Chapter Nine

On her way through the dining room, Olivia smiled at the staff but didn’t slow down, intent on grabbing a sandwich. Early afternoon, and everything ran like a Swiss clock. All the lunch customers looked satisfied, and Rock House was especially busy for a Tuesday.

Her stomach growled at the smells of olive oil, garlic, and thyme coming from the kitchen. Maybe she’d indulge in something better than a sandwich. She stepped through the door and glanced around.

Shay stood next to Eli, her brow furrowed in concentration while staring into the pot. Her head cocked to the side when he imparted some culinary secret.

“New BFF’s?” Olivia loaded a plate with a frisee-and-spinach salad. She dressed it with cranberries and walnuts, then tossed it with apple cider vinaigrette. A couple of strips of her favorite grilled paprika-and-thyme chicken, and she was ready to chow down.

“Here, add this. Bacon makes everything better.” Margaret joined her at the counter and sprinkled some over the salad.

“Mmm, it sure does. Thanks.” Olivia took a bite and then pointed with her fork. “But back to them. They have the same expression on their face.”

“I don’t mind one bit.” Margaret smiled at the two who studiously stared into some bubbling liquid on the stove. But her smile turned into a frown. “Shay is eager to learn. She’s already a decent cook. Besides, Eli is tired. He hasn’t been feeling well and won’t go to the doctor. She’s been a big help.”

A flush of guilt ran through Olivia’s chest. Margaret and Eli both worked seven days a week now. Just because the Grill was closed one day a week, didn’t mean there weren’t shopping and other prep to do. Aden had hired a rotating staff, so there were plenty of sous and line chefs. But Aden and Eli were the two top dogs in the kitchen. Aden had rarely taken a day off. Now Eli covered for both of them.

“I’m sorry.” Her shoulders slumped. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“No, stop.” Margaret peered at her, light-brown eyes solemn. “I didn’t mean to lay any guilt on you. We signed up for this.”

Olivia reached out and gently tugged one of the woman’s dreadlocks. “Still, you and Eli are family to me. If anything happened to either of you…”

“Nothing will happen to us. You have enough to fret about. Let me worry about my own husband.”

Her soft Carolina accent flowed like a balm over Olivia’s nerves.

“It’s not like we’re employees. We have a vested interest in this business too, you know.”

“I know.” Olivia popped another bite into her mouth and talked around it. “Doesn’t change the fact it’s been an extra burden.”

“Tsk. Shay being here has lifted quite a burden already. Her coming here early and helping Eli before the rest arrive has been a boon. She’s smart and has experience. He listens to her, and today’s menu is based on Shay’s recommendations.”

“Really?” Olivia raised her brows and glanced again at the pair. “That’s unusual.”

Eli was very territorial about his food. He and Aden often argued about the menu. She and Margaret stayed out of it, except to occasionally laugh at the two of them. Even though they had ended up working out a schedule, detailing who was top dog on what day, it didn’t keep them from growling at each other.

“He likes Shay and thinks she’s got what it takes to rise to the next level. Eli calls himself her mentor.” The oven timer went off, and Margaret shooed her from the kitchen. “Break’s over, back to work.”

“Mentor, huh. Okay, keep me posted.” Olivia scored another piece of chicken as she scooted by. “I’ll get more help if he needs it. I’m heading over to the hospital in a little while. Should I up the air conditioning? It’s hot in here.”

“It’s always hot in the kitchen.” Margaret smiled. “If you can’t stand the heat…”

“I know.” Olivia laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m getting out of the kitchen.”

The twins decided to keep Aden’s arrival that evening a secret. Olivia smiled at the thought they would surprise everyone. A song about seeing a new future after the rain cleared, pumped through the speakers as she carried her salad back to the office.

When she finished the latest numbers for both restaurants, she glanced at the clock. Time to head to the rehabilitation center. Where did the hours go? Walking out to her car, she surprised herself as she hummed the upbeat song from earlier and reflected on the words. Even though the future wasn’t clear, hope flittered on the horizon. She hadn’t been content for—well—ever, it seemed, but change was in the air. The future, for the first time, didn’t resemble a black hole.

****

“Forks to the left and knife and spoons to the right.” Shay slid the silverware to the correct position while explaining to the new waitress.

“Shay!” Margaret’s panicked voice rang out from the kitchen. “Shay, hurry!”

“I’ll be back.” Shay ran to the kitchen and burst through the doors. She assessed the scene using her medical experience.

Eli sat in a chair near the table where he’d been pounding out cutlets. Sweating and rubbing his left arm, he tried to convince Margaret he was okay. “It’s just indigestion, sweetheart. I’ve been getting it more often.”

Grabbing the arm of the nearest line cook, Shay instructed him to call 911. “Tell them chest pain,” and then to the rest of the staff she dictated, “everybody back to work. Give the man some space.”

