Chapter 5
You've Got A Friend In Me
Following their tour of the dream kitchen, Mara was giddy. She was getting a fryer for her donuts and fritters, and she couldn’t wait to experiment with flavors and recipes.
Amber and Gray wanted to offer their guests a morning buffet of baked goods. Seth had offered to add in savory items, but they’d said he didn’t have to do that unless he was in the mood.
He’d be providing dinner service most evenings for guests, with Gray taking over on his days off. Which Seth immediately protested.
Of course, Amber and Gray had insisted that neither of them was to work every day. But it wasn’t really work; it was fun. She figured Seth didn’t feel any different.
Mr. Clean had nearly hugged the six-burner stove. His focus had intensified as he’d zoomed in on it.
Of course, her silly imagination had wondered what it would be like to have that intense focus turned in her direction, to have those skilled hands on her body.
Shaking off the images, she thought about her own reaction to the baker’s oven they’d included in this amazing space. Mara didn’t know a single baker who wouldn’t have fallen in love with the kitchen. It was incredible.
Apparently, Gray was an excellent cook and had enjoyed planning out the space. He’d done a fantastic job. Even if she didn’t have her brother here, Mara would have fallen in love with the place.
So much better than anywhere she’d worked. And no assholes making lewd and unwelcome innuendos, or touching her without her permission.
That brought a shudder, and she focused on her phone. Her list. She had a gigantic list of ingredients she wanted to buy.
The fridge, freezer, and pantry were lonely, aching to be filled.
Apparently, Fiona Phail ran a small grocery store in Phail and knew the local bulk suppliers. The sooner Mara headed to town, the better.
As if reading her mind, Seth spoke from where he and Gray had been discussing what he’d need as well. “Okay, I’m heading into town to talk to Fiona. It’ll be good to get started.”
Gray nodded. “Good plan. Why don’t you and Mara go together? No sense in making two trips.”
Her skin flushed at the innocent comment. Spending the afternoon in the confined space of a vehicle with Seth? Her girlie parts loved it. But the man didn’t think much of her. Not that he knew her yet, but she sensed he’d already passed judgment based on the messy kitchen the night before.
They locked gazes, and Seth’s neutral expression told her nothing, but he shrugged. “Works for me. You?”
Normally, she wouldn’t jump into a vehicle with a guy she barely knew, but this was different. Seth was a friend of her brother’s. The other men on the farm all knew him. Gray wouldn’t have suggested it if he had any concerns.
Mara’s instincts said Seth wasn’t dangerous to her. He gave off the same protective vibes as her dad and brothers. Mara nodded. “Sure.” Her voice even sounded steady.
Not long after, they were in his Tucson, heading to town.
She figured the man was a bit of a control freak, so she hadn’t protested when he offered to drive.
Ford had told her the army made most people crave control.
There were so many situations overseas that you couldn’t do a damn thing about, it was difficult to give up control when you could take it.
The others had told her it was about a thirty-minute drive to Phail, so she settled in to check out the scenery. She’d been too stressed to notice much on her drive in. Now, she knew she had a job and a place to live.
After a couple of turns, she smiled. “Vermont sure is gorgeous. Have you been here before?”
Seth didn’t take his eyes off the road as he shook his head. “No.”
“Ford said you’re from LA. I bet this will be different for you.”
“Probably.”
Definitely not a talker. Or maybe just not with her. The SUV’s radio wasn’t on, and he hadn’t hooked up his phone to the media options. She lasted only a few minutes before she had to ask. “No music? Or are you a podcast listener?”
His eyebrows shot up, but he didn’t spare her a glance. The roads were curvy, but not dangerous. “I like the quiet.”
Okay, then. Mara wasn’t sure whether to laugh or roll her eyes. So much for a getting-to-know-you ride to town.
When he added nothing else, Mara turned her attention to the hills and valleys. There were long stretches with no sign of humans. The land had probably looked the same millennia ago.
They also passed pockets of farmhouses and small homes. Happy, well-tended properties. Sheep and cows became more frequent along with fields of hay, potatoes, and corn.
“Looks like we’ll have local options for produce.” Oops, she hadn’t meant to break the silence.
Instead of rebuffing her, Seth’s lips lifted in a smile. “Gray’s garden is going to provide a lot, but we’ll definitely need backups. Showcasing local corn will be smart in the fall.”
“I bet there are pumpkins here, too. I don’t know much about the climate zone, but it’ll be fun to see what local produce works with the apples.”
