entered the dining room, he was astonished—and gratified—as all the guests broke into enthusiastic applause.
Autumn wove her way towards them. Terri tailed her, filming everything on Autumn’s sparkling, rhinestone-studded phone for upload to social media.
Autumn grinned at Brock, Summer, and Marlene before turning to face the dining room. She waved for silence.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she announced. “Thank you so much for coming and supporting The Yummy Cowboy Diner. As you know, the point of tonight’s contest was to find the most popular dish on our new menu. What wedidn’ttell you is that Summer and Brock each created three dishes—a salad and two entrées—and are fighting it out for not only Best Dish of the Week, but Best Chef of the Week. Katie?”
Katie, having delivered the desserts to table ten, waved. “On it!” She pushed past them and went into the kitchen.
Autumn paused as Katie vanished into the kitchen. More clapping and cheering came from the crowd in the dining room. Brock spotted his firefighter buddies squeezed around two four-top tables that were shoved together.
Smiling broadly, Jason gave him a thumbs-up, and began leading a chant of “Brock! Brock! Brock!”
The Snowberry family, crowded into two booths on the other side of the diner, countered with, “Summer! Summer! Goooo, Summer!”
Brock looped his arm around Marlene’s shoulders and squeezed. “You did a helluva job tonight, Marlene. Thanks.” He hesitated an instant, then put his other arm around Summer. “You, too, Ms. Fancy Pants.”
“We make a darned good team, Mr. Grumpy Pants,” she said, sliding her arm around his waist in return. He pulled her close and enjoyed her soft curves pressing against his side.
She was right, despite their rocky start yesterday. She’d been right about a lot of things.Dammit.
Jenna’s desserts, many of them ordered with cappuccinos, had been a hit with this crowd, increasing the value of each dinner check exactly the way Summer had promised.
“If you’re grumpy and she’s fancy, what kind of pants am I?” Marlene demanded. “I want a nickname, too!”
