Jake’s heart fell. It was because of him, and once again, here he was messing around in people’s lives when they deserved better.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he offered carefully. “Is there anything I can do to convince you to stay?”
She waved her hands, and then did look at him. She wasn’t angry—he could see that. She looked sad, almost wistful. “No, Mr. West. I’m afraid not. I have another job lined up that starts today.”
“Ah. I see,” he replied.
“It isn’t because of you,” she blurted, then went a bit pink. “Well, not completely. You—”
“Crowd you, intimidate you?” he answered for her. “I tend to come on too strong. I’m sorry if I stepped on your toes.”
She sighed and put a few more things in the box, then stopped and leveled her gaze at him. “No, no. Not like that. I cooked for Mr. West—I mean your dad—for a long time. He liked things a certain way. When he died, cooking for just the boys, the crew, and Peony the same way felt odd. So when you came along and started making yourself at home in here, cooking far better than I ever could, I just . . . I missed him and knew it was time to move on.”
That was the most she had said to him since he had arrived, and he was grateful to have her explain it to him, but the pit in his stomach stayed. People in the restaurant business came and went. How many times had he had a similar conversation with a worker in his kitchens? But for some reason, he felt the loss of this person who had been part of the West family for some time because it was more change in a place that the people who lived here shouldn’t have to deal with because of him.
He wondered what his father would have done, which was an odd thought to have in the midst of this conversation. He’d never wanted to measure his actions against the man before, because there was nothing to measure it with. With Brett fleshed out more in his mind, he wondered if it was dredging up emotions he’d long buried.
“You do know I’m not staying long-term,” Jake said.
Rosy nodded. “I’m aware. It’s time for a change, for me, Mr. West. I’m sorry.”
“I understand,” he replied. “I hope your new position has as nice a kitchen as this one.”
That made her smile, and she relaxed her shoulders. There were no hard feelings, he hoped.
“It doesn’t but it will do fine,” she replied. She added her cookbooks to the top of the box and picked it up.
As she turned, Tanner stalked in, and Jake braced for it. He looked like he always did, mad and in a hurry.
“Rosy. I have your last paycheck here. Just needs to be signed by the new boss,” he snapped. “You seen him?”
Rosy turned, and Tanner looked past her to Jake, standing on the other side of the counter. He thinned his lips, scanning Jake from head to toe. Disapproval radiated out of him. Jake held his tongue and gritted his teeth to endure it. Rosy didn’t need to be caught in the crosshairs aimed at him.
“Good morning,” Jake said instead of what he wanted to say.
“Sign this,” Tanner snapped again, striding over and planting the check in front of him. He crossed his arms and looked around the kitchen. “Do you have everything, Rosy?”
“I do,” she replied stiffly. Obviously, Tanner hadn’t taken the news about her leaving well.
Jake found a pen on the side table and signed the check quickly. He noticed it was made out to Rosy Morrison, and he jolted at the recognition as he held it out to her.
“Morrison?” he asked. “Are you by chance related to a Heather Morrison?”
Rosy tilted her head. “Yes. Her father was my father’s oldest brother, my uncle Bob, and she was his oldest child. I don’t think I ever met her, she was long gone before I was old enough to remember, anyway. Why?”
“She’s my mother,” he answered, the rush of acknowledgment hitting him square in the chest. Tanner took in a breath, but Jake didn’t look at him. He didn’t have time for his asshole attitude right now.
“Well, I’ll be,” she said, and set the box down. “We were told she was likely dead.”
Dead. Gossip and rumor abounded in a small town, but dead?
“No, she isn’t,” he murmured. “She’s very much alive.”
Rosy made a noise in her throat that sounded like surprise. He flicked a glance over to Tanner as his brother let out an impatient huff.
Jake tilted his head as he looked back at Rosy. “She would be your cousin, so that makes me your second cousin, I think?”
Rosy let out a peal of laughter, and he wished they had known sooner. All the ice would have been broken much more quickly, and perhaps she wouldn’t be leaving. Which, judging by Tanner’s current attitude, he was going to blame Jake for.
