Somewhere Only We Know (15 page)

"You should get a new phone."

"Maybe when I'm not so cash poor."

"I could lend you some money."

"Absolutely not," she said with a definitive shake of her head. "You've done enough."

"Fine, but you should tell Emma about Paul. I was going to contact Max this morning, but why don't you talk to Em about it? Perhaps Max can talk to the police in Las Vegas and find out who's threatening Paul and subsequently threatening you."

She groaned. "I know you're right, but I really hate to bring Emma and Nicole into this."

"I don't think you have a choice, Maddie. Paul is hounding you and raising the stakes with each call. He could go after your parents when they get back from their trip. You need to get help."

"All right. I'll talk to her."

"Good. You shouldn't underestimate the actions of a desperate person."

She stared back at him with her big green eyes. "I should give you the same advice, Burke. I worry about what Mitch is going to do next."

He both liked and hated the concern in her eyes. Impulsively, he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine."

As he left the apartment, he really hoped that was true.

* * *

Maddie met Nicole and Emma at the Java Hut just before ten. After getting coffees and a pastry to share at the small café near the Ferry Building, they sat down at a table by the water. It was a beautiful San Francisco Sunday, plenty of sunshine and blue skies.

Maddie had barely taken her first sip of her soy latte when Emma said, "What's going on with you and Burke?"

"Why did I know that was going to be the first question?" she asked.

"Maybe because you got into his car last night," Emma returned.

Maddie glanced away from Emma's sharp gaze to see a thoughtful look in Nicole's eyes. "I suppose you're curious, too."

"I am," Nicole admitted. "I'm a little surprised that you didn't mention you and Burke had come to the party together. You did come together, didn't you?"

"Yes. We didn't want everyone to get the wrong idea, but I guess that's exactly what happened." She paused and sipped her coffee, then said. "Burke is letting me crash on his couch for a few days while I find a new apartment."

"How did that come about?" Emma asked.

"The sublet I had fell through, and Burke was around when I discovered that I had nowhere to live."

"How was Burke around?"

Maddie sighed, beginning to see why Emma was such a good investigator. She did not miss a detail. "You have a lot of questions."

"I do. You and Burke—it's an interesting combination, as I mentioned last night."

"And as I told you before, Burke and I are like oil and water. We can coexist, but we don't mix well." Although they had mixed it up earlier that day with a really great kiss.

"How are you so different?" Emma challenged.

"I'm spontaneous and free-spirited. I like to travel and try new things. Burke is organized and a planner. He doesn't do anything without considering the pros and cons, not that that is a bad thing. He's obviously doing better in his life than I am."

"It sounds to me like you complement each other, like you need each other."

"It sounds to me like you're matchmaking."

"Guilty," Emma admitted. "It's just nice to see Burke smile. When he was with you last night, he looked happier than he's been in a long time. Friday night, at Leanne's dinner, he was grim and weighed down. But somehow, in twenty-four hours that changed, and I think that's because of you." She glanced at Nicole. "Don't you think so, too?"

"I'm not sure," Nicole said a bit more cautiously. "I don't know if it's such a good idea for you and Burke to get involved."

She was a little surprised at Nicole's reaction. "Just out of curiosity—why?"

"Burke has been in a dark place for a while, and I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"You think Burke could hurt me?"

Nicole met her gaze. "I think there have always been sparks between you two, even back in high school. But as you said, you're very different people. Burke is guarded and you're very open. After Leanne, I don't know how easy it will be for him to give his heart again, and I think sometimes you give your heart away too fast."

"It's funny how you still know me so well," she murmured.

"We were good friends. I wish we hadn't lost touch. I know I'm a lot to blame for that. After I had Brandon, and especially after he was diagnosed with autism, I've been completely caught up in his life, his problems. I've lost most of my friends."

"I'm sure you haven't lost anyone," she said. "I just wish I'd been a better friend to you."

