Page 41 of The Flirt

"Beignets, too, I've heard!"

Chad's face opened up in a smile.

She grinned. "Yessssss."

"So do I. I have a sweet tooth as well."

“I want to learn to make beignets. But first, I have to learn to bake pie. For the contest at school.”

“You said you wanted to dance for the talent competition,” Chad said.

“I danced last year, Daddy. I need to do something else this year.”

“Okay, then. Baking it is.”

"I can show you," I said.

"You can?" she asked.

I nodded. "Of course, I didn't go to pastry school, but I can make a pie."

"Really, Bella. You can ask Nana. Or your grans."

She scrunched up her nose. "Nana doesn't like to cook too much. Her food never tastes good!"

I was so proud that I didn’t laugh. Chad was also having difficulty keeping a straight face, but he finally lost it. "Well, you got me there. Mom doesn't love cooking. Neither does Dad. But your grans are very good."

"Yes, but Scarlett is a chef." She said the word with wonder.

“Your grandmothers are also chefs.”

“But they’re not in the restaurant anymore, Daddy. What if they forgot how to do it? Scarlett is a professional.”

"If you want, you can come here before school and I can show you," I offered.

Before Chad even opened his mouth, Bella exclaimed, "Yes. I like you so much."

To my astonishment, she shifted closer to me and threw her arms around my torso. Out of instinct, I hugged her back, then gave Chad a questioning glance. I didn't want to overstep any boundaries.

He nodded, his eyes soft. I’d never seen this expression on him.

"Bella," he said after his daughter let me go, "we need to talk about this."

"But Dad, she already said yes."

"I did," I said, deciding instantly to side with Bella.

"We'll think of something," Chad said.

Hmmm... He was being vague. I wondered if he was upset.

"When can we come?" Bella asked. Clearly she knew how to negotiate like her dad.

"I’ll talk to Scarlett about her schedule and see where she can fit us in. Are you planning on coming in so early every Monday?" he asked me.

"Yes. I like to make sure I have a smooth start to the week and also check the produce and other deliveries. It should’ve arrived by now."

"Then we should go," Chad told Bella.

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