Chapter Seven – Hannah
Hannah had always paid her way.
She’d worked hard for everything she had, and she didn’t expect anything for free.
So offering to help Caleb at his family’s restaurant felt natural. Not because she owed him, exactly, but because that was how she moved through the world. If someone helped her, she met them halfway.
Goodness knows where she would be if he hadn’t stopped last night in the rain.
Sleeping in her car, she thought with a wry smile.
Not that the backseat of her beloved car wasn’t comfortable. She’d spent a week sleeping in it once, between jobs.
A long time ago.
But it was a memory she cherished.
Just as this memory of Caleb and Bear Creek would be cherished. The thought struck her. She was rarely sentimental about people and places.
But for some reason, this was different.
“Here we are,” Caleb said as he parked his truck in front of the restaurant.
The building was all small-town charm and weathered timber.
It stood dark now, but string lights zigzagged across a seating area outside, and she could imagine diners seated there on a summer evening, lingering over good food.
And then there was the view.
The mountains rose as a backdrop to the building.
Dense forest in greens of every hue covered the slopes.
Hannah sucked in a breath, the view catching her off guard.
She’d glimpsed these mountains before, through the rain yesterday, but seeing them framed like this, with the restaurant nestled at their base, made her heart ache with unexpected yearning.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured as she opened the truck door and slid out.
Caleb got out of the truck and came to join her, his eyes drawn to the mountains. “You should see it in the fall. The entire valley turns gold.”
The way he said you should stirred something deep inside her.
Not hope exactly, but the dangerous edge of it.
The part of her that imagined staying.
She pushed the feeling down and turned toward the restaurant.
“I can’t wait to see the interior,” Hannah said, forcing herself to sound businesslike and professional. Because she was here to work.
Not to fall in love with the landscape.
“I can’t wait to show you.” Caleb flashed her a smile, and then led her to the restaurant, unlocked the door, and held it open. “We’ve got about an hour or so before anyone else arrives to start lunch prep.”
Inside, Hannah paused just long enough to take it all in.
Worn wooden floors. Tables spaced generously throughout the room, not the cramped layout you’d see in city restaurants trying to maximize profits.
The chairs were eclectic and comfortable.
The walls held old photographs of mountains, the town, the people, some whose resemblance to Caleb was unmistakable.
Hannah ran her hand over the polished wooden bar, feeling the smooth surface beneath her fingertips. Everything about the space felt lived-in and welcoming.
Much like Caleb himself.
She glanced up to find him watching her, his expression unreadable. When their eyes met, he smiled, a smile that made her stomach flutter in a way she couldn’t quite interpret.
“Breakfast,” he said, rubbing his hands together, showing no signs of embarrassment that she had caught him staring at her. “You must be hungry.”
He led her through the dining area toward the back, pushing through swinging doors into a kitchen that managed to be both modern and timeless.
Stainless steel appliances gleamed beside a massive cast-iron stove that looked like it had been there since the restaurant’s earliest days.
Copper pots hung from a rack overhead, and well-worn cutting boards lined the prep area.
Caleb moved with practiced ease, opening the walk-in refrigerator and gathering ingredients with quick, confident movements. He set them on the counter and began working, cracking eggs one-handed, whisking them with practiced flicks of his wrist, reaching for seasonings without having to search.
This was a different man from the one with empty cupboards at home. Here, he was in his element, focused, precise, and completely in control. Hannah watched, transfixed by the transformation. His large hands moved with surprising delicacy as he folded herbs into the eggs.
“Is there anything you need help with?” she asked, feeling slightly useless standing there while he worked.
Caleb looked up, a lock of hair falling across his forehead. “Coffee?”
“I can do that,” Hannah nodded, glancing around until she spotted a commercial coffee machine against the far wall. After studying it for a moment to get her bearings, she located the beans, ground them, and set the machine brewing.
The rich aroma of coffee soon mingled with the scent of sizzling bacon and something sweet... pancake batter hitting the hot griddle. Hannah’s stomach growled audibly, and she pressed a hand against it, embarrassed by how eager her body was for what Caleb was creating.
“Could you grab some more berries from the walk-in?” Caleb asked, flipping pancakes with expert timing. “There should be a container of mixed fruit on the middle shelf.”
The refrigerator air hit her face as she stepped inside, cool and smelling faintly of herbs and produce. Hannah found the container right where he’d said it would be and brought it out, arranging the colorful fruit on two plates while Caleb finished cooking.
She poured the coffee into mugs she found in a nearby cabinet. “Where are we sitting?” she asked as Caleb slid perfectly golden pancakes onto the plates.