"You didn't know what I was going through." Nicole sipped her coffee, then said, "I'd love for you and Burke to get together, if it's what you both want. Just make sure you're on the same page. I adore Burke. He's the best guy in the world, but a lot has happened in his life, and now it all seems to be happening again."

"Neither of you needs to worry about me and Burke. We're friends. And there's a better chance of driving each other crazy in the next few days than falling in love. It's probably more believable that we'll go from friends to enemies than friends to lovers."

"Love and hate—two sides of the same coin," Emma said.

She laughed. "Who told you that?"

"I don't remember, but I think it's true. I thought I hated Max in the beginning, but I quickly learned that I loved him."

"Max seems like a very good guy."

"He's amazing. But enough about Max and Burke—are you working at the Hanover Club full time, Maddie?"

"No, I only work Thursday and Friday nights for special events. It's a part-time gig. I'm interviewing for a chef's position tomorrow. I want to pick up some fresh produce and proteins at the farmer's market so I can practice a few dishes tonight. I'm not sure what they're going to have me make, but I want to dust off my techniques a little bit."

"Which restaurant?" Emma asked.

"311 Post."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Posh. I've never been there, as it's out of my price range, but I've heard it's amazing. Don't they have a celebrity chef?"

"Wilder Harte is the owner. He has three Michelin stars. But he doesn't cook much anymore. He's too busy running his restaurants all over the world."

"Wait, is that his real name—Wilder Harte?"

Maddie laughed. "I know it sounds made up, but I think it's his real name. He's thirty-five years old, gorgeous, arrogant as hell from what I hear, but also brilliant in the kitchen. I'm applying for a job on the line, but his line cook is like any other restaurant's executive chef position. So I have to be on my toes and wow him and his executive chef tomorrow."

"Sounds stressful," Nicole said. "Are you sure that's the kind of place you want to work? It doesn't really sound like the free-spirited Maddie I grew up with, the one who liked to experiment by mixing pickles and peanut butter."

She laughed. "It was pickles and pretzels mixed into butterscotch cookies, and they were good."

"That sounds disgusting," Emma said.

"Actually, they were amazing," Nicole said. "I was shocked."

"Pickles and peanut butter is a good combination, too," Maddie added.

"Somehow I don't think they serve that at 311 Post," Nicole said.

"No, but right now it's my only interview, so I'm going to go for it." 311 Post might be a little stuffy and rich for her taste, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and she would learn a lot. Wilder was a brilliant chef and restaurateur, and his menu was innovative and complex.

She finished her coffee and was about to suggest they head to the market when her phone rang. One look at the screen told her it was Paul, reminding her that she was supposed to talk to Emma about him.

"Something wrong?" Emma asked.

"You really don't miss a thing, do you?"

"I've gotten very good at reading body language. Are you avoiding someone?"

"My ex-boyfriend. He's turning out to be an even bigger problem than I thought."

Emma's gaze filled with concern. "Is he stalking you?"

"Yes and no. He doesn't want me back, but he does want me to help him pay off some loans. He's a gambler, and he's gotten into debt with the wrong people—people who have already threatened me in his name. That's why I left Vegas and came here. I was hoping to put the problem behind me, but apparently not."

"Did you go to the police?" Emma asked.

"I should have."

"You should have," Emma agreed. "Why don't you give me the particulars, and I'll ask Max to look into the situation?"

"Would you mind?"

"Of course not. I want you to be safe, Maddie."

"I don't know that I'm in danger, but Paul did tell me yesterday that the guys who are after him know I'm here in the city, that they showed him a photo of me."

"That's creepy," Nicole said.

Emma picked up her phone. "Tell me what you know about the people involved in this bad loan deal. Names, places, anything you can remember. I will get Max on it as soon as I get home."

Maddie related everything she knew about Paul and his bookie friends while Emma jotted down the information on her phone.

"I feel so stupid for being such a sucker," she added.

