Page 11 of Passion and Payback

“Believe it or not, Rich is, like, the master of drinks. Once he got involved behind the counter, drink quality and variety increased. He even figured out how to make better pastries and sandwiches. Tricky with animals around, but we figured it out.”

“Oh, I would have never guessed.”

“You think that’s bad? I wasn’t kidding when I made that joke about Arwen. She really is lazy as can be, and part of my job is trying to find where she’s holed up to nap or play on her phone.”

“Okay, but you keep her around for a reason.”

“Absolute genius with social media. I used to wonder how I’d manage the social media side of things after I reopened. I never had a feel for that sort of thing, and I left it up to Lucas. Turns out she’s even better, and between her and Rich, I can keep my head above the surface long enough to manage a business.”

I hadn’t wanted to say during our phone calls, but his constant reassurance about the business had been unnerving. I knew he was capable of running a business, and he was definitely prepared, not only because of his degree but becauseof the experience he’d gained managing two businesses through college. Hell, he still attributed trying to open up the business in the first place to my encouragement rather than to anything Lucas had said or done. I’d believed in the man even when he looked at all his knowledge and experience and thought it wouldn’t be enough.

Now, at least, I could see my fear was unnecessary. He was obviously still dealing with the emotional fallout, but he hadn’t let that get in the way of business. In fact, between his physical health, the state of the business, and how well he’d navigated talking about his problems to put them off for a while, I had to wonder how much he needed me around. Clearly, my worries and concerns, while probably still valid, weren’t as necessary as I’d thought.

Despite all the terrible shit he’d been through, Hunter had a good hold on things. Even with his ability to hide things and make them seem less dire than they were, it seemed like he had things under control. I would have to wait and see if the exterior he was showing me would crack, but for now, I could give him his wish of going through the motions of happiness for a bit longer.

“Alright, well, you’re going to have to give me the tour to show me what’s what now I’ve gone and missed it all,” I told him.

He grinned. “Sure, you can even bring Clem, he can help.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure he’ll be abighelp.”

HUNTER

“And how’s the lamb today?” I asked Sophia in a low voice, trying not to let my voice carry over the sound of the nearby conversation.

The butcher’s assistant glanced over at her boss and smiled. “It’s on sale if you’d like some.”

Right…I knew what that meant. “Mmm, I’ll think about it. I have company right now, and now that I think about it, I know he can be a little weird about new food, and he’s never had lamb before.”

That was a downright lie. It was easily Kai’s favorite meat. But Sophia had never led me astray on cuts of meat. If she told me it was on sale, they were trying to get it out of the shop as quickly as possible before they couldn’t sell it.

“Well, we’ll have a new order in on Tuesday,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe check with him and come back for it.”

“A good idea. I’ll stick to something reliable. How about a nice steak?”

“What cut?”

“Sophia, we’ve been over this. I trust your judgment. I’m going home to make it the most basic way possible.”

“Uh-huh, and what’s basic to you?”

“Butter, garlic, rosemary, and a little red wine in the pan for a reduction.”

“You and most people I know have very different ideas about basic.”

I laughed. “You grab me something good, would you?”

“Of course,” she said, bending down to grab the meat for me. “And what’s this about having someone over? You’ve been cooking for yourself for a while now.”

“An old friend just got out of the military for good, and he’s staying with me for a while.”

“Oh? Needs help to get back on his feet?”

“No, not really. But it would be nice, you know, to have someone around. And Kai is just the person.”

“Oh really now?” she asked curiously as she wrapped the food.

“Not likethat,” I told her in a stern voice. “Don’t you start.”

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