Taste the Heat (6 page)

Colby wanted to stop and study the picture, but she kept on moving. She didn’t want
to upset Emma. And she didn’t want to ruin the light-hearted mood that had fallen
over the room. Stealing a final glance at the cozy family unit, she followed Jason
into his rather large kitchen, outfitted with stainless steel appliances. She could
imagine father and daughter working together in the roomy space, laughing, cooking
together, creating…much like
she
used to do with her dad.

Nope, not gonna happen.
Colby shut down the thought before it could go any further. Thoughts of her past
weren’t going to ruin the night, either.

Jason stopped in front of the gas stove. “Emma, why don’t you show Colby the way to
the bathroom? Maybe change out of those wet clothes while you’re at it.”

“On it.” She took Colby’s hand and led her through a rounded door into another hallway
lined with frames.

“Someone is certainly photogenic,” Colby said, smiling at an eight-by-ten school photo
of Emma, trademark ponytail in place.

“Yeah, Mom was a photo nut,” Emma explained. “I think Dad’s afraid to take anything
down, like it’s going to upset me or something. So he just keeps adding new pictures
to the walls. Soon he’s gonna have to hang them on the ceiling.” She pushed open a
door and pointed inside. “This is the bathroom. My dad’s room is at the end of the
hall, the laundry room is on the other, and here’s my room,” she said, indicating
the closed door across from the bathroom. Turning the knob exposed a sea of blue walls
and a matching bedspread. “Just holler if you need anything.” Then Emma ducked inside
and closed the door.

Colby turned back to the bathroom. She needed to clean herself up, and try to get
a handle on the wet mess otherwise known as her hair. But the large wedding photograph
she just spied at the end of the hallway was calling her name. If she was quiet, she
could slip down the hall now and get a good, unaccompanied stare at Ashleigh on her
wedding day, and the look in Jason’s eye she already knew she’d find when he gazed
at her. With a quick glance in either direction, Colby sprinted across the plush carpet
and toward the gilded frame.

Ashleigh had been tall, blond, and gorgeous. Basically everything Colby wasn’t. In
the picture, she stared up at her new husband, obviously head over heels in love.
Like she did back in high school. Colby had only been a freshman when they were seniors,
but she used to watch them from across the cafeteria. They were the golden couple,
and Jason loved surprising his girl with a single flower or a box of candy. Little
things that fueled Colby’s fantasies. And every time he brought those gifts, Ashleigh
would look up at him with the same expression of love she did in their wedding photo.

As for the groom, the Jason in the photograph was the Jason that Colby remembered
from her childhood. Young and handsome, with that mischievous glint in his expressive
eyes. His dark hair was longer then. Studying him closer, Colby decided he couldn’t
be older than early twenties; she’d say twenty-one or twenty-two at the most. A love-struck
smile tugged at young Jason’s lips, and an irrational sense of jealousy flared in
her gut.

Turning back to Ashleigh, Colby glimpsed what Emma would look like in about ten years.
While the girl had Jason’s eyes, the rest was clearly all Mama. From her height, to
her smile, to the color of her hair, Emma had to be a daily reminder of Jason’s deceased
wife.

How painful must that be?

Knowing her time was running short, she took another step closer to the picture, soaking
up every detail in pathetic curiosity. The way Jason held her hand, the way he looked
at his wife, the old-fashioned style of the bride’s wedding dress…

Colby narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on how the gown flared at the bride’s stomach.

Unless she was mistaken, that was a decided baby bump. Another piece fell into place.

A
thump
sounded from inside Emma’s bedroom. Not wanting to be caught snooping, Colby flew
down the hall and enclosed herself in the bathroom.

…

“I guess that judge knew what she was talking about after all,” Colby declared, slapping
her hands over her flat stomach. Jason averted his eyes from the sexy flash of skin.
What is wrong with me?
“Because that pasta was positively delicious. Well done, Chef Landry. You’d give me
a run for my money any day.”

