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“What is it?”
“What’s what?”
I lower my voice so the kids don’t hear me. “Why do you sound weird?”
“Uh, no reason. I must be hungrier than I thought. I skipped lunch, and—
“Why would you do that to yourself? You know you have to eat.”
He sighs and smiles. “Because I got busy with work, and when that happens, I’m not good at remembering little details like eating or sleeping.”
I chuckle. “I can relate. When I was running my restaurant, sleep felt optional. I had to eat, of course, because bare minimum, I had to taste some food sometimes. But the best part was family meal.”
“Family meal?”
“I’d make something special for the employees. Usually it’s something simple, like the roast chicken I made for the dinner with Clint, or even something as normal as meatloaf. The one everyone like the best, though, was my chicken orzo soup.” I got hungry just thinking about it. “Nothing as good as a scratch made chicken soup.”
He’s still smiling, but there’s a deepening tightness around his eyes. “Maybe you can make it for me the next time I’m sick.”
“Count on it.”
His hands are locked on the wheel. I can’t figure out what’s up, but I wonder if he doesn’t want me to go back to working in a kitchen or if it’s something else. I have told him some pretty salacious stories about what happens in the back of restaurants, so maybe he’s worrying about that.
“And just because I have explored my options in the past doesn’t mean I would do that now.”
“I don’t understand.”
How do I say this in code so the kids don’t pick up on it? “I’ve mentioned before how, back in the day, I worked with several sausage dealers—
“Huh?”
“But now, I have only one. And I like it that way. So, my dealer doesn’t need to worry about anything like that.”
He throws the most confused look at me, and I motion with my head toward the kids.
It evidently clicks, because he laughs. “Uh, speaking for him, that’s good to know.” He keeps chuckling to himself and shaking his head as he parks in the B&B’s parking lot.
29
Lily
As soon as we open the car doors, the scent of grilled meat makes my mouth water. Gray smoke billows from the rear of the property, and I wonder what’s on the menu. Whatever it is, I’m in.
Cormac, too. “That smells incredible.”
“Let’s get them inside.” As it turns out, they stock the kitchen with every accoutrement for hamburgers, and Mom is cooking up a batch of fresh-cut fries while Dad grills. I laugh. “How did you know?”
“Know what, dear?”
“Burgers and fries?”
Franny and Aiden gasp excitedly, and Mom says, “Because when you were their age, that was your favorite, too.”
I introduce them, and Mom dotes on the kids before telling them to wash up. She gives Cormac a hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“I think Lily enjoys keeping me all to herself.”
“She’s very secretive. You have to watch out for that,” she advises.
