Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
JULIET
“These crackers are everything,” I say as I pop another one into my mouth, and Cassie grins across from me.
I asked the personal chef to pop by today with some for the restaurant and to chat with me about a possible working relationship.
“I think I’ll put together some cheese and cracker trays for the grab-and-go section. ”
“That’s a great idea,” Cassie says. “I can bring you a fresh batch of crackers twice a week. Would that be enough?”
“I think so, for now anyway. We can adjust as we go, if that works for you.”
“Of course.” She makes a note in her phone. “What else can I help with?”
I take a sip of water and wave at Ava, who’s just walked into Sage & Citrus to grab something for lunch. Her order is already bagged up and ready to go.
“Hi, friend,” Ava says. “I won’t interrupt. See you at book club tomorrow night?”
“I’ll be there,” I reply with a nod.
“Cool. Hi, Cassie.”
“Hey, Ava.”
My friend smiles, and then she’s off, and I turn back to Cassie.
“Book club?” she asks.
“Spicy Girls Book Club,” I reply with a nod. “Do you like romance novels?”
“Are you kidding? I listen to them all day long while I’m working. I’m obsessed with Connor Crais’s voice. I know he’s a happily married man, or so I’ve heard, but I totally have a crush on his voice skills.”
I snort at that. “Hey, we all have our crushes. If you’re a reader, you should join the book club. Right now, we’re reading Play Along by Liz Tomforde.”
“Oh, that’s awesome! I just finished that one last week. Samantha Brentmoor’s voice is just so smooth and sexy. And Jacob Morgan? Yeah, I’m down for this book club. I’ll swing by the bookstore after I leave here.”
“This is so exciting.” I do a little shimmy in my seat. “You’ll love it. I should listen to books while I bake early in the morning.”
“You really should. It makes the time go fast. Okay, what else do you need?”
“Right. Back to work.” I laugh. “I’d actually like to hire a second baker.
As of right now, I’m the only one prepping the night before and then coming in super early to bake all of the pastries and breads.
I used to be able to handle it, but I didn’t really have a life outside of this place before, so it didn’t bother me.
Plus, we’re getting busier, and it’s higher volume. I just can’t do it alone.”
Cassie’s nodding slowly, her eyes narrowed as she thinks.
“I can’t take on any more than what I currently have, but I have a good friend who just moved to Silver Springs and is a pastry chef. His name is Noah, and he’s really good. I don’t think he’s working anywhere else yet.”
“But does he want early hours?”
“I think that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to being a pastry chef.”
I nod in agreement. “And what about gluten-free recipes? Do you think he’d be cool with that?”
“Only one way to find out.” Cassie pulls her phone out of her purse, taps the screen, and then puts it on speaker and sets it on the table between us.
“Hey, pretty girl,” a deep male voice says.
“Hey, I have you on speakerphone. I’m chatting with my new friend Juliet, who happens to own Sage & Citrus in Bitterroot Valley.”
“I’ve been in there,” he says. “It’s fucking good. Hey, Juliet.”
“Hi, you can call me Jules. I hear you’re a pastry chef.”
“Aw, Cass is singing my praises again? How sweet.”
I laugh and see that Cassie’s blushing. “How do you feel about baking gluten-free? And are you looking for a job?”
“I might be looking for a job if it’s the right fit. Gluten-free is just another challenge. As long as it’s not sugar-free, I can work with that.”
“I have no issue with sugar,” I assure him. “But mine is a clean kitchen, making it safe for those struggling with celiac and gluten allergies. Would you be interested in popping by to chat?”
“You know what, I’m headed that way this afternoon, and would be happy to come in. Thanks for thinking of me, Cassie.”
“Sure, I hope it works out.”
“See you later, Jules.”
He hangs up, and I sit back, watching Cassie.
“Are you two …?”
She shakes her head. “No. Definitely not. I’ve been seeing someone else for a couple of years now. But I am warning you, Noah is hot. Like super attractive.”
I smirk at that. “Have you seen my husband?”
“Oh, I’m not suggesting that you’d be interested. Mostly, I’m warning you because of your staff. They may never get anything done. They’ll just stand around and watch Noah.”
Shaking with laughter, I shrug a shoulder. “I guess we’ll see if he even wants the job.”
I need to go on record and say that Cassie wasn’t wrong. Noah is damn attractive. He’s not as tall as Brooks, but he’s over six feet, with dark blond hair, a chiseled jawline covered in two days’ or so worth of scruff, and a killer smile.
All my girls have heart eyes as they watch us walk into the kitchen.
