Chapter One
NICOLE
Nicole Garrett flopped down across from her best friend Devin and took a big drink from the glass of water on the table.
“Labor Day is over; why is it still so hot outside?” She groused.
Devin shrugged and said, “About time you got here. I’ve been waiting for ten minutes. I’m dying to try the buffet. They have three different kinds of French toast and I’m going to try all three.”
Nicole smiled, “Sometimes I forget that being on time is late to you.”
“You don’t get to be mayor by showing up on time. You have to be prepared and five minutes early.” Devin hit the table with her hand.
“But if you’re a man, you can be late and take bribes,” Nicole said, speaking about the ex-mayor of Marley Creek, who was now also an ex-con.
“Exactly,” Devin said as she stood up. “Now let’s go try this food. Sally was here last week, and she said the French toast was the best she’d ever had. And that lady knows her food.”
Nicole slid back out of the booth and said, “I’m going to check out the omelet station.”
Devin paused, “Please tell me you’re not doing keto.”
Nicole half smiled and walked away. She crossed the restaurant. Looking into a series of mirrors lining the way, she realized she should have put the prosthetic padding into her bra. Her top was more fitted than she usually wore, and it was glaringly obvious to her that she looked lopsided. She should have worn a hoodie, but it was so hot outside that she’d left it at home. She tugged at her shirt, trying to stretch it while she hunched her shoulders.
The line for an omelet snaked around several tables and past the brick fireplace that anchored the far side of Jesse’s Pub. Nicole frowned as she realized she’d left her phone back at the table. She crossed her arms to hide her chest. She looked around the pub. Even though she only lived a block away, she hadn’t been here since it had reopened a couple summers ago. Her stomach roiled as she remembered that was when she'd been in the midst of breast cancer treatment.
She absently twirled a lock of her wavy, auburn, shoulder-length bob. When Jesse’s Pub had opened, she’d been avoiding most anything with flavor, opting for a diet consisting of saltine crackers, applesauce, and chicken rice soup. “That’s not today, though,” she mumbled to herself as she counted the people in front of her, all of whom were on their phones. She looked up at the restaurant ceiling; she didn’t remember the wooden beams and the exposed brick on the walls. The pub now had a rustic farm-to- table vibe going on, which she had to admit was a nice addition to downtown Marley Creek.
Finally, it was Nicole’s turn. By now, her mouth was watering. She stared down at the toppings, trying to decide what to get. On one hand, she’d love a Denver omelet smothered in cheese with a side of bacon, but on the other hand, it was so much healthier to get an egg white omelet with spinach, tomato, and mushrooms—hold the cheese and no side of bacon. Processed food was something she avoided as much as possible in her post-cancer life, even though she missed it and her oncologist said it was okay in moderation. Still, she didn’t like to risk it. Her stomach growled, making her decision more difficult. A deep male voice said, “What would you like in your omelet?”
Nicole looked up into a face so handsome she completely forgot about complex carbs. “Ah,” she said her mouth agape, “What?”
He smiled and she almost gasped when dimples popped out under his two-day scruff. “What would you like in your omelet?” He waved a couple of eggs toward the variety of toppings and then cracked them into his stainless steel pan.
“Nooo,” Nicole said loudly.
“I’m sorry?” The chef said smiling.
Nicole gulped, noticing the name Sean embroidered on his chef jacket and marveling at his broad chest. She shook her head a little, trying to clear her sudden lusty thoughts. “It’s just that I wanted an egg white omelet, with mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes,” she blurted and felt heat rising on her neck.
“No worries.” Sean smiled, dumped out the eggs, grabbed another pan, and added egg white mix to it. Nicole watched him work and hoped the floor would swallow her up. She should have gotten in the buffet line and served herself, but no, she wanted a super healthy omelet instead. Sean added the vegetables and then looked at Nicole. “What kind of cheese would you like? We’ve got cheddar and Swiss, and today we have a new smokedgouda from Wisconsin. Would you like a sample?” He picked up a toothpick with a chunk of cheese and held it out to Nicole.
“Oh, no thank you,” Nicole said. For reasons she didn’t want to understand, she couldn’t even make eye contact with Sean and instead found herself staring at his full lips.
“Are you sure? It’s got a nice nutty flavor. It’s been a huge hit today.”
“No thank you,” she repeated.
“Alright,” he said, plating the egg white omelet and handing it to Nicole. Nicole grabbed the plate, her hand brushed his and she jerked back and spun away startled, only to have her omelet fly off the plate and plop on the floor.
Her face and her shoulders drooped. Her face burned with embarrassment. She wanted to run out of the restaurant. Nicole bent down to pick up her omelet, but before she could get it, Sean had come around with a broom and swept the omelet into a dustpan. Her eyes fixed on his Crocs, she sighed, “I should just leave.”
Sean put a hand on her arm. "No one leaves my place hungry. Just stay right here and I’ll have a new egg white omelet, hold the cheese, ready for you in a jiffy."
The kindness she heard in his voice helped diffuse the cloud of embarrassment hanging over her. She smiled a crooked smile, “M-maybe I should take advantage of the second chance?”
Sean quirked an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”
“Denver omelet, with the gouda?”