To her surprise, Seth kept the conversation going. Apparently, talking about food was safe, so she ventured a question. “What’s your favorite dish to make?”
His eyebrows shot up, and this time he looked at her, his eyes twinkling with humor, which shot his looks from gorgeous to oh-my-God.
He quickly returned his gaze to the road. “There aren’t many things I hate making. Mostly, it’s fun to experiment and try new things. We had duck as a specialty at one restaurant I worked with, but I’m thinking that’s off the menu at the No Phailed Apples Inn.”
She laughed. “Agreed. I’m betting Jolie wouldn’t take kindly to duck being served. I enjoy playing with recipes and flavor combinations, too. The fresh honey will be a bonus. I’ve never worked with cider before, but I’m sure I can figure out some good cider donuts or cupcakes.”
Seth nodded. “I was thinking along the same lines. The more local we can incorporate, the better it is for all the local businesses. Apples pair with a wide range of flavors. Using the cider and honey, and highlighting the local connections on the menu is smart business.”
“That should be easy to do. I wonder if they have connections to nearby farmers.”
Seth grinned. “You’ve heard them talk about Troy Phail?”
Mara knew Troy was another army buddy of her brother’s, so she nodded.
“Troy’s army team all live in his town now. They’ve created Phail Brewery and even grow their own hops.”
“That’s amazing. I wonder if Gray and Amber plan to sell their products at the inn.”
“They called it No Phailed Apples Inn, so I’m going to guess that’s part of the plan.”
Mara’s mind turned to what baked goods would pair well with the beers. She’d never made beer-flavored anything in her baking. “Do you know what types of beer they create? I’m wondering if I could use some of those flavors, too.”
“Beer-flavored cupcakes?”
She laughed. “You never know. It’ll be fun to play around and find out.”
They drove into a large valley with farms and roads leading to more homes and farms.
Seth pointed. “There’s Levi’s hops growing. And Falcon’s construction business. We’re almost to town.”
After a few more curves, a sign popped up on the right. Come to Phail to Succeed.
She laughed. “Ford told me Troy has a great sense of humor about his surname. I can see he’s right.”
The business section of Phail wasn’t hard to find. It was right there on Phail Way, with the No Fail Diner, Phail General, and Phail Central across the street from Phail Phoods.
She was laughing when Seth parked in a spot near the grocery store. “This place is ridiculous in the very best way.”
Seth nodded. “Sounds like Troy.”
“Do you mind if we check out the town a bit before we go into Phail Phoods? I’d like to see the rest of it. It’s too much fun not to explore.”
She heard the small sigh from Seth, but he nodded. “Sure. Why not?”
Which meant he didn’t really want to, but he would. Which made him sweet, even if it also proved he didn’t particularly want to spend more time with her.
Seth didn’t know if his leg would handle much exploring. The drive had him cramping up a bit, but he hadn’t been able to say no to Mara. Chaos Machine was full of joy and fun.
Which meant he should stay far away from her so he didn’t suck those right out of her.
The woman talked a lot. Had him responding, too, which surprised the hell out of him. He wasn’t much of a talker. Discussing recipes and flavor combinations had been easy with her. She had creative ideas.
Maybe sharing a kitchen wouldn’t be so bad after all, as long as she cleaned up her mess before he needed to start cooking.
Seth stayed on his side of the vehicle and stretched his leg out. His cane was in the back seat, but he didn’t use it unless necessary. He hoped it wouldn’t be required today.
He could always sit his ass in the diner and let her explore on her own.
Which he didn’t want to do. Instead, he stretched and watched Mara turn, taking everything in. A large park sat in the middle of the town. Three edges were lined by streets with businesses facing the park. Trees and brush covered the fourth side.
Mature maples provided shady spots for benches and picnic tables. There was a kids’ play area with a splash pad at the back, and a jogging trail that circled the park and headed into the trees beyond.
That had him yearning. He wasn’t up to walking a long trail, never mind jogging. Once, he’d been able to run for hours with a fifty-pound pack on his back. Now, he was worried about exploring a tiny town without his cane.
He forced the negativity out of his brain.
He was alive and walking, with all his pieces intact.
The leader of Troy’s team, Marcus Ramirez, hadn’t been so lucky.
Seth knew Marcus was the town’s police chief now.
Arrow had lost his foot in an explosion overseas, but he’d mastered his prosthesis and was doing great.
Seth wouldn’t be complaining about his own situation anytime soon.