The Perfect Ingredient (Dare Valley) Read online

  “It’s good to meet you. We’re big fans of your show.”

  “Please call me Terrance. Natalie was just telling me about your huckleberry jam. I’m always looking for what a place has to offer. Huckleberries sound like just the thing for me to use on our summer menu.”

  “The huckleberries around here are quite special,” she said. Her hand was relaxing now, so he finally let go.

  “And let me introduce you to my wonderful uncle, Arthur Hale, and some of Matt’s incredible campaign volunteers.”

  The trio of older woman looked like they ate Charlotte Royale for dessert every day with rose hip tea. He was charmed since he didn’t have contact with any of his own elderly relatives. His mother had burned every bridge to her family with her drug habit.

  “It’s great to meet everyone. I hope you enjoyed the food.”

  “Especially the chocolate chip cookies,” Joanie said, “but there was something a little different about them. In a good way, of course.”

  Ah, she was too cute with her round face and soft hair. “I used coconut oil instead of butter.”

  Arthur snorted. “Something wrong with butter?”

  Natalie put her hand on his arm like she was trying to soften her uncle’s bluster. “Uncle Arthur likes to complain about Jill’s coffee, especially the ones he insists are crazy concoctions, like her raspberry mocha latte.”

  Her uncle crossed his arms, his intelligent blue gaze raking over Terrance. “If people want to have dessert, why don’t they eat it instead of drinking it?”

  Terrance felt his mouth twitch. “People eat the darndest things. Now me, I’m the kind of guy who will try anything once.”

  “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” Arthur said.

  Joanie hit him gently. “Oh, ignore him. He’s all bluster. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten, Terrance?”

  There were many, so he picked the first one that came to mind. “Grasshoppers. They’re considered a delicacy in the Congo.”

  All of the women shivered.

  Arthur snorted. “And what did you expect them to taste like? A steak?”

  Laughter shook his chest. “I guess it’s like climbing a mountain. If it’s in front of me, I’m going to give it a go.”

  “You’re braver than I am,” April said. “And speaking of being brave, it’s time I say hello to my hus…my ex-husband.”

  Arthur stood with her and took her arm. “We’ll both go say hello to that moron.”

  “Now, Arthur…” she said as they walked away.

  The frown on Natalie’s face spoke volumes. “I supposed I should go too. It was good to see you, Chef T.”

  “Please call me Terrance. If you’re going to keep me away from Elizabeth, you might as well use my full name. Not too many people have the balls to get between me and what I want.”

  She laughed like he’d hoped. “Ask my siblings. I have balls as big as any man.”

  As she walked away, he headed to the kitchen, the only place on earth he had ever felt at home until waking up in Elizabeth’s arms.

  Chapter 9

  Even though her two brothers had plenty of space in their houses, Natalie and her sisters always stayed with their mom when they were visiting Dare Valley. The older house where April lived certainly wasn’t grand, but its contents felt delightfully familiar, like the music box resting on the mantle. Natalie used to crank it on snowy days, twirling the models around to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from her favorite childhood movie, The Wizard of Oz.

  And then there was the family farmer’s table boasting nicks and scratches from its long years of watching them grow. Their mom hadn’t taken everything from her house in Denver with their dad, but this table… Well, it had been more hers than his anyway. Their mom had sat with them at this table while they did their homework. She’d set cakes blazing with candles in front of them on their birthdays, as the lucky kid sat in the prized head of the table position, the guest of honor for a day. And this was where the Hale children had sat to talk over a problem with their mom—or sometimes even a sister or brother.

  Right now, Natalie and her sisters were huddled around it, drinking vodka shots. Not the wisest thing perhaps, but seeing Dad tonight had shaken everyone. Including mom, which was why she was taking longer in the shower than usual.

  “I still can’t believe his nerve,” Caroline said, kicking back in her chair. “It was hard enough for Matt to invite dad, but what does he do? He says he probably can’t make it because of surgery.”

