Chapter Fourteen #2
She waved her hands, and then did look at him. She wasn’t angry—he could see that. She looked sad, almost wistful. “No, Mr. West. I’m afraid not. I have another job lined up that starts today.”
“Ah. I see,” he replied.
“It isn’t because of you,” she blurted, then went a bit pink. “Well, not completely. You—”
“Crowd you, intimidate you?” he answered for her. “I tend to come on too strong. I’m sorry if I stepped on your toes.”
She sighed and put a few more things in the box, then stopped and leveled her gaze at him.
“No, no. Not like that. I cooked for Mr. West—I mean your dad—for a long time. He liked things a certain way. When he died, cooking for just the boys, the crew, and Peony the same way felt odd. So when you came along and started making yourself at home in here, cooking far better than I ever could, I just . . . I missed him and knew it was time to move on.”
That was the most she had said to him since he had arrived, and he was grateful to have her explain it to him, but the pit in his stomach stayed.
People in the restaurant business came and went.
How many times had he had a similar conversation with a worker in his kitchens?
But for some reason, he felt the loss of this person who had been part of the West family for some time because it was more change in a place that the people who lived here shouldn’t have to deal with because of him.
He wondered what his father would have done, which was an odd thought to have in the midst of this conversation.
He’d never wanted to measure his actions against the man before, because there was nothing to measure it with.
With Brett fleshed out more in his mind, he wondered if it was dredging up emotions he’d long buried.
“You do know I’m not staying long-term,” Jake said.
Rosy nodded. “I’m aware. It’s time for a change, for me, Mr. West. I’m sorry.”
“I understand,” he replied. “I hope your new position has as nice a kitchen as this one.”
That made her smile, and she relaxed her shoulders. There were no hard feelings, he hoped.
“It doesn’t but it will do fine,” she replied. She added her cookbooks to the top of the box and picked it up.
As she turned, Tanner stalked in, and Jake braced for it. He looked like he always did, mad and in a hurry.
“Rosy. I have your last paycheck here. Just needs to be signed by the new boss,” he snapped. “You seen him?”
Rosy turned, and Tanner looked past her to Jake, standing on the other side of the counter. He thinned his lips, scanning Jake from head to toe. Disapproval radiated out of him. Jake held his tongue and gritted his teeth to endure it. Rosy didn’t need to be caught in the crosshairs aimed at him.
“Good morning,” Jake said instead of what he wanted to say.
“Sign this,” Tanner snapped again, striding over and planting the check in front of him. He crossed his arms and looked around the kitchen. “Do you have everything, Rosy?”
“I do,” she replied stiffly. Obviously, Tanner hadn’t taken the news about her leaving well.
Jake found a pen on the side table and signed the check quickly. He noticed it was made out to Rosy Morrison, and he jolted at the recognition as he held it out to her.
“Morrison?” he asked. “Are you by chance related to a Heather Morrison?”
Rosy tilted her head. “Yes. Her father was my father’s oldest brother, my uncle Bob, and she was his oldest child. I don’t think I ever met her, she was long gone before I was old enough to remember, anyway. Why?”
“She’s my mother,” he answered, the rush of acknowledgment hitting him square in the chest. Tanner took in a breath, but Jake didn’t look at him. He didn’t have time for his asshole attitude right now.
“Well, I’ll be,” she said, and set the box down. “We were told she was likely dead.”
Dead. Gossip and rumor abounded in a small town, but dead?
“No, she isn’t,” he murmured. “She’s very much alive.”
Rosy made a noise in her throat that sounded like surprise. He flicked a glance over to Tanner as his brother let out an impatient huff.
Jake tilted his head as he looked back at Rosy. “She would be your cousin, so that makes me your second cousin, I think?”
Rosy let out a peal of laughter, and he wished they had known sooner. All the ice would have been broken much more quickly, and perhaps she wouldn’t be leaving. Which, judging by Tanner’s current attitude, he was going to blame Jake for.
“I suppose it does, Mr. West. My folks live near Whistler now, retired ski bums. I’ll tell them I met you. They’ll be pleased to know,” she said, and stuck out her hand.
Jake took it and shook, the new information rolling around inside of him. “Call me Jake, please. Mr. West—”
“Was my father. You aren’t him,” Tanner growled, and turned on his heel and left abruptly, shocking both Jake and Rosy.
Rosy let go of his hand, the moment gone, and moved to collect her box again, the folded check stuffed into her pocket. Jake picked up the box for her and walked her to the door, then down the steps to her small car.
“Thank you, Jake. I am sorry we met under such circumstances. If I’d known—”
“Rosy!”
Jake turned to see Peony coming down the steps. Jake recognized the small copper saucepot set that normally hung above the island, a vibrant red bow around them.
“Don’t you dare leave without saying goodbye, my dear,” Peony added, and when she made it over to the car, she and Rosy hugged. Rosy’s eyes were misty as Peony handed her what was obviously a parting gift.
“Mrs. West, please. You shouldn’t have.”
“You made the best sauces in these pots. I know how much you loved them. So I should, and I did. You’ve been our cook for fifteen years and we love you. Won’t be the same without you,” Peony replied firmly.
“I think you have it well in hand with Jake,” Rosy said just as firmly, and both women broke into smiles. ”But he’ll need a new saucepot set.”
Energy vibrated through Jake as it dawned on him.
He could take over the duties Rosy had, and earn his keep while he was here.
At the very least, help them interview a new cook once his departure was secured.
He was familiar with the kitchen, and now, thanks to Gordon, his entire kitchen was here, including a set of small pots like the one Peony had just given away.
Jake set Rosy’s box into her back seat carefully, closing the door as Peony embraced Rosy one more time.
“I’ll get your phone number from your file and come visit sometime soon. It would be nice to meet more of my family,” Jake said, and Rosy brightened.
“Oh, please! My father would be so happy to meet you. I think her brother is still alive, we lost touch with him when Uncle Bob passed. I can’t wait to tell them about you!”
A lump formed in Jake’s throat at that. All this time, there was an entire family here that his mother had just given up on, thrown away. He wondered what would make her do that, when there were obviously good people who cared for her, including her parents.
“Please tell Liz I’ll miss her. Brady already said goodbye when I went over to the office this morning.” Rosy was edging toward her car.
“I will,” Peony assured her.
With another wave, Rosy got into her car and backed out, driving down the lane.
Jake ran a hand down his face and groaned.
The day was barely started and already full of drama.
At this rate, who knew what would happen?
Maybe he should ask Tanner to go to Calgary with him and make it an epic day of emotional volcanoes.
“I swear. This place has more twists and turns than—”
Peony gave him a funny look, and he put an arm around her as they walked back to the veranda, happy to have her there with him to keep him from losing his cool.
“Rosy is a Morrison. My second cousin.”
“Perhaps that was why Brett hired her,” Peony mused. “She’s a cousin of your mother’s, then.”
“Something like that. Hopefully I can meet some of them.”
They walked back into the house, and both headed to the kitchen. Jake turned on his coffee machine, and as he was packing a shot of espresso, looked at Peony. She was bringing two mugs down from the cupboard, and she hmmed at him as she set them down.
“So. I think you and I need to go over what Rosy did here, and how I can pick up the slack,” was all he said as she leveled her gaze at him. He wanted to be useful, and right now, this was the best way he knew how.
That earned him a laugh, and Peony clasped her hands together.
“Well, yes. Let’s get to it, then, shall we?”