Page 36 of A Taste of Christmas Magic

“Congratulations.” Chloe rushed forward solving his dilemma of how to greet her. No dignified greeting for Chloe. She threw her arms around him and held tight, and everything in him settled, grounded him.

“You did it, Rustin! You did it! The Wild Side looks amazing! It looks so chic and cool, and like it’s always been here waiting to show off. You stripped it to its bones and rebirthed it, and with people here, it feels like…” She let go partially, one slim arm still tucked around his neck as she swung back like a door opening. “It feels like history. Like it’s yours.”

Chloe laughed and hugged him again. “I’m so happy for you! So happy. You’ve worked so hard, and I know, know, know that this,” she waved one arm airily around, “will be your typical Saturday night: full of life, full of fun, people dressed up or dressed down, vibing with each other, eating delicious food and creating memories and experiences.”

“That’s the plan,” he said. Totally lame response after her gush of words, but he could barely speak, and all he wanted to do was tug her out to the deck and down to the path along the river so he could have her alone, hear himself think, express the words and thoughts that drummed against his skull.

But he knew, absolutely knew, that he needed to keep himself and his confusing feelings locked down tight.

This was Chloe Maye Cramer. AndMayewas a big part of that. She was sweet, and he was in no position to start anything because of the demands of his restaurant. Too many people depended on him. And Miss Millie trusted him. He could hardly put moves on her granddaughter.

“It’s crowded,” he stated the obvious. “Loud. Do you want to take a walk?”

What? That’s not what I was supposed to say!

“Yes.” Chloe smiled at him, her expression so open, so guile-free, that he nearly kissed her. Time clunked to a stop, and it was hard to breathe.

He was acting out of character. For over a decade he’d been driven, disciplined. A few weeks in Chloe’s presence, and he felt himself slipping precariously toward the edge of…something.

It’s that damn book.

But that was crazy, right? But so was this out-of-the-blue need to be with Chloe.

“But first I want to taste that cherry bounce you created. Lucas went on and on about it. I think his brain cells were getting fried by so much time by the smoker, even though I kept bringing him water and herbal sweet tea to keep him hydrated. He said you’d made your own batch, fermented it for weeks.”

“I like to play around even though the bar is not supposed to be my domain.”

“Allof The Wild Side is your domain.”

He should ask her about her night, how her stop on the tour had gone. Chloe had said she’d been volunteering at the feast since she’d been eleven or twelve, so plating, serving, cleaning up, and welcoming a parade of guests wasn’t new to her. But this had been her first year cooking and being in charge. And more tickets had been sold this year than ever.

“Congratulations, Rustin,” Jessica approached him.

He’d practically forgotten she’d arrived with Chloe. He never would have imagined the woman he’d loved beyond reason as a teen, the one who had kicked him to the curb, would become nearly forgettable. Maybe time did heal most wounds.

“You’ve really,” she looked around, and he saw her pulse kick up in her elegant neck, “created something,” Jessica said softly.

He waited for the hot burst of heat. Of anger. Of agony. But he felt nothing.

“Thank you,” he said cautiously, amazed that he could talk so politely to the woman who had once crushed him.

“It’s been a long road,” he admitted, feeling prideful. “I wanted to come home and open my own restaurant even before I left,” he admitted.

“Why?” Jessica asked, her voice full of curiosity. She ran a hand through her thick, rich hair. “Why would you want to come back to a town with so many painful memories? Why do you want to work so hard on such slim profit margins?” Jessica’s voice still had that little curious husk that had always torn him up inside, made him mad with desire to protect her.

She really wanted to know. He saw her smile, and her hands clenched in front of her fluttered before she gripped them again, but his attention caught and held on Chloe, who stood on her toes, smiling widely, waiting for his answer while her eyes sparkled with warmth.

She wasn’t beautiful like Jessica. But Chloe had magnetism, charm, and an openness that invited him in rather than left him on the outside looking in.

“Why, Rustin?” Jessica insisted. “Why Millie’s? Why a restaurant?”

“Because.” His voice felt raw, scraped from the back of his throat. He tried to swallow. Jessica had asked the question, but it was Chloe he was talking to. She saw him. The real him he’d always hid, even now. “Because I was always hungry.”

He let that sit a moment. It hit him as hard as it seemed to knock into both Chloe and Jessica.

“Excuse us,” he said before he even knew he’d meant to speak or move, and he lightly put his arm around Chloe. “I wanted to show Chloe something after I get her a glass of my cherry bounce. Enjoy the party at The Wild Side, Jessica.” He wouldn’t tell her it was good to see her again. But it hadn’t hurt one bit, and he’d take that as a win.

Going with instinct, he steered Chloe out of one of the doors that led to the deck. Not willing to stop long enough to grab her coat, he shrugged out of his leather motorcycle jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

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