  “And then he goes and shows up without telling any of us,” Moira added, sweeping a dramatic hand through the air like a symphony conductor before fumbling to shove her brown hair behind her ear.

  Despite her Irish name, Moira couldn’t hold her liquor.

  “He could have given Mom a warning,” Caroline continued. “Heck, all of us could have used one. Even Danny was reserved.” Natalie had noticed too, and their brother Andy’s son was the type of kid who would give anyone a hug.

  Caroline hiccupped. She didn’t hold her liquor much better than their other sister.

  “You’re not saying anything, Nat,” Moira said, pouring another shot.

  Natalie grabbed the bottle and set it on the floor beside her, causing Moira to stick out her tongue and giggle.

  “Spoil sport.”

  “Nat’s pissed,” Caroline said, and Natalie glared at her even though it was true.

  “Dad didn’t tell anyone he was coming because he never thinks about being kind to other people,” she said “It wouldn’t surprise me one bit to learn he’s clueless about how upset we are.”

  “He’s a cold fish,” Moira said, sipping her vodka more slowly now.

  “That’s why he can cut up people on the surgery table for a living,” Caroline declared.

  Natalie winced at the image and downed her shot. Picking up the bottle, she poured herself another.

  “Why do you get more?” Caroline complained.

  “Because I can hold my liquor.”

  Her phone vibrated on the table and started to skip across it like it had a life of its own.

  “It’s Andy,” she announced and hit speaker.

  “Hey, Andy cakes,” Moira called out first.

  There was an audible sigh on the line. “I knew you guys were drinking. What’s your poison tonight? Tequila?”

  “No, vodka,” Caroline said. “The liquor store was closed, so we had to make do with mom’s pathetic stash.”

  “Where is she?” Andy asked.

  “In the shower,” Natalie told him, “but it’s been almost an hour. Seeing Dad really upset her.”

  “Of course it did. Hell, it upset everyone. Even Danny asked me why Grandpa didn’t seem happy to see him. I had to lie to my kid and say he had an off day at the hospital.”

  Clenching the drink in her hand, Natalie fought back the harsh words she wanted to spout back. “I had hoped he’d changed.”

  Her sisters teared up when she said that, and silence descended around the table.

  “I had hoped he’d changed too,” her mom said from behind her.

  Natalie swung around in time to see her mom dash a few tears off her cheeks. “I’m going to bed for good now. I love you—all of you.”

  “Oh, mom,” Moira said, rising out of her chair and rushing over to wrap her in a big hug.

  Caroline and Natalie joined her, and the warmth of everyone embracing lightened her heart some. Their dad might not be around—heck he never really had been—but they had each other, and that was what mattered.

  “Don’t drink all of my vodka. I need it for the cosmos I’m making for my book club.”

  “We’ll buy you more, Mom,” Caroline said, giving her another kiss on the cheek.

  “You girls,” her mom said, shaking her head. “And Andy, good night to you and Danny.”

  “Love you, Mom,” he said over the phone.

  “Love you too.”

  When she left, the sisters lowered themselve
s to the table. No one reached for another drink.

  “Mom’s the bravest woman I’ve ever known,” Moira said, sliding her chair close so she could lean against Caroline and rest her head on her shoulder like they used to do when they were younger.

  “Does anyone know where Dad is staying?” Natalie asked finally.

  “He told Matt he was staying at The Grand,” Andy piped in from the phone on the table. “He needed to leave early to get back to the hospital, you see.”

  “I’m glad he didn’t expect anyone to put him up,” Caroline said.

  “It’s sad, don’t you think? None of us even wanted him to stay with us.” Moira wiped the tears streaming down her face.

  “I just hope it didn’t ruin Matt’s night,” Natalie said, rising and filling water glasses for everyone. “He deserves to be happy. He’s worked hard for this, and with his new engagement…”

  For a moment, she allowed herself to think about how happy she’d been during her engagement to Blake. Nothing had been strong enough to burst that bubble.

  But the happiness hadn’t lasted.

  She hoped it would for Matt and Jane. They seemed the perfect match.

