Chapter 34 Your Beck And Call
YOUR BECK AND CALL
“We are taking a cooking class?” Nora squealed the minute Ethan told her what his surprise was.
“We are,” he said. He was laughing right with her. “It’s something you said you always wanted to do.”
“It is. I didn’t know they did it on the island.”
“They don’t,” he said. “My cousin Grace Stone-Harrington is doing it. She’s not easy to get some free time from, so it’s going to be a brunch class before she goes to work.”
“Grace Stone, the one who came in second on that reality show?”
“That’s her,” he said.
“This is awesome.” She moved into his arms for a hug and a loud kiss. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“I know I should have brought it up to you first.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “This is much better. And we’ve been talking about ideas the past few weeks. What to do and where to go.”
He’d been more open to discussing things and not just taking charge like it was second nature to him. She got it, she really did.
Someone who was used to being in an authority position couldn’t always just shut it off.
The fact he was trying was more than any other man had done in her life.
At least men she dated.
Her father had never tried before, but he appeared to be now.
They just hadn’t come across anyone questioning her and her father’s relationship.
Go figure. She finally decided she was going to be open about it and yet it wasn’t coming up.
It wasn’t like her to just tell someone to get it started. There’d be no reason for it.
“I listen and can follow directions well.”
She laughed and gave him another tight squeeze. “You can.”
The doorbell went off and she was all but jumping in place while Ethan went to answer it.
“Good morning,” she heard him say.
“I can’t wait to meet this girlfriend I’ve heard nothing about.”
Ethan came into the kitchen carrying two bags of food followed by a much smaller woman in shorts and a T-shirt, looking nothing like a chef.
“Nora Jones, this is Grace Harrington. Grace, my girlfriend, Nora. And you should know, she’s also my executive assistant and that is why you haven’t heard much about her. We are keeping it under wraps at the moment. Only my parents and brothers know.”
“Ahhh,” Grace said, coming forward to shake her hand.
“Your secret is safe with me. If he hadn’t added the fact that you work for him, I’d never have known.
Those things don’t make their way to the island.
And we don’t care either. You wouldn’t be the first person in a relationship with their boss. ”
“I haven’t told her of the others, but I should have.”
“Yes, you should have,” Nora said. “Who else is there?”
“Hunter Bond, who is Grace’s boss and first cousin, married an employee who worked at the front desk of The Retreat. He was the first.”
Damn. Okay. That was similar to her situation. Well, not really. Hunter’s wife didn’t work directly for him. But still, different worlds.
“Who else?”
“My first cousin Coy, his wife is another dentist he hired. Let’s see who else?
You know about Eli and Bella. My other cousin Bode, his wife works for him now.
They met when she worked for another company, but now they see each other nonstop.
Duke Raymond, his wife worked for him as a hostess and server.
That might be it, but there could be others. ”
“But I’m the first who is at your beck and call,” she argued.
Grace laughed, causing Ethan to narrow his eyes. “I don’t know about that. I’d be lost without you and you know it.”
“Because you’re not as organized as me,” Nora said, lifting her chin.
He reached his arm out and snagged her, pulling her closer so that her body bumped into his. “I’m not. I need you in my life for a lot of reasons. And since I know Grace is on a timeline, what are you going to show us how to cook?”
“I thought we’d do stuffed French toast, triple berry muffins and a frittata.
They are all fairly easy and quick to make, so we can get them done within an hour.
Especially with three sets of hands,” Grace said.
“And since I’ve never done a cooking class, this is more about us making them together, if that works? ”
“Works for me,” Nora said. “I’ve made muffins before, but they never really come out right, so I use a box mix.”
“Ethan said you’ve baked so I threw this in as an additional thing to have. I know Janet has most of the ingredients in the house anyway, so I only grabbed berries for that.”
The three of them spread the ingredients out on the large island while Ethan grabbed all the pans and baking utensils that Grace told them they needed.
“I want to take notes, is that okay?” Nora asked.
“Actually,” Ethan said. “I’ve got one better. I’m going to record it.”
“I sent the recipes to Ethan this morning also,” Grace said. “This way you’ve got a record of it.”
“I knew you’d want to take notes and I’d rather you just experienced it and enjoyed it that way.”
This was the best date ever!
