I launched myself around the desk and threw my arms around his neck. “Thank you for sticking with me,” I sniffled against him. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
He hugged me back. “I know.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. And now I had to tell Vann. And Ezra. Plus, there were so many chefs to gloat to.
Good thing they were all out in my dining room.
We were celebrating again. Kaya and Wyatt’s engagement this time. He’d asked her last night, surprising her by showing up at Sarita and sending one of her dishes back to the kitchen. She’d been so upset at the arrogant customer that thought he knew more than she did, she nearly threw the plate in the garbage without looking at it. He’d shouted at her from the doorway where he’d snuck in to watch her open the ring box.
They’d had a magical moment. She’d said yes of course.
Vann and I were now officially still on the outside of our couple friends. Only dating. Not married or engaged.
Yet.
I smiled to myself, because I knew it was coming. Not today. Probably not this year. But this man was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. This was the man I wanted saving me from myself forever and ever amen.
Congratulating staff members along the way, I left them to prep for the day and burst from the kitchen to my waiting friends. I’d offered to host a celebratory lunch for my bestie and her new fiancé at Bianca. I had just been finishing up in my office and was getting ready to come out here when Blaze walked in with the paper.
“My first review!” I shouted at them forgetting about the happy reason they were here.
“What?” was the collective response from them.
I held the paper up so they could see. “I’m a force to be reckoned with!”
Throwing myself into Vann’s arms, I felt lucky he was ready to catch me. He took the paper from me and quickly read the article. “New chef in town indeed,” he laughed, squeezing me in a tight hug.
He passed the paper on to his sister, who had to read it over the sweetest, tiniest, most adorable newborn swaddled in her arms. Cecily Violet, or Cece for short, was the most precious baby that had ever been. We were all in love and taking turns doting on her.
Vann had turned out to be an incredible uncle that loved to buy her presents and ingeniously passed her off whenever there was a threat of a dirty diaper.
And Vera and Killian were an inspiration as far as busy parents went. Vera was still on maternity leave from their now busy restaurant. She was exhausted and alone a lot as Killian carried the burden by himself. But they were making it work and still working hard for their dreams. And their marriage.
They gave me hope that there could be kids in my future as well. Even with a crazy, intense job. Even with Vann working as much as I did.
He wrapped his arms around me as my friends passed the newspaper around. “Is this the real reason we’re here?” Wyatt asked. “The engagement lunch was just a front, wasn’t it?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Blaze just brought me the article. I had no idea.”
“Uh, I’m not surprised,” Kaya gloated. “I told you, babe.”
“Congratulations!” Molly squealed when she finally got the paper. “Oh, my gosh, how exciting!”
“I can’t take all the credit,” I told her. “I do have a pretty kick ass PR squad.”
She smiled at me. “I can only get them here. It’s your food that makes them stay and write amazing articles about you.”
“Proud of you, sis,” Ezra announced, one of his rare smiles big on his face as well. “I hate to say I told you so, but…”
I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Come on, we were all right,” Killian added. “We all knew you’d flip this place around. I mean, Ezra seriously did his best to run it into the ground, but you handled it like a pro.”
Ezra’s smile died and he glared at Killian.
“It feels good, doesn’t it?” Vera asked. “There’s nothing like a good review to solidify your purpose.”
I nodded. She was right.
