Life, Love and Lemon Cookies by Ally Blue

Author:Ally Blue
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2011-08-16T00:00:00+00:00

Epilogue

Chris piled the last of the takeout containers in the large wicker basket he used for meal deliveries, untied his apron and hung it on the hook beside his station. “Diego, I’m going to take these over to Dragon’s Den.”

“Okay, Chris.” Diego turned from the stove, where a large saucepan bubbled out spicy-scented steam. He handed Chris a small covered cup made of the same biodegradable material as the takeout trays. “Here’s some extra sauce. Are you sure you don’t need help with that?”

“No, I’ve got it, thank you.” Chris gave the older man a smile. “I really appreciate you coming in today. I’m not sure how I would’ve managed.”

He’d expected the one-year anniversary bash for The Traveling Chef to bring in extra business. So far, though, the day had been even busier than Chris had foreseen, with preorders waiting for him and his three-person staff via the website and a nonstop barrage of calls coming in to their Lexington Avenue kitchen ever since they opened that morning. Quite a few people had even stopped in to place lunch, dinner and dessert orders in person. It wasn’t unheard of, but most of their customers either called or placed orders online.

“You saved me from a boring retirement.” Diego picked up the wooden spoon lying beside the saucepan and gave the liquid inside a few stirs. “I owe you.”

Chris laughed. “If only Miriam would consent to letting me have you full-time.”

“Hey, it was all I could do to talk her into letting me go back to work part-time.” Diego shook his head sadly. “It’s a good thing she likes you so much, or I guess she’d have me spending all my time on home-improvement projects or something, God help me.”

“Yes, well, I’m just happy that she’s territorial over her own kitchen. It means I get your cooking talents all to myself.”

Diego beamed, and Chris smiled back at him. In the years Chris had worked with Diego at The Falls, he’d never known the man could cook. As soon as he found out, he’d taken Diego off delivery duty and put him to work in the kitchen helping prepare the ever-increasing orders for confections and takeout meals. Chris’s signature lemon cookies were still the most popular item on The Traveling Chef’s menu, but Diego’s Diablo Wings—featuring the hot sauce Diego had invented himself—had become a favorite lunch order among local businesses over the past couple of months.

Walking over to the small closet beside the kitchen door, Chris took out his lightweight suit jacket and shrugged it on. He pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket and slid them over his eyes, then went back to his food-prep station to heft the wicker basket. “I’ll be back shortly. I have my cell phone if you need me in the meantime.”

“Okay.” Diego returned his attention to his saucepan. “Tell Matt I said hi.”

“I will.”

Chris nudged open the swinging door with his hip and walked out into the bright little front room. Four people waited in line to put in delivery orders.

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