Page 57 of Culinary Chaos
Heading to the back garden, Hope breathed in the fresh mountain air. It was definitely harder to breathe out here—it seemed like she couldn’t get enough air in her lungs. Despite that, it was crisp and warm at the same time, fresh and filled with nothing but peace. Was that the mood that Mountain View was going for, or was it just the damn beauty of where they were for the next three weeks?
Three whole weeks.
They had extra time up here compared to the last couple of places they’d been, and Hope was glad that it was happening here. She could honestly stay here even longer—at least from what she’d seen so far, and she hadn’t even had a chance to explore the area yet. Which she fully intended on doing.
She sent Rex a picture of the back garden, which hadn’t been what she’d expected. She’d thought it’d be fancy. Instead, Hope had been greeted with a vegetable garden. It was filled with raised beds and fresh vegetables that were just in the beginning stages of growth. There was a greenhouse connected to the side of the hotel building, and being nosy as she was, she steppedinside and was amazed to find even more vegetables—these ones further along in their growth and prime for the picking.
She was willing to bet that they used these for the restaurant. Hope brushed her fingers along the curve of a bright red, ripe tomato. She checked on the basil and the rosemary. She bent down to breathe in the scent of the zucchini. Tatum and his family took good care of everything they did here, that much showed in how everything was connected together.
She stepped out of the greenhouse, a grin on her lips, and found Angelica, who’d changed from the suit she’d worn on the plane into black leggings and a workout shirt that had a sports bra underneath a loose tank. Angelica’s hair was pulled back and out of her face, minus the wild curl that always seemed to frame the right side of her cheek. Hope’s heart stuttered. She was stunning in this light, far more natural now than she ever was before.
“I thought we could check out the small walk that Tatum mentioned,” Angelica said, hands by her sides as she looked Hope over. “It doesn’t seem too difficult.”
Hope hadn’t changed out of the jeans and tank top that she’d worn on the plane, and while she was certainly up for a walk, she had a feeling that Angelica was in far better shape than she was and would be able to outlast her on any hike.
“Yeah, we can do that.” Hope’s heart thundered, and her voice didn’t come out as strong as it should have.
She followed Angelica’s lead this time, walking quietly behind her as they found the small trailhead that Tatum had been talking about. It was paved, which was nice, but it was barely wide enough for the two of them to walk side by side. Hope bit her lip as she glanced over at Angelica.
“Feeling any better?”
“No,” Angelica said, brushing a piece of hair that fell out of her ponytail away from her face. “It’ll take a while for my stomach to calm down. Usually does.”
“I’m not someone who gets car sick often. I guess it’s a curse of being the youngest and always ending up thrown into the back of whatever vehicle we found ourselves in.” Hope laughed lightly, still looking around taking in the beauty.
“Youngest?” Angelica asked.
“Of four. All girls.” Hope winced. “Do you have any siblings?”
“A younger brother. He’s quite a bit younger than me, so sometimes I felt more like an only child than a sister.” Angelica eyed Hope over. “It would make sense that you’re the youngest.”
“What makes you say that?” Hope stared at her in curiosity—at least that’s what she told herself it started as. But she couldn’t drag her gaze away, and they were stopped in the middle of the pathway. Angelica’s cheeks pinked. Was that embarrassment? Or was it something else? Hope really wanted to know.
“You’re quite impulsive, Mrs. Lawrence.” Angelica straightened her shoulders, issuing Hope a challenging look. “And you have this air about you that life is easy, which says to me that you never had the pressures that the first daughter has placed on her.” Angelica touched her chest lightly.
“Are you saying you’re a bitch because you had the unfortunate disadvantage of being born before your brother?”
Angelica barked out a laugh. “Hardly, but it’s a nice thought, isn’t it? I always wanted to blame the world on him if I could.”
Hope understood that sentiment. She would throw her sisters under the bus whenever she could. And while she didn’t do it as often now that they were all grown, she certainly had her fair share of escaping due punishment by skirting the consequences with some lies and manipulation growing up.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Angelica said, a wistfulness in her tone that Hope had never heard before. “But I imagine it gets chilly at night.”
“Probably.” Hope looked around at the towering mountains, the wildflowers that were growing. If this were her restaurant, she’d pick those and put them on the center of the table to highlight even more of the natural beauty of this place. “We can head back now if you’re getting cold.”
“Not yet,” Angelica murmured, walking forward. “I want to see where this trail takes us.”
Hope smiled, but Angelica didn’t see it. She was already four steps ahead and moving quicker than she had before. Hope took a few long steps to catch up so they could walk together. “From the initial paperwork and application, I’m not entirely sure why we’re here.”
“Josef said this would be the easy break.” Angelica flicked her gaze to Hope. “He said we’d need a mid-season break.”
“Well, he’s not wrong. Especially after Chateau Orleans.” Hope was still reeling from being there. It had been so difficult not to give them all a piece of her mind and to hold back and let Angelica take that role. She had her temper, and she wasn’t typically afraid to use it. But with Angelica’s in the forefront, she found that she didn’t have to.
“No, I think he made the right push for this.” Angelica sighed heavily. “I probably would have dismissed it and barreled right into the next disaster.” She laughed, and it felt amazing to be able to witness it. The warmth and lightness that it brought to the moment was exactly what Hope had been seeking. And she hadn’t even known it. “Have you been to Colorado before?”
“Denver only, and briefly,” Hope answered, shoving her hands into her pockets as they walked. “You?”
“No.” Angelica rolled her shoulders. “But I think I should have come here sooner.”
