Somewhere Only We Know (16 page)

"Okay," she said, already making up a mental to-do list. It was asking a lot to work in a new kitchen with recipes she had never tasted before and didn't know that much about, but she would give it her all and hope for the best. "Will Mr. Harte be judging the dishes as well?"

"No. Mr. Harte was delayed. He won't be coming in today," Chef Partaine said, looking down his long nose at her. "If you have talent, we'll discuss options."

She let out a breath as the chef left her alone in the kitchen.

Ninety minutes to change her life—she hoped it was enough time.

An hour and a half later, she knew it wasn't nearly enough time. She wished she could have had another ten minutes to perfect her dishes, but she did manage to get two plates ready for Chef Partaine. They weren't as pretty as she would have liked. However, she was fairly certain her flavors were right. Time would tell.

He studied her plates in silence for a good five minutes, then he proceeded to taste each element separately. His expression revealed absolutely nothing. He didn't finish all the food on the plate, but he didn't spit anything out. That had to be a good thing.

She surreptitiously wiped some sweat off her brow as he finished his tasting. She hadn't felt such pressure while cooking in a very long time. Making food was a joy for her, but today it had felt very much like work. She hoped she'd been able to fake some of the pleasure she usually felt, because cooking with love, nurturing each element, was the way she usually came up with the best dishes.

Chef Partaine finally set down his fork. "Competent, adequate, the flavors worked well for the most part. I thought the lamb was undercooked, and there was a slightly bitter quality to the beet puree. Otherwise, it was acceptable."

She didn't think
adequate
and
acceptable
were adjectives that would get her hired.

"We're interviewing two other chefs this week," he continued. "We'll be in touch if we decide to have you back for a second interview."

"Okay, thank you. It was a privilege to cook in this beautiful kitchen."

"It is a privilege. We hire only the best of the best."

"Is there anything else I can tell you about my background?"

"I know all I need to know. Thank you for coming in."

She nodded. "Shall I clean up?"

"We have staff for that."

"All right." She took off her chef's coat and set it on the counter, then followed the chef out of the kitchen.

Chef Partaine engaged a server in conversation as they entered the dining room, so she made her way out of the restaurant on her own. The prep was already beginning for dinner service, and she could feel the tension in the staff members as they reported for duty. It was almost a relief to step outside.

When she hit the sidewalk, she took a deep breath of fresh air. It was four o'clock and the sun was starting to go down. The sky was a beautiful mix of pink, purple and orange, a refreshing view after the sleek gray steel environment she had just stepped out of. Heading down the street, she caught the bus back to Burke's apartment.

Fifteen minutes later, she flopped down on the couch, happy to be done with the pressure of the interview. She was not at all certain she would be asked back for a second interview unless the other two chefs they were speaking to managed to do something lower than adequate and acceptable. But she had learned something about herself today and also last night. Cooking was what she wanted to do with her life. If it didn't happen at 311 Post, then she'd simply have to find another opportunity. But she did not want to be a waitress anymore, and she didn't want to be stuck making salads or sauces; she wanted a job where she could showcase her talents.

It was her own fault for having jumped around so much, sometimes throwing away opportunities because of personal relationships or because it was time to move on to the next big thing. That wasn't going to happen anymore. She needed to put her career on the front burner.

Getting up from the couch, she walked into the kitchen to grab a diet cola out of the fridge. When she saw the stacked dishes, an idea took form in her mind. There was no way she could eat all this food, and she doubted Burke could work his way through it even if she froze a few items for later in the week. She needed to find a few people to share it with, and what better place than a firehouse without a good cook?

Burke had told her to call or come by after her interview. She hadn't wanted to bother him at work, but what the heck…she'd come bearing food. That should make her welcome.

She grabbed some canvas tote bags out of the closet and packed up the food, then called a cab on her way out the door. She'd bus it on the way home when her load was lighter.