"Some people are good at hiding their true selves," Emma said. "Don't blame yourself for not being able to see what they're hiding. I was the victim of a stalking and I had no idea who was doing it until he finally confronted me."

"You're going to have to tell me that story sometime."

"Sometime," Emma said. "But not today. Are you ready to go to the market?"

"More than ready."

As they headed to the nearby farmer's market, their conversation turned to old friends, shared memories. There were a lot of stories, a lot of laughs.

It was just like old times, Maddie thought, feeling amazingly happy to have reconnected with the Callaway women—and the Callaway men…

Chapter Eleven

After spending hours wandering through the farmer's market, Maddie returned to Burke's apartment and started to cook. With music playing through her ear buds and spices warming her senses, she felt happier than she had in a long while.

By midnight, the refrigerator was packed with the results of her efforts, and she was exhausted. After changing into her PJ's, she wandered down the hall into Burke's bedroom. She lay down on top of the bed for about two minutes, wondering if she should take him up on his offer to use his bed while he was at the firehouse.

It was very comfortable, but lying in Burke's bed felt almost too—intimate. She could smell his aftershave on the pillows. She could imagine him next to her, on top of her, their naked bodies moving in perfect sync.

That thought sent her to her feet.

She went back to the living room—to the couch—to the reminder that she was just a guest in Burke's home. They weren't involved. They weren't having a relationship. And in a few days, she'd be gone.

While she'd had a few short-term flings in her life, she couldn't do that with Burke. If she slept with him and never saw him again, it would probably break her heart. Her emotions were too tangled when it came to him. They had too much history and too much baggage. She needed to keep things exactly where they were. No more making out, no more wild fantasies.

But as she closed her eyes, it was Burke's image that took her into sleep.

Monday morning she got up, took out her yoga mat and did some stretches and easy poses to help herself get focused and centered. She had a big day ahead of her, a chance to change her life for the better, and she wanted to be ready for the opportunity.

At half past one, she was on her way across town, arriving at 311 Post just before her two o'clock appointment.

The restaurant was only open for dinner, so she knocked on the front door. A manager let her in and escorted her through the spectacularly luxurious dining room to the equally amazing kitchen. He told her the executive chef would be with her shortly.

As she looked around the kitchen, she felt both excited and terrified. There was a sleek sterility that worried her, but that was ridiculous. How could she complain about a state-of-the-art cooking facility? Sure, it wasn't like the country kitchens in Italy that had been overflowing with home-grown produce and constantly smelled of garlic, oregano and rosemary, but this kitchen probably had the best equipment she'd ever seen in her life and some equipment she'd never seen before.

Wilder Harte liked to experiment with molecular cooking, which turned cooking into a science. It wasn't an area she knew much about, but it was steadily gaining in popularity among the foodie crowd, so she probably needed to learn more about it.

A tall, rail-thin man walked into the kitchen wearing a white chef's coat. He had a short, almost military haircut that matched the stern expression on his face. Somewhere in his early forties, he might have been somewhat attractive if he didn't look mean.

"Miss Heller," he said with a nod. "Chef Partaine."

He had a decidedly French accent, which didn't make her feel any better. She'd found the few French chefs she'd worked under to be very exacting and not a particularly good fit for her. They could cook, though, and she needed to be open to every possibility. "It's nice to meet you, Chef," she said, shaking his hand.

"Katherine Bates gave you a glowing recommendation. I hope you can live up to it."

Katherine was a chef she'd worked with in Las Vegas, and without her recommendation, Maddie doubted she would have gotten the interview. "I hope so, too."

"I'd like you to prepare two of our most popular dishes so I can see your technique." He handed her the menu. "The pistachio crusted rack of lamb with pancetta and the pigeon breast cooked sous vide with beet puree. I assume you're familiar with sous vide."

"Yes." Sous vide was a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath, temperature-controlled steam environment. She didn't do it often, but at least she was familiar with the technique.

"You have exactly ninety minutes to complete your dishes. You'll find everything you need in the pantry."