Page 2 of Tactically Tied

Jed tilted his head, considering her offer. She was pretty, no doubt about that. Any other guy would’ve jumped at the chance to flirt back. But for Jed, it felt like going through the motions. The thrill, the chase—none of it had ever really mattered. Not when his heart had always been chasing someone else. Someone who didn't even have the decency to be present to get caught.

"Thanks, but I got a lot on my plate. Mainly the plates that'll need washing after the game."

Before they could make another offer, Jed moved away from their side of the bar and headed to the opposite end. He scanned the dining area, his eyes catching on a table near the bar. Sure enough, there sat Noah Henry and Fish Minou, both nursing beers and laughing at something on the screen.

They were an unlikely pair, for sure. Noah was all clean-cut charm, married to Jacqui Chou. Fish, the scarred, wounded warrior, had somehow won over Jules, the youngest and sweetest of the Chou trio. The fact that Chow Town—the Chou family restaurant—was Grits and Grub’s biggest rival didn’t seem to matter to these two. But Jed knew better.

The real rivalry wasn’t between restaurants. It was between him and the middle Chou sister. The one who took off on jets just as soon as she landed. The one whose lips he'd crashed into five years ago. The one who caused turbulence in his dreams each night.

And that was only because Jami hadn’t figured out that the turbulence was all in her head. He let her think they were enemies because it kept her close. Whenever she was in town, that was.

Jed grabbed two cold beers from the bar and headed over, his boots scuffing against the worn wooden floor as he approached the table.

"On the house, boys," he said, setting the bottles down with a grin. "You look like you could use a refill."

"Thanks, Jed. Just don’t tell Jacqui I’m here, all right? She thinks I’m at some... meeting."

Jed chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. "Your secret’s safe with me. But I can’t help it if she sees your name on the local gossip page tomorrow."

And by the local gossip page, Jed meant the early morning trash pickup where neighbors tugged their bins to the curb and spent an hour listening to and delivering town gossip. The Chou family was always gossip. There were rumors that Old Man's Chou had left a small fortune to each of his six granddaughters. But the catch was they couldn't get access to the money unless they got married. With both Jacqui and Jules' recent nuptials timed closely with upgrades to the Chowtown Restaurant and Jules' new bakery, Jed was starting to believe those rumors just might be true. Not that he'd ever ask his new friends to confirm or deny.

Noah rolled his eyes. "There’s always a risk when you marry into a big family."

Fish, sitting beside him with a half-smile, raised his beer in a casual toast. "Jules and I don’t have secrets. I tell her everything."

Noah scoffed, shaking his head. "Yeah, well, not all of us are living in a Hallmark movie, buddy."

Fish took a slow sip of his beer, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Hey, you married a Chou sister, man. It’s close enough."

Jed smirked, leaning on the back of an empty chair. He could feel the lighthearted banter between the two, but his mind was already drifting. Maybe it was the exhaustion from running the kitchen all night, or maybe it was just that nagging feeling that something—orsomeone—was missing. It was the longest Jami had been out of town. It felt like he needed a whiff of her to get through the next few months. But he couldn't outright ask?—

"You know Jami’s coming to town, right?" said Fish

Jed tightened his grip on the chair, forcing himself to stay casual. His heart gave a sudden lurch at the mention of her name, but he schooled his features into something that resembled disinterest.

"All three Chou sisters back together." Noah grimaced. "With just the two of them, I feel outnumbered. But all three?"

"Oh yeah?" Jed leaned back, trying to sound nonchalant. "Haven’t seen Jami in a while."

Jami Chou was a blur of passport stamps and culinary critiques, a force of nature that blew into town just long enough to stir things up before leaving again. And every time she left, Jed wondered if she’d ever come back for good.

Before Jed could ask anything more—like exactly which day she was getting back, or how long she’d be staying—the door opened, and a familiar figure stepped in.

It was a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair, a sharp suit, and an air of confidence that only came from one place: television. It was Rick Landers, a producer for the Tasty TV Network, and the man who had put him on the map years ago.

"Excuse me, fellas," Jed said, straightening his posture. "Duty calls."

Noah waved him off with a salute of his beer bottle. "Go ahead. We’ll be here. Or, at least I will. Fish’s perfect marriage won’t keep him out past curfew."

Fish shot him a satisfied grin, and Jed chuckled before heading toward the door. As he crossed the room, his mind raced. What was Rick doing here? Another show? Another opportunity? Whatever it was, Jed had a feeling his life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

He met Rick at the entrance, offering a handshake that was as firm as his smile. "Rick. Been a while."

"Jed Winchester, the Culinary Casanova. You still serving the best barbecue this side of the state?"

"Wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t. You're a long way from L.A. What brings you to town?"

Rick’s smile widened, a gleam in his eye that told Jed this wasn’t just a social call. "I’ve got a proposition for you. Something big."

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