* * *

Burke leaned back in his office chair as he glanced at his watch. It was almost five. Maddie had to be done with her interview by now. He was very curious as to how it had gone. He could call her. It would be the polite thing to do.

Only he wouldn't be doing it out of politeness.

The truth was he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since he'd left his apartment the previous morning. He'd picked up the phone to call her a half dozen times, but somehow he had found a way to stop himself.

So he'd call her now. He had good reasons to make contact. He wanted to hear about her interview. He wanted to make sure that Paul wasn't hassling her or that Mitch hadn't shown up at his apartment again. But those reasons didn't take into account the fact that he just wanted to hear her voice.

Damn! He drew in a breath and slowly let it out. He hadn't felt so tied up in knots over a woman in—forever. Not even with Leanne had he felt such a push-pull.

With Leanne, it had been easy. They had the same values. They both liked to work. He'd thought they were very compatible. They'd never really argued until they'd gotten engaged, until all hell had broken loose, for reasons he still didn't understand, but those reasons obviously had something to do with Mitch.

The thought of Mitch brought a frown to his face. He'd already received a call from his father, acting in his official capacity as Deputy Chief of Operations. Jack Callaway wanted him to come by tomorrow morning after his shift and talk about what had happened between him and Mitch at Leanne's party. It was not a conversation he wanted to have. He'd managed to avoid talking to his father about it at Nicole's party, but apparently his dad was not going to be put off indefinitely.

On the other hand, he probably needed to talk to his father, because he was concerned that Mitch was running a firehouse and that his erratic behavior and obsession with Leanne's death would somehow play a factor in his competency as a firefighter, as a captain, as a man who had the power to send his brother Colton into a dangerous situation. He'd like to think Mitch could separate his professional life from his personal life, but from what he'd seen over the weekend, he wasn't sure that was true anymore.

A knock came at his half-open door, and he looked up to see Shelby in the doorway.

She gave him a tentative smile. "How's it going? We haven’t had any time to talk this shift."

"I know; it's been busy."

"Have you heard from Mitch again?" she asked, taking a seat in the chair in front of his desk.

"He showed up at my building on Saturday. He's hired an investigator to look into Leanne's death."

"Again? I thought he already did that."

"He's starting over."

"Has the investigator found anything new?"

He hesitated. Shelby had been a good friend to him since Leanne died, but he didn't want to tell anyone about the pregnancy, at least not right now. "I don't think so, but Mitch is still convinced that he will."

"The accident was three years ago. What could anyone find out now?"

"That's what I said."

"Is there anything I can do to help, Burke? Do you want me to speak to Mitch? I haven't talked to him much since Leanne died, but I could approach him, see if he would talk to me. We were all pretty friendly at one time."

His gaze narrowed at her answer. "What do you mean—you were all pretty friendly?"

Confusion entered her eyes. "I don't understand."

Of course she didn't understand, because she didn't know what he knew, and he wasn't sure he should bring her into the loop. But Shelby had been close to Leanne in the weeks before her death. Shelby's aunt was a wedding planner in Los Angeles, and because Shelby had worked for her aunt while she was in college, she'd offered to help Leanne plan the wedding.

"Burke?" Shelby prodded. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Did you ever think that Leanne and Mitch were more than friends?"

Her eyes widened at the question. "Are you saying that you think Leanne cheated on you?"

"Mitch has suggested that to me."

"Oh, I don't know, Burke. Can you really believe anything Mitch has to say?"

"I'd prefer not to."

"Mitch was always jealous of you. He definitely had a thing for Leanne, but I never saw her return his feelings."

He felt relieved to hear that. Or at least relieved that Shelby had never noticed anything that he might have missed. "Leanne was stressed in the weeks before she died. I thought it was just the wedding, but now I wonder if there was something else. Did she ever confide in you, Shelby?"

