Harper's Wish

He couldn’t help it. He cursed.

“Connor Callahan?” he repeated his name. “Éire?”

Satisfaction flooded through him as he watched the color slowly drain from her face.

“Éire?” she whispered.

“Ah, you remember what the restaurant was called, even if you can’t remember the name of the man whose reputation you ruined.”

“I—” But she stopped there, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Let me see if this rings any bells.” He cleared his throat before he began the recitation of her review from memory.

“Though barely competent, Éire’s executive chef tries too hard with the menu, putting on airs with mediocre aptitude.”

Her face whitened further, her expression becoming pinched as he continued.

“The filet mignon, though a fine cut of meat, is decimated by the lack of skill in preparing it. It will never measure up to the succulent cuts to be had at nearby restaurants in the district, and if ingredients as pure as this can be prepared with such average talent, then imagine the rest of the dishes.”

“Oh. That Connor Callahan.” She attempted nonchalance, but by the pink rising in her cheeks, he knew he had her right where he wanted.

“Can I tell you my favorite line? The one my investors quoted when they pulled out on me?”

She shifted in her seat. He injected a full Irish brogue into his voice and spread his arms to accommodate the full theater of the words.

“Éire is owned by Institute of Culinary Distinction–trained Irishman, Connor Callahan, who clearly believes his own blarney when he claims his restaurant is a dining experience to delight the senses. Perhaps he could use a taste of humble pie since I remain unimpressed and dub his establishment not...worth...it.”

The silence that followed these words was thick. He watched the fine cords in her neck flex as she swallowed. Her cheeks were stained crimson with what he hoped was embarrassment and shame, the very same emotions he’d felt when he’d read her defamatory review.

“Well. Clearly, it all worked out for the best.” Her gaze skittered around the office’s interior, came back to his face, and then quickly looked away again.

He ground his teeth together. Hadn’t she been paying attention? Could she really be so self-focused?

“Perhaps it’s best you leave now.” He didn’t think he could control his temper much longer if she stayed.

To his aggravation, though, stay is exactly what she did.

“I, um... I admit that review was perhaps a bit...harsh.”

“A bit?” He tightened the arms crossing his chest, trying to hold the worst of his anger inside. “When my customer counts dropped, I lost my investors, all my backing, and after that, I didn’t stand a chance. You ruined me.”

He didn’t dare mention how Chloe had left him and Molly shortly before Éire’s failure. While he knew he couldn’t place the blame for that directly at Harper’s feet, the memory of that time, with all its bitterness and disappointment, still chafed.

Harper looked into his face, and he suspected that took some courage on her part. Her eyes sparked. “You can’t blame your restaurant’s failure entirely on me. My reviews are just words. People can decide for themselves.”

“Sure, if they would have given me a chance. But scarcely a single patron darkened my door after that review.”

“That’s not my fault.”

“Isn’t it?”

She hesitated again.

“Maybe you’re right. I should go,” she suggested at last.

“Yes, I think you’d better,” he tossed back.

She took one last glance around, almost as if she wished she could stay. The very idea threw him and deflated some of his ire.

“Well, I appreciate your taking the time to speak with me, Connor Callahan.”

She backed up without taking her eyes off him, as though she was wary of letting down her guard. He felt a twinge of guilt at that. Had he really come off so fearsome? Wounded was more like it. This woman had callously ruined his reputation in an industry where reviews like hers could make all the difference.

“I wish you the best this time around,” she offered before finally turning and exiting his office.

When she was gone, he experienced another ripple of irritation.

She had ruined him. His first restaurant had struggled a bit at first, but his father’s faith in him had carried him through the rocky beginning. Yet when Éire had been awarded the “not worth it” rating, the clientele he’d been building suddenly dispersed into the dining rooms of trendier, more popular establishments. He knew it hadn’t all come down to Harper’s review, but her critique certainly hadn’t helped. And it wasn’t just the criticism. It was one thing if she didn’t like his food, but her words had been outright cruel, disdainful and full of snobbery. After that review...everything had begun to fall apart.

But here she was, the woman who had been the catalyst to his first restaurant’s failure, obviously as down on her luck as he had been three years ago. There was a certain poetic justice in that, and he couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t that he wished anything truly horrible on her. After all, she had just gotten him out of a tight spot. But he had to admit, there was something satisfying about learning she’d fallen from grace. It made him wonder if the old adage was true—what goes around comes around.

CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_1a293e7d-ec93-5711-98ef-4aac85a27343)

“IT WAS HUMILIATING,” Harper pronounced as her sister loaded another helping of summer squash salad onto her plate. “He was about to offer me the job, and then as soon as he found out who I was, he kicked me out of the restaurant.”

Tessa froze. “Seriously? He didn’t physically remove you or anything, did he?”

“No, nothing like that,” Harper hastened to reassure her. “He just made it clear I wasn’t welcome on the premises.”

Tessa clicked her tongue in disapproval, and while Harper appreciated her sister’s support, she knew she couldn’t entirely blame Connor for his reaction.

“I kind of deserved it,” she admitted. “It was a pretty mean review. In fact, it was the one that jump-started my column, gained me all sorts of attention.”

“You should apologize. Then maybe he’ll hire you.”

Harper didn’t know whether to laugh at her sister’s naïveté or cringe at the suggestion of facing Connor Callahan once more.

“I don’t think it’s that simple, Tess. He’s obviously not the kind of guy to forgive and forget. I think it’s best if I give him and his restaurant a pretty wide berth.” She paused, surprised at how disappointed she felt following this observation. It shouldn’t have mattered any more than the other restaurant owners who had turned her away. But she couldn’t help wishing she’d have a chance to see Connor Callahan again. “Have you ever been to his restaurant?”

Tessa shook her head as she forked into the quiche Harper had made for dinner. “No, it’s kind of out of the way.”

“True.” She stabbed a piece of squash and nibbled it in contemplation.

“Have you told Mom and Dad?” her sister asked after swallowing a bite of the quiche.

“About losing my job?” Harper cringed. “Not yet. But I’ll email them in another day or two.”

The thought stole what little appetite Harper had, and she put down her fork.