24. Chapter 24
“I want to step back from the Galley. I don’t want to work fifty and sixty hours a week anymore.
I want to promote Eric to manager and move the lead waitress to assistant manager.
If they’re interested. There might be other promotions, too, to make it all work.
But I think we can do it, especially if we bite the bullet and get that scheduling and payroll app.
It will save a lot of people-management time.
What do you think, Dad?” Chet squeezed her hand, and she held on.
They both knew her dad was her biggest hurdle.
“Step back, not sell?” Gus asked slowly, and Nelie worried that he’d stopped listening after the first sentence.
“Step back. I don’t want to sell.”
“And you think you can do that with expensive software and promotions? Promotions that come with vacation and health insurance?” She knew what he was getting at. Stepping back would erode the bottom line’s profitability.
“I do. The wages I save by going to part-time will cover the software and some promotions. And the changes won’t happen overnight; it will take time.”
“You’re not going to mess with the menu more?” he asked, sounding suspicious. Nelie stepping back from the restaurant he and Stella built would be hard on Gus, but messing with parts of the menu would break him.
“Mom’s coleslaw will always be on the menu, and it will always be the first side option listed.
Her baked beans recipe is perfection, and her vegetable bean soup will always be Friday’s soup of the day.
I like the Galley, Dad, and I won’t sell it, but there’re other things and people I love”—she looked at Chet—“and I need to make room for them.”
Gus sniffed and leaned back. “Well, I guess making room for people you love is a good enough reason. Not that you need it, but you have my blessing.” Nelie sensed it was a blessing for more than her proposed Galley changes.
“Thanks, Dad,” Nelie said, blinking furiously to clear her blurry vision.
Gus cleared his throat. “So, what are you going to do with all your spare time? Sleep in, watch soaps, and eat bonbons?” He winked, teasing her like he’d teased her mom on her days off.
“Ha. I want to move out of my apartment. Maybe get a lot up by Emily and Jackson and build. Or have Eric and his father-in-law find something for me that Andi can remodel.” Chet’s fingers loosened, and he withdrew his hand, but Nelie held firm.
“Not us?” Chet said near her ear. Nelie hated the broken tone in his voice.
“Your place. Yes. For now”—she kissed him lightly to reassure him—“but your kitchen is wrong. Trust me. I checked. Andi came over on Monday when I was there, and she said it was a no-go.” His eyebrows shot up.
“Did I overstep?” Crap . Nelie felt like she was stumbling in the dark without a flashlight, bumping into walls and tripping over people. Will this get easier with experience?
“What’s wrong with my kitchen?” Chet sounding offended. Double crap .
“Nothing. But it’s too small, and there’s no room to expand. I love to bake. My favorite part of having the Galley is baking the desserts, which I’ll still do. But it’s not just the baking, it’s baking something important, like a birthday cake. Something that means something to someone.”
“Like Owen’s baptism cake?” Chet asked.
“Exactly. Cakes can be the centerpiece of a celebration, and I want to be a part of that.”
“And if you go into the custom cake baking business, you’ll need more room,” Gus said.
“It won’t be a full-time business, maybe just a few cakes a week. But yes. I’ll need more space.”
“But in the meantime, my kitchen will work?” Chet asked, focusing back on the most important detail.
“It will work until we’re ready for the next step,” Nelie said, and Chet’s eyes widened at her promise. Nelie was all in for the long-haul.
“Great, I’ll take your apartment. How soon can you be out?” Pris asked, rubbing her hands eagerly. Pris shattered their moment. It would have annoyed Nelie, if her sister wasn’t bouncing in her chair.
“I thought you liked it here.” Mrs. Hart sounded hurt.
“I need my space.” Pris shrugged.
“Well, if your inside-out sweater and the rug burn on your neck are anything to go by, I guess you do,” Mrs. Hart said, smiling sweetly.
Pris blushed and placed her hand on her neck. “Let me know when I can move in,” she mumbled as she slumped in her chair.
“You’re cutting back your hours, moving in with us until we find something else”—Chet pulled her close against him—“and starting a new cake business. Is there anything else?” He looked at her like she’d just earned a blue ribbon at the state fair, and she knew what his favorite change was: her being with him. Forever.
“I’m taking my dad on the Alaska cruise he’s talked about going on for years. In August. I already booked the tickets and we’re taking the train to Denali National Park and spending a few days there before we fly back.”
