The Chef's Choice: The Chef's Choice

Tebeau nodded. “This weekend. Usually I just take her out and buy her a lobster. I figured twenty-five years deserved something more, though. This young lady helped."

The young lady in question flushed and looked away.

“Tell you what,” Damon said. “Come to the restaurant for dinner while you’re there. I’ll make you a special meal. Off the menu, I mean, just for you two. What does your wife like to eat?"

Tebeau thought a moment. “Garlic, shrimp, crab cakes. And mushrooms,” he added.

Sometimes you just had to go with your instincts. Damon picked up two baskets of tomatoes. “I know just what to make for her. You know anyone who sells ramps here?"

“Ramps?” Tebeau took the tomatoes and set them on the scale.

“Wild leeks. White flowers, green leaves about so big.” He measured. “I sauté them up with morels and asparagus and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. If I can find them. Got any ideas?"

“Maybe.” Pete took the money Damon offered. “Old Gus Cattrall next door to me, he’s got all kinda stuff growing in the woods over on his place."

“Great,” Damon said. “Does he have a stall here?”

Tebeau shook his head. “Naw. Mostly he just sells stuff out of a cart on the road. Never seen him put out—what did you call them, ramps? But if he’s got ‘em growing, I bet he’d be happy to let you pick them yourself."

“Just tell me who to call or where to go.”

Pete handed Damon his change and loaded the tomatoes into a box. “Thing is, Gus isn’t likely to cotton to strangers walking around his property. He knows you, though, Cady. You’d better come instead."

“Me?” she asked blankly. “But—”

“Sure. This guy’s got my curiosity up. Why don’t you come over to my place tomorrow morning about six? We can catch Gus before he gets working. If he’s got any of those ramps growing you can bet he’ll know where and we can just pick ‘em. Easy as pie."

“Easy as pie,” Cady said under her breath. “All right, Pete, sure. As long as you’ve got time."

“Absolutely.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Damon—” she directed him a thunderous look “—we’d better get going."

He had better sense than to argue. Cady marched to the end of the row in silence, though he could see from the set of her shoulders that she had plenty to say. He figured he’d just wait her out.

He didn’t have to wait long.

“Happy with yourself?” she demanded as soon as they were out of the square.

Now was not the time to smile, he reminded himself as he followed her down the street. “Happy why?"

“Oh, you got your trip to the market, now you’re going to get your wild onions."

“Leeks.”

“Whatever.” She stopped beside her truck. “You’re good at getting people to do what you want, aren’t you? You’re a regular puppeteer."

He couldn’t help laughing at that as he set the tomatoes and mushrooms in the truck bed. “I’m flattered that you think so much of me."

She glowered. “Oh, I think of you, all right. I think all kinds of things about you."

“Good.” In the sunlight, her hair gleamed cinnamon and copper. He could see a light dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose. “You know,” he said as she opened her mouth to continue, “for someone who tries to come off so tough, that was a pretty nice thing you did for Pete."

She stared at him, momentarily disarmed. “He’s a friend,” she muttered finally. “I want them to have a nice time."

“They will, thanks to you.”

“And you,” she said, then blinked as though the thought had ambushed her.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you just said something nice to me."

The flush that spread across her cheeks made her look even more delectable. “Don’t try to distract me."

There was something that kind of delighted him about that bemused look she got on her face when she felt she was losing control of the situation. “Oh, I don’t know, I’m beginning to think distracting you could be interesting. Very interesting,” he added.

He reached out, then, to touch, running a finger across her cheek to her chin. Softer than he’d expected. She might dress and act like a tomboy but Cady McBain was all girl. Her eyes flashed with surprise, awareness, the hazel green darkening to amber. He saw the desire flicker even as he felt it himself.

All it would take was bridging that distance to find out how it would be with her. He couldn’t help wondering. And even as he told himself it wasn’t smart, he leaned in toward her.

The chirp of a horn had them both jolting apart.

Damon snapped his head around to see a blue Escort packed with a trio of what looked like college-age girls.

“Hey, you leaving?” the gum-chewing passenger called out the window.

“Definitely,” Cady answered from behind him, opening the driver’s door.

He turned to her. “Why the rush?” he asked. “We’ve done everything we need to do here.” “You think so?”

“I know so,” she said. “We’re done with this.”

“No.” Damon got in on the other side and shut the door. “That’s one thing I’m pretty sure of. We’re not done with this by a long shot."

Chapter Five

She couldn’t believe she’d let it happen. Cady pulled her truck to a stop in the employee side of the parking lot the next morning and stared at the box of ramps next to her. Bad enough that he’d manipulated her into grubbing around some forest glen looking for his wild leeks, but he’dgotten to her. One minute she’d been ready to put him in his place, which was as far from her as she could manage. The next, she was gaping at him as if she was hypnotized, as if she didn’t have a brain in her head.

He’d charmed her. Her, the one who prided herself on keeping it together, on being immune to good-looking guys. The one who was never again going to make herself vulnerable to some guy who thought the world should be at his feet.

And the worst part was that he hadn’t even had to try. All he’d had to do was to make nice to her in that voice that sent those little bubbles fizzing through her veins, look at her with those eyes and touch her.

And touch her.

Involuntarily, Cady shivered. It didn’t mean anything. It had been so long since anybody had touched her outside of family, that was all. That was why it had affected her. It wasn’t him, certainly not him.

Definitely not.

That didn’t mean she wouldn’t be smart to keep her distance. While she sincerely doubted that Damon Hurst had any real interest in her, she had no plans to give him any opportunities. She checked her watch and got out of the truck with the box of greens. Best to drop off the ramps and get to work.