Page 10 of Fearless Encounter

“Fair enough.” Gabriel stared at her, making her cheeks warm. “Okay then…I’ll pick you up later.”

Brooke headed for the entrance without looking back. It wasn’t going to be easy hanging around with Gabriel, no matterthe reason. She had really gotten herself into an awkward situation, but she didn’t have a chance to think about it then.

*****

Brooke entered the bistro and strode across the main floor to the kitchen.

“There you are,” her boss said. Jasper Broussard was in his late forties and already extremely successful in the restaurant business. He had a flair that Brooke admired, and an easygoing personality despite the stress of running his bistro. She thought of him as a wild Frenchman with a clean-shaven face and his dark, unruly hair. It usually looked like he’d just run his hands through it. A few years ago, his wife had divorced him and moved to Europe, so Jasper was free to indulge his workaholic tendencies.

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch up.”

Thoughts of anything other than pastry were gone in an instant. Brooke went to work at her station. She was more than a cake master and considered herself an artisan. She could create many French pastry classics but also had recipes of her own. After her training, she had interned at a few places. Jasper had been friends with her parents when they were in the restaurant business. He’d tasted some of her creations and made her a good offer to come to work for him. She would have anyway, as she loved the bistro and knew he would be good to work with.

Lost in her creations, Brooke was in another world. But when Lisle came in, she looked over.

Lisle Garnier was the chef. She was a stunner with her long blonde hair braided down her back, and her light brown eyes accented with deep purple shadow. She was petite in stature buthuge in spirit. “I don’t know how you do it,” Brooke said. “You look like you stepped out of a magazine.” She wiped her hand across her forehead, smearing flour. “Sheesh.” She grabbed a towel to clean it off.

“You’re good for a girl’s ego,” Lisle said. “And how was your dinner with friends last night?”

That seemed like weeks ago, not hours. Brooke snapped back to reality and took a breath. “I didn’t make it.”

“How come?”

And there it was, the big question. Brooke hadn’t planned ahead, so was caught off guard. “Uh, something came up.”

Lisle gave her the big eyes. “Yes?”

Quickly, Brooke sidestepped the issue. With the sous chef and assistants so close, she didn’t want to spill the beans. “I met someone.” That was all she could come up with on short notice. She cringed. Couldn’t she have said that she missed the dinner engagement because she had a stomachache or something?

Lisle grinned. “I must get going to make sure my crew is on schedule. But we’ll talk later. I want to heareverything.”

Brooke returned to her chocolate confections, but a piece broke off and she had to start over. She had no idea exactly how she was going to tell Lisle about last night. She tried to refocus on the tasks at hand, but a shadow hung over her. The last thing she wanted was to be involved in a crime. In a brief instant the night before, her life had taken an unexpected turn. She should tell Jasper about her situation, but she didn’t want to worry him.

Time flew by as Brooke finished creating the macaroons in various flavors. The biscuit cake had a sweet meringue base and was one of her personal favorites. She’d prepped a batchof croissants before leaving the day before, which helped speed things along. After spreading chocolate frosting on an order of eclairs, she finished the croissants then took a breath.

“Time for a break,” Lisle said. “My team’s busy, and you’ve been at this for hours.” She linked arms with Brooke. “Plus, I can’t stand the suspense.”

Brooke followed her to the breakroom and took a bottle of mineral water from the fridge.

“I need something stronger,” Lisle said, pouring a cup of coffee. “So, who is this new guy?

Her enthusiasm made Brooke feel worse. If only what Lisle assumed was true. “It’s not really what you think.” Brooke decided to tell her friend about Gabriel, because she would know soon enough—the minute he strolled through the door to pick her up.

“Um, you missed a dinner engagement for him,” Lisle said. “A special event that you attend every year. So explain to me how it’s not what I’m thinking.”

“It’s a lot more complicated.”

Lisle grinned. “I can deal with complicated. Do you like him?” She took a sip of coffee. “Because there is something different about you. I saw it when I came in. I thought you were tired or overworked, but now I see that you’re worn out for a different reason.”

Brooke lifted her hand. “Before you get carried away, let me explain.”

As she told her friend the details of what happened the evening before, Lisle’s smile gradually faded. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I wish I was kidding.” Brooke took a deep breath. “It’s not really so bad. I accidentally witnessed something. But I reported it, so that should be the end of it.”

“Only your new boyfriend doesn’t agree,” Lisle said. “And he is the law enforcement expert.”

Brooke rolled her eyes. “He is not my boyfriend. He’s just being a good Samaritan.”

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