I sit up then, pulling my feet underneath me on the sofa. “He can’t do that.”
Knox leans forward, rubbing his face with his hands. “He can and he will. Something you don’t understand about my dear old dad is that he’s a pretty big deal in our industry.”
“I understand just fine. My mother has kept me well-informed over the years.”
“Even your mother doesn’t know how truly ruthless he can be.” He inclines against the couch and finally looks at me. “He has made it impossible for me to get financing for my own place. Or to go anywhere else as a chef, even an assistant.”
I blink. “Your own father? I thought you were exaggerating when you said that before.” Listen, Lillie has fought me every step of the way the past six years. She didn’t believe in farm-to-table, but Wyatt gathered the data, and she acquiesced. I wanted to add to the menu, and she shut me down firmly, but she’s never done me dirty.
“Yes. He thinks he’s doing what’s best for me. I truly believe that, but ultimately, he’s just being controlling. If it were up to him, he’d order my steps for the rest of his life. Or mine, whichever ends first.”
I place a hand on his and ease back down onto the couch. “Jeesh.”
“He’s pissed off because I submitted my pasta restaurant for our finals round instead of the steakhouse. He found out just before we left, so he came with. I honestly don’t know at this point. There’s a chance we won’t even win, you know?” He manages a smile, maybe half a smile, upturning the left side of his mouth.
What a pair we are. Even though one of us will win this competition, we’ll both lose on a personal level anyway. I won’t have a job or a restaurant or even an apartment, but Mama will be taken care of. That’s really what’s most important to me at this point anyway. I have plenty of time to realize my own dreams. But Knox. He’ll still be working for his father no matter what. He’ll still be in the grind even though he doesn’t want the long hours and no life. He’ll be a head chef, but never of his own restaurant. I can’t believe I ever thought he had everything handed to him. Well, there is still the matter of how he got into culinary school.
“Knox, what do you have against Dean Ellerson?”
He isn’t expecting the question. He moves my hand from his and whips his head around, narrowing his eyes. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because it’s written all over your face whenever you see her. You’d frown when you’d see me, but you’d out-and-out scowl whenever she came into your line of sight. It’s obvious something’s up.”
“I…” He drags his fingers through his curls and his face nearly crumples.
“Hey, you don’t have to talk about it. Seriously, I’m sorry I upset you.”
His chest expands, then he exhales a huge breath, the air whistling through his teeth. “No, I’ll tell you. It’s just that I’ve never told anyone before. Not even my brothers.”
I hold my breath, waiting. Because although I don’t want to hurt him for once in my life, I’m still more curious than I have a right to be.
He turns to me, resignation in those beautiful eyes of his. He looks back down at his hands, suddenly becoming interested in his cuticles. “I, um. I guess she was always a family friend. I remember her when I was a little boy before my mother died. She was around often although I don’t know if she and Mom were close friends. It would always be her with a group of others.”
I nod in encouragement, but he still isn’t looking at me.
He takes another breath, this one much shallower. “After my mother died, she stopped coming. At least that’s what I thought. Then I saw her in my father’s bedroom. She wasn’t wearing much. I was only nine or ten so I didn’t understand until later what was going on, but I knew it wasn’t right. When I finally did understand, my mind put together that she was probably having an affair with my father right under my mother’s nose. Probably even when she was so sick and—”
I pull him into my arms then and he rests his head on my chest. He isn’t crying, but shaking nonetheless. If I had to guess, it’s more with rage than pain.
Our history starts clicking into place for me with these new revelations. He’s a man who’s been betrayed by his own father; isn’t allowed to make his own decisions; has his natural talent consumed by an unworthy caregiver who was supposed to love and protect him. He was a boy who grew up without his beloved mother.
Knox Everheart isn’t an asshat. I was wrong.
Coq au Vin
1 whole chicken (free-range), cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups pinot noir
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brandy
3 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, quartered then thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced
8 ounces pearl onions, peeled
Beurre manie (2 tbsp flour + 2 tbsp softened butter)
Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the wine, chicken stock, and brandy. Prep the vegetables. Over medium-high heat in a braiser, cook the bacon until crispy then remove and set aside. Remove the chicken from the wine marinade (save the wine) and dry the chicken with paper towels. Working in batches, sear the chicken in the bacon fat, skin side down until golden brown on both sides then remove from pan. Pour all but 2 tbsp of the bacon fat into a heatproof dish and set it aside. Add the sliced onion and carrots to the bacon fat and let cook until the onion is golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic
