Olivia licked peanut butter from her fingers. “What on earth for?”
“You should be eating cherry tomato, basil, and pancetta quiches, smoked chicken wings, and chorizo and apple sausage rolls. Not peanut butter sandwiches.”
She gave him a long, loaded look before shaking her head. “Stop it, Connor.”
“Stop what?”
“Thinking you need to impress me. If this is going to work, you have to take me off the damn pedestal. It’s exhausting and ridiculous.”
Suitably chastised, he handed her a serviette for her fingers—yeah, one thing he had remembered. “I’m just frustrated at myself. I know it’s going to take some adjustment, you spending time with Ellie, and... I guess I wanted to make today good for you.” The conversation from last night still burned fresh in his mind. “I wanted you to see that being with her doesn’t need to cramp our style. That we can have a grown-up picnic and grown-up conversation while still making it a great day for her too.”
“And what makes you think I’m not having a great day?” She glanced down at the sandwich. “Would you believe I’ve never had a peanut butter and jam sandwich? And until I met you, I’d never had a proper picnic either.”
His hand, about to snag one of Ellie’s leftover sausages, froze in midair. “Seriously?”
“Dad didn’t like them, thought any meal that wasn’t meat and potatoes on a plate wasn’t proper food, so we never got to go on one.”
“Your mum didn’t take you?”
“I think she would have done, but she didn’t drive. We had sandwiches in the garden on a blanket, but it wasn’t the same as on the beach or in a park.” She took another bite, and he realized she was enjoying it. “I know how to be a grown-up, Connor. I want you to teach me how to have fun.”
“I’m happy to, if you’ll let me.”
She blinked. “I already said I want you to.”
“You also said you have to work seven days a week in order to stay ahead in your career.” He slid his hand down her ponytail and gave it a playful tug. “You need to give me days like today. Recognize that it’s important to have at least one day a week where you not onlydon’twork, you don’t even think about work.”
She seemed to mull his words over. “Okay,” she said eventually. “I can’t promise, but I’ll try.” A spark of mischief entered her eyes. “While you’re teaching me how to relax, I’ll teach you how to be more organized. For example, you could put notes in strategic places to remind yourself not to forget important things. Like bringing the picnic.”
Laughter rumbled out of him. “Deal, smart-arse.” He winced at the sad sandwich in her hand. “Those quiches and sausage rolls would have been good.”
“They still will be. When we get back.” She eyed him thoughtfully. “Have you talked to Aaron about your menu ideas yet?”
“Er, no.”
“Why not? Even I can see you’re a great cook.”
He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Thanks, but I’m not great. I’m good.” She was so confident in her work, he didn’t know how to get her to understand. “I wasn’t born into this like Aaron was, like Felix was. I didn’t dream of becoming a chef, didn’t go to a specialized culinary school, work under master chefs. I just... I needed a job I could work around Ellie. Bartending was fine when she was a baby, but as she got older, I missed putting her to bed, and when she was raring to go at five in the morning, I was knackered, having only got to bed a few hours earlier. Doing the lunchtime slot in a bistro seemed like it could be a solution, but it was one of dozens of jobs I applied for.”
“Aaron must have seen something in you.”
He shook his head, remembering. “I strutted into the interview all cocky, but inside I was a mess. I’d cooked before, but only out of necessity. Somehow I managed to convince him not just to take me on but to pay for classes so I could get the diplomas I needed to work in the kitchen.” He shrugged, though he didn’t think his attempt at casualness was fooling her. “I don’t know where I’d be without him.”
“He sounds like a good man.” She paused, waited until he looked at her. “But you’re not giving enough credit to the guy who persuaded an astute businessman like Aaron to take a chance on him. The same guy who I suspect studied late at night when his daughter was in bed so he’d ace the diploma exams because he couldn’t stand to let Aaron down.Thatguy shouldn’t be afraid of showing Aaron why he was right to employ him.”
Fuck. He felt his eyes burn and had to look away. Praise was always hard for him to accept, but coming fromher? “Thanks.” His voice sounded hoarse, so he took a swig from the bottle of water. “I’ll talk to him about the menus next time I see him.” Needing to do something, he jumped up and held out his hand. “I think it’s time for your lesson.”
She eyed him warily. “You’ve got the same look you had just before you put me on the quad bike. And the Jet Ski.”
“This is nothing like as hard.” He pulled her to her feet. “We’re going to go down a slide.”
“Oh, no, we’re not.” She waved toward the playground. “Aside from the fact that my bum might get wedged on the thing, we’re not allowed on it.”
“Your bum won’t get stuck, it’s too neat. As for not being allowed, says who?”
“There’ll be a notice somewhere.”
He tugged her forward. “Rules are there to be broken, Livvy. Come on, this is literally child’s play.”
