Delicious

“Well, this has been great,” she said. “Nice to see you again, but I have to—”

Gloria grabbed her arm. “You won’t get him back, you know.”

“What?”

“Callister. He’s over you. I’m not sure what he ever saw in you.”

“Yes, I know. You made that very clear.” Penny pulled her arm free and wished her mother had been just a little less insistent on one being polite to one’s elders.

Cal might have let her go without a whimper, but Gloria had practically had a party to celebrate the divorce. At least that’s what Reid had told her.

“You were never right for him,” Gloria said. “You never cared enough. What kind of woman walks out on her marriage?”

The unfairness of the accusation caused Penny to abruptly excuse herself. As she walked away, she found herself wanting to turn around and announce that she had cared. She’d loved Cal with her whole heart. She would have done anything for him—anything but not have a child. Having a family of her own was the one thing she wouldn’t compromise on.

“Stupid old woman,” she muttered, then grabbed a cup of bisque from a passing waiter and drank it down.

“I saw the smoke so I came running.”

Penny turned and saw Reid behind her. She leaned against him. “Your grandmother is horrible. I’d forgotten how bad.”

“No one ever really forgets about her. You just repressed the memory. We all do. It’s how we survive.”

He wrapped both arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “The party is great. People are raving about the food. I think you’re a hit.”

“I hope so.”

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice low.

“I have a horrible craving for orange sherbet. I’m surrounded by all this amazing food and that’s all I can think about.”

“Pretty sick.”

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

Cal walked up, dragging Naomi behind him.

“Do something,” he told Penny. “She’s asking my opinion about waiters.”

“There are so many to choose from,” Naomi said, suddenly focused on Reid. “Well, hello. You didn’t head off to spring training.”

“Not this year.”

“That’s too bad. I always enjoy watching you work. You move really well.”

Penny shivered. “Stop it. You guys are my friends. I can’t deal with this.”

Reid flashed her a grin. “You’re going to have to get over it.” He held out his hand to Naomi. “Shall we?”

“We shall.”

They strolled off together.

Penny watched them go. “I don’t know which one to worry about. I suppose it’s been inevitable. They’ve known each other for years. But Reid was always coming or going and Naomi…” She paused. “I’m not sure why she waited this long. At least she’ll help keep his mind off the season starting.”

“Nothing against your friend, but no woman could do that.”

“Then she’ll be a distraction.”

Cal shrugged. “Probably.”

“Naomi can handle him. She can handle anyone.”

“She’s had the practice.”

Penny was about to take offense for her friend when she realized Cal wasn’t talking to her. Oh, he’d faced her and was therefore pointing in the right direction, but his attention was far more on her chest than her face.

She’d never had the kind of body that commanded men’s attention and it felt good to have it now. Twisted, but good.

“Shall we?” she asked, pointing to the crowd.

“Why not?”

They dove back in.

CAL WOKE UP in a great mood. The party the previous night had gone well and he was expecting a lot of positive press from the event. Even more important, people would talk about Penny’s food and that would bring in customers as much as any article. If the opening went as smoothly as the party, then he would have achieved the success he wanted in four months and he could bow out and return to The Daily Grind.

He showered, shaved and was about to pick out his clothes for the day when his phone rang. He glanced at the clock. Who the hell would be calling at ten past seven in the morning?

He instantly thought of Walker. Had something happened to his brother? He reached for the phone.

“Dammit, Cal, this is your fault,” Penny yelled before he had a chance to say hello. “Get down here right now. To the restaurant,” she added. “I mean it. You have twenty minutes.” Then she hung up.

A push, but he made it with forty-five seconds to spare. Whatever the crisis was, he planned to have a little talk with her about manager-chef relationships. She might be in charge of the kitchen but that didn’t make her boss of the world.

He pulled into the parking lot and circled around back. As he’d suspected, the morning deliveries were stacked outside the rear of the building. Penny stood there with a very tousled Naomi at her side.

He didn’t want to think about what Naomi had done with her night. Not when his brother was involved. So he parked and climbed out of his car. Penny saw him and raced toward him.

“Smell this,” she said, thrusting a large piece of fish in his face. “Smell it.”

He inhaled, then wished he hadn’t. Good fish shouldn’t have a smell at all. Old fish smelled fishy. This fish smelled as if it had died three weeks ago.

“It’s all crap,” she said, her eyes bright with temper, her cheeks blazing as red as her hair. “You could tie the celery in knots and it wouldn’t break. The shallots are practically a liquid. Crap. Did I tell you? Did I say there was a reason this restaurant had closed? Did you listen?”

She sucked in a breath. “Do you know how many reservations we have for tonight? The house is full. Full. Starting at six and going through until ten, we have every seat taken. We’re talking about dinner for just over three hundred. You want to know how much food I have? None. None! I have a damn box of cornstarch and three leeks and I have to provide dinner for three hundred.”

“Penny—”