CHAPTER ONE
M elissa Hendrickson removed her chef’s toque and shook her hair out from the rubber band that had held it in place. Letting out a sigh of fatigue, she unbuttoned her coat and tossed it into the laundry basket in a room behind the kitchen. She had a satisfying, creative job working as a chef at Fins, her parents’ restaurant, but she was frustrated by her lack of time with friends and her lack of a meaningful relationship. A lot of people, some from her old summer gang, were moving into town, and she wanted to be part of all they were doing. And though she hesitated to tell anyone else, she was hoping to be subtle in convincing one newcomer to see her as wife material. If she only dared.
She was a popular member of her social group but was more comfortable with the guys than the women. She was a tall, trim, wiry woman who, growing up, had been a tomboy interested in sports and “guy” things. Her mother had always wanted her to be more like the charming Gilford girls and had continually pointed out all her faults. It left her feeling insecure about herself. She felt like two different people.
In the kitchen, she was strong, competent, and sure, orchestrating the work of the staff. And, after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, she’d proved to have a brilliant gift when combining herbs, spices, and sauces to create spectacular entrees and desserts.
In a social setting, she tended to be quiet and a bit awkward when it came to dating. The men she knew loved having her as a friend who got their jokes and was a pal. It was both nice and annoying now that she was ready for something more in a relationship.
“Are you off to Jake’s?” her mother asked, coming into the kitchen. “Better freshen up.”
Melissa looked up at the wall clock. 10 PM. “I’ll see if anyone is still there. If not, I’ll go home. Thank goodness, it’s my day off tomorrow.”
She went into the bathroom and checked the mirror in the bathroom, making sure she was presentable. The face reflected there had pleasant features, brown hair that held a hint of red, and gray eyes that assessed her harshly.
Melissa grabbed her purse, anxious to leave.
She walked down Main Street passing its numerous cute shops to Jake’s, the neighborhood bar her friends in town used as a gathering place.
She loved living in the beautiful New Hampshire Lakes Region, in the scenic small town of Lilac Lake, where outdoor summer and winter activities were readily available.
By anyone’s standards, Melissa was financially successful, with a job that brought her recognition as well as an excellent income. She’d just built a house in The Meadows, an upscale development created by Collister Construction at the far end of Lilac Lake, and owned by two of her male friends, Aaron and Brad Collister. But she wanted the more important things in life—a husband and children, a family of her own. At thirty-three, she was beginning to wonder if that would ever happen.
As she stepped inside Jake’s, she heard someone call her name and turned to see Ross Roberts wave at her. Smiling, she went to say hello to him and two of his buddies sitting at the table the locals called their own.
“ ’Evening,” said Melissa. “Is this all that’s left of the gang?”
“We’re it,” said Ross. A famous former baseball player for the New York Yankees, he was a pleasant man everyone liked. Though he couldn’t play ball any longer because of a knee injury, he was still featured in television ads where his sandy-haired handsome looks, blue eyes, and boyish smile captured audiences.
“Come join us,” said Mike Dawson, who at one time had been a rising tennis star. Now he ran tennis clinics in Florida and was talking to Ross about opening a sports center in Lilac Lake where people could play tennis and/or participate in baseball clinics.
“Nice to see you again,” said Ben Gooding who used to play on the Yankees baseball team with Ross. With his stocky, sturdy body, Ben still looked the part of a catcher.
Melissa returned his smile and sat down. She was looking forward to a glass of red wine. Working at the restaurant, she limited alcoholic drinks to having one occasionally. Working with food and wine most of the time, she was careful not to have too much of either.
Ross raised his hand, and a waitress came right over to them. “My friend will have a glass of your finest pinot noir,” he said indicating Melissa.
She smiled her thanks. Ross lived next door to her at The Meadows, and any romantic thoughts were quickly stifled by her. Melissa knew Ross dated gorgeous women. She was much more comfortable keeping their relationship as friendly neighbors.
“What are you doing in town?” she asked Ben. “Here to make trouble for Ross and Mike?”
Ben laughed. “I’m thinking of investing in their sports complex. I love Lilac Lake, but I have my job in Washington, D.C. and don’t plan to move.”
She turned to the others. “Did Dirk show up?”
“He was here earlier with David Graham. They left a while ago,” said Ross. “How’d it go at the restaurant?”
“It was busy, as usual. But that’s good. A profitable summer means being able to shut down for a couple of weeks in the winter. My parents love to go to Florida then and test out new recipes.”
“I imagine once you’re into the food scene, it’s hard to get out,” said Mike. “Florida is a great place to discover new meal ideas with its diverse collection of cuisines.”
“Yes. We need to add new menu items each year to keep people coming back.”