  “Jane knows how to deal with tense parental situations,” Andy said. “She’s a pro. Matt’s a lucky man, and so are we to have her join our family. Okay, I’m going to bed. If the little guy wasn’t asleep, I would sneak over and drink with you. Love you.”

  “Love you too. Night, Andy,” Natalie and her sisters said in chorus.

  After his call ended, Caroline drained her water. “So, Chef T is pretty hot. You into him?” She waggled her eyebrows at Natalie.

  It was easy to answer. They didn’t need to know why she wasn’t interested. “No. He only has eyes for Elizabeth.”

  “She has the hots for him too,” Moira said. “They could have flambéed one of the passing canapés with the looks they were shooting back and forth.”

  Wouldn’t that have been hilarious? The poor server wouldn’t have known what to do when his tray of cookies burst into flames.

  “They were together for a while and then broke up, I think,” she told them.

  “Oh,” Moira said. “I love thinking about people getting back together.”

  Of course, Moira hadn’t meant to make her feel bad. She was talking about their mom and dad, but Natalie’s mind had immediately gone to Blake. They’d been so happy, so perfect for each other. And then everything had gone horribly wrong.

  She rose, determined to put those thoughts away. They were only creeping into her subconscious so much lately because she was planning the annual Denver Raiders Spring Training dinner.

  “All right, girls. Let’s get to bed. We have to get up at the butt crack of dawn in the morning and head back to the big city. And if we’re not hungover, we’re finding Matt’s SUV. I have a new bumper sticker for him.”

  “What is it?” Moira said, weaving a little in place when she got up.

  “I Dance A Mean Polka.”

  “Uncle Arthur will love that,” Caroline said with an uncharacteristic snort, and Moira hiccupped out a laugh.

  “We’ll definitely help you plant that one on Matty Ice.”

  Maybe it would improve her mood tomorrow. When she got back to Denver, she had to meet with her point of contact at the Raiders to go over the final preparation for the menu. God, please don’t let her run into Blake.

  Not that she was afraid of him.

  She just didn’t want to see him ever again.

  Running into one man she loved who’d let her down was enough for one week.

  Chapter 10

  Parking on Main Street was sometimes a challenge, and this evening was no exception. With the weather warming, people were out in droves. Dare Valley’s quaint shops were seeing a nice bit of business today, and the line for Don’t Soy with Me was out the door. When Elizabeth finally found a spot, she grabbed her gym bag and exited her car five blocks down from Sleek Lines, the new studio where she taught her Latin fusion exercise class. She was running a little late, but she already had her music cued on her smart phone, so she’d be okay. Hurrying down the street, her feet faltered a step when she spotted Ryan James waving to her on the street, having just come out of a nearby store.

  Dammit. Why wouldn’t the guy leave her alone?

  She forced a smile and picked up her pace. Being nice hadn’t worked, but neither had being rude. What was left? Ignoring him?

  The temptation to cross the street was strong. But she couldn’t just back down like that, even though memories of Vince made her blood run cold.

  As she neared him, she gave a fake smile and barreled by.

  “Hey!” he called out as she passed him in a blur, weaving around other patrons on the street. “Wait! Elizabeth!”

  She kept going, her head down. There were plenty of people around, so she was going to be fine. Safe. Ryan’s footsteps thundered behind her, and she picked up her pace.

  “Elizabeth!” Ryan shouted again. When she didn’t answer, he reached out and grabbed her arm.

  Spinning around, she glared at him and yanked away. Don’t touch me, she wanted to scream. “Ryan, I’m late for class.”

  His breath was puffing out some from his run, and his face fell. If she’d known he’d be this hard to shake, she wouldn’t have agreed to go out with him, regardless of how handsome and fit he was. And they had only been out on one date.

  “I was only trying to say hi. It was good to see you. I was hoping we could talk.”

  She shifted her bag in front of her body like a shield, her heart rate hammering in her chest. “Ryan, I’ve tried to be nice about this, but I don’t want to talk to you anymore. We went out months ago. It didn’t work for me. Please stop following me.”

