She grinned at his surprised expression. “Even if I was run off my feet, I would have tried to help.”
Paul took two quick strides and pulled her into his arms. The hug was tighter than she’d expected, his relief palpable as he held her close. Susan felt the warmth of his body through his shirt, caught the faint scent of coffee and the cold air that still clung to him. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder, and for a moment, neither of them moved.
When Paul finally stepped back, his hands lingered on her arms, and his eyes held something deeper than gratitude. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Susan’s heart was beating faster than it should have been. “I’m glad I can help.”
Paul’s hands slipped away slowly, as if reluctant to break the connection. He cleared his throat and turned back to the counter. “We should go over the menus I discussed with Olivia. With so many events in such a short timeframe, we’ll need to be super organized.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Susan’s voice sounded steadier than she felt. She began breaking chocolate into chunks, grateful for something to do with her hands. “We could do all the advance prep the weekend before. Anything that can be made ahead and frozen or refrigerated, we should do then.”
Paul nodded, moving to the walk-in cooler. When he returned with cream and mascarpone, his composure was restored but there was something new lingering in the air between them. “We’ll need to talk to Harry and the rest of my team. If we don’t have enough staff to work those days, we could be in trouble.”
Susan thought of something that could help. “If you need extra staff, the students in my catering class are amazing. They’ve helped me when I’ve catered for different events.”
Paul pulled a container of egg yolks from the refrigerator. “That would be great. I’ll keep that in mind when I’m scheduling the staff.”
They fell into a comfortable rhythm, working side by side. Susan stirred the melting butter while Paul whisked the egg yolks in a copper bowl. But Susan was acutely aware of every time their shoulders nearly touched, every glance that lasted a moment too long.
“There’s another thing I’ve been thinking about,” Susan said as she folded the melted butter into her chocolate mixture. “My students were discussing the new resort at Finley Point. They were talking about how many staff they’ll need, especially for the restaurant and catering operations.”
Paul’s whisk paused mid-stroke. “I overheard someone talking to Mabel in the general store about the same thing.”
Susan glanced at him. “Would you ever consider working in the resort’s restaurant?”
Paul resumed whisking, his movements more deliberate now. “Instead of here?”
Susan nodded. “Or it could be both if you found someone to manage the Lakeside Grill.”
“I’m not sure,” Paul replied. “It would mean going back to what I left behind. Large kitchens, lots of staff to manage, and constant pressure.”
“Maybe.” Susan pressed her chocolate mixture into a springform pan. “Or it could be different this time. You’d be bringing all the lessons you’ve learned to a new situation. You’d be creating Montana experiences instead of chasing awards.”
“That’s an interesting way to look at it.” Paul strained the cardamom from his cream. “But I like what I have here. The Grill is manageable. It doesn’t consume my entire life.”
Susan smoothed the top of her torte. “I was just curious about whether you’d work in a bigger kitchen again.”
“What about you?” Paul began incorporating the cream into his egg yolks. “Would you be interested in the resort’s restaurant?”
Susan considered the question. “Part of me is intrigued by the idea of working there. But I moved to Sapphire Bay to escape that constant pressure. Like you, I’m not sure I want to go back to it.”
“There’s something to be said for the life we have now.” Paul arranged his custard-filled ramekins on a tray. “Less stress, more control, and time to actually enjoy what we’re doing.”
“That’s true.” Susan set her torte in the refrigerator to chill. “Although I have to admit, working with you has reminded me about how much I enjoy a good challenge.”
Paul chuckled. “That’s the first time someone’s told me I’m a challenge.”
Susan grinned. “You know what I mean. Besides, we make a good team. That makes up for any personality issues you might have.”
Paul’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I don’t have personality issues. I’m delightful to work with.”
“When I came in last week to test my appetizers, you reorganized my prep station twice.”
Paul’s smile widened. “I was optimizing your workflow.”
“You corrected the way I was holding my knife.”
Paul crossed his arms, fighting another smile. “You were putting unnecessary strain on your wrist. That’s not a personality issue. That’s professional concern.”
