All I Ask of You (Heron's Landing #2) - Iris Morland Page 0,2

chef, not some kid still in school. I expect you to do better.” Jaime waited for Eric to respond, but his sous chef just made another face and then nodded tightly.

Everyone else in the kitchen was staring, but when Jaime looked up, they all scurried to finish their tasks. Grace almost wanted to pick up a knife and begin chopping, just to avoid Jaime’s wrath.

She’d been around River’s Bend and Jaime long enough to know that although he was a perfectionist, he was also fair. He’d been patient with Eric in the beginning, but that patience was running thin with the constant mistakes and, she had a feeling, pure laziness. But Adam had told Jaime he couldn’t fire another sous chef, so he’d stuck it out.

Grace wasn’t sure if Eric would make it to the New Year.

Jaime still hadn’t noticed Grace, and she watched as he walked back into the pantry. No one else paid attention to her—she blended in fairly easily and was just known as the boss’s little sister—so she followed him into the back.

The pantry, brimming with cans and bags of ingredients, was organized and spotlessly clean. Grace had to admire how everything was stacked according to type of ingredient, with nothing in the wrong place. When Jaime had first come to River’s Bend, the previous executive chef hadn’t cared what the pantry had looked like, and more than once an infestation of cockroaches had resulted.

As Jaime looked for a can of something, Grace cleared her throat. He glanced up, his dark eyes widening.

“Grace.”

Her throat closed up, and her heart was pounding so fast she saw stars. It wasn’t helpful that Jaime was so handsome. That dark hair and those dark eyes and the way he picked up a knife and could chop anything within seconds and how he brushed sweat from his brow and how he rolled his r’s ever so slightly—not enough that most people noticed. But Grace noticed.

She noticed everything about him.

She cleared her throat. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.” Her voice was rather high, like a squeaky mouse, and she blushed at the sound of it. “I’m sorry if I put you in an awkward position.” When he didn’t reply, she added, rambling somewhat, “Like if I made you feel uncomfortable, or if I did something you didn’t want, because I’d hate to think I did that at all. I wasn’t necessarily thinking as clearly that night as I should’ve been, although that’s no excuse, I know that. I just…wanted you to know.”

Jaime stared at her, and Grace began fiddling with her braid. It was a compulsive gesture, and if she could pull the elastic out of her braid and redo it, she would, just to give herself something to do. Instead, she pulled on the ends until she knew she was making them more ragged as a result.

Jaime glanced upward, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. “You don’t need to apologize,” he said gruffly. “You were honest, and that’s to be commended.”

That wasn’t particularly comforting, but at least he wasn’t mad, Grace thought.

“But I did want to tell you,” he continued, “that I meant what I said: nothing can happen between us.” His darkened gaze met hers, and he said in a voice that made her heart stop, “Us together… It would be a disaster. You know that, right?”

Grace almost laughed, because it would be easier than crying. The hilarious thing was that she’d come here to say the exact same thing: she’d been wrong to say anything, to put him in this position. But hearing Jaime say out loud that they’d be a disaster? It pierced her clean through. She’d thought, she’d hoped…but no. She should’ve known.

Don’t be naïve, Grace. Did you really think he’d change his mind?

Her mouth trembled. She tried to smile, but she had a feeling it came off as lopsided. The lip tremble always precipitated tears. Biting her cheek, she pulled herself together long enough to say, “Okay, then we’re on the same page. We’ll act like I didn’t say anything.” Her voice caught, and she had to stop talking.

Jaime looked at her, as if he knew she was struggling not to cry. He took a hand out of his pocket. But he didn’t reach for her. Instead, he shrugged and said, “I need to get back to work.”

Grace walked home, hands around herself, letting the tears fall freely and telling herself this was the last time she’d cry over Jaime. She felt