Page 36 of The Sweet Chef and the Corporate Queen

"Are you guys kissing?" she demands, equal parts scandalized and delighted.

"We were," I confirm, sharing a glance with Jules. "Is that okay with you?"

Mia considers this for approximately half a second before nodding decisively. "Yes. Does this mean you're Mom's boyfriend now?"

Jules makes a choked sound beside me. "Mia, that's?—"

"Accurate," I finish, squeezing Jules' hand gently. "If your mom agrees."

Jules' startled eyes meet mine, softening at whatever she sees there. "I think we're figuring it out as we go."

"Well, figure it out faster," Mia says with the impatience only a seven-year-old can muster. "Because I want to learn how to make pasta tonight."

Laughter bubbles up from somewhere deep inside me. "Yes, Chef Mia. Pasta lessons tonight it is."

"And maybe we can visit the wildlife blind?" she asks hopefully.

"We have time," Jules says, surprising me with the certainty in her voice. "We're staying through the weekend at least."

"And after that?" I ask quietly while Mia chatters excitedly with Evie about pasta varieties.

Jules looks at me, something steady and sure in her expression. "After that, we go back to New York. But with plane tickets for a return visit already booked." She takes a deep breath. "And maybe we talk about what it might look like if we didn't always have to say goodbye."

"I'd like that," I say simply, reeling at how quickly everything has changed. "I'd like that very much."

"Good." She straightens slightly, a hint of her CEO confidence returning. "Because I've already started making a list of logistical considerations for a potential long-distance relationship, including optimal flight patterns between New York and Asheville, video call scheduling during business trips, and?—"

I silence her with another kiss, gentler this time but no less certain.

"Let's take it one day at a time," I murmur against her lips. "Starting with pasta lessons tonight."

Her shoulders relax as she smiles up at me. "I think I can manage that."

I can't help myself. I pull her close again, cupping her face gently between my flour-dusted hands. Her eyes flutter closed as our lips meet once more, a soft sigh escaping her as she melts against me. In this moment, everything else fades away—the kitchen, the staff, all the logistics and complications. It's just us, finally on the same page.

"Ewww, they're kissing again!" Mia announces to the entire kitchen, prompting more laughter from the staff.

As I pull away, I keep hold of Jules' hand, marveling at how perfectly it fits in mine. Whatever comes next—whether it's pasta tonight, a weekend exploring the mountains, or figuring out how to bridge two different worlds—we'll face it together.

And that's a recipe I can't wait to try.

Epilogue

Jules

Elk Ridge, nine months later…

Mountain laurel blossoms dot the hillsides surrounding the lodge, their delicate pink flowers painting the spring landscape. The morning sun streams through the kitchen windows as I sit at the counter, laptop open but largely ignored in favor of the scene before me.

"You have to fold it gently," Declan instructs, his hands guiding Mia's as they incorporate whipped egg whites into a chocolate batter. "See? Like you're tucking it in for a nap."

"Like tucking in Mr. Hoppy," Mia says with the wisdom of an eight-year-old soufflé expert.

"Exactly."

I smile behind my coffee mug, still marveling at how seamlessly they work together. In the nine months since that fateful retreat, Mia has become Declan's shadow in the kitchen, absorbing culinary knowledge like a sponge.

"Mom, are you watching?" Mia calls, looking up with chocolate-smudged cheeks. "This is the tricky part!"

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