They got to mixing the muffin batter first, and she listened to the tricks to getting fluffier results. Hand mixing only, long strokes to not over mix, then letting the batter rest for at least fifteen minutes. Which they put aside while they moved on to the frittata.
“I like using fresh roasted peppers,” Grace said. She moved to the gas stove, turned it on and put the red peppers on it. “Just keep an eye on them, Ethan, and keep turning them as they get grill marks, then we’ll peel the skins off. Nora, you and I can wash and dry the spinach.”
She was doing everything she was told, watching what Grace did, or following instructions while Grace watched.
Fifteen minutes later, the mixture of peppers, spinach, eggs and seasonings were in a cast-iron skillet and in the oven. With five minutes left on that, they’d fill the muffin tins and switch the foods over.
“Is it better to use brioche bread?” she asked when they started on the French toast.
“That or challah, which isn’t as easy to find. I made this for you last night.”
“It’s fresh bread?” Ethan asked.
“Hey, I don’t skimp,” Grace said, grinning. “Ethan, cut it into thick slices. The whole loaf. Nora, you’re going to mix the batter for that. Then we’ll soak them and Ethan can cook them while you make the filling.”
“What’s the filling going to be?”
“Cream cheese, sugar, and the same berries as in the muffins.”
“I’m so glad we ran longer than normal this morning. Now I know why Ethan did it and then rushed us out the door before we could have our normal big breakfast.”
“We are getting it now,” he said. “Then plenty of leftovers to bring back.”
“You two run together?” Grace asked. “No, thank you. I sweat enough in the kitchen. Which I’ll need to slow the weight gain down.”
She put her hand on her flat belly.
“Are you pregnant?” Ethan asked.
“Yes. Just out of the first trimester. We started telling everyone a few days ago, but I’m assuming it hasn’t reached you.”
“No,” he said. “Congrats.”
Nora saw Ethan’s expression light up once again with the talk of kids.
It wasn’t one of the talks they’d had. She knew he’d want them, so she was happy with that. Not all men did. Another problem she’d discovered dating recently.
Thirty minutes later, Grace was out the door and she and Ethan were sitting at the table and sampling everything that was done.
“This is so good,” Nora said, diving into the French toast. She was saving a muffin for later, but this and the frittata were getting demolished by them both.
“It is,” he said. “Now I know what to make for you some morning.”
“The same,” she said. Maybe it was time to ask him about kids. It seemed he brought everything else up first and she needed to show she was all in as much as him. “I saw how excited you got over Grace’s pregnancy.”
“I’m happy for her. Most of my cousins are married and having kids right away. I think part of it is that no one got married in their early twenties. Most are in their early thirties. The women might be younger for some of my cousins, but not always that much.”
“I’m five years younger than you. I’ll be thirty in a few months. I thought I’d have kids by now, so I can understand the rush when someone is married.”
“So you do want kids?”
“Of course. I’m not sure why you thought I wouldn’t, but I guess I understand it more. I’ve found more men don’t than do now. Or they are on the fence either way. I can appreciate that but also wonder if their being on the fence means it’s really no, but they’d compromise.”
“I don’t think there should be compromise with kids,” he said.
“Me neither. I know my father wanted a child, but I think he would have been happier with a boy.”
“That shouldn’t matter either. My brothers never cared. If Eli had another girl, he’d be over the moon. Adrienne is his little shadow.”
“I know and I see how Egan is with both of his kids. It’s nice to see men like that with their children.”
Her father had never been warm and loving. Nothing like she’d witnessed with Ethan’s brothers and their families.
She knew beyond a doubt Ethan would be that way with a child of his also.
“I want kids,” he said. “Sooner rather than later. I guess it’s just one more thing I haven’t talked to you about because it’s only been a few months, but I’m happy to find out you feel the same way.
I’ve dated a few women who didn’t want kids.
Or they wanted to adopt. Or hire a surrogate so they didn’t have to put their bodies through it. ”
“A surrogate never crossed my mind. I mean, I know a lot of women do it because they can’t physically carry a child, but I never even imagined I could afford to do that if I had to. But I sure the heck wouldn’t think that if there was no reason.”
“To each their own,” he said. “But it’s not my first course of action without a medical necessity to it. And if I was with a woman who couldn’t have a child, but we wanted them, then there are other ways around it.”