“Speaking of coming back,” said Ross. “I hear Sarah Miller, Bob, and Edie Bullard’s daughter, is moving here next week. I only met her once, but she seemed nice. It’s unfortunate her husband died, leaving her with twin girls.”
“It was such a shame. Sarah is lovely. I’m sure her parents, like mine, love the idea of having their daughter close,” said Melissa.
“Isn’t it hard to work for your parents?” asked Mike.
Melissa thought about it. “Yes and no. Working together is easier than handling other personal interactions with them.” She chuckled. “Mothers and daughters. That’s the tough part at times.”
“I have only brothers, so I wouldn’t know,” said Ross.
“How many?” Melissa asked him. It was the first time he’d mentioned them.
“Three brothers, all older, all working in the New York City area in successful careers. I was the little bro who wanted to play ball all the time. At least, that’s what they tell me. They were surprised when I informed them that I intended to play professional ball when I got older.”
Mike grinned at Ross. “You’re a natural.”
“My high school played Ross’s once. I knew then that he’d make it,” said Ben, nudging Ross playfully.
JoEllen Daniels came into Jake’s and walked right over to them. “Hi, guys. How’s it going?” she asked smiling at the men, ignoring her.
Melissa kept quiet. Everyone in her circle knew JoEllen, Brad Collister’s ex-sister-in-law, had thought she could manipulate Brad into marrying her after his wife’s death. Now that Brad was happily married to Dani Gilford, JoEllen had her eye on any man she could get to pay attention to her.
“We’re just sitting here chatting with Melissa,” Ross said pointedly.
“Oh, yes, hi, Melissa,” said JoEllen, not at all perturbed by Ross’s comment. “I’ve got tickets to see one of my favorite bands, ‘Neverland’, this weekend. Anyone want to go with me?”
The three men glanced at one another and shook their heads.
“Guess not,” said Mike. “Thanks, anyway.”
“Maybe another time,” said Ben.
Ross remained quiet.
“Oh, okay. I’ll just find someone else.” JoEllen flounced off as the waitress headed their way.
“Anyone want another drink? They’re on me,” said Ross.
“Thanks, but one is fine for me,” Melissa said.
“Mike and I are going to Stan’s to check it out,” said Ben.
Ross turned to her. “Hey, neighbor, want to give me a lift home? Ben is borrowing my car, and I need a ride.”
“Sure,” said Melissa. “You’re welcome to come with me.”
“Thanks,” said Ben. “I have a meeting in Portsmouth tomorrow morning. I’ll return the car in the afternoon before I have to fly back to D.C.”
The group broke up, and Melissa and Ross walked back to Fins to pick up Melissa’s car.
“JoEllen has a nasty habit of ignoring the women in a group in her pursuit of men,” said Melissa.
Ross grimaced. “I try to stay away from her. In the past, she’s made a lot of moves to try and get my attention. She makes me uncomfortable.”
“I understand,” said Melissa. “But what does someone do to get a man’s attention?”
“Who are you talking about? Dirk?” asked Ross, giving her a steady look.
Melissa sighed. “I like him a lot and want to get to know him better. But I can’t just go up to him and blurt it out.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Will you put in a good word for me now and then?”
“Do you mean like a Cyrano de Bergerac thing?” he asked, his eyes widening.”
She laughed. “Lord, no. It’s just that I can’t seem to do it on my own. And the last thing I want to do is act like JoEllen.”
Ross nodded. “I understand your problem. Okay, then, if that’s all you want, I’ll try to help.”
Placing a hand on his arm, she smiled at Ross. “Thank you. You’re the best, like the brother I wished I had.”
While growing up, she had wanted a sibling, someone who could help counter her mother’s criticism about her appearance and manner.
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T hey got into her car and had a silent ride home.
She pulled into his driveway to let him out and turned to him. “I owe you. How about coming to dinner at my house tomorrow? It’s my day off, and I’ll fix you something special.”
“An offer I can’t refuse,” he said, grinning. He unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. “Thanks, Melissa,” he said, giving her a little salute.
She watched him go, pleased by their friendship. He was a very nice guy.
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A t home, Melissa went through her emails and regular mail before preparing a cup of her favorite nighttime tea. Then she took the tea and a book to the master bedroom on the first floor. She loved her house and enjoyed using this quiet time to settle down from a hectic day. Cooking for customers who expected the best wasn’t for the weak. You had to be strong and in control, with split-second timing to get everything prepared and delivered to all individuals at their tables at the same time. Melissa enjoyed watching Gordon Ramsay exposing people to the rigors of the kitchen on television. The professional kitchen scene wasn’t quite like that, but one had to have common sense and excellent timing to make it work.
She got ready for bed in one of her usual pajama tops and opened the book. Gazing down at the words of the romance novel she was reading, her thoughts filled with the image of Dirk McArthur, the new dentist in town. Was a relationship with him hopeless?