“Oh my gosh. These are amazeballs,” I groaned, reaching for the napkin to dab my mouth.
“Looks like I timed it just right,” Myles said from behind me, and I whipped around to see him saunter into the kitchen like he owned the place.
Well, technically, he does own the place.
But I still despised him, even though I’d fantasized about the bastard every day since the night we’d spent together.
He was hot as hell and had magical lips—but unfortunately that didn’t make him any less of a pompous ass.
“Myles, my man, give this one a try,” Dad said, and I shot him a look.
It annoyed me that my father liked the man so much. Myles was the reason that my father would be commuting to work at a restaurant in Anchorage until he found a gig back in Blushing. This man hadsingle-handedly put him out of work; yet leave it to my dad to be completely enamored with the guy.
“I’m always happy to sample,” Myles said as he reached for a strawberry–goat cheese crostini. “Wow. That’s fucking fabulous.”
“These are the appetizers for the wedding next week,” Dad said.
Myles and I both reached for a prosciutto-melon skewer as his finger grazed mine. I pulled my hand back quickly and popped a piece of cantaloupe in my mouth.
“Damn, Daniel. This is really good.”
I finished chewing and glared at him just as my father thanked him for the compliment.
“Why do you think everyone wants him to cater their wedding?” I asked. “That’s part of the appeal of the inn. It comes with the best chef in town.”
Myles studied me for a long moment before turning to my father. “You said you’ve already got something lined up for when the doors close here next week. You know I was serious about you coming to work for me when we get the new place open. I know we’ve talked about it, but I hope you’re taking the offer seriously.”
I gaped at my father. “He offered you a job? You didn’t think to tell me that?”
Dad chuckled. “I didn’t know I needed to run every opportunity by you.”
“Of course you do. We’re a team, remember?” I huffed. “But it would be working for a large corporation, and you wouldn’t be able to create your own masterpieces.”
“Says the woman who has never owned a large corporation herself.” Myles’s voice was clipped. It had been three weeks of awkward run-ins and snide comments.
Snippy texts that really served no purpose.
He’d texted two weeks ago to tell me that he was watchingAmerica’s Most Wanted, and he wanted to know if “Montana Kingsley” was evenmy real name, because he was fairly certain he’d just seen me on his TV screen as a wanted felon.
I’d responded with the honey badger emoji and the middle finger emoji.
Last week he’d texted to ask if I could get him a deal on a diamond tennis bracelet for his mother’s birthday via my imports and exports business.
I’d reminded him that he had more money than he knew what to do with, or he wouldn’t be building a monstrosity in our town, so he could figure it out himself.
He’d responded with the dollar sign emoji.
This had become our shtick, and as much as he annoyed me, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy bantering with the man.
“I just think that a large hotel is going to have a menu that appeals to the masses. This is a small inn. He’s been allowed to create the menus that he wants because it’s a boutique hotel and it allowed him the creative freedom. Are you telling me that I’m wrong?”
“I’m telling you that you know nothing about the hotel business. You just want to hate me, so you are going to disagree with everything I say because you’re angry. You’re thinking with emotion and not like a businesswoman.”
“Or I just happen to dislike you and disagree with you at the same time.” I placed my hands on my hips. “Both can be true.”
“All right,” my dad said. “Hank needs me in back, and you two are killing my creative juices per usual with your bickering. How about you each go to your respective corners.” He shook his head. “Myles, I appreciate the offer, and when the time comes, if you’re still interested, we’ll talk. But I can’t wait for work until next season, so I’ll take this job and we’ll play it by ear.” Dad put his finger up to stop me from interrupting, because that’s exactly what I was about to do. “Baby girl, I love you, but I’m a grown man. I’m very capable of making decisions for myself.”
My chest squeezed at his words. It had always been my father and me against the world.