  “But Elizabeth—”

  She took off before he could finish his sentence. If she hadn’t been holding her bag, her hands would be trembling. Dammit. Why was he so dense? Vince had been more methodical about staking out where she’d be and confronting her. Always touching her. Her hair. Her cheek. Her arm. She’d been too terrified to knock his hands away and tell him to step back.

  Her breath heaved, and she realized she was gasping.

  A hand touched her arm again, and thinking it was Ryan, she shoved at him with all her might. The action put her off balance, causing her to stumble, and she looked up to see Terrance holding his hands up.

  “I know you want to avoid me, but there’s no reason to act like that.”

  She bit her lip so it wouldn’t quiver. “Sorry. I’m late for my Latin exercise class. I’m the teacher.”

  “Remind me not to say hello to you next time you’re on your way to your Latin thingee. I didn’t realize you were into the Latin exercise movement, but it suits you. I know you move well.”

  Those bottle green eyes measured her body, and his mouth quirked up. Fear started to slide away, replaced with lust. Damn, why did he still have to look so ridiculously hot? His white T-shirt covered his tattoos, but it did little to hide his muscular chest. He was wearing some kind of a symbol on a leather chain around his neck—something that looked like the Chinese letters tattooed on his body.

  Over his shoulder, Elizabeth saw Ryan watching them on the street. Maybe he would get the hint. All the single women in Dare Valley were pining over Terrance, if the talk in her dance class was to be trusted.

  “I need to go,” she said because she had no idea what else to say. Standing here with her body betraying her wasn’t getting her anywhere.

  “This can’t continue, you know,” he said. “Running away again isn’t going to work, not now that we both live here. Let’s have dinner. We had a good time at your house the other night.”

  People were walking around them on the sidewalk, and she was aware of their interest. Yes, she was chatting with Mr. Hotness himself, Chef T.

  “We almost tore each other’s throats out at the tasting,” she fired back. “No, I think not.”

  She turned to leave, but he rea
ched for her again. Her body jerked in surprise, still jumpy from Ryan.

  “What’s it going to take to get you to go out with me?” he asked, standing there like a badass, unconcerned they were in people’s way.

  The stubborn set of his jaw told her he wasn’t going to give up, so she decided to make it hard for him. “You have to come to my dance class and work out with us for the whole time.”

  Laughter rolled out of him. “You mean dance to some zippy beat with a bunch of women while doing the cha-cha? Shit. You’re out of your mind.”

  Immediately he took out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet.

  Gotcha. Chef T was way too cool for that. “Too bad then,” she said and took off.

  He walked next to her. “You’re serious?”

  “As a preacher on Sunday. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  His gorgeous body faded from her peripheral vision. Had her crazy suggestion rooted him to the ground? She hoped so. Every time she saw him, the earth moved—and not in a good way. It was the kind of shaking that toppled cities and led to rampant destruction.

  When she reached Sleek Lines, a couple of students were waiting at the door—Jill Hale, who was now a regular, and her pregnant sister, Meredith. Elizabeth’s classes had started out small, but they were already nearing full capacity. Mostly because Jill was her own Paul Revere in Dare Valley.

  “Was that Terrance?” she asked.

  Elizabeth finally looked back. He was heading in the opposite direction on Main Street with that brawler’s walk of his.

  “Yes. How are you? Ready to shake it?”

  “He looked like he wanted to gobble you up at Matt’s party. If I wasn’t a happily married woman with twins…”

  Thank God Natalie hadn’t told her cousin anything about Elizabeth and Terrance having history. Jill was fun, but she had a rep for not being able to keep a secret.

  They headed into the studio together, and Elizabeth smiled at the twenty women already lined up.

  “I shake it daily,” Jill answered her original question as she shrugged out of her jacket and hung it on the wall. “Have you thought about choreographing a number to Abba? Maybe you could use ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme A Man After Midnight’ as a cool-down song. The ladies would love it.”