“Well, I’ll be.” Gus grinned. “That sounds wonderful, Nelie-girl.”
“And I never got my FL vacation, so I want to go this month. And I want to rent a convertible.” I won’t own one, but I can sure as heck rent one!
Nelie looked up at Chet. “Can we pull the girls out of school for a few days?” From the dazed look on Chet’s face, she knew he was thinking about the red bikini.
“Family members get a huge discount. Go anywhere you want,” Jackson said.
“But leave the girls with us,” Suzanne said. “Between me, Pris, and my mom, I know we can handle it.” The three women beamed at Chet.
“Hard to say no to an offer like that,” Chet said. “Let’s do it.” He dropped a kiss on Nelie’s head.
“No eloping though.” Gus waggled his finger at them with a scowl on his face.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Dad.”
“Anything else on your oyster list?” Chet asked. Only you , she thought, hoping he’d see the love on her face.
“That’s it for now. Does anyone have any questions or concerns?” Nelie held her breath. Surely Gus wouldn’t be the only one thinking she was crazy.
“None for me, but depending on where you’re going, I might have you secret-shop for us, in which case, you’ll stay for free,” Jackson said.
“Let me know the properties, and we’ll chose one of those. Gotta pitch in, right?” Nelie said.
“If you’re all done rebuilding yourself with oysters and Legos, I’m going to get some more of that bread pudding.
There’d better be more of that spicy sauce, too,” Gus mumbled as he walked past and patted her shoulder.
Nelie knew they’d be okay. Her family loved her for her, not what she could do for them.
And if anyone else didn’t like Nelie’s new attitude, they could stuff it!
“T here’s one more thing,” Suzanne said once everyone settled in with more dessert and wine. “We’d like this to be in the paper. We don’t want to hide it anymore.”
Nelie looked surprised by her birthmother’s announcement, but Mrs. Hart and Gus nodded their heads. Three against me , Chet thought. “I hate to disappoint you, but this isn’t news. It’s interesting, but it isn’t newspaper worthy.”
“Well, Hart Hotels has its first new board seat in over thirty years and there’s a new one for CHART, or Chance Resorts.
That’s business news,” Suzanne argued. News to me, too, but he wasn’t concerned Nelie hadn’t told him.
With all her other changes, this was nothing.
He wondered how much of an interest she’d take in the Hart and CHART businesses, but since it was family, he knew she’d make it a priority.
“Sure, that’s news, and I could publish that.
But the metro papers might pick it up. If that happens, it will just add speculation and fuel the grapevine.
” Chet hated being in this position. New board seats were news, boring business news, but still news.
If it was anyone but Nelie, he’d have no qualms about publishing it.
But it was Nelie, and he didn’t want her hurt by speculation on why she had board seats.
“Which is why you need to explain the backstory,” Gus said.
“But that’s not news.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Suzanne drained her wineglass. “You ran an article last month about a man who wears a top hat around his backyard with birdseed on it. There were at least three chickadees and two juncos perched on his hat in the picture.”
“That was a human-interest piece.” And a slow news week with a page I had to fill .
“This is a human-interest story. We don’t want to hide this anymore. Help us make this right,” Suzanne pleaded.
“Please?” Nelie looked at him as if he was her only hope. “It will help us control the story, and everyone will learn about it at the same time.”
“What about your immediate circle of friends? Shouldn’t they know before everyone else?” he asked. Nelie’s brows furrowed in concentration.
Jackson snapped his finger. “We’ll invite them to our house and tell them all at once. Time it so they hear a few days before the newspaper article.” He looked around the room as if it was a done deal.
Chet looked at Nelie. Jackson had a good solution, but this was her decision to make. “Is this what you want?”
“If the world is my oyster, yes.” The longing in her eyes about slayed him.
“You’ll have the spotlight on you,” he reminded her, and she nodded.
“It’s like a Band-Aid. Better to rip it off all at once,” Nelie said, and he heard the forced cheer in her voice.
“Their bombshell is a bit more than a Band-Aid.” Chet scooped up a big spoonful of bread pudding, wishing there was more whiskey in the sauce, and shoved it into his mouth, chewing slowly and buying time to think. He didn’t want to hang Nelie on the grapevine, but she wanted it.
There wasn’t a disingenuous bone in Nelie’s body and pretending to be something she wasn’t wouldn’t sit well with her. Feeling like she was lying to everyone would eventually eat her up. The news story would make her uncomfortable, but he knew she wanted to live in the truth.