“I really like your place,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest, showing off muscular biceps through his long-sleeved T-shirt, as he looks around. “What do you need help with, exactly?”
I spend the next twenty minutes explaining my vision.
That I need help with the breads and pastries for each morning.
That he’d be welcome to try new recipes, as long as everything stays gluten-free.
He gives his ideas, and we brainstorm, bouncing ideas off each other.
He’s easy to talk to, and he has some amazing creative thoughts.
He’s nodding, standing right next to me, when I hear, “Who the fuck are you?”
Noah and I turn around, and I find Brooks standing six feet away, glaring at us.
“Noah.” Noah reaches out to shake Brooks’s hand, but my husband doesn’t even look at it.
“Brooks, this is Noah, hopefully my new pastry chef, so I don’t have to come here in the middle of the night anymore. Don’t be a jerk and ruin this for me.”
Noah laughs, and Brooks narrows his eyes.
Finally, he shakes Noah’s hand, although I can see that it’s reluctantly.
“I’m her husband,” Brooks eventually says.
“Noted. For what it’s worth, I have my eye on another pretty blonde from Bitterroot Valley,” he says with a smile. “And I’m not an asshole.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Okay, now that we’ve got all of the testosterone out of the way, what can I do for you, husband?”
“I came to grab lunch. Christy said you were back here.”
“Yeah, we were just wrapping up.”
“I’ll head out,” Noah says. “Let me do some research and some thinking, and I’ll get back to you in the next day or so. Does that work for you, Jules?”
“That’s Mrs. Blackwell to you,” Brooks growls, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Yes, that’s fine with me. Thanks for considering it. I promise my husband won’t be a bully every time you see him.”
“Yes, he will,” Brooks replies.
“It’s all good.” Noah shakes my hand, and then he leaves, and I turn to frown at my man.
“Brooks.”
“What?”
“You can’t be rude to people.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.”
His hands drift from my waist to my ass, and he pulls me against him. “Wildfire, I’m secure enough in my sexuality to objectively say that that man is attractive, and he was standing way too close to you.”
“Noah’s attractive?” I blink innocently, and Brooks growls again.
“I didn’t notice. Anyway, he seems nice.
He was recommended to me by Cassie, your sister’s personal chef.
And I really need the help, babe. I’m tired.
I don’t want to work every single day anymore even though I love it here, and I’m proud of it.
But I want to see more of you and spend time with you. ”
“Okay, that I can live with.” He lowers his head and nibbles my lips. “If he ever gets handsy, you tell me, and I’ll remove them from his body.”
“Have you been reading some of my Mafia books?”
He smirks and kisses me once more. “I have to grab the sandwiches I ordered on my way back here and get to work. I’ll probably be at the garage a little late today.”
“Well, I’m going to head home soon, since my crew seems to have it handled here. I'd like to do a little cleaning and then read. Book club is tomorrow night, and I have a couple of hours left in the book.”
“You should go home and relax, baby.”
He nuzzles my nose, then pulls away. I wish he could go home with me, and we could cuddle up for the afternoon. I’d love it if he would read to me, the way he used to when we were young.
But my man has a busy garage to run.
Christy has his bag ready for him, and he kisses my cheek before he heads back to work.
“I’m out of here,” I tell Christy. “Call me if you need me.”
“We won’t. The craziness has died down a bit, and we have a handle on things. But don’t worry, I’ll call if anything weird happens.”
I nod, take off my apron, and toss it in the hamper. Then I grab my handbag and sling it across my body and set off for the house.
Brooks dropped me off this morning, so I get to walk home. I admit, although I try to take a walk at least once a day, I haven’t been as diligent about it since I married Brooks.
I don’t feel like I need an escape from anything.
It’s cold enough outside that I zip up my hoodie and take in a breath of crisp air. It’s been raining, and I hear we’re supposed to get a thunderstorm this afternoon, which actually sounds so nice.
I love storms.
I always have.
I know that some people are terrified of them, and I can respect that. But I want to get home in time to open all the windows, light my favorite candle—which also smells like rain—and get cozy with a book before it starts to storm.
That sounds like heaven right now.
The walk home is quick, and the first thing that I do is put a load of laundry into the machine in the mudroom.
It’s so nice to live with a washer and dryer again.
Then I quickly clean the primary bathroom and change the sheets on the bed before walking into the kitchen.
I set my candle in the middle of the island and light it, then open all the windows in the living room and kitchen.
Yeah, it’s chilly outside, but I’ll throw a blanket around me. Problem solved.