Chapter 20 #2
Kira had been damn busy and was outpacing me.
It seemed like every day, I came out and found something new.
Today, it was planters and railings to finish off the stairs.
The steps were wide and deep, allowing for people to hang out in the back with a few different levels for conversation before it widened to the flagstone walkways.
More seating areas were set up with fire pits and comfortable seating.
As usual the massive back doors were open, as well as the garage style doors along the side of the building.
Between the dark stains, the wrought iron touches, and the overall industrial feel—and now the organic touches she’d added—the buzz under my skin had intensified. This place was coming together now.
And there she was—the other reason for the endless hum inside me.
She was wearing one of those distractible dresses, daffodil yellow with a wide white belt that showed off every damn curve.
Wicked heels in some sort of purple print gave those Amazonian legs all my attention.
Especially since her dress had tiny buttons down the front that showed a flash of her thighs when she walked.
She was speaking with Matt and Annette, her heels clicking as she walked fast, pointing out something in the dining room.
This was what she was born to do. I tried to picture her out in the fields, but all I saw was determined Kira with her clipboard ordering people around in the taproom.
From what I could tell, the people she’d hired were just as invested as she was in getting everything perfect.
And she’d done it while I wasn’t paying attention.
I had it easy. Sure, I had formulas and manual labor to deal with.
Once I’d figured out the workshop and just what kind of cider I wanted as a base, it had been smooth sailing on that end—it was the flavors that were giving me hell.
Well, except for dealing with the damn heat, but nothing like what she did day after day.
I shoved my fingers through my hair. I’d let her down today and I needed to make it up to her. I headed up the stairs. I could tell she noticed us because she went from no-nonsense orders to that silent killer persona she was so good at.
“Sunshine—”
“Don’t Sunshine me.” She gave Matt and Annette a tight smile. “You guys can head over to the restaurant supply place. I didn’t have a big enough order for delivery.”
“We got it.” Annette glanced over at me. “Hey Ronan.” Her blue eyes full of sly interest. “Who’s your friend?”
“Kain.”
“I didn’t know they came bigger than you. Should we expect a wrestler next? Someone on WWE?”
I laughed. “No. Well, my brothers are pretty big, but not like him. You might see them at the opening. Depending if my family can come out or not.”
Annette fanned her face, her halo of dark curls dancing. “I’m here for it.”
Matt rolled his eyes and turned her away. “Drool later.”
She gave a dramatic sigh. “Fine.”
Kira’s eyes warmed slightly. “I didn’t know your family was coming out.”
“They miss me.” I lifted a shoulder. “They’re also curious and want to see what I’ve been up to. They want to see for themselves why I’m so obsessed with this place and make sure I’m doing okay.”
She looked down at the floor. “Nice that they care.”
I moved closer and she held her hand up. “Look, we don’t have much time before the interviews start. I don’t need you here for them if you need to be elsewhere.”
My shoulders tensed. “I don’t. I’m here to—”
Kain and Beckett were laughing at something as they came up the stairs.
“We’re going to raid the kitchen, Key.” Beckett slapped Kain’s arm. “Evidently this big dude is going to astound us with his cooking prowess.”
Kira’s fingers went white around her clipboard. “I have interviews coming in.”
“Are they in the kitchen?”
“I’m interviewing chefs,” she said tightly.
“We’ll be out of your hair quickly, Hina. I bet you didn’t eat anything more than yogurt, did you?”
I shot a look at Kain. Already a nickname for her?
Kira’s eyebrow spiked. “With raspberries.”
Kain held out his hand to her, this time like a damn Disney prince. “That’s not nearly enough for someone as gorgeous as you.”
“Watch it,” I muttered.
Kira looked at his hand, then inclined her head but didn’t take it. Again. “Fine. Show me what you’ve got, Mr. N’ai.”
His smile stretched wide. “I’ll win you over.”
“We’ll see.” She tucked her clipboard and iPad under the bar then led the way to the kitchen.
I pulled up the back of the line, wondering what kind of punishment I’d be in for after this mess.
The kitchen was large and as industrial as the front end of the taproom.
But where everything in the main dining room was dark stained wood and wrought iron, the kitchen was stainless steel and bright.
