Good thing I’d known him long enough to recognize his idea of a joke.
Nat shot him a disbelieving look before taking her hand back. “I never thought I’d meet a bigger flirt than Kade.”
“That skill might come in useful when Billy’s looking for a new job,” I growled.
Billy clutched his chest dramatically. “I’m wounded. You know I’d put your interests first, Kade, if only Natalie hadn’t instantly stolen my heart.”
A truck rattled up and parked outside the café. There were two more behind it, and all of a sudden the sidewalk was full of people and equipment. The Morning Show crew poured into the café to set up for the interview.
Mona introduced herself, and she and the show’s director went briefly over the interview with us, discussing what kind of questions Mona would ask. Although Nat was nervous at first, she slowly relaxed. Mona had a warm, easy charm, which was probably why her show was so successful.
I knew how these kind of shoots worked, so I expected a long delay before filming started. When our briefing was finished, I went to the kitchen to try out a recipe I was planning to include in the next season of Kade Cooks.
Nat sat with me while I baked. When I put a tray of pastries in the oven, I moved beside her and lowered my voice. “They’re my secret weapon,” I murmured. “Parcels of pastry wrapped around a runny raspberry center, with sticky chocolate chunks. If Mona starts asking questions we don’t want to answer, I’ll ask her to try a pastry. When she bites into it, the goo inside will ooze out, creating a diversion. It’ll give us a chance to change the subject.”
“The culinary equivalent of a red emergency button?” Nat looked worried. “Will it drip red goo down my front? You know I’m a magnet for food stains.” She peered down, checking her dress. “They smell great, but there’s no way I’d risk having a taste.”
“Don’t worry, Mona has a sweet tooth. If I offer her one, she won’t be able to resist.”
I’d barely had time to pull the hot pastries out of the oven and arrange them on a plate when the crew announced they were ready for us. Mona, Nat, and I got settled on chairs in the café's dining area, with the plate of pastries on the table in front of us. Nat was looking nervous and fidgeting as the crew counted down to going live.
When we were rolling, Mona waved at the plate. “Those pastries smell delicious!” she exclaimed. “They were baked by everybody’s favorite chef, Kade Lennox. Kade, I’m so glad to welcome you and your brand new fiancée, Natalie, to my show this morning!”
“Thanks, Mona. We’re happy to be here. And those pastries are a new recipe. I’ll be making them on the next season of Kade Cooks.” I shamelessly got in a plug for my show.
“Kade, you’re known as one of LA’s most eligible bachelors, but now you’ve put a beautiful ring on Natalie’s finger. Natalie, you’re a café owner in a small town. Tell me, how did you two meet?”
I looked at Nat, because Mona had addressed the question to her. She was wringing her hands together, still looking like she wanted to jump up and run away. But hopefully once she started talking, her nervousness would fade.
“Um. We met here,” Nat sounded stiff, her words stilted. Her gaze darted from Mona, to me, to the camera, as though she had no idea where to look. “We dated briefly when Kade and I were both working at Mack’s Place, several years ago.”
“That’s right.” I reached over to grab Nat’s hand. When her startled gaze jumped to me, I gave her a reassuring smile. “I recently came back to San Dante, and we reconnected.”
I was used to being on TV, so it was easy for me to relax on camera and play a light-hearted role. But when I’d first started, I’d been as nervous as Nat, so I knew how she felt.
“Kade, you’ve only been back in San Dante a couple of weeks. Would you say it’s been a whirlwind romance?”
I laughed. “It didn’t take long for Nat to steal my heart. That’s if I ever managed to get it back from the first time I fell in love with her.” I surprised myself with my answer, because it was more honest than I’d counted on being in this interview.
Mona raised her eyebrows at Nat, prompting her to answer too.
Nat nodded. “My head’s still spinning.”
“Will you describe how you popped the question, Kade?”
“On one knee, of course.” I dropped her a wink, hamming it up to help Nat relax. “I don’t think I should say more than that. Don’t want to give all my secrets away.”
Mona looked a little dreamy. “Was it romantic, Natalie?”
“Um. Sure. Everything Kade does is romantic.”
“Have you made plans for your wedding? Are you planning to wear a traditional white gown, Natalie? And do you have a designer in mind?”
Nat’s eyes widened like a prisoner in front of a firing squad. Neither of us had anticipated wedding questions.
I squeezed her hand. “Isn’t it bad luck to ask a bride about her dress in front of the groom?” I shook my head at Mona, pretending to be reproving, though my smile made it clear I was joking. “If you ask for secrets, Mona, we may cross you off our guest list.”
An expression of glee flashed across Mona’s face at the suggestion she could be invited to our non-existent wedding. Sitting back in her chair, she barely refrained from rubbing her hands together.
“No more wedding questions then,” she promised. “Natalie, can you tell us about your plans for the future?”
It was a question we’d discussed beforehand, and a little of Nat’s tension eased. Easing her hand free from
