Page 76 of Bringing Home the Bacon
“One last thing?” she says with a smile.
I sigh. “Sure, Gran. What is it?”
She cups my cheeks with her soft, warm hands. “You’re allowed to need people, sweetheart. No one gets a medal for getting through life alone.”
She’s right.
She’s always right.
I nod. “Good night, Gran. I love you.”
“I love you too, dear. Very much.”
I wait until she’s down the stairwell before I shut and lock the door again. I peel back the curtain and wave to Ethan as he guides Gran into his truck.
No one gets a medal for getting through life alone.
I take a deep breath and swipe at my eyes one more time.
Then I pick up my phone and send a text.
Can we talk? Like really talk?
Chapter 24
Bacon
It’s the night before the restaurant opening.
The tables are set. The food is prepped. The menus are stacked and waiting at the host station.
Everything is ready.
Bella Keegan exits from the back office and joins me in the main dining area, where I’m sitting on a barstool surveying the space. “How are you feeling, chef? Nervous?”
Bella is an event specialist the Yes, Chef! team brought onboard for our opening. She’s originally from Bayshore, Ohio, and she’s a master at creating events big and small, whether it’s a restaurant launch in a small town like Fork Lick, NY, or a Super Bowl performance in the biggest stadiums in the country. She’s staying in the main house at Bedd Fellows with Ethel while we wrap up this launch.
“A bit, yeah,” I say. “But the nerves are nowhere near the intensity level I had on the set of Yes, Chef!” Or on the stage at Constitution High School in Philadelphia, for that matter.
“Remember, no one expects you to ‘perform,’” Bella says. “Your team has the tough stuff covered. All you have to do tomorrow is show up, smile pretty, and cook.”
“It’s almost as if you could pull this off without me,” I joke. “Should I just stay home?”
“Don’t even think about it.” She points a finger at me. “Though last time I checked, your home is right up those stairs. So in the event that you do pull a no-show, I don’t have to go very far to find you.”
“I’ll be here, Bella. I promise.” I let out a breath. “I just hope she will be too.”
Bella places a friendly hand on my back. “Listen. I’ve only just started getting to know these future in-laws of yours. But staying with Ethel these past few weeks has taught me a bit about the Bedd family. From what I’ve observed, they’re stubborn and they fight hard, but they love harder.” She gives me a friendly pat. “I’m betting on you and Colleen.”
“Thanks, Bella. For everything. You’ve been a lifesaver throughout this process.”
She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Eh. It’s what I do.” She grabs her laptop and a few stacks of papers from the bar. “See you tomorrow, boss?”
“See you tomorrow.”
She lets herself out and heads down the hill to Bedd Fellows Farm.
Just as I’m about to shut off the lights and head upstairs for the night, a text chimes on my phone.
