Chapter 23
Harry brushed the last bits of cheese off the grater into the bowl and began mixing the ingredients together. It was easier to focus on that rather than Kat’s curious expression. ‘I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than listen to me complaining.’
‘Nothing that springs to mind. What made you decide to leave the restaurant, anyway? Wow, I thought you loved working for Russ.’
‘I do.’ Harry opened the top door on the oven and switched on the grill.
He placed the slices of ciabatta on the tray and popped them in to brown for a couple of minutes.
With nothing else to do right then, he made himself turn and face her.
‘He’s been amazing, a real lifesaver for me, but I feel like it’s time for a new challenge.
I don’t want to run my own restaurant kitchen, it’s too high pressured for me, and honestly the thing I love most is bringing new talent in and helping them learn the ropes. ’
Her smile was soft and sweet. ‘That must be so rewarding.’
She really got it. Harry didn’t know why it mattered so much to him, but he was delighted she understood.
‘Yeah, it is. I figured I could run regular cookery retreats for paying guests and use that to fund training places for local kids. The restaurant is always over-subscribed when a job in the kitchens opens up so I know there’s a demand for it.
Plus there’s a couple of the juniors who I think are ready to take a step up.
If I stay where I am then there’s no progression route for them and they’d have to leave the village.
’ The way Carmel and others had had to do.
‘And what does Russ think? I presume you’ve told him, or is this all still on the hush-hush?’
Harry gave a small laugh. ‘He’s the one to blame for my paperwork woes. He wants me to put a proper pitch together and if I can sell him on the numbers he might even become an investor.’
Kat glanced over her shoulder towards the table. ‘Impressing him must mean a lot to you.’
‘It means everything. If I could go to the bank with his backing, it would make securing the funds I need a whole lot easier.’ Harry made himself busy adding thick slices of tomato to the now-toasted ciabatta then smearing each slice with the creamy cheese mixture from the bowl before replacing them under the grill.
‘It’ll only be a few minutes if you want to put the kettle on. ’
Kat leapt into action while Harry gathered his stuff from the kitchen table and shoved it on one of the spare chairs. Soon they were seated opposite each other, plates heaped with the cheesy ciabatta slices and steaming mugs of tea to hand.
‘Gosh, this looks amazing.’ Kat picked up a slice and nibbled at one corner.
The noise she made was positively filthy as her eyes fluttered half-closed and Harry found his head full of equally filthy thoughts of coaxing those kinds of sounds from her in other ways.
He glanced down, embarrassed at his lack of self-control, and found himself staring at the jumble of words from when he’d tried and failed to write an introductory paragraph for his business plan.
If he couldn’t string together a few basic sentences, what hope did he have?
‘Will you show me what you’ve got so far?’
His head rocked up in horror. ‘There’s nothing to see yet.’
Her expression softened as she reached across the table to touch her fingers to his. ‘There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Harry. I’ve known words and numbers don’t come easily to you since that first day we sat together at school. I wish I could’ve helped you more at the time.’
He turned his hand palm up and curled his fingers around hers.
‘You did more for me than most people. I didn’t understand what I was going through at the time, and neither did the teachers, so don’t you dare go blaming yourself.
I’m amazed you’re even willing to speak to me after the way I behaved back then. ’
‘Oh, Harry, now who is blaming themselves for something that was outside their control? You must’ve been so confused and angry. I can’t even begin to imagine.’
‘It wasn’t great.’ Master of the understatement, that was him.
‘The only other person who vaguely understood was Ed. He didn’t know what was wrong, but he did his best to cover for me where he could.
He even used to do my homework for me until we got found out and both ended up in detention.
I knew I was holding him back and things would only get worse, so I did my best to get suspended so at least he’d be able to concentrate better without me distracting him. ’
She laced their fingers together. ‘You’re very protective of him.’
He sighed. ‘Too protective, apparently.’ God, this was turning into a complete pity party, but Kat was just so easy to talk to. He untangled their hands. ‘Eat your food or it’ll be cold.’
She did as he said, but only long enough to swallow one mouthful. ‘You’re very good at deflecting, did anyone ever tell you that?’
Harry scowled, hating but maybe secretly liking that she saw through him so well. ‘And you’re too good at poking your nose in.’
He knew he’d made a mistake the second she slumped back in her chair. ‘I’m sorry, I was only trying to help.’