She wouldn’t want to pretend that Jackson and Pris were close acquaintances. That Mrs. Hart was just an old friend of the family. This was her family. The townspeople needed to know Nelie belonged with the Harts just as much as she belonged with him and the girls.
Chet couldn’t bury the truth. But if he turned their request to his advantage, he could protect her and make it easier for her.
He smiled slowly and looked around the table.
Several eyebrows popped up. He didn’t know if they were concerned or amused.
With their hint of arrogance, it was probably the latter.
But they were wrong. He held all the cards, and he wouldn’t agree unless they accepted his terms.
“I’ll do it, but I have several conditions. When the paper comes out, Nelie and I will be on vacation. And when we’re gone, you’ll pack and move everything out of her apartment to my house.” Nelie gasped.
“Oh, can I buy the furniture?” Pris asked, lighting up like a Christmas tree as she bounced and clapped in her seat. At least I made someone happy , he thought, seeing Nelie’s frown.
“Free labor and you take the focus off her and point it at the rest of us,” Jackson said, summarizing the plan. He didn’t sound annoyed, but he wasn’t as over the moon as Pris was.
“No, the story will put the spotlight where it belongs, on me, your grandmother, and Gus,” Suzanne said.
“And, hopefully, by the time we get back, the grapevine will have petered out or something new will have come along,” Chet said.
“That sounds like a good plan, Chet,” Mrs. Hart said.
“So, you agree to my terms?” Chet asked and everyone nodded, except Nelie. Shit .
“Can I have a word with you?” she asked, pushing back from the table. “In private?” Double shit , he thought.
Nelie threaded her fingers through his and he followed.
Over her shoulder, she said, “And, yes, Pris, we’ll figure out the furniture.
” Chet relaxed. Maybe he wasn’t in as much trouble as he thought he was.
Maybe she wanted to thank him privately with a brain-zapping kiss.
And maybe pigs will fly , he thought as she turned and stared at him.
“You ambushed me.” She poked him in the chest. Chet caught her finger and pressed her hand against his chest.
“Felt more like gentle coercion to me,” he said, and she narrowed her eyes.
“I didn’t appreciate your taking over and dragging me back to your cave.”
“I thought you liked my cave.” He had taken over, but he wouldn’t admit it.
“I do, but it’s hard for me to say what I want when other people step in and voice their opinions first.”
He pulled her close, and she didn’t fight him. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t know. I’ll do better next time. I didn’t mean to take away your agency.”
“Said every knight in shining armor riding in on his white horse,” she mumbled against him. “I didn’t need saving. You didn’t need to manipulate things.”
“If it’s a crime for me to want to help you, then lock me up and throw away the key,” he growled, and she looked up at him. “I love you, Nelie.” Her face softened.
“I love you, too.” He’d never tire of hearing her say that.
Chet’s mouth dropped to hers. She tasted of cinnamon, sugar, whiskey, and forever.
Nelie whimpered and Chet broke the kiss.
He didn’t want to be caught making out like hormone-fueled teens in her grandmother’s back hall.
She huffed, and he chuckled at her frustration.
“And you’re just going to have to deal with it,” he said, resting his forehead against hers.
“Deal with what?”
“People loving you and supporting you and wanting the best for you, no matter what you decide that is.”
“I think I can deal with that as long as you’re next to me.” She kissed the corner of his mouth. “I don’t want to wait. I know I promised my dad no elopement, but could we look at rings?” she whispered as her palms slid down his chest and her fingers fiddled with a button on his shirt.
“You want to wear my ring, Nelie Peterson?” he asked, knowing he’d die if she said no.
“Yes, I do, Chet Bingham, more than anything.”
“Hmm,” he said against her lips. “Ring shopping and a red bikini. This will be the best vacation ever.”
“Who said anything about a red bikini?” she teased.
“It’s that or nothing.” Nelie wasn’t the only one who could ask for what they wanted. And he wanted her. Forever.
“Guess I’ll surprise you.” Her palms dragged up his chest and fastened behind his neck.
“Either way, I win. I’ll have you.” Chet pulled her flush against him and kissed her as if his life depended on it, not caring if they got caught.
They were both breathing heavily when they finally broke apart, and Nelie had a lovely dazed and confused look on her face.
Chet rested his head on hers and inhaled her citrusy scent as he pulled himself together.
He’d miss her underlying eau de French Fry , but he’d survive. They had each other. Finally .