Margaret squatted down next to the chair, and Shay scooched up beside her. “Hey, what’s going on, big guy?”

Eli’s healthy ruddy complexion was now pale, almost gray.

She found his pulse. His heartbeat was too fast and thready. Eli appeared in good physical shape, and he wasn’t old. He didn’t fit the profile of a heart attack victim, but she’d seen stranger things. “When did you start having chest pain? Do you have heart problems?”

Eli licked his lips and started to say no when Margaret interrupted. “Eli’s family has a history of heart problems. He began having some issues a couple of weeks ago but refused to go to the doctor.”

“Too busy for the doctor.” His voice was not its usual robust self.

“Well, let’s focus on today and going forward.” Shay dropped her tone to the calming one she’d practiced over the years. “Eli, try to relax and take regular breaths. You’ll be okay. We’re right here with you.”

A sharp intake of breath came from behind her.

A deep rumbly voice said, “You’re my angel.”

Turning to glance over her shoulder, Shay spotted Olivia holding the door open while a man rolled his wheelchair through the entry. Aden. She dragged her gaze away from the male version of Olivia and focused back on her patient. In a voice calmer than she felt, said, “Hey, Liv. Eli’s not feeling well, and an ambulance is on its way.”

“What can I do?” Aden asked.

“You must be Aden. I have to stay here. Can you handle the front?” She turned to two nearby cooks. “Please help me get Eli into the locker room.”

With their burly tattooed arms the guys lifted the chair like it was nothing and carried Eli into the next room.

It would give them more space, and they would be out of the way.

She turned to glance at Aden for an answer.

“Yes. You worry about Eli.” Aden spun the chair around and went out front.

Moments later she heard his voice, quiet but firm, addressing the once-again traumatized staff.

Shay took a deep breath and followed Eli into the locker room.

“Should I close?” Worry lines creased Olivia’s forehead as she stood beside a pale Eli.

“No, I’ll be all right in a few.” Eli shook his head slowly.

“Stop thinking about the kitchen.” Margaret’s voice was tight with stress. “Think about you. I need you, Ginger Man.”

“Olivia, can you handle the kitchen staff?” Shay didn’t want Eli worrying or arguing.

“Okay. Come on, guys.” Olivia herded them out. “Let’s give them room.” A moment later, her gentle voice drifted in. “Eli will be fine. I need you all to continue doing what you do best.”

“She’s right. You will be fine.” Shay nodded at Eli and pressed a fingertip to his wrist to monitor his pulse. “My team will be here in a few minutes, and we’ll get you checked out.” Worry gnawed at her while the time ticked past. The EMS crews scrambled fast, but her being on the other side of things made each moment seem to drag.

“Where are they?” Margaret paced while wringing her hands. “It feels like forever.”

“I know it seems like it, but it’s only been a few minutes.” She took Margaret’s hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. Sighs of relief escaped from them when Zach came through the door.

“Hey Shay. What do you have?”

“Chest pain, discomfort in the left arm, family history of heart disease.” Her report was short and concise. Then, while Zach fitted an oxygen mask to Eli’s face, she ran down a more detailed patient history.

Mason and Joanna arrived and wheeled in a stretcher. Joanna took the orange emergency bag, laid it on the floor, and unzipped it. She lifted out a BP cuff and strapped it to Eli’s arm. Then, while she took Eli’s blood pressure, Zach radioed the paramedics.

Shay stepped back to give them room, taking Margaret with her. She wrapped her arms around Margaret’s trembling shoulders and whispered, “Don’t worry. Eli is in good hands.”

“I’m so afraid.” Margaret leaned into Shay. “I don’t think I could live without my Ginger Man.”

“And you won’t have to,” Shay reassured her, then glanced over to where Joanna removed the stethoscope from her ears. “What are you doing here? It’s not your duty night.”

“I checked the alert and saw the location. No way I wasn’t coming.”

“Affirmative, dispatch.” Zach spoke into his shoulder mic and then to them. “Medics will meet us en-route. Let’s load up.”

Everyone worked together, and Eli was soon bundled onto the stretcher.

With electrodes on his bared chest, and the transparent bag of the oxygen mask moving with the rhythm of his breathing, the usually hale and hearty man appeared vulnerable.

Margaret gripped Shay’s hand as they pushed him toward the ambulance.

“Joanna, can you take Margaret to the hospital?”

“Of course.”

When Joanna pulled her car around, Shay gave Margaret a fierce hug before opening the door for her. “I’ll be right behind you.”

The red lights lit up the street as the ambulance pulled away.

Shay shuddered and released the sob she’d been holding in. Eli and Margaret had become the family she didn’t have. The idea of losing one of them… No, she refused the possibility. Eli would be fine.

