Frustration boiled in my chest. “Youcould put a thousand other chefs in your position, and they wouldn’t accomplishwhat you’re doing over there. You’ve forgotten I’ve eaten there. I had ‘Ezra’s’food. And it changed my life on like a spiritual level.”
His mouth quirked up in a reluctantsmile. “Spiritual level, huh?”
“I had an existential experiencewith the braised lamb. I think I actually left my body and went to some otherplane of existence.”
“You’re such a liar.”
His humility was so out of placewith everything about him that I wanted to callhimthe liar. Everything I knew about this man screamed confidenceto the point of arrogance. But he was so damn good at what he did that Icouldn’t even fault him for it.
But now he wanted to play shy?
What a weirdo.
An adorable, sexy, gorgeous weirdo.
I kind of hated him for being soirresistible.
Turning back to a bushel ofiridescent rhubarb, I pushed those thoughts out of my head and dropped someknowledge on him. “The point is most chefs would kill to be in your position. Ibet you don’t even have to worry about a budget. Yeah, maybe Ezra gets finalapproval, but you pretty much have complete freedom and notoriety to createwhatever you want.”
“You get to create whatever youwant,” he pointed out.
I made a sound in the back of mythroat. “It’s not even close to the same thing, and you know it. I’m cookingout of a tin can. You run one of the best kitchens in the state, possibly theentire country. We couldn’t be more opposite.” Realizing something shocking, I turnedaround to face him, dropping my hand on my hip. He was already looking at me,all masculine strength and hard body. The sun exposed his twining tattoos andtanned skin. He was perfect—not just at what he did, but how he looked too.“You know that, by the way. I have no idea why I’m padding your ego. It’s notin any danger of being squashed.”
His head dipped toward mine, and asly smile lifted his mouth. “This isn’t about ego, although I don’t mind yourcompliments. Feel free to keep them coming.”
“You’re impossible.”
His grin widened.
I turned back to the produce.
When he spoke again, he sounded moreserious. “I thought your food truck was your dream come true? Didn’t you saysomething about it being everything to you?”
I nibbled on my bottom lip for aminute while I compared prices of carrots and turnips without really seeinganything. I vaguely remembered stepping over here to look at lettuce, but mythoughts were a jumbled mess at this point, and Killian prying into my lifedidn’t help.
Finally, I braved some truth. “Isaid it was everything I have left. Not all of us get handed our dream kitchensbecause our childhood friend hands it to us.”
“Friendship had nothing to do withit. The only reason Ezra hired me was because I deserved that kitchen. Neitherof us wants to be reminded of our childhood. Neither of us can stand looking atthe other,” he shot back immediately.
It was defensive enough that Icouldn’t help but be curious.
“And he didn’t hand it to me,”Killian added. “I worked my ass off to earn a kitchen likeLilou.And I continue to work my ass off to keep it.”
“I thought you said—”
He cut me off by reminding me thathe’d said they grew up together. That apparently didn’t imply friendship.“Honestly, I’m not sure if you could even call us friends yet. He’s someone Iowe a lot to, someone I would probably die for. But I don’t know if that makesus friends or not.”
Men. “It makes you friends,” I toldhim, hoping it would help him in some way. “If you’re willing to die for him,then you’re friends.”
“Ezra’s complicated,” Killianexplained without explaining anything.
“You’recomplicated,” I countered.
“That’s adorable coming from you,Delane.”
I glared at him with narrowed eyes.“I’m not complicated. I’m easy. As long as you don’t get in my way.”
He shook his head, not sparing me aglance. He was too focused on the turnips in his hands. “Then stop changing thesubject on me and tell me why you’re running a food truck when you clearly wanta kitchen.”
