“C’mon, Ava. We keep butting heads. Do we really want to cook together?” Zach put a hand to his hip. “Plus, I really want to do well in that competition. My charity could use the money. I know how reluctant you are in the kitchen.” He raised an eyebrow. “Do you actually want to do this?”
She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, he nodded once.
“I’ll talk to Dani about it,” he said, then turned and walked off.
Ava studied Zach as he walked away. His open posture, his easygoing nature with his sister, his willingness to learn and grow. This Zach was not at all the arrogant chef she’d thought he was.
Suddenly, being his partner was very appealing indeed. Especially since being partnered with someone else held more risk of exposing her secret. At least Zach already knew her shortcomings.
She would just have to focus and not let Zach become a distraction. She had one purpose here on Jonathon Island. Everything depended on her writing articles that wowed her editor and won her the job of her dreams. Everything else was secondary.
Chapter Seven
Ava had never been someone’s superhero before. She’d barely been wanted by her parents, her ex, or anyone else. She needed to convince Zach that they could work together. She didn’t want to let Dani down.
The scent of Zach’s terrible appetizer from the day before still hung in the air. A sour note from the kraut, but also a hint of sweetness. The contest had been broken into two parts, so today they would have the entrée round followed by the desserts. Her mouth watered. Surely someone would incorporate the island’s famous fudge in their recipe.
The crowd noise around her intensified as the guests waited for the next round of cooking. Ava turned into the slight breeze making its way through the tented pavilion. Heavenly in the heat that had only risen as the chefs prepared their spaces. She walked over to where Zach was prepping his small kitchen.
He stood behind the white folding table, chef’s jacket pristine over pin-striped chef’s pants. He’d rolled his jacket up to his elbows.
“Dani must be out of her mind.” Zach untied and retied his apron.
“Good morning to you too.” Ava rocked back on her heels.
“Good morning.” His grunt strengthened her resolve to win him over into being a teammate.
“I think she just didn’t catch on to the vibe between us. She’s pretty busy.” Ava pulled a rubber band out of her pocket and tied her hair back in a ponytail.
A half-amused expression bloomed on Zach’s face. “Are you always like this?”
Her stomach squeezed. “Like what?”
“Finding the best in everyone? Looking for ways to be positive all the time?”
The tightness eased. “Me? Positive? Ha. That’s a laugh. I’m super critical all the time. It’s what makes me a good food critic. Maybe even a good writer.” If he thought she was positive all the time, he had a lot to learn.
Zach shrugged one shoulder. “Other than the one very obvious time, I’ve never read anything you wrote that was critical without you jumping in to praise the chef as well. You look for the best parts of everything.”
Ugh. That one article was going to be between them forever. She really needed to clear the air on that. “Zach, about what I wrote about your restaurant?—”
The bell sounded for the five-minute warning.
“Sorry, Peter Parker. Now’s not the time.” Zach picked up a recipe card from the table in front of him.
He was never going to let her apologize and explain. She gritted her teeth. “Fine. But at least agree to be my partner in the charity competition. Also, Peter Parker was a photographer, not a columnist. You’re thinking of Clark Kent, but I’m no Superman, er, woman.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, his lips shut tight.
“C’mon. Say yes. We have to help Dani out.”
He raised a brow, his gaze piercing. “So your charity can win, you mean?”
Probably not the time to tell him she hadn’t even picked a charity yet. Yeah, she should probably choose the one her newspaper supported, Reading is for Everyone, but—“I’ll donate my portion to your charity. There has to be something you care about, right?” Oops. She hadn’t meant it quite like that. “I mean, do you have a charity you like to support?”
The line that had formed between Zach’s eyes eased. “Actually, yes. The Silver Platter. They’re a group that helps people pay for culinary school. They helped me out when my parents refused to.”
“There you go, then.” A warmth spread through Ava as she pumped her fist. See, Zach could be reasonable. “We’ll play for the Silver Platter. They sound like a really worthy cause. I warn you, though, I’m very competitive.”