“My favorite morning spot is in the courtyard,” he said, nodding toward a side door, “if it’s not too cold for you.” He tilted his head slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “My blood runs hot, so I don’t feel the cold.”
Hannah smiled, her cheeks warming. He certainly was a hot-blooded male. That much was evident in everything from his broad shoulders to the way his presence filled a room.
“I’d love to sit outside,” she said, picking up the two cups of coffee and both plates with the expert ease of a seasoned server.
“Great.” Caleb placed the remaining breakfast items on a tray and led the way through a glass door into a small courtyard.
Now she understood why this was his favorite spot.
The courtyard was sheltered from the wind, catching the morning sun perfectly.
Stone walls created a sense of seclusion, yet the view of the mountains remained unobstructed, rising majestically against the clear blue sky.
Wrought-iron tables with comfortable-looking chairs were arranged to maximize both privacy and the view.
They settled at a corner table, and Hannah took her first sip of coffee, savoring the rich flavor before turning her attention to the food. Just as she picked up her fork, Caleb stood.
“I forgot something,” he said. “Be right back.”
Hannah watched him go through lowered lashes, trying not to be too obvious about how her eyes followed his movement.
There was something about him that drew her gaze like a magnet.
Perhaps it was the way he moved, with such innate confidence, or the breadth of his shoulders, or the way his eyes lit up when he smiled.
Or perhaps it was that there was something about him that felt familiar, as though she’d known him much longer than a day.
When he returned, he carried a small jar of honey. “Local honey,” he explained, setting it between them. “From hives just up the mountain.”
The golden liquid caught the sunlight as he drizzled it over his stack.
Hannah followed suit, then took her first bite.
The pancakes were light and fluffy; the honey added a complex sweetness that paired perfectly with the tart berries.
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being the occasional birdsong and the distant rush of morning wind through the trees that bordered the courtyard.
“Are you the chef?” Hannah asked suddenly, remembering how she’d commandeered his kitchen last night. “I feel a bit embarrassed about taking over your kitchen now.”
Caleb shook his head, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “No, but I’ve worked alongside some of the best chefs in the area enough to have picked up a few tips.”
“Well, it’s delicious,” she said, taking another bite. “And this place is wonderful. It feels like it has so much history.”
“It does,” Caleb agreed, looking at the building with such fondness. “My great-grandparents started it, and it’s been in the family ever since.”
Hannah nodded, her mind shifting to practical matters even though she wanted to know everything about Caleb Thornberg and his family. “So, for my shift today. What should I expect? What’s the usual lunch rush like? Do you have a particular system for the kitchen workflow?”
Work was safer ground.
She stepped onto it instinctively.
As they ate, Caleb talked about the restaurant, the kitchen, and the other staff. By the time they’d finished eating, Hannah felt confident about the shift. Like she was already part of the team, not an outsider.
When they’d finished eating, Caleb refilled their coffee cups, and they sat together in leisurely silence. Hannah closed her eyes and turned her face to the sun. This would be another memory she would cherish...
Her eyes flew open; she was getting too comfortable. “Can you show me around?”
“Sure.” Caleb’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her. Then he got up, and together they cleared the breakfast things, taking them through to the kitchen, where Caleb showed her the dishwasher.
From there, Caleb gave her a quick tour of the restaurant. The front of house, kitchen, prep stations, and restrooms. He spoke plainly and efficiently, trusting her to understand without over-explaining.
She noticed everything anyway.
The flow of the kitchen. The way it had been built by people who worked in it, not by consultants. Equipment worn smooth by use, not by neglect.
“This is an authentic restaurant,” she said before thinking better of it.
Caleb glanced at her, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “That’s the idea. We want people to enjoy the ambiance and the food.”
The back door opened then, bringing with it a rush of cool air... and two people.
Caleb stiffened slightly. “Mom. Dad.”
His father’s gaze slid from him to Hannah, his eyes narrowing in a way that made her straighten instinctively. While his mother smiled, her eyes alight with happiness.
“We wondered why you missed your shift last night,” his mother said, a little breathlessly.
Caleb didn’t explain. He simply said, “This is Hannah.”
That was it.
No explanation. No story of a roadside rescue.
As if her name was all they needed to know to understand everything.
Hannah stepped forward. “My car broke down on the pass yesterday. Caleb helped me get it to Roy’s.”
“Of course he did.” His mother took her hand, her smile widening. “I’m Eleanor. Eleanor Thornberg.”
His father nodded, his expression softening. “Thaddeus. Welcome to Bear Creek.”
Hannah had the strange sense of being recognized. As if she wasn’t standing there by accident.
As if nothing that had happened since she’d taken the wrong turn had been an accident.