Gray laughed and hugged her. “It’s going to be great. We’ll figure out whether we need to hire a server, or if we can handle it ourselves.”
Mara smiled at them. “I don’t mind helping.”
Amber shook her head. “You’re already doing enough.”
Mara laughed. “Not even close. From everything I’ve seen since moving here, everyone helps where they’re needed. I’ll tell you if it’s too much.”
Seth’s heart warmed again. There was so much to like about this woman. He needed to keep his hands off, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to for much longer. Everything he’d learned about her had him wanting to know more.
Especially learning how she reacted to his kiss, his touch. He wouldn’t be in the least surprised if Mara were an open lover who enjoyed playing in bed.
Ford and Jolie strode into the kitchen, and Seth had to suck in a deep breath to shove those thoughts far, far down. No getting turned on by the Chaos Machine with her brother in the room.
Okay, that was impossible. He’d have to work on it not showing.
Chapter 9
Everything Changes
Mara loved that Amber and Gray had suggested hosting the dinners at the inn. With Seth’s injured leg, the less lugging up and down the road, the better.
Her heart ached knowing how he’d been injured. It would have been difficult enough dealing with his own pain and recuperation process, but he’d also been dealing with the death of a friend. A friend he probably felt responsible for. Seth Walters was nothing if not protective. His voice and the sorrow on his face had shown how deeply the loss affected him.
She’d wanted to ask more questions about his injury, the rest of his team, and how they’d coped with the death. Instead, she’d let him lead the conversation, and she hadn’t pushed. She thought he’d surprised himself by blurting out any of it.
Maybe he would realize she was a good listener, and that talking things through helped him.
Although that made her a hypocrite, since she wasn’t talking about her own issues. Not that dealing with a handsy boss was even close to dealing with a life-altering injury and the death of a teammate.
Yeah, she had nothing to complain about.
Serving the meals would be fun and would give her more time getting to know Seth, Amber, and Gray. Maybe she could act as a sous-chef when he needed one.
She doubted he ever admitted to needing help, but she could offer.
As the others arrived, they all offered to help with the meal. Amber waved them away. “We’re going to use these as run-throughs of how things will go with the guests. The only difference is that you’re not getting a choice.”
Knox grinned. “If Babs is cooking, we don’t need choices.”
The dining room held matching square tables that could seat two or four, or be joined for larger groups.
For tonight, they made a double-wide table with room for two at each end and five along each side. That left plenty of room in the middle for serving dishes.
Once everyone sat, Seth nodded. “I’ll come up with a limited menu from now on. Three choices per night.”
Amber frowned. “Two should be enough.”
Seth shook his head. “Three is fine. I’ll keep some things in common, and I’ll always have items prepared earlier in the day, and will only need last-minute touches. You lot can eat the leftovers once the guests are done.”
Everyone happily agreed to that plan. They’d all taken turns cooking before Seth had arrived. None of the rest loved cooking, so they’d happily eat whatever Seth made.
Once everyone had a full plate, Gray spoke up. “Before we eat, I have something I’d like to say.”
Worry shot through Mara. She knew Amber had been terrorized by criminals from Chicago. Beside her, Seth straightened, all his attention focused on the couple.
The Malssum men stiffened, and Jolie’s head whipped up. “Is Allard still in jail? Is there another threat from him?”
Gray shook his head sharply. “No. Nothing like that. I didn’t mean to scare anyone. This is actually good news.”
