Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 130307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
She disappeared inside the house with me internally cursing myself for how blatantly unaware I was of my mouth around my kid. I heard Chef Patel greeting Ava inside at the same time I heard a soft giggle behind me.
I turned slowly, cocking a brow when I found Chloe with one arm crossed over her abdomen and the other covering her mouth as she fought back another laugh.
“Find that amusing, do you?” I asked.
“Oh, immensely so.”
I shook my head, nodding toward the front door. “Please, come in.”
I really did try not to grit the words, but I was fairly certain I failed in that attempt as Chloe smirked to herself and led the way inside. She paused once she was in the foyer, and I shut the door behind us.
“I didn’t even think to ask if you had a booster seat,” I said.
“Always have one in the car.”
“You have kids?”
Her cheeks flushed red enough you’d have thought I asked her if she was wearing panties.
“No. Just like to be prepared as a teacher, and a babysitter. I take care of my neighbor’s kids sometimes.”
I nodded. “Well, thank you. For bringing her to me, and even more so for taking her to your house while I finished up at the rink.”
I pulled my wallet from my back pocket, thumbing out a few hundred-dollar bills and handing them to her.
Chloe blanched, blinking before her wide eyes slid to mine. “That’s entirely unnecessary.”
I blinked back at her, but didn’t smile or drop my hand.
With an exasperated sigh, she took the money, slipping it inside the purse she had on that looked like a gold coin. She snapped it shut again before folding her hands together.
“Um, would you like something to drink?” I asked, so out of practice having a guest in my house I was practically breaking out in hives.
“Wine would be great.”
Shit.
Chloe smirked at my expression. “You don’t have wine, do you?”
“He doesn’t drink,” Chef Patel said, rounding out of the kitchen and wiping her wet hands on a dish towel. She threw it over her shoulder before stepping down to greet Chloe with an outstretched hand and her million-dollar smile. “Fortunately for you, I do — and I have a stash in the kitchen.”
“You do?” I asked.
Chef rolled her eyes at me, then looked at Chloe and pointed her thumb my way. “No one better on the ice. But at home? This one’s about as observant as a turkey.”
I narrowed my eyes. “A turkey?”
“Gobble, gobble,” she said with a saccharine smile, and then she hooked her arm through Chloe’s and led her toward the kitchen. “I’m Arushi Patel, but you can call me Chef.”
• • •
Dinner was served a short ten minutes later, Chef Patel making sure we were all settled and taken care of before she kept herself busy cleaning up the kitchen. I was thankful she was still close enough to where we were in the informal dining area that she could help me carry the conversation with Chloe because I was as good at small talk as I was at braiding my daughter’s hair.
I must have worn my discomfort on my sleeve, too, because as soon as dessert was cleared away, Chloe smiled into her napkin, blotting at her lips before folding it on the table. “Well, I’m sure you’re ready to relax. I’ll get out of your hair and be on my way.”
Before she could stand, Ava said, “But I wanna show you my room.”
Chloe’s eyes shot to mine before she smiled at my daughter. “Maybe we could save that for another time.”
She was doing that thing again where she shoved her hair behind her ears only to immediately fix it the other way, her lips pinned between her teeth, weight shifting from one hip to the other.
“You’re more than welcome to stay,” I said, clearing my throat.
“Oh yeah?” She smiled like I’d told a joke. “Pretty sure you just checked the time on your watch for the tenth time since I got here.”
Chef Patel sucked her teeth at me as she cleared our dessert plates. “Manners of a goat.”
“First I’m a turkey, now I’m a goat?”
That almost got a smile out of my daughter, and then my phone was ringing. I frowned down at Carter’s name on the screen before standing and excusing myself out the back sliding glass door that led to our pool.
“Okay. You win. Why don’t you take Miss Knott up to show her your room?” I said to Ava. “I’ll be right back.”
I thought I heard another joke at my expense from my darling chef before I shut the door behind me and accepted the call.
“What?”
Carter barked out a laugh. “Well, hello to your grumpy ass, too.”
I rolled my eyes. “What do you want? It’s a school night.”
“How’s my favorite girl?”
“Currently as close to happy as she gets because she’s showing her kindergarten teacher around our home.”