Claiming the Cowboy's Heart by Brenda Harlen

Author:Brenda Harlen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-11-08T21:28:55+00:00

* * *

When Liam returned to the hotel following his lunch with Jenna, who was heading back to California later that day, he found Kyle Landry waiting in the library to see him.

“What can I do for you?” Liam asked, surprised by the unexpected visit of a man he knew only well enough to wave at in passing.

“Actually, I’m here because of what I can do for you.”

Liam knew the beginning of a sales pitch when he heard one, and he was immediately wary. “Okay, what do you think you can do for me?”

“I can offer your guests a culinary experience that will be as unique and unforgettable as your inn,” Kyle said.

“Thanks, but we already have a chef.”

“You have someone who cooks breakfast,” the young man acknowledged.

“That’s all we need.”

“You’re doing your business a disservice by not offering dinner to your guests.”

Liam’s gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Have you been talking to Macy?”

“Not recently, but in the interest of full disclosure, we used to work together,” Kyle said.

“Well, I’ll tell you what I told her,” Liam said. “There are other places in town where guests can get an evening meal.”

“Diggers’, Jo’s Pizzeria or the Sunnyside Diner,” Kyle said dismissively.

“I eat at those places frequently and have never had any complaints.”

“But they hardly reflect the upscale image you’re attempting to establish for your hotel.”

“What do you know about what I’m trying to establish?” Liam challenged.

“The Dusty Boots Motel on the highway is never booked to capacity, so Haven didn’t really need another hotel. Which suggests that you wanted to appeal to a different clientele. People who want to stay for a few days and not just sleep off their bachelor parties in Reno.”

“How do you know about the hotel business?”

“Two years of restaurant and hotel management.”

“Is that enough to get you a diploma?” Liam asked.

“No,” Kyle admitted. “And then I went to England to get some practical experience.”

The School of Artisan Food, he remembered Macy telling him. It didn’t sound as fancy as Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, but Liam imagined the experience Kyle had gained there was still much more sophisticated than the palates of Haven’s residents.

“And you think that qualifies you to run a hotel kitchen?”

“I think I’m more qualified than anyone else in this town,” Kyle said. “I’d use locally sourced ingredients as much as possible—why truck ingredients in when we’ve got some of the finest dairy, beef and produce right here in Haven? The less we have to ship, the more we keep our food costs down. And I’d create hearty meals that would satisfy the hungry rancher and impress the sophisticated traveler.”

Sure, the concept was appealing, but Liam still had reservations about venturing into the food service business—and especially about this particular chef. “Does your mom know you’re here looking for a job?” he asked.

“No,” Kyle said.

“Are you going to tell her?”

“When there’s something to tell.”

“I guess that’s fair enough,” Liam agreed.

“I could do a tasting menu for you,” the chef suggested.

“What’s that?” he asked, proving, no doubt, that he had no business in the restaurant business.

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