He nodded his thanks, grateful for the compliment, as unlikely as it may be. He’d
cooked many meals in his life. Even before Ashleigh died, he’d enjoyed tooling around
in the kitchen. Focusing on the tasks of chopping, stirring, and adding the occasional
random spice to the recipe he was using quieted his overactive mind. And after becoming
a widower and the sole provider for his daughter’s daily nutrition, well, that enjoyment
turned into more than just a hobby. As Emma grew older, sharing that time with her,
watching cooking shows and inventing new recipes, brought them closer. Jason had definitely
learned a lot about food in the last few years…but a restaurant quality chef he’d
never be.

“Coming from you, that is high praise indeed. But had I remembered your restaurant
in Vegas was Italian, I might’ve been too intimidated to ask you to stay.”

Colby laughed, a soft, musical sound that made him smile. And tonight, he’d heard
it a lot. Between her jabs at him for his Zack Morris fade haircut, his digs at her
about her metal mouth years, and Emma teasing them both for their “weird” taste in
music, the night had been comfortable and fun. Dinner had always been a special time
for him and Emma, a natural extension of their mutual love of cooking. Whenever he
was off-duty, they would eat together at the table, catching up on the highs and lows
of each other’s days. Truth be told, it was his favorite part of the day. He hadn’t
thought it could get any better. Tonight, Colby proved him wrong.

In so many ways, she was
exactly
what he was looking for.

But Colby wasn’t for him.

That was what he had to keep reminding himself. If Cane’s obvious opposition wasn’t
enough, during dinner Colby had revealed her plan to leave at the end of the summer.
Regardless of how well she seemed to
fit
, pursuing her to become Emma’s stepmother was not an option.

“Emma told me earlier that she makes a mean lasagna, too,” Colby said, tossing his
daughter a smile. “I told her I could use a good set of helping hands in the kitchen.
I was thinking she could maybe come by the restaurant after school on Friday and be
my junior sous-chef.”

Emma squealed, and they both laughed.

“Clearly, she has no interest whatsoever,” Jason said, giving her ponytail a playful
yank. It was obvious she wanted to spend as much time with Colby as she could. Part
of him worried about her getting too attached, knowing Colby would be leaving in three
short months. But spending time inside a real restaurant kitchen beside a
real
chef would be an amazing opportunity for his daughter. One that he couldn’t keep
her from experiencing. “I’m at the station that day,” he said, “but I’m sure my mom
can drop her by after school.”

“Oh, how is your mom?” Colby leaned forward, setting her elbows on the table with
genuine interest.

Jason grinned. “Mom’s good. She’s retired now, her and my dad both. She still helps
at the school as a substitute now and then, but mostly she spends her days reading
romance novels and helping with Emma when I’m working a shift.”

“Emma, your grandmother is the reason I started reading anything other than recipes.
She was hands down the best teacher at Magnolia Springs Elementary.” Looking back
at Jason, she said, “But while I’d love to see your mom again, Emma could always come
by on Saturday if it’s easier.”

“I can’t,” Emma broke in, setting down her glass of milk. “That’s my birthday camping
trip. Actually, my birthday isn’t until next Thursday, but this year it’s a golden
one—you know, when your birth date and age match? So Dad said that I could pick
anything
I wanted to do—”

“Anything within reason,” Jason amended with a grin.

Emma rolled her eyes, as if she wouldn’t have asked for a trip to New York had he
not added that stipulation, and continued. “
Anything
I wanted, and I’ve never been camping before.” Then a strange expression crossed
over her face and her lips twitched. Colby shot Jason a look.

“You just said
anything
within reason, right, Dad?” Emma asked. Jason slowly nodded, curious as to why she
kept emphasizing that word, and Emma slid their dinner guest an innocent, wide-eyed
grin. “Then could you join us, Colby?”

Jason hadn’t been expecting that. And from the panicked look on Colby’s face, neither
had she.

“U-Uh,” she stammered, taking her napkin off her lap and placing it on the plate in
front of her. She licked her lips and sent him an unidentifiable look. “Well, Emma,
I’m honored you want me to be a part of your special day,” she said carefully. “But
wouldn’t I be intruding?”

Jason couldn’t tell by the look on her face if she wanted an out or not. And he still
wasn’t sure if he should encourage Emma’s hero worship. But the more Jason thought
about it, the more he realized that he wanted Colby there. Emma deserved a special
birthday. She deserved a dozen of them. And within reason, he wanted to give her everything
she asked for. If Colby’s presence made her day that much better, that was what he
wanted to give her. Plus, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the idea of spending
more time with the enchanting chef himself.