Damn it.
Kat rose and picked up her plate and mug. ‘I’m going to finish this in my room, I think. Let you enjoy the rest of your day off.’
Double damn it.
‘Ed’s mad at me because I covered up for him when he had his accident all those years ago.’
Kat didn’t say anything, but she did retake her seat opposite him.
Harry took a deep breath and continued. ‘I thought he was going to die when we were waiting for the rescue crew to retrieve him and I didn’t want our parents to be angry with him so I told my dad it was my idea to go climbing on the rocks.’
‘Oh, Harry.’ He could see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes and he had to look away and swallow the lump in his throat.
‘I told myself I didn’t care they were angry with me, that they could be angry about it for the rest of my life as long as he came through it alive. I didn’t even care when they sent me to live with Ma and Pa because it meant Ed was getting the attention he needed to get better.’
‘Still, it must’ve been hard for you to be separated like that when you were so worried about him.’
There she went again, being all understanding about his messy baggage. He sniffed and laughed. ‘Yeah, it was awful at first but Ma and Pa were amazing. I hate the circumstances that led me to going to live with them but honestly it was the best thing in the end.’
Kat propped her chin on her palm and smiled at him. ‘They’re very special people, you’re lucky to have grandparents who are still around.’
‘You don’t have any still alive?’
‘Not that I know of. Dad’s parents were older and I don’t really remember them much as they both died when I was quite little.
I’ve no idea about Mum’s family; it just wasn’t something that was ever talked about so I guess I always assumed they were dead too.
’ She raised her eyebrows at him. ‘How exactly did we end up talking about me again, Mr Deflection?’
‘I wasn’t deflecting this time, I promise!’ He held up his hands. ‘So, yeah, things with Ed are a bit all over the place and we ended up having a row on New Year’s Day. I had hoped to get him involved in the cookery school, make a partnership of it, but he shut me down.’
‘What did you want him to do?’
Harry grabbed the stack of paperwork from the chair and dumped it in the middle of the table.
‘This.’ He sighed. ‘Liam’s given me a template for the business plan.
I know he’d help me fill it in but I hate to drag him away from the hotel when he’s got his own business to worry about.
I thought I’d have a stab at filling it in myself, but I can’t get what I want from here’ – he poked his temple with one finger – ‘on to here.’ He stabbed the plan on the top of the stack.
Kat tried to take the plan but he slapped his hand on top of it. ‘Don’t, it’s a mess.’
‘Don’t be silly.’ She snatched at the corner of the paperwork and yanked it out from under his palm. He watched in silence as she leafed through the mostly empty pages for a few minutes then set it down next to her plate. ‘I can help you sort this out. What else?’
Harry sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. ‘You can sort it, just like that?’ She made it sound so easy.
She shrugged one shoulder in a nonchalant gesture. ‘Easy enough when you’re the admin queen.’ Her lips twitched and he couldn’t stop a corresponding smile at the reminder.
‘It’s not just the plan, though, it’s what comes afterwards. If the school went ahead, I’d hoped to persuade Ed to look after the bookings and bills. He’s already working part time to support his studies, so it’d just be swapping one thing for another, but you have a full-time job.’
‘Dad’s reduced my hours so I have two afternoons off a week and every weekend.’ She sat forward. ‘I’ll make you a deal. I’ll use my free time to help you put this all together and you consider taking me on as a proper business partner if you get the funding.’
‘Are you serious?’
Kat nodded. ‘Yes. I’m fed up at the coffee shop and I’ve already put my dad on notice to look for a replacement for me.
My long-term dream is to become a writer, but there’s no guarantee I can ever make a career of it.
When I leave the coffee shop I’ll still have to do something to pay the bills.
You need an administrator for the business, and who better to do that for you than the queen? ’
‘You make it sound so easy.’ Too easy.
Kat shook her head. ‘It’ll be a lot of hard work, but I’m excited to be a part of it – if you’ll have me.
This isn’t just me looking for an excuse to quit at the coffee shop, I promise.
I love the idea of the school, Harry, and your motives for setting it up are truly inspiring.
I know what it’s like to grow up with few options.
To be trapped in a dead-end job and feel like I’m going nowhere.
We can make sure that fewer kids growing up here feel the same way.
’ She offered him her hand. ‘What do you say?’