Page 3 of The Kitchen Contract

I’m just about to rewrap the remaining tartlets when Trevor steps into the kitchen with a tall blonde man right behind him.

“Hey boys,” Kayla greets them, stretching up to give Trevor a kiss on the cheek when he stops beside her. “Have a good workout?”

“Yep. Are these leftovers?” He eyes my tartlets hungrily.

I push the tray toward him. “You want some?”

Trevor picks one up and faces the other man, gesturing toward the tray. “You have to try one of these, Alex.”

Alex steps forward with a grin and picks one up. “If you say so. You know I don’t turn down free snacks.” He lifts the tiny pastry toward me in a toast. “Cheers,” he says with a cheeky wink and pops the whole thing in his mouth.

The look of surprised pleasure on his face as he chews makes my night.

3

ALEX

Iseriously can’t believe how good these little desserts are. They practically melt in your mouth in a creamy, flaky, sweet and sour medley that has me reaching for another.

“Oh man,” I groan as I chew the second one. “We should have worked out harder because I’m about to eat seventeen of these things. Who made these?”

“That would be Nora.” Annie puts her arm around the shoulders of the pretty blonde standing behind the island. “This girl can cook! I wish I would have known her when Grant and I got married because I would have hired her to do the food at our wedding.”

Nora’s face flushes at my sister-in-law’s praise. “I would have been honored.”

I reach for a third one as Kayla sidles up beside them and jumps into the conversation. “Nora, I still think you should do the YouTube cooking show you told us about. It would be great! People would love watching you and learning all your cooking tips and tricks.”

Nora looks surprised, then waves her off. “I just mentioned that in passing. It would never work in real life. My apartment is too small and dark to film in, and I would feel self-conscious talking to myself.”

“Hey, what if the show was about you teaching someone else to cook?” Annie asks. “You could take a beginner and show them how to make simple recipes. People at home could follow along and you wouldn’t be by yourself.”

Nora puckers her lips and thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. “That could be fun…but it doesn’t solve my kitchen problem. I don’t have a good place to film.”

“Maybe you could borrow someone else’s kitchen. Like mine.” Kayla waves her hand around.

“Or mine!” Annie adds. “We’d be happy to have you.”

“Or mine,” I mimic in a bright, joking voice, not one to be left out of the fun. What I don’t expect is for Annie’s eyes to widen as she gasps and turns toward Nora.

“That’s perfect! Alex has a beautiful kitchen that he never uses because he can’t cook. You could teach him how in his own kitchen and film it! I bet people would love it.”

Kayla agrees enthusiastically. “Yes! Alex’s kitchen would be perfect!”

Nora cuts a glance my way and I notice her eyes are a light blue, almost gray color, rimmed with thick lashes. She looks like she doesn’t know what to say.

“You do have a big kitchen you never use.” Trevor’s input surprises me. Normally he’s a seen-but-not-heard kind of guy. But then Kayla beams at him, and I get it. The man will do almost anything to please his wife.

“That’s true,” I admit. I pick up a fourth dessert and take a step back from the tray. This is my last one. Probably.

Four sets of eyes are on me, and I realize that they are expecting some kind of response. I open my mouth to laugh and tell the girls what a terrible idea it is, except…is it? Wasn’t I just moping around in an empty, lonely kitchen with a carton of takeout a couple of hours ago? Is there really any good reason why I shouldn’t let a friend of theirs cook there? Of course, if I accept their whole proposal, I’ll also have to learn how to cook myself. On camera.

But I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge or an audience, so I make a split-second decision because it feels right.

“Sure. Let’s do it.”

4

NORA

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