Wiping her face, she ran back to the Grill to grab her car keys. As she closed her locker, Olivia blocked the exit.

“Shay, one of two things has to happen. We either call the reservations and put up a closed sign—or you cook.”

“What?” Shay squeaked. “I know you’re under pressure, Olivia House, but you’re crazy. I’m heading to the hospital.”

“I’ll go. We need you here.” Worry creased deeper on Olivia’s brow as she came toward her and placed her hands on Shay’s shoulders. Her breath hitched when she spoke, “Please, Shay, I don’t think we’ll make a comeback if we close again.”

“Even if I stay, how am I supposed to cover for Eli?” Shay swiped away the sweat beading on her forehead. “We’ll definitely not make a comeback after they eat what I can make.”

“You can cook. You’ve been working with Eli for weeks.”

They stared at each other while Shay calculated the damage. If they closed again so soon, it would send a bad sign. If she stepped in to cook… Tingles of panic ran up and down her spine. “I can’t replace Eli.”

“No, you can’t.”

Shay and Olivia both swung their heads toward the door where Aden had wheeled in without catching either’s attention.

“See, your brother knows I can’t do this.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t do this.” He waved his hand, indicating the kitchen. “I said you can’t replace Eli. Nobody could.”

“So what are you saying?” The handsome man in front of her wasn’t insinuating she could step up as Executive Chef?

“Olivia has been talking about you nonstop since you arrived. She just told me on the ride over that Eli thinks you are the most natural chef he’s ever seen.”

“I have no schooling. No formal training…”

Aden cut her off. “You’ve spent every moment you could spare from running the front working alongside Eli in the kitchen. I’d call it training.”

“What if I mess up?” Her voice quivered. She couldn’t do this, could she? This was her vision. What she’d always wanted. Eli and Olivia had both encouraged and helped her in the steps toward the fulfillment of her dream. How could she let them down?

Aden rolled past Olivia and came to a stop in front of Shay. Even sitting, his eyes were almost level with hers. “I can’t stand and cook yet. But I can coach you. If there are any problems or questions, I’ll be right out there running the front.”

“Please, Shay.” Olivia stood behind Aden’s chair with her hand on his shoulder. “We need you. Lunch is winding down. We have some time before the evening crowd shows.”

Shay ping-ponged her gaze back and forth between the twins. She caught Aden’s stare and stayed focused on his brown eyes. He seemed calm and cool as if he had no doubts about putting a rookie in the top spot.

“You were my angel in the car, Shay. You saved my life.” He reached out and took her hand. “Will you be my angel again? I couldn’t cope with losing Rock House.”

She looked back at Olivia.

The other woman nodded with confidence at Shay. “Our angel.”

****

Aden recognized the moment Shay made her decision.

She closed her eyes and whispered what sounded like a prayer before addressing him. When she opened them, she stood taller, and fire lit in her hazel-colored eyes. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Now that it’s been decided, I’m off to the hospital.” Olivia slung the purse strap over her shoulder and walked out.

“You won’t leave me, right?” Shay’s voice trembled.

“I’ll be back and forth between here and the front. You’ve been training Dereck, correct?”

Shay nodded.

“Good. Let me tell him he’s moving up tonight, and I’ll be right back.”

One of the staff members propped open the kitchen doors, giving his chair plenty of room to go back and forth, as well as see and hear what was going on. He wheeled out into the dining room.

Earlier, everyone had greeted him and then returned to work. Things ran a bit differently, but it was an improvement. The place sparkled, and the staff dressed sharp. When Olivia had brought him sketches for a T-shirt she’d designed, he’d thought the design good. But the stone fireplace on the back of the black shirts was even better in conception. The words Rock House Grill were emblazoned across the front, along with the opening chord to his favorite song underneath the words. It gave everyone a cohesive appearance. They were his team. And he was back.

“Dereck.” He called the slim younger man over. “Suit up. You’ve got the front. Shay will be in the kitchen, and I’ll go between. Any problems or questions, come to me.”

Wide-eyed, the kid paled.

Aden held in a grin. The same momentary panic which Shay had shown earlier flashed over Dereck’s face. “You’ll be great. Shay trained you, right?

“Yeah, she’s the best.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. So then, you’ll be the best too.” Aden gave the kid an encouraging smile.

Then, like Shay had in the kitchen, Dereck straightened his shoulders and nodded. “Okay, boss.”

This was what he’d been missing. Leading, teaching, and encouraging. He wheeled back into the kitchen. He inhaled the familiar smells. Of course, garlic and onions, but underneath there were hints of rosemary, thyme, and butter. Things like the vanilla and cinnamon from Margaret’s baking. All the things that made Rock House his.

