Page 18 of Tangled
“I’m glad you like it. Our chef is kind of a genius. Thankfully, not a temperamental one, but a genius nonetheless.”
“Hats off to him,” she said, then took another bite.
“Her. Luna was born and raised in New Orleans and learned to cook there. Her company was catering some industry event I attended, and we got to talking. It turned out she hated the heat of the South, and her wife is from Sacramento. Seemed a no-brainer to offer her a job. That was seven years ago. And not to brag on myself, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made.” He smiled again before taking a sip of his drink.
“She’s won a bunch of awards, hasn’t she? I think I remember Kara telling me that.”
He nodded and dipped his spoon into his soup. Silence fell as they finished, then Brad slid two plates in front of her. One with mashed potatoes and the other with a slice of apple pie.
“Can I save these?” she asked, pointing to the potatoes. “They look good, but I’m not sure I should put that much food in my stomach right away. And I definitely want that,” she said, pointing to the pie.
He chuckled. “Of course. I’ll throw them in the fridge, and you can reheat them tomorrow.”
She reached for the pie, pulling it in front of her. “I did mean what I said earlier. I want you to know that,” she said.
He looked up as he forked a huge bite of pie into his mouth, making her laugh. When he finished chewing, he asked, “About what? Moving to Mystery Lake?”
“That, but also not expecting you…us.” She paused, then sighed. “Look, we barely know each other. And yes, there’s a connection between us or we wouldn’t be here in the first place. But I want you to know that I have no expectations of you in that way. We can co-parent without being together. I’ve seen enough bad relationships—marriages—that start out this way”—she waved between them—“that I want to be conscientious aboutnotdoing that.”
“You mean get married because I knocked you up?”
She arched a brow. His delivery had been flat, but amusement danced in his eyes. “Exactly,” she said.
He considered her for a moment, then rose. “Tea? Or coffee? I have decaf.”
She shook her head, then watched him make himself a cup of coffee. When he returned to the table, she eyed him.
“Nothing to say to that?” she asked.
He cocked his head and gave a little shrug. “I can assure you, Scarlett, we won’t be getting married because of the baby.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Brad stood at the window behind his desk, hands in his pockets, and watched the skiersmake their way down the mountain. A rueful smile touched his lips. A day ago, he’d watched the same scene, but his mind had been lost in thoughts of Magi. In a way, it still was. Only his Magi now had a name. Scarlett.
He chuckled.
Damn, a lot had happened in the past twenty-four hours.
He couldn’t believe Scarlett was here. He may not havefoundher, but what had transpired was even better. She was in his home. And planning to stay. At least for the short term. He’d change her mind about that, though.
And they were having a baby.
He was going to be a father.
He grinned. The news had shocked him. Knocked the air from his lungs when she’d first told him. But now? Now he couldn’t wait. They had a lot of getting to know each other to do, but at least they had a decent foundation to grow from. Knowing she was Kara’s best friend made it easy to move past some of the early questions or doubts that might come up in a relationship. He suspected it was the same for her. She’d heard enough about his family from Kara that she didn’t have to come into the relationship wondering about the basics—like whether he was honest or had integrity.
It seems they had a history with each other without even knowing it.
He glanced at his watch. Almost ten o’clock. He’d left Scarlett sleeping in the guest room, but they’d agreed to have a late breakfast after he got through a few meetings.
Assuming she could eat.
He frowned at that. He’d been listening for her all night and hadn’t heard her get up and be sick. But he’d been gone for three hours. Had she slept through? Would she want to eat?
He turned away from the window and was reaching for the phone to call the kitchen when Ava knocked and walked in.
“I found her!” she exclaimed, holding up a piece of paper. Judging by the quick glance he got, it appeared to be a photo. “And you, my soon-to-be-brother, have some explaining to do. You look awfully cozy with this woman.”
