Page 36 of Bake You Mine
“Aren’t you that chef?” the ex asked. Maybe he was trying to intimidate Liam with that big jarhead scowl. It would take a lot more than that.
“I’m Liam Linley. I own Elevation Eatery.”
“Ooh, you’re hot chef,” the blonde said. “I’m Kayla, Daphne’s stepmom.”
She extended a hand. Behind her, Aubrey’s ex made no effort to hide his eye roll.
Liam also wanted to roll his eyes, but for a different reason. He was more than hot chef. He wiped his hands on his pants. “Sorry, my hands are sticky. Wouldn’t want to subject you to that.”
Kayla’s face fell, and Aubrey’s asshole ex took a step closer. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“Mom and Liam are competing for this space. Besides, why would Mom tell you? You barely call,” Daphne groused.
Oh, shit. A third-degree burn, delivered with ease by a middle schooler. Liam coughed into his shoulder to stifle his laugh.
“Okay, well, Liam and I have business to discuss.” Aubrey turned to her daughter.“Do you want to stay or go with your father?”
Even after these boundary-stomping assholes were nothing but rude, Aubrey didn’t sink to their level.
“Stay here. I want to annoy Tom.”
Aubrey laughed. “The lady has it. Sorry, guys.”
“Listen here—” the dick started.
“I think Aubrey said what she needed to say,” Liam said. “Besides, we’re supposed to be in a meeting right now.”
Aubrey glanced at him with an expression he couldn’t quite place.
“Dad, why don’t you walk me to Petit Chou?” Daphne extended her hand to her father. The guy may be a dick, but his expression softened when he looked at Daphne.
“Okay then, little bug.”
The stepmom trailed behind them, casting a come-hither look at Liam. He quickly glanced away.
Once they were gone, Aubrey collapsed into a nearby chair.
“Ahem.”
Aubrey dropped her head into her hands at the sound of a new voice. “Now what?”
Damon stood in the doorway, apple galette in one hand, plates and cutlery in the other. While she rubbed her temples, Liam took the plates and galette from Damon.
“I have something that might make your day a little better,” Liam said.
Aubrey glanced up as he set the galette on the table.
“What the hell is that?” She leaned forward. “An apple galette? When did you have time to make puff pastry?” She reached for the knife that Damon had set on the cutting board.
“I didn’t. Tom let me have some.”
“Really?”
He shrugged. “I thought it would be an easy recipe to practice, so maybe I can start incorporating dessert at Elevation. I’d devise my recipe; this was just me messing around.”
She sat back in her seat and sighed. “That was nice of you.”
He rattled cutlery onto the table and set a plate in front of her. “Don’t worry about it. Although I couldn’t do it as well as you, I wanted to try.”
