Page 77 of Smitten with the Single Dad

All of the children were adorable, but there was something particularly cute and sweet about Silas. Maybe it was how quiet he was, or how polite, but Vica was pulled to the little boy and determined to make him smile. Because when he smiled it lit up the entire room.

“Boys,” she said as the put away the last of the Lego, “would you like to learn how to make your own pasta?”

Their eyes lit up.

“Like spaghetti?” Silas asked.

“Spaghetti, fettuccini, ravioli, tortellini. Anything you’d like.”

Three little heads bobbed.

Vica glanced at Wyatt for permission even though she knew he’d say yes. She could tell he still wasn’t feeling quite right, and even though she had a bit of a headache, she was okay for the most part. A little sore in a few places, but otherwise okay. Her mind, however, was in desperate need of a distraction. So she was going to take that in the form of three little boys who wanted to learn how to make pasta from scratch.

Wyatt nodded. “We have a spare pasta maker in the restaurant. I can run down and grab it.”

But she waved him off. “No, no. You’re not feeling great. I’m sure I’ll be fine. Nobody would be stupid enough to come after me in daylight with customers and cabin guests everywhere. I’m safe on the property.” She rested a hand on his arm where they stood in the kitchen. “Just rest on the couch.”

She finished her tea, then took off out the front door, not sticking around to hear his protests or argue with him.

Until recently, she had freedom. Track and his father had changed all that, but she was determined not to give them that kind of power. Surely, she could venture down to the restaurant.

In no time, and without even the feel of eyes watching her, Vica entered the kitchen where Burke, Wyatt’s executive chef, greeted her with a big smile. “How’s the boss man?”

“Stubborn and not resting enough,” she said. “I’m here for the spare pasta maker. I’m going to turn three little boys into world class Italian chefs.”

Burke grinned big, straight, white teeth which seemed to glow against his tanned complexion. “I love it. Hang on. Let me get it for you.” He disappeared into one of the storage rooms.

“Hey Vica.” Nadine greeted as she came through the swinging door from the front of house, Ginny was right behind her.

“Hey Vica,” Ginny said as well. “How are you guys doing after the accident last night? That was so scary.”

Vica nodded. “Yeah … we’re all pretty sore. Wyatt probably the most. He isjust taking it easy.”

Ginny pursed her cupid’s bow lips together then frowned, shaking her head. “Do you still think it’s tied to what happened to you here?”

Shrugging, Vica bent down and picked up a piece of lettuce off the tile floor, walking the few steps over to the trash bin. “I don’t honestly know. But whoever it is, they made the very bad choice of going after me when there were children in the car.”

Ginny’s amber eyes went wide. “Oh … yeah, no kidding. Big mistake.” She finished what she was doing with the salad dressing tubs, smiled awkwardly and left.

Nadine offered Vica a more genuine smile. “I’m really glad you’re all safe, Vica. Truly. My heart just fell to my feet when I heard what happened. Take care and send my love to Wyatt and the boys.” Then she took her armload of napkins back through the swinging doors.

Burke appeared less than a heartbeat later carrying the commercial grade, metal, hand-crank pasta machine.

“Perfecto!” she said with a big smile while taking it from the handsome chef with short-cropped hair and big arm muscles. “How are things going down here?”

“Wyatt might be surprised to believe it, but we’re functioning quite well without him. We miss him, but everyone has rallied, and orders are still going out in a timely fashion. Hopefully, our big Kahuna realizes after this that he needs to start taking more days off and spending more time with his kids. Those boys are going to grow up faster than he realizes, and he’ll have missed it being here with us the whole time.” The sincerity of his words and love for Wyatt shone in Burke’s soulful gray-blue eyes with the unique flecks of copper around the irises.

“I hope so too,” she said. “They’re great kids.”

“The best,” he agreed with a smile.

She waved at a few other friendly faces in the kitchen, thanked Burke onemore time, then exited out the back kitchen door.

She was nearly at the security gate when a loudcrackechoed in the woods, followed by three more. Something whizzedpast her ear. Then something sharp, hot, and painful lashed at her arm causing her to let go of the pasta maker. She dropped to the gravel instantly, glancing at her right bicep where, sure enough, blood poured from where what had to be a bullet grazed her skin.

The pub door flew open and she glanced back to see Dominic, his eyes wide. Clint was running out of the brewery and Burke was running out of the kitchen’s back door.

All three men were on high alert. Beyond the gate, she saw Bennett come running out of his house toward her. One thing was for sure, every single one of them had the same look on their face.

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