Page 99 of Housebroke

And that’s what caused the gnawing in her stomach most days.

Linc had cleaned up and moved a long folding table and chairs from the guesthouse storage into the kitchen so they could eat in the house, so that’s where they ate some of their meals since he had already finished all his work in the dining area. He was upstairs showering and changing, so she poured them glasses of iced tea and set the table, finishing up just as he made his way downstairs.

The dogs were outside enjoying the cooler weather, all of them grouped together in a cuddle pile and snoozing under the palm tree.

“That smells so good.”

She looked over and smiled at Linc. “Thanks. I don’t know about you, but I’m super hungry.”

“Me, too. Let’s eat.”

He pulled out a chair for her and she sat. They busied themselves filling their tacos with the slaw and fish, along with the special sauce she’d made.

Linc took a huge bite, chewed, and swallowed. “Damn, Hazel. This is great.”

She couldn’t help but grin. He always complimented her food and it always made her feel good. “Thank you. The garlic lime crema felt right to me.”

“It feels right to my taste buds for sure.” He took another huge bite, nearly polishing off the first taco in two bites.

She was glad she’d made a lot of fish and slaw because she really liked this dish. She made a mental note to type it up and add it to her recipe file.

“You’re going to make this again for me, right?” he asked after they both finished.

“Of course. I’m adding it to my recipes.”

“Have you ever thought about writing a cookbook?”

“Me?” She pointed to herself. “No. I’m just an average cook, Linc.”

“You might think that, but you’re not. You have a gift with food, Hazel. And I would know because I’ve eaten at a lot of fancyrestaurants. You know just the right ingredients to make basic food into a tasty delight.”

“Ooh. Tasty delight. Maybe you could write the forward in my nonexistent cookbook.”

“Funny. But I know people that I think could hook you up with a book deal.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Don’t tease me. And also, no thank you.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It’s scary to even think about? What if I failed?”

“What if you succeeded? Can you imagine that?”

“No. I’ve never even thought about it. I mean, yes, I have thought about writing a cookbook, but just for myself, you know? To keep my favorite recipes in a pdf file. All organized and such. Not for other people to see.”

He crossed his arms. “What if I invited some people to taste food you cooked?”

She snorted out a laugh. “Where? Here, at our folding table in the kitchen in the house you haven’t finished yet?”

“No. In a restaurant. I know a guy here who’s the chef and owner of a pretty amazing restaurant. I’d bet he’d be happy to let you go in and cook for him.”

“Thanks, but no. I’m happy doing what I do. Cooking because I enjoy it. Working with the dogs. I don’t need more than that. Besides, cookbooks are written by people who have a following, who are already in the limelight. That’s not me. And I don’t want to be some restaurant star, either. I’m happy where I am, Linc. Ioccasionally work as a chef and it helps me make money doing what I really love. If that seems beneath you—”

“Whoa.” Linc held his hands up. “I never said that. I admire the work you do with the dogs, Hazel. It takes so much self-sacrifice to foster animals, to put your heart out there and see to their well-being and futures. Don’t ever think that I see you as anything less than admirable for the work you do. I was only making suggestions that I thought you might find interesting and fun.”

She realized she might have overreacted. “Okay. Sorry I flipped out.”

“You didn’t. I pushed. I just want you to know I believe in you, no matter what road you choose.”

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