"She told me she was overwhelmed with all the details. She wanted to keep both you and her mother happy, and you both wanted different things. I told her that she should really only worry about you, because you were the one she was marrying, not her mother. She said that was good advice." Shelby paused. "Leanne was a lovely woman. Her death was tragic. But I hope you don't allow Mitch to pull you back into that dark place, Burke. It has been so nice to see you smiling again. I don't want that to change."

"Thanks, Shelby."

She got to her feet, then paused. "So how long is your friend going to stay at your place?"

"I'm not sure. Maddie is looking for somewhere else to live, but I don't know how long it will take her to find the right situation."

"You know her from high school, you said?"

"Yes. Her parents hired me to tutor her in algebra. She and my sister Nicole were friends, so I also saw her around the house. Maddie was a wild child back then with pink and purple streaks in her hair."

"She doesn't sound at all like the kind of girl you would date."

"Definitely not. At least not then," he heard himself add, then felt like kicking himself after he saw the interest in Shelby's eyes. Like his sisters, the women he worked with at the firehouse were always looking to set him up.

Speaking of women, he was surprised to find Rachel now in his doorway. She had a curious gleam in her eyes. "Chief, there's someone here to see you."

"Who's that?"

"A very attractive blonde with really pretty green eyes, which would have made the guys swarm around her on any day, but she also brought food—lots and lots of food."

He was on his feet before Rachel finished speaking. Maddie was here?

His pulse sped up as he walked out of his office, barely aware of Rachel and Shelby following close behind. When he got to the kitchen he found Maddie surrounded by his coworkers, and the men were all suddenly eager to help with dinner.

His cousin Dylan gave him a grin. "Our prayers were answered, Burke."

"Like you've been to church in the last decade," he muttered, his gaze seeking Maddie's.

She gave him a bright, somewhat uncertain smile, as if she wasn't quite sure of her welcome. "Hi, Burke. I made food."

"I can see that."

"I was practicing for my interview, and I got a little carried away." She stepped around the counter and crossed the room, leaving the men to unwrap the casserole dishes. "Hi, Shelby."

"It's nice to see you again, Maddie. Thanks for bringing food. It's been slim pickings around here the last few months." She paused. "My break is over. I have to get back to dispatch. If you need anything, Burke…"

"I know where to find you."

As Shelby left, he turned his gaze back to Maddie, feeling like his heart was about to explode with happiness at the sight of her. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I hope it's all right that I brought food," Maddie said. "I didn't want it to go to waste, and I remembered what you said about losing your cook."

"It's more than all right; it's great."

"Should I heat things up?"

"I think the guys can handle that. Why don't you come into my office for a minute?"

"Okay." As they walked out of the room and down the hall, she said, "I've never been to a firehouse before. Is there an actual pole you slide down when the alarm goes off?"

"Nope. One-story building."

"Right," she said with a little laugh. "I should have figured that out."

He grinned as he led her into his office.

"This is all yours?"

He moved behind the desk. "Yes, it is. My job has turned into a lot of paperwork."

"It's very impressive—all that you've accomplished."

He shrugged and urged her to take a seat. "How did the interview go?"

She sat down and said, "Not horrible, not great. The executive chef said I did an adequate job. Not exactly a stellar review. He's interviewing other people, too. I don't think I'm going to get it."

"Sorry," he said, hating to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"It might be a good thing. I'm not sure that restaurant is the right place for me. I wouldn't have any opportunity to be creative. I could tell it's very rigid and regimented, and I don't have a long attention span. I'm afraid I'd get bored cooking up the same dishes day after day."

"Isn't that what happens in a restaurant?"

"Yes, that's why I need my own restaurant, then I can change things up."

"You'll get there, Maddie. You have a strong will."

"My will has taken a few hits in the last year, but I'll bounce back; I always do."

"Have you heard from your ex?"

"I got a call yesterday but I didn't answer it. Nothing today. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I did talk to Emma about it. Max is going to look into the situation."