Panic threatened to close her throat, so she had to force the laugh through.“What are you talking about?I had the fajitas with Bailey and Gwen.”
“No, you didn’t.”Carrie set the kitchen rag aside.“You had them with Knox and Jesse, and spent the night at their house.”
“I…I…”
“Bailey’s allergic to avocados,” Carrie reminded her.“And Gwen, who came in on Sunday afternoon to go over the menu for the restaurant, is a terrible liar.And I, my girl, am not blind.”
With her heart in her throat and panic making her head light, Chloe leaned against the wall.“Does Mo know?”
“Don’t think so.She’d tell me if she did.”
“Are you going to tell her?”
“Why would I?You’re an adult, what you do on your own time is your business.”
Chloe sagged with relief.
“But she’s not blind either, so she’ll eventually figure it out,” Carrie went on.“Especially if this is going to be an ongoing thing.”She waited a beat, then raised an eyebrow.“Is this going to be an ongoing thing?”
Chloe took a deep breath.“I hope so.”
Carrie nodded.“Well, like I said, that’s your business.But if my opinion counts for anything, I like them.”
It took Chloe a moment to realize that Carrie was, in her hands-off way, giving her blessing.“You do?”
“They’re doing good work here, and they like my food.They treat you good?”
“Yeah.”Chloe swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat.“Yeah, they do.”
“Well, then that’s enough for me.Other people might have other concerns, of course,” Carrie said.“But that’s their problem.”
Anxiety was a hot, tight ball in her gut.“Right.”
“You’re a good kid, Chloe, and you’ve got a good head on your shoulders.You’ll be just fine.”Carrie walked over and pulled her in for a brief, hard hug, patted her twice on the back, then stepped back.“Now, go put the soup on the specials board.”
“Okay.”Chloe turned to go, then stopped.“Aunt Carrie?Thanks.”
Already back at her stove, Carrie just shrugged.“No sweat, kiddo.Go on, now.Oh, Katie said she did some bar prep, left you a list of what needs replacing or refilling.”
“I’m going to be so sad when she graduates and leaves us,” Chloe mused.
“You and me both,” Carrie muttered.
Chloe went to the bar and found Katie’s list, which kept her busy until opening.Customers trickled in at first, then flooded, and she was grateful that between making drinks and running back and forth to the kitchen—the soup was a big hit—she didn’t have much time to dwell on anything else.
It was during the lull after the first wave of diners and drinkers that Jesse and Knox strolled in.
They’d been working next door all day—she’d heard the bumps and thumps from upstairs, and through the still closed-off pub wall—but had cleaned up from their work day.Both wore jeans, Jesse with his habitual flannel, Knox with a sweater in a deep, forest green.It made the green flecks in his hazel his eyes brighter, gave them a dreamy glow.Jesse’s dimple was winking at her from his thicker-than-usual beard, his brown eyes already dancing when he hitched onto a stool.
“There she is,” he said easily, warmth and a hint of something richer, deeper in the rumbled words.“How’s it going, beautiful?”
“Busy,” she replied, trying to keep her smile professional and pretend she didn’t want to cuddle him and kiss him and tell him how much she’d missed seeing him the last couple of days.“You?”
“We’re busy, too.Clicking right along next door.”
Knox hummed in agreement, settling on the stool next to Jesse.He was more subtle than his husband, the warmth and affection in his gaze more subdued.But it was there nonetheless, and she wanted to cuddle and kiss him, too.
But she couldn’t because then everyone would know she was sleeping with two married men, and she wasn’t ready to let that cat out of the bag.And that just sucked.
