Page 9 of Risk It All
I liked trouble. I tended to gravitate toward it—but not this time and not with him.
I turned back to Tom, clearing my throat. “That’s, uh, that’s Leo Rivers. The new chef Wes hired.”
Tom nodded, a warm smile on his face as he waved to Leo. “Ah, Leo. That’s right. Too bad I gotta head out, but I’ll introduce myself next time I’m in.”
The majority of the town knew Wes’s plans to expand Lake Ridge and bring on a chef. Now that Leo was in town, word was going to spread quickly—if it hadn’t already. Golden Falls sure knew how to gossip.
Tom slid his wallet into his back pocket after paying his tab. “Thanks for the conversation, Eliza. Take care, now.”
“Any time, Tom.” I smiled gently.
Now that Tom had left—and no one else needed anything—I didn’t have an excuse not to go over. You’d think given I had acouple of weeks to prepare for Leo’s arrival that I’d be ready to face him.
Nope. I preferred to go with the flow, and live in a small state of denial. Meaning, until now, I’d completely forgotten my panic when Wes first told us Leo had accepted the job. And I typically wasn’t one to panic.
I pushed myself off the bar top, ignoring the unfamiliar flicker of nerves, and crossed to where Leo had sat down.
“Hey, how are—” we said at the same time.
We both paused, but that didn’t help.
“I’m good?—”
“Good. I’m out with?—”
I shook my head at the same time a low chuckle escaped Leo, and he rubbed the back of his neck. Was he…nervous?
“How was—” we both said, and this time I couldn’t hold back my laugh.
Leo ran a hand over his beard, but a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.
I stayed quiet this time, using the moment to take him in now that I was closer.
“You go first,” he ultimately said. “How’ve you been, Eliza?” There was a natural rasp to his voice, and the way he said my name scratched an itch in my brain.
The question was simple but also loaded—or at least it felt that way to me. I’d been good, but now that he was here, dozens of questions floated around in my mind. And one response in particular was on the tip of my tongue:Good, and if you’d responded to my text, you’d know that.
I normally didn’t have much of a filter, but around him, I’d have to.
“I’m good.” I cleared my throat, twisting one of the gold rings on my finger. “I have my yoga studio and started bartending here over the summer. Things are good.” Keeping our conversationsurface level and work related was safe. And for once in my life, I needed to play it safe. “How was Portland?”
“I walked past your yoga studio. It looks amazing.” He had a look in his eyes that I couldn’t place, because it disappeared within seconds. I wasn’t sure how to respond, and luckily, I didn’t need to figure it out, because he continued, “Portland was great. Unlike any other city I’ve been to. I’m already itching to go back.”
Then why’d you leave?I wondered. Instead, I asked, “How was the food?”
“Some of the best I’ve ever had.”
My brows raised. “Wow, that good? Giving yourself that much credit?”
Leo huffed a laugh. “Already giving me shit? It hasn’t even been five minutes yet.”
“Maybe.” I twisted my lips to hide my smile. “You start next week?”
He nodded, letting out a sigh. It wasn’t aheavysigh, but it was enough to know that there was more to it. “I do, yeah. I have a few more days to get settled. Wes is showing me around tonight and introducing me to people. I just met Gabe and your brother.”
“Whatever embarrassing shit my brother told you, it’s all lies. And Wes, too, for that matter.”
Leo shook his head with a smile. “Luckily, I think you’re in the clear. For now, at least.”