Shay stood surrounded by the other cooks as they went over the preps. When she noticed Aden had returned, she wiped her hands on a towel and walked over to him. “Is Dereck all right?”

“He’s fine. Nervous, like you, but you’re both going to be great. So, let’s talk food.”

“I’m good with the regular menu.” She twisted the towel like she was wringing it out. “What about the specials?”

“We’ll run a limited menu.” Specials were important, but due to the circumstances, one night without them wouldn’t be a catastrophe. Since Shay was comfortable with the mainstays, he was happy to run a singular special menu. It would also help him to understand her as a chef. “What do you do well? Something you know you can pull out of your hat?”

“Tuna sliders, seafood bisque, Pecan-encrusted chicken with butternut risotto.”

She rattled off the list from appetizer to entree so quickly, she must have been thinking about it.

Her eyebrows drew down and she bit her lower lip before whispering, “I don’t do desserts.”

“No problem.” He stifled a smile. Most chefs didn’t, which is why kitchens hired pastry chefs. “Margaret always has the classic desserts ready the day before and a backup special just in case. Let’s get started.”

“Okay.” Shay grabbed a pen and paper, jotting down ingredients, then handed out assignments to the line cooks. She blew out a huge breath and ran to the cooler, nearly wiping out as she went around the stainless-steel island. She returned a minute later with a crate of ingredients for her specials. “I’ll start with these.”

“You’ve got this.” Aden nodded approval at the contents of the box. “I won’t hover. But if you need anything, come get me.”

Shay started unloading and sorting her herbs and produce with shaky hands. “I will.”

Aden wheeled back to the dining room.

The grill master had been feeding the grill hardened applewood chips diligently for a couple of hours, then some of the meats low and slow. It took a while to get things to the correct temperature. The spicy, smoky aroma made his stomach growl. He’d grab a steak later. On the opposite side of the room, the fireplace gave off a soft glow with low cheery flames. Nearby, the barback wiped the glasses.

Aden had salvaged the bar at a reclamation yard near Philadelphia.

“Hey, boss. Glad to see you back.” The bartender carried a crate of local wine up from the cellar.

“Feels good to be here.” Aden caught sight of his reflection in the slight haze of the oxidized mirror behind the bottles. A smile stretched across his face. “It all looks great.”

And it did. Everything was under control in there, so Aden parked beside the propped-open kitchen door and peered in. He was out of the way, but with a line of sight into the kitchen. There his angel stood tasting something with a spoon. She nodded as if to assure herself it was good.

He listened while Dereck gave the servers their assignments and told them about the night’s specials. Everyone did what he needed from them, better than before the accident. Kayla often created more chaos than she was worth, with her drama and histrionics. Shay brought calmness to the Grill that had been lacking it in the recent past.

A sudden crash pulled him out of his musings and into the kitchen where Shay stood staring down, horrified at the mess on the floor.

One of the line-cooks stooped and began sopping up au jus.

“I’m so sorry, Gloria. I didn’t see you behind me.” Shay’s face paled as she wrung her hands.

Aden propelled over. “Gloria, grab the mop. Shay, calm down. It’s nothing we can’t fix.”

“I-I-I don’t think I can do this.”

His angel was close to the edge of breaking down. The teacher in Aden took over. “Of course you can. You’ve helped with the basic menu for weeks now.”

“I know, but…”

“No buts. Eli and the line-cooks have already begun. My people know their jobs.”

“You’ve got this, Shay.” Gloria sidled up next to her. The smaller woman smiled, and shoulder bumped her. “And chica, we’ve got you.”

Shay released a ragged breath and turned to the staff.

All the kitchen workers were smiling and nodding with encouragement.

“Okay, let’s do this.”

Aden scratched his head. The woman could climb into a shredded car and deal with lives in the balance. Hard to believe the thought of cooking a piece of chicken made her melt down.

By the time the first evening diners arrived, the staff had found their rhythm. Except for the wheelchair, it felt like he’d never left. Running his business, leading a great team, and bringing people together over good food was Aden’s dream. If only Eli were there.

Olivia texted him several times. No real word on Eli’s condition. They were running tests. The last text said he seemed to be doing okay. Huge relief. Parking the wheelchair out of the way, he massaged his achy legs and gazed over the main dining room, taking a moment to enjoy the good about that night.

Wow, his angel was in the kitchen. When he’d arrived, rolled into the back, and saw her, his breath had caught in his chest. She was beautiful, with her auburn hair and hazel-colored eyes, but more than appearance, she had the entire package.

The concern on her face and in her voice as she tended Eli had hit him in the gut. No one could fake that. The way Liv talked her up, Aden had his doubts anyone could be so perfect. Not anymore. He and his twin were so having a word when she returned. Olivia had to know Shay was his angel, and she hadn’t said a word.