So he answered honestly. “You wouldn’t be intruding at all. We’re just going down
the street to LeBeaux Park for the night. Walk a few trails, roast a few hot dogs,
and eat a few dozen s’mores. We’d love to have you join us,” he said. Then he realized
the one flaw in the plan. “That is, if you can take off on a weekend.”

Colby bit the corner of her pouty lip. “Normally, I can’t,” she admitted. “Fridays
and Saturdays are super busy at the restaurant, at
any
restaurant really. The earliest I’d usually get off is eight, and that’s rare. But
I guess family businesses do have some perks…” She tilted her head and thought for
a moment, then smiled at Emma. “Golden birthday, huh? The big one-two?”

Emma nodded. “Only one year left before I’m officially a teenager.”

“And Dad officially has a coronary,” Colby added with a grin. She slid her phone out
of her pocket and her fingers began flying across the screen. “Man, I haven’t taken
a weekend shift off in years.”

His precocious daughter sent him a private wink. He knew she was playing matchmaker.
Between her and Sherry, they’d have him married to Colby by Labor Day. And therein
lay the problem, since by her own admitted timetable, Colby would have already returned
to Vegas by then. Maybe asking her to come with them wasn’t such a good idea after
all.

But before he could say so, Colby lifted her head. “Rhonda says she can handle the
shifts on her own.” She leaned up to pocket the phone and tousled Emma’s hair. She
slid Jason a smile. “Any chance your tent has room for three?”

Chapter Six

Jason set down the last of the camping equipment and took a deep breath, inhaling
the scent of fresh pine, wet mud, and wood smoke. Across the campground, metal clanged
near the horseshoe pit. And near the edge of the bayou, standing beside her idol,
Emma plunged her hand into a bag of stale bread and chucked a handful of torn pieces
into the water. Mayhem instantly ensued. Dozens of paddling ducks honked and fought,
diving for the same soggy piece, as birds flew from the trees, squawking their disapproval.
Colby bent her head close to his daughter’s ear. Emma’s ponytail bounced with her
laughter. And Jason’s chest constricted.

How different would it be if Ashleigh were here today?

Listening to his daughter’s animated laughter and glancing at the array of supplies
at his feet, Jason figured probably not much. Ashleigh had been a girly-girl—she didn’t
do
camping. But for Emma, he knew she would’ve done anything to make this the best camping
trip a soon-to-be twelve-year-old could have. The same thing he and Colby were trying
to do. Which led to the question he really wanted answered: what would Ashleigh think
of Colby?

His wife had died way too young. They never thought to talk about the future or what
they should do if tragedy struck. In Hollywood, dying heroes and heroines always encourage
left-behind spouses to find love again, but Jason didn’t want love. He’d been there,
done that, and had the deep gash in his heart to prove it. But would Ashleigh have
wanted him to remarry for Emma? Honestly, he didn’t think he was selfless enough to
want
another man to raise his daughter, to have her call someone else Dad. But without
a doubt, he’d want Emma to have the best life possible. If Ashleigh felt as he did—that
having a two-parent household would ensure Emma’s happiness—then she’d have had his
blessing. Jason believed he had Ashleigh’s. But Colby was not the woman for the job.

That became obvious at dinner three days ago. She was leaving at the end of summer.
No amount of wishful thinking on his part would change that. He had to get back out
there and start dating again. But for the last few days, he saw smoky gray eyes everywhere
he looked.

Jason shook his head. He needed to keep his focus on Emma. This was her day. That’s
why Colby was there, not for him. With that thought firmly in mind, he squatted down
and began putting up the familiar red tent.

When he and Cane had been in Cub Scouts, they’d spent a week each summer at Camp LeBeaux,
learning about knots, compasses, and canoeing. Young Jason had putting up this thing
down to a science, able to assemble his tent before anyone else in the troop—an important
achievement when you’re a growing boy and the reward was an extra hot dog. Later when
he was a teenager, he and Cane’s trips morphed into ones with smuggled alcohol and
an excess of bad choices. But the big red tent always remained.