Page 44 of Recipe for Romance

“I’m not a patient man, not anything like she was, and I knew that as much as I might hope that I could have helped you with your dream, I didn’t have it in me. You needed someone far more patient than myself, and even though he can be a rough asshole, I knew that Aiden would soften up for you. I wish I could be that for you, Nicki, but I can’t. You’re so much like my Audrey, her mirror image in almost every way, and I know it makes me a horrible father, but that’s also why sometimes I just couldn’t be around you.” His voice seemed to break at that moment and she reached over and pulled her dad into a hug.

Tears fell from her eyes, and as much as it hurt to hear how hard it was for her dad to be near her, knowing that it was because of something out of her control also lightened the weight that had been on her chest for the last thirteen years. Nicole sniffled, the last of his words ringing in her ears until she realized something.

Pulling back, she looked at her dad and smiled tremulously. “You saidcouldn’t. Does that mean that you think you’ll be able to be around me more in the future?”

Her dad nodded. “One of the chefs I mentored lost his father not long ago. He invited me to the grief counseling group he attends and I thought, why not? It made me feel a little better and I’ve been going for a while now. I can’t promise to be a different person overnight, but I can promise to try and be better.” He pulled Nicole into another hug.

It lasted a long time until finally he pulled back, his eyes boring into hers. “I need you to know something, Nicki. You have never,ever, been a disappointment to me. You’ve struggled, but you persevered, never gave up. And now?” He looked around the expansive space, his eyes lighting up. “Everything you’ve done here is amazing. This restaurant wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for you.”

A rebuttal was on the tip of her tongue, but Nicole swallowed it. Her dad was finally complimenting her, and she was going to take it at face value. “Thanks, Dad. That means a lot.”

They stood and hugged once more, the action becoming more familiar each time it happened. “No, thank you for listening and not giving up on a dumb bastard like me.”

“I think that’s her specialty,” Aiden said. When she turned to face him, he was scrutinizing the two of them. Nicole could handle herself, but there was something kind of hot about him wanting to make sure she was okay, and she couldn’t wait to get back home to show him how much she appreciated it. “Are we all good here?”

Nicole smiled and grabbed his hand as she left her dad’s arms. “We’ll get there,” she told him. It would take a lot more than one conversation and a few hugs to bridge the gap that her dad’s behavior had created in their relationship, but she was confident that with more of those things and plenty of visits, they would get there eventually.

Aiden pulled her into her side and kissed the top of her head. “Good.” He looked up at her dad, the respect for his mentor still evident, but a new protectiveness for her obvious in his gaze as well. “Hopefully we get there soon. I may be more of a chef than a butcher, but I know how to wield a cleaver when I need to.”

Nicole’s dad barked a laugh and extended his hand to Aiden. “As do I, so how about we both promise to treat Nicki like she deserves to be treated and we won’t have to bother.” Nicole rolled her eyes at their male posturing, but it felt good too.

Aiden smiled and shook his hand. “Easiest promise I ever made.”

After another hug to her father and a promise to see him before he flew back to Los Angeles in the morning, Aiden steered her over to where his family had pushed a few tables together and were laughing hysterically as they passed around a bottle of Felix’s cider. The rest of the dining room was empty, the servers back with the kitchen staff closing out their tabs for the evening.

When they got to the edge of the table, a hush fell upon the previously raucous group. “What did you think?” Aiden asked them.

Everyone looked at each other before a chorus of congratulations and compliments rang out. Aiden’s father pulled him into a tight hug before passing him over to his mom and then around to every other member of the family. Nicole squeaked with surprise when she became next in line, hugging each and every Kemp until she was so turned around that she nearly tripped back into a chair.

She and Aiden joined in on the celebration for a few minutes, but once the cider was gone and it was time to deal with the end of the night duties, they walked Aiden’s family to the door and bid them goodnight. “Thanks again everyone,” he said to them, his cheeks pink. “I really appreciate your support.” After another round of hugs and each member proclaiming how much they loved the other, Nicole and Aiden got back to work.

It wasn’t until much later, after the restaurant was dark and Nicole sat in a warm bath, bracketed by Aiden’s legs as he soaked in the tub with her that her new reality sank in. She looked over her shoulder at the man she loved, studying his face as his head lolled back in relaxation. He looked tired, but more than anything else, he looked happy.

Nicole reached up and kissed his chin, smiling when he blinked his blue eyes open. “Congratulations, Chef,” she told him.

Aiden leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “Congratulations to you too, Angel.” He rested his forehead against hers for a moment before kissing her again. “Thank you for helping me do this. It means everything to me.Youmean everything.” As Aiden wrapped his slick arms around Nicole and pulled her back against him for a deeper kiss, her chest expanded to make room for more love for him, more than she’d had even moments ago. It turned out that sometimes, you could have your cake and eat it too, and with Aiden, she would enjoy every bite.

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