Page 125 of All We Need

booth

I raise a three-finger salute.“Scout’shonor, sir.I’mmissing the tip of my pinky to prove it.”

Aly’s dad slaps the table, his deep laughter drawing the attention of the other diners.Lydiarolls her eyes at his outburst, but it’s full of amusement.Belowthe table,Alysqueezes my thigh.

She peers down at my left hand curled around my water glass. “Ohmy god, you’re not lying.”

“Nope.”Ihold up the digit. “FirsttimeIwas asked to prepare a lobster,Igot my finger caught in its pincer.Ittook two years beforeIcould look them in their beady eyes again.”

The women joinDanielin his amusement, all cackling at my crustacean-related sob story.

It’s odd being served food thatIusually prepare.Mostchefs hate eating where they work;I’mone of them.Thisevening has been surprisingly relaxing, however.Ihaven’t worried about how long the food takes or the presentation.MaybeIshould, but my attention has been on the woman to my right and her parents.

They’re not whatIexpected.AfterAlyrevealed her identity,Ilooked upArgirosEnterprisesand my eyes almost fell out of my head whenIsaw its net worth.Theirwardrobe suggests they have money, but it ends there.They’redown to earth, with dry senses of humor and nurturing demeanors.Ipicture them sitting in aMichelinstar exactly as they are now in my family’s restaurant.Thelove they have forAly—and each other—is clear as day.

WhenIleftAlyafter our argument,Ididn’t hesitate in picking up the phone to dial the number onArgirosEnterprise’swebsite.Sheneeded support; the typeIcouldn’t provide.Itwas easier than expected.ThemomentDaniel’ssecretary mentioned there was an incoming call regarding his daughter, he dropped everything and rang me back five minutes later.Concernlaced his voice, and he thanked me endlessly.

He assured me he and his wife would fly out as soon as possible.Ratherthan end the call, however, we found ourselves discussingAly.Hisfatherly praise shone through the phone and nothing was stopping me from applauding her.

What silenced me was hearing him confirmAlywas leaving.Itwas inevitable and hollowing.AfactIhad to face.

She took her sweet time turning up at my door, andIwasfurious with her.Notover what she said, but that she robbed us of two days.Irefused to waste any more when a big redXmarked her departure.

You’re not scared of letting your family down, but of going after what you want.It’san excuse.

Her words, though hurtful, left a lasting impression.Thetruthhurts.

I wasn’t ready to admit it toAly, or my brothers.Plus, we only had time for one epiphany andAly’stook priority.Minewasn’t worth the trouble, andI’dmade peace with that.Dwellingon it would only open up old wounds.

Daniel dabs at his mouth before dropping his napkin on hisplate. “God, that was exactly like the home-cooked mealsIhad as a kid.”Headmires the whitewash walls and fishing equipment. “There’ssomething welcoming about it all.Ijust can’t put my finger on it.”

There’s no containing my smile at his compliment. “Thatwas what my father andGeorgeaimed for.Homeaway from home.I’mglad you can see it too.”

“Everything you’ve learned has been here?”Alyand her mom continue their own conversation, but the hand on my leg flexes at the question.

“Yes, sir.”

His head dips. “Daniel, please.”

I finish the last bite of my lobster roll. “Istarted off cleaning dishes and slowly worked my way up.Iworked part time whileIattended culinary classes at the local college.Iwas a cocky little shit as a teenager and thoughtI’dbecome head chef in no time.”

“That wasn’t the case?”

My head shakes with laughter. “Ifyou knew my father, you’d know the answer.Hewasn’t a ball buster by any means, but it was important to him we knew life wasn’t always easy and that hard work paid off.”Mygaze falls to the framed picture of him andJohanna’smother above the bar. “Iowe him everything for whereIam today.Hewas my biggest cheerleader.”

“That’s admirable.Soundslike a great man.I’msorry for your loss.”Hegestures across the table with a curious smile. “Andthis is the end goal?Orhave you considered branching out with your talents?”

“Darling,”Lydiawarns. “Nowork talk at dinner.”

Her interruption is a blessing.Danieldoesn’t pick up on my stricken expression beforeIpush it away.ButAlydoes.

“Sorry, sorry.”Heraises his hands in surrender. “Gotto listen to the ladies,Booth.They’rein charge.”

“And you will do well not to forget it.”Lydiacasts him aloving glance before turning her attention to me. “Booth, you must come visit us inNewYork.Wewill put you up in one of our hotels.Ithas a wonderful restaurant.TheSilverGoddesswill be much to your liking.That’sAlessandra’sfavorite.Wewill introduce you to the head chef,Pedro.”

“SilverGoddess, hey?”Mylips twitch asIhook an arm aroundAly’schair and whisper, “MaybeI’llstart calling you that.”

She pinches my bicep. “Stopit.”

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