Cork floors instead of wood kept the warm tones, but were much easier on the joints. Not to mention easier to clean.
Butcher block counters made up the perimeter with various prep stations in gleaming steel. A massive restaurant grade oven took up most of one wall with a brick oven taking up the rest. The ceiling was a web of skylights and ventilation tracks.
Kain muttered in Hawaiian as he walked around. His big hands slid across the butcher block with reverence. “Who built this?”
Beckett sat on one of the few stools at one of the prep stations. This kitchen was set up for movement, not sitting. “My brother worked with a local guy.”
“Incredible,” he murmured as he moved to the massive double doored fridge and opened both.
Kira stood off to the side, her arms folded and face a mask of cool disinterest. I caught her glancing at her watch with a tightening of her jaw.
Kain better make her the best breakfast in the history of breakfasts or I’d pay for this forever.
An armful of meats, cheeses, and crate of eggs made up his first trip.
He raided the pantry for vegetables, and after searching through a few cupboards, he found a closet of spices.
Satisfied, he muttered in a mix of English and Hawaiian as he piled all the food on the stainless steel table and started gathering his tools.
He reached for pans, swore, and rearranged the kitchen as he cooked.
Kira opened her mouth to stop him, but then snapped her teeth shut with a huff.
Kain spun a huge bowl as he broke eggs with a scary efficiency.
He moved to the butcher block near the stove and chopped onions, peppers in bright red and green, then diced up potatoes before tossing them all on a baking sheet with a slew of spices.
Then he hacked apart a pineapple with a damn cleaver, for God’s sake.
All the while, he listed off things the kitchen still needed.
Instead of telling him to fuck off, Kira took out her phone and started making notes.
I knew my friend could cook, but not like this.
The potatoes went into the oven, the pineapple on the grill, and then he turned his back to me as he went to town with eggs and more peppers on the cooktop. He tasted, swore, rearranged more tools. All the while, a towel danced at his hip as he hustled around the space to some internal song.
Ten minutes later we all had huge bowls of fluffy scrambled eggs and crispy potatoes with a hint of fire tempered by sweet, grilled pineapple.
Kain shoved a healthy forkful in his mouth before any of us. “That’s the stuff. Well, it would be better if you had a good hot sauce. I’ll tell you where to order.”
“You’ll tell me where?” Kira stood there with her bowl, gobsmacked.
“Yeah.” Kain waggled his eyebrows. “I’m going to be your new chef.”
My mouth dropped open. “Kain—”
He shot me a look. “It’s perfect.”
That wasn’t the word I was thinking. Insane was a better one. Trouble, even better.
“And just what are your qualifications?” Kira snapped her bowl on the table.
“Taste your food, Hina. Then we’ll discuss.”
“Don’t call me…what is it? Hina?”
Kain just grinned at her and took another huge forkful.
“Breakfast isn’t exactly what we’re looking for, Mr. N’ai. It’s specialty food that pairs with our hard cider and occasional specialty spirit.”
Kain chewed, then swallowed with a deep ahhh. “Just taste it.”
She picked up the bowl and stabbed her fork into the dish hard enough that it scraped the bottom. She lifted it to her mouth, staring at Kain as she did so.
Goddamn, my woman was hell on wheels. There was no way I should be turned on by her standing up to my friend, but—well, here we were.
Very few people tried to handle Kain, but she showed no fear.
She sucked in a breath and took another bite, glancing down at the bowl then back at him.
Then she growled and stalked out.
One second later she came back in and took her bowl, giving me a hard stare before jerking her head toward the door and pushing back through the doors.
Kain grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “I’m going to like it here. You’re probably in trouble though.”
Now I had her mad at me for two things. Great. “We will discuss this later.”
Beckett glanced from Kain to me, then shrugged. “I like it.”
“Want more?” Kain asked.
Beckett held out his bowl. “Oh, yeah. I do think it needs some hot sauce though.”
“Right?” Kain scooped up another forkful. “Needs some Inner Beauty.”
“Oh, man. I haven’t had that since college. Yes.” Beckett sighed. “Maybe we can get her to order some?”
“I’ll make it happen.”
I rolled my eyes and took my bowl with me to face Kira’s wrath.