Page 80 of The Chef's Kiss
Cara choked on a laugh. “I think it’s proof that women are strong. Imagine if a man had to carry a baby for nine months.”
I hid a smile behind my fauxmosa. I’d figured out in a fit of frustration that if I put seltzer water in orange juice, it was nearly identical to a mimosa, sans alcohol. “Hudson had the flu a few weeks ago, and you’d have thought he was dying. How are guys so loud when they throw up?”
“Because they’re loud when they do anything.”
Both of us descended into fits of giggles.
“What are you doing here?” Hudson hurried toward the bar. We weren’t open for the day yet, but our staff was preparing for the new lunch service. “I thought I told you to stay in bed.”
I looked at Cara. “You’d think he’d know by now.”
She rolled her eyes. “He’s just a little slow.”
“What are you two talking about?” Hudson crossed his arms, giving us the indulgent smile we knew him for. He’d put up with a lot since Cara decided to come stay in town for a while. The house we now lived in together wasn’t really big enough for three adults, let alone three adults and a baby—which would be coming in the next two months. A little girl.
“I’ve tried telling Jorgie what to do in the past.” Cara shrugged. “Never works out well.”
Hudson looked to the ceiling and muttered, “What have I gotten myself into?” He tended to say that a lot since the day he declared his complete and undying love for me—as I told it—at my graduation. My brothers watched him like a hawk whenever they saw him, but he’d actually become sort of friends with my cousins Harrison and Jake.
Hudson pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “I don’t want you overworking yourself.”
I looked up at him. “I’m okay. I promise. I can’t stay in bed all day, but I’ll leave early.”
He didn’t look like he believed me, but he didn’t get a chance to respond because one of the new line cooks came running out of the kitchen yelling, “It’s okay! I called the fire department.”
I jumped off the stool. “Fire department?”
He swallowed. “They’re just small flames.”
Hudson reached him in three short strides. “Where?”
“The oven.”
Hudson made a gesture that I interpreted as, “Jorgina, if you don’t stay here, I’m going to carry you to our house over my shoulder and lock you in.”
Cara blocked me from following him, and I growled in frustration when he didn’t come back right away.
“Don’t put water on it.” Hudson’s voice rang through the bistro. Our staff had stopped to watch the kitchen door for any sign of what was happening.
A noise sounded up front as Harrison barged in, two others behind him. Our volunteer firefighters were here. Great. If this place went up in flames, they’d be able to watch it burn. We didn’t exactly have crack services here in Superiore Bay.
“Isn’t that the mayor?” Cara asked.
I nodded. “Also the owner of the hardware store.” Harrison didn’t like to sit still.
They were in the kitchen only a few minutes before they came out. Hudson walked toward me. “It’s out. Just a grease fire.”
I didn’t realize Harrison had followed him until Cara spoke. “Well, hello there.” Her eyes drifted up my cousin’s frame, taking him in with all his firefighting glory.
He nodded toward her before facing me. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem.” His eyes shifted to Cara, who still looked like a hungry predator. “You’re Jorgina’s friend from college, right?”
She nodded. “And you’re her handsome cousin.”
That brought a smile to his face. Harrison wasn’t a flirt, but he was used to the women of this town, and some men, showing interest in him. He didn’t date, to the best of my knowledge. I wasn’t sure why.
