Page 15 of Quinn

“Ready?” Aunt Eileen picked up the bowl with the beef bourguignon.

Eloise surveyed her dishes one last time. Her favorite foster mother used to always tell her,fake it till you make it. Those words had brought her this far. Ready or not, there was no turning back now. Picking up the platter of fish, she turned to face Aunt Eileen. “Let’s do it.”

Finn and his wife Joanna came hurrying into the dining room, each carrying a platter of food from the kitchen.

“Sorry we’re late.” Finn set one platter on the buffet behind him.

Joanna sniffed at the air. “I haven’t smelled so many delicious aromas in my life. My mouth has been watering since I hit the kitchen door.”

The sound of chairs scraping the hardwood floors bounced against the family chatter as folks hurried into the kitchen to help carry out the remainder of the food.

The massive dining table groaned under the weight of Eloise’s feast. Quinn wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen this much food, not even at Thanksgiving. Everything smelled amazing. Already his brothers were eyeing the arriving platters like hungry wolves.

Food began circulating, accompanied by appreciative murmurs and the clink of serving spoons. Quinn couldn’t remember the last time his normally boisterous family had been too busy eating to talk. Even the kids were eating the vegetables without complaint. Quinn shouldn’t have been surprised, he’d already eaten the few things that Eloise had cooked at the ranch and knew she was a fabulous cook. No, not just a cook—a chef.

“Do we have a date for when we can all descend on the restaurant and try out the rest of your menu?” Catherine took the last bite of her chicken.

“That depends on staffing,” Eloise answered. “I’ll need at least two solid line cooks, prep staff, servers. Plus time to train everyone the way I want the kitchen to run.”

Aunt Eileen reached for another roll. “Are you a hard task master like that television chef who comes in and saves failing restaurants?”

“I hope not.” She chuckled, her cheeks pinkened, her eyes sparkled, and Quinn almost swallowed his tongue.

“Which reminds me.” Ryan stabbed at a piece of his corn soufflé. “The kitchen equipment arrives tomorrow.”

The way Eloise’s eyes lit up brought a smile to Quinn’s lips.

“What are you grinning at?” Ryan held his fork in mid-air.

All eyes turned in the direction Ryan was staring.

“What? Is it against the law to smile?” Quinn said.

“No.” One corner of Ryan’s mouth twitched with a hint of amusement.

“Hm.” Quinn grunted, returning his attention to the food on his plate. Ignoring all the eyes on him, he noticed his aunt watching him the most intently, not missing any of the discussion, or probably the smiles.

Still watching him to the point of making him want to shift in his seat—or better yet, hide under the table—Aunt Eileen shared a smile with her husband before turning back to Eloise. “I saw the help wanted signs for the restaurant up at the hardware store and the Cut n’ Curl.”

Becky dabbed at the corners of her mouth. “I saw them up at the café and O’Faredeigh’s.”

Eloise nodded, her grin bright. “I already have staffing interviews lined up tomorrow morning.”

“Ooh, that could be fun.” Valerie, ever the producer, chimed in. “We’ll film all the interviews for the show, then air the ones who are actually hired. The ratings will eat it up.”

Morgan closed his knife and fork on the plate he’d come short of licking clean. “I don’t see how the ratings can get any higher.”

“Now, now, no talk of ratings tonight.” Aunt Eileen pushed away from the table. “There’s dessert in the kitchen.”

“Let me get it.” Eloise stood.

His aunt looked ready to protest, and before she could object, Quinn pushed to his feet. “You can sit, Aunt Eileen. I’ll help Eloise.”

There was no need to look over his shoulder, he could feel his aunt’s gaze on his back as he followed Eloise into the kitchen.

“I left the pies cooling over here.” She went straight to the butler’s pantry.

The way Eloise moved about in the kitchen, she looked like someone who had lived at the ranch her whole life, especially her ability to cook for a massive clan of people. Of course, she obviously did that every night in her line of work. Still, somehow the idea of her being well suited to ranch life sat well with him. And wasn’t that absurd. What she was suited for was none of his business.

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