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He raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Stitches are nothing. I’m not on bed rest or under doctor’s orders.”
“No,” Brooke cut in. “You’re under our orders to stay put. You and Mia both need to take some time off. Stick together until this is over. You going with Lincoln leaves her vulnerable.”
Mia stiffened but didn’t argue.
Chet’s indignation deflated like a punctured balloon. Brooke was right. Leaving Mia’s side wasn’t something he could do.
“I could always stay with Mia,” Wade said as he shoveled spoonfuls of soup in his mouth. “She can give me her recipe for this tomato soup so I can put it on my menu.”
A light blush stained her cheeks. “You really mean it?”
“Absolutely.”
“You can’t have her recipe,” Chet all but growled. “She needs it for her own place one day. And she doesn’t need you to stay. Eat your soup and get back to work. She’ll stay here with me.”
Mia hooked up one eyebrow.
“I mean, if she’s okay with that,” he stammered. What the hell was that? Jealously over her reaction to Wade’s praise had made him demand what he had no right to demand, but damnit, he couldn’t just stand by and watch her bond with the biggest player in town.
Tucker burst out laughing, while Lincoln snorted then slid on his shoes. Brooke hid a grin.
Chet sighed. He’d just made a fool of himself. This was why he didn’t like people invading his personal space. He was tired and cranky and so on edge he was about to fall over the brink of sanity.
“I’d like to stay,” Mia said. “You might be fine, but I’m pretty shaken still.” She turned her back to the room and busied herself making another grilled cheese on the griddle.
Wade slurped down the rest of his soup. “Let me know if you change your mind about the recipe. And anytime you want to talk about a restaurant of your own, I’ve got two good ears and lots of experience. Have Chet bring you down to the restaurant.” He shot Chet a bemused look, then raised a hand in a wave. “See ya’ll later. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. Shoot me over what you know about this guy. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”
“I’m off too,” Brooke said, joining a hand with Lincoln’s. “You two take the rest of the day off. Mia already prepped everything. Zoe and I can serve.”
Chet watched as everyone filed out. A part of him longed to go with them. To pound the pavement and turn every stone in town until he found the man who’d threatened Mia. The other part, the part that grew with every second, was happy to finally be alone with Mia.
Now he just needed to figure out what the hell he wanted to do about it.
* * *
Twenty minutes later,Mia scoured Chet’s stovetop so hard her wrist hurt. All the dried food from the meal she’d made earlier was long gone, but she kept scrubbing—kept cleaning. Her nerves were so tight they threatened to break through her skin. Her mind raced as if she’d poured a gallon of coffee down her throat. No matter how busy she’d kept herself, she couldn’t erase the image of the masked man with the knife from her head.
Her heart slammed against her breastbone. She heaved in deep, shaking breaths then blew them out her mouth.
“Are you okay?”
She jumped at the sudden sound of Chet’s voice and slapped a hand over her chest. “You scared the crap out of me. I thought you were asleep.”
Rocking back on his heels, he ran his fingers through his beard. “Sorry. Just woke up.” He roamed his gaze over the kitchen. “I think it’s clean. I mean, the punch of disinfectant is giving me a headache.”
Mia winced. Maybe the fumes were getting to her. That’s why her body was trembling, and a dull throb pulsed in her head. “Sorry. I just need to keep my hands busy.”
“Or what?”
The well of tears she’d fought all day broke free. Her face crumpled, and she lifted her hands in a desperate display of giving up. “Or this.”
Chet scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry. You wanna clean the bathroom?”
A laugh burst through her sob. “No thanks.”
A sheepish grin appeared on Chet’s face. “I’m bad at this stuff.” He squirmed, his discomfort more evident than the cloud of lemon spray that hung in the air.
“You’re better than you think.” She rubbed her toe against the hardwood floors. “I’m just overwhelmed. Feeling a little panicky knowing some guy who wanted to kill me is still out there. Lurking somewhere. I can’t stop thinking about it, and it’s making me crazy.”
