“’Cause she told your dad she needs to cook to breathe or something like that. Guess we just got lucky.”
“Someone told her my cooking sucked. I think she’s taking pity on us.” Jake’s mouth watered when Bella spooned her brandy and caramelized onion sauce over the ocean trout she’d already plated up. With a sprinkle of diced parsley, the meal was almost done. She wiped the edges of the plate with a cloth and turned it toward the camera. “And there you have it, folks. The easiest, most delicious way to eat healthy and it only takes minutes in the kitchen. No need to reach for frozen meals or junk food when you can create fabulous, easy meals like this. Happy cooking. This is Bella Moore, leaving you wanting more, I hope. Good-night everyone.”
Holy crap. That sexy wink at the end. Wanting more? How many ways could he take that? Jake stood staring as the credits for her show rolled up. Moore for You, featuring Bella Moore.
“Dad. Dad!”
He tore his eyes from the screen and looked at Cory, his mind still focused on that sexy grin. Was it possible that all his wishes were about to come true? “Sorry, what?”
“You said yes, didn’t you?”
Woodsie nudged him in the ribs. “He’d better have. Whatever she’s cooking, we want more of it. Moore, get it!” He cackled and walked back to the kitchen, put his coffee mug in the sink.
“Did you?”
Jake remembered the light floral fragrance wafting from her hair as she sat beside him in the truck on the way back to the hotel after their trip to the lake. The easy way they talked now that the awkward beginning had been dealt with and they’d laughed over their failed dates.
He dragged himself back to the present, away from his fantasies. “Yeah, I think I did.” How on earth was he going to survive the next week? More importantly, how was he going to compete with the sort of lifestyle someone like Bella was used to? Her day-to-day existence was so far removed from his, he didn’t stand a hope. But, boy, did he want to try and the thought sobered him. After all the years of being alone, did he have the skills to even consider taking the chance with such a high-powered lady? How the hell was he going to pull this one off?
*
“Russell, hi.”
“Hey, Bella. What’re you doing calling me already? You’re supposed to be sleeping late and playing sloth-like. I’m not going to change my mind about you coming back to work. You know that, right?”
Background noise sent a pang of longing through Bella. He was on set of one of his many shows, probably doing what he did best – making high rating programs and driving his staff crazy. She missed it and him.
“What can I do for you, kid?”
She gave him a hurried, toned-down version of the fire and listened patiently while he admonished her for not relaxing. “I’m only playing, not serious cooking. Believe me, I’m relaxing so much my hands are itchy, and I swear if I so much as smell a burger joint here I’ll sweep in and take over the grill. Seriously, no, listen to me. I want to get Mari a stove and you have all the contacts, right? I don’t want to approach anyone in the industry in case I get caught up in a sponsor deal. Here’s what I want and I kind of need it yesterday.” She described what she had in mind and finally he agreed to help her out.
“And, Russell, charge it to me, okay? I’ll deal with my sister.”
“You are going to take it easy, right? You promised me, Bella. If you have a meltdown, you know you’re risking your contract?”
Of course she did, but she had her fingers crossed behind her back as she made that promise and her contract – well that scared her half to death. It was what she’d worked so hard for all these years. To lose it would kill her. But Russell had to expect her to keep working at least a little. After all, he’d forced her to take the break—not something she would’ve done willingly—so he had to expect her to be sly about it and she didn’t want to upset him. Russell only had her best interests at heart.
To her, work and breathing were the same thing. “Sure I will. No more than cooking for the family but you know I have to get the recipes ready for this book’s photo shoot so it’s going to work out fine having them test out my creations. You know as well as I do that families are the best critics out there. And I’ve found one that won’t sugarcoat anything because of who I am. I’ll be in touch. Thanks, Russell.”
She hung up her phone and looked at the notes and photos she’d spread all over her living room floor. Time to choose what to cook for dinner tonight. A firm favorite or something new? Something she wanted to put in her new cookbook seemed like the best way to go. She had to come up with something that wasn’t too over-the-top fancy but a dish that would blow the socks of a family of meat eaters. She was going to impress Jake with her meals.
She tossed ideas around before she decided what to make and headed for the grocery store for supplies.
Three hours later she knocked on Jake’s door.
“Bella, hey.” Cory opened the door, a huge grin on his face. She could really get to like this kid.
“Hi, want to take this for me while I get the hot dish and bring it in?” She handed the casserole over to Cory and hurried back to the car, her heart racing. What if he didn’t like what she’d put together? Her reputation was at stake and for some strange reason it really mattered that this little family of kitchen-challenged males liked what she cooked.
As she walked back
