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Summer’s smile took his breath away. He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles.
“Good. I won’t change the deal for either of you. And I apologize for having reacted so badly to the news.” Abigail sighed into the phone. “Kenny Stinson is a bitter old troublemaker, and I should’ve known better than to listen to him. Please tell Summer that I owe her an apology.”
“Tell her yourself. She’s here with me. And you’re on speakerphone.”
“Hi, Grandma,” Summer said, her voice shaking.
“Oh.” Abigail paused for a long moment, as if thinking over what she wanted to say. “Summer, dear, will you forgive me for my harsh words yesterday? I was wrong to accuse you of lying. I have no excuse for the way I behaved, only regrets.”
“Of course I forgive you,” Summer said. “And I’m sorry for not telling you what was happening with SummerTime. I got caught up in trying to fix everything myself, and forgot to ask for help from the people who love me.”
Abigail sighed. “I’m glad we’ve cleared the air. And I’d like to continue the terms of our deal, if you still want to.”
“I do,” said Summer. “I love you and I’ll see you soon, Grandma.”
“Love you, too, sweetheart.”
When the call ended, Summer leaped up and flew into his lap. “I don’t deserve you, Brock!”
He laughed and pulled her close to him. “So, now that everyone’s kissed and made up, are you finally ready to consider expanding The Yummy Cowboy Diner into the Cooperman building?”
“Didn’t we agree to wait until next summer to see if the numbers support the investment?” She laughed. “Just because I agreed to move in doesn’t mean that I’m going to turn into a doormat.”
He rested her hand on the sweet curve of her ass. “I don’t expect you to. Besides, arguing with you keeps things interesting, Fancy Pants.”
Epilogue – Summer
The Yummy Cowboy Diner
Three months later
“You guys!” Marlene burst into the kitchen, her weathered face alight with excitement. “You’re not gonna believe who just walked in!”
It was another busy Friday night at the diner. Summer, Brock, and their two line cooks were working together in the kitchen. They moved like a well-oiled team, quickly pushing out orders that came in on the new computerized ticketing system.
Summer had finally won her battle to buy an integrated POS system for the diner. Once he got used to the new way of doing things, Brock grudgingly agreed that yes, it was easier to keep track of tickets, receipts, and inventory with the new system. Not to mention that it hooked into their existing bookkeeping and payroll program, eliminating the need to enter information manually. That saved hours of work.
“Someone who’s got you all in a lather?” Brock asked dryly. He never stopped basting the steelhead filet in his pan with lemon-garlic sauce.
“No, silly!” Marlene responded. “Eric Charles! Here! In our diner!”
“Who the fuck is Eric Charles?” Brock asked.
Summer answered. “Isn’t he the star of that cowboy soap opera?TheMerrills of Montana?”
“Yes!” Marlene turned to her. “There’s a group of people sitting with him, and they’re all wearingTheMerrills of Montanat-shirts.” She was practically spinning on her toes like a ballerina. “This is really going to put Snowberry Springs on the map!”
Summer finished slicing a filet of bison, cooked rare, and topped it with a creamy peppercorn-and-Cognac sauce. “I guess I should go out and introduce myself,” she said with resignation.
Brock shot her a look. “You a big fan of his? Gonna ask for his autograph?”
Summer shook her head. “No, it’s customary for the executive chef to personally greet VIPs. You need to come make nice, too, Brock.”
She looked down at her white chef’s coat, checking for stains, then straightened her skullcap. It was embroidered with The Yummy Cowboy’s logo, as was her coat. She usually made the rounds of the dining room at least twice during each dinner service to greet their guests and ensure that everyone was happy.
Brock grumbled under his breath, but said, “Fine. Let me just finish this ticket.”
“His group is at tables sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen,” Marlene volunteered.
