Second Chance at the Orchard Inn, page 18
She fought not to smile at his honesty. Jude didn’t know how to be anything but genuine. Zero poker face, terrible liar.
She loved that about him.
“Why did you need to clear your head?” she asked.
“Well…that’s an interesting question. My dad found my notes on the restaurant.”
Aurora pinched her lips together. Crappidy crap. Knowing how Mr. Jones was, that couldn’t have gone well.
“And?”
Jude huffed a laugh. “Went over about as well as you’d think. He knows we want to open a restaurant, he knows we’ve been talking about it and making plans, and he ain’t happy.”
Aurora shifted to see his profile. “What did he say?”
“That we’re trying to leave him out, go over him. He’s against it, of course. Being completely unreasonable. He’s made it clear he’s not interested in anything new, from the beginning, but the fact that we kept pursuing new ideas sent him over the edge. Naturally, we weren’t going to include him until we had a solid plan to pursue and propose to him, but he found out anyway and he’s furious.”
She studied a thread at the bottom of her shirt, picking at it, unsure of what to say.
John Jones’s reaction was predictable and completely in character, but this sucked for Jude, and the prospect of a new restaurant. Plus, now it sucked for her too. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. I was the one who wanted to talk about it and take freaking notes. And it’s not like we were trying to cut him out. We just know we can’t talk to him about making changes.”
“I’m sorry regardless. I know the last thing you wanted was to hurt your dad.”
“Thanks.” Jude got quiet and kept driving.
Aurora sat back. She wanted to open up, tell him all about where her mind was at the moment, that she was emotionally invested in this restaurant idea now, too, but now wasn’t the time to pile on. He needed time to contemplate.
“I worry about him is all,” Jude blurted moments later. “He’s slowing down a lot. More so this past year. But that’s normal, right? He’s at retirement age. He should slow down. He’s earned the right to take it easy and reap the rewards of all his hard work. Thing is, he doesn’t see it that way. He’s fighting what’s natural because he doesn’t trust me to take over. He doesn’t think I’m capable, and he won’t let go.”
She studied his profile again, the strong jaw and straight nose that made him so handsome. His eyes were sad though. Jude loved his father, and no one could doubt he wanted what was best for his family and the farm.
John Jones couldn’t seriously think that Jude wasn’t capable. No one could.
“What if that’s not it at all?” she asked.
“What?”
“What if your dad’s…resistance isn’t about your abilities. Maybe it isn’t about you at all.”
His gaze glanced off hers before his eyes went back to the road. “You think?”
“Your dad trusts you enough to let you run the day-to-day operations. He’s around, but I’ve seen the way things work at the farm. It’s all you, with Jenna by your side with Bonnie and Meredith helping. Your dad is a smart man. He sees this. He knows you’re capable.”
“But not capable enough to do anything without his oversight.” Jude scowled at the road ahead. “Not capable enough to grow the family business.”
Aurora shook her head, tugging at the thread of her shirt again. “I don’t know. What if he’s just scared?”
Jude glanced her way again, his brow furrowed.
“I think he might be scared of letting go,” Aurora added. She knew more than a little something about how that felt. “Of trusting the unknown and jumping into something new and uncharted.”
For the first time in her life, she could sympathize with what Mr. Jones must be feeling.
“I don’t think it’s because of you though,” she continued. “Letting go means something new. If he retires, it means moving on and admitting he can’t do it anymore, or even that he doesn’t want to. Retiring, or leaving, stepping away means…well maybe he thinks it means quitting. And all he’s ever known is the farm and fulfilling that dream.”
Jude was quiet and still until they stopped at a four-way crossing. He turned to her, his eyes pleading to understand.
“Maybe he’s just scared,” she repeated, the truth of it echoing in her bones.
Jude bit at his bottom lip as he worked his jaw in thought. “I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
“I know your father trusts you. He has no reason not to. His issues are his own.”
“You know…” Jude leaned his head back against the headrest with a sigh. “You might be right.”
“I would know,” she muttered.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing.” She dropped the thread she’d been picking. “Maybe try including your dad in the restaurant in some small way. I know he’s against it now, but if he felt needed? Wanted? Maybe that would help him get on board.”
Jude’s brow furrowed as he considered this. “That’s not a bad idea. And let’s be honest, it couldn’t hurt at this point.”
“I know, when my sisters were getting the inn off the ground, I wasn’t actively involved beyond conference calls. Couldn’t be helped because I was so far away, but it still stung a bit. I wanted to be involved, no matter how irrational it was to think that way.”
“Yeah?”
“I craved our calls in those early days. I loved giving my input, and seeing the place grow into a real inn, with actual events.”
Jude drove through the four-way stop, not another car in sight. “And when your sisters needed your help, you were there.”
“Exactly.” She smiled, remembering. “Happily.”
When she’d first heard from Beth about what had happened, and how the whole wedding event and inn business might fall apart, Aurora hadn’t thought twice about putting in for a leave of absence to help her sisters and set everything back on course. When family needed you, you showed up.
Truth be told, she had been eager to get away from what’d turned into a rat race and to work with people she loved and trusted.
Now the thought of going back was more bitter than sweet.
The promise of being head chef with control was gone. She wasn’t sure she could go back to that pressure if the fulfillment and reward weren’t there.
Aurora looked out the window, trying to shake off her maudlin thoughts. They were at Jude’s farm, over by the refurbished barn.
“Not sure why I ended up back here.” He slumped and killed the engine. “Power of suggestion? Since we were talking about it.”
“Probably.” She slumped back too.
It really was a stunning location. She could envision lights strung outside, over a patio for outdoor dining. Heating lamps for the winter months, casting a warm glow. Customers sipping wine and eating from a whole-food-, plant-forward-, locally-grown-based menu. Seasonal. Fresh. Simple.
Perfect.
“Hey, you want a drink?” Jude sat up. “I have some wine inside. Probably some bourbon, and this honey mead I bought in Austin that I’ve been wanting to try.”
Aurora sat up as well. “I’d love to.”
Jude unlocked the barn, and they entered the dim interior. She waited near the door as he turned on the lights.
Even empty, the inside was inviting. Warm, neutral colors