Page 21 of Sunshine

I took a quick left to the small kitchen set up off to the side of the main line. Since they also did catering, Logan had two different areas both with ovens, stovetops, grills, the whole nine yards. It meant that Logan could work on catering without bothering the chefs working the restaurant side.

Privately, I also thought he had his kitchen set up this way so whenever he got a wild hair to go into Mad Scientist Mode he could take over.

Judging from the number of different dishes plated up around Logan, like satellites, he’d been in Mad Scientist Mode all day. I’d never realized how much creativity went into cooking until I started working with the alpha.

“I see you’ve been at this for a while.” I took a seat at the counter. It was a high top with bar stools under it, so whoever was sitting there could face Logan while cooking.

He passed me a plate like we were in a homestyle diner and not a state-of-the-art kitchen. As he handed it to me, his hand brushed mine, and electricity zipped through me. My cheeks got warm, and I prayed it seemed plausible that it wasn’t that I was blushing, but because we were in a hot kitchen.

Logan didn’t look up at me, thankfully, his attention still on his array of plates. “I’m working on the menu for the First Responders’ Festival.”

I picked up my fork, my stomach growling. He’d plated beef brisket cut into three perfect pieces, baked beans with bites of bacon poking through, and macaroni and cheese with gooey cheese sauce. The rim of the plate was perfectly clean and despite the Southern BBQ elements of the plate, it still looked like it came from a fancy restaurant.

I took a bite out of the brisket and moaned. Mouthwatering beef melted in my mouth. The outside of the beef was a little bit charred, adding some texture, and the meat itself was moist.I swallowed and shook my head. “This is so good it should be illegal.”

Logan watched me, the corners of his mouth turned up. “Not quite that.”

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought his growl had switched to something…huskier.

It was just my mind in the gutter again.

I tried the baked beans and moaned again. They were soft and chewy, the thick brown sauce sweet and tangy with a little bit of bite. I shook my head. “I don’t evenlikebaked beans, but this is magic.”

I took another bite, getting a bit of smokey bacon, and sighed. “This is amazing. Marry me.”

Logan laughed, his blue eyes twinkling. “Glad you approve.”

I ate some macaroni and cheese. I’d had his version before and it was always delicious, with bits of chive and leek. Logan passed me a glass of water.

I took a sip. “It’s perfect.”

Logan’s nose wrinkled, and he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at the delicious food he’d spent hours prepping like it had offended him. “Something’s not right.”

“Don’t serve it on white plates.” I grinned, knowing that’s not what he meant.

Logan shook his head, but he wasn’t frowning anymore.

“Walk me through it. First Responders’ Festival.” I twirled my fork, perfectly happy to be in the middle of a busy kitchen with a plate of yummy food, with an even yummier chef in front of me.

“Y’all gonna be there?”

I nodded. “We’re going to have a booth with crystal and tarot readings, with some raffles.”

Every year Half Moon Bay did a festival to raise money to donate to the local fire department and the other firstresponders. Local businesses came to advertise and show off their products, artists came to show off their art, and it was a fun time all around. Food trucks would be a heavy presence, and I was super excited about my yearly funnel cake.

Logan didn’t usually have a food truck, but they would bring the catering van to the festival to advertise the restaurant and raise money for the cause.

I gestured at my plate. “What doesn’t feel right? The food is casual, but the plating is still elevated.”

Logan stared at the food like it held the answers to all of life’s questions. “We’re going to smoke the brisket the day before to make sure we have enough portions. Mac and cheese, baked beans, that’s all getting prepped the day before.”

I took another bite of baked beans and almost died happy on the spot. “Sounds great.”

He kept frowning at the food.

“What’s wrong? You want it to feel more upscale? Less upscale?” I tried to picture Logan’s menu at a fair.

Talk of the Town was ‘sort of’ a steakhouse, in the way that unicorns were ‘sort of’ horses. Logan had a knack for putting menus together that were delicious, but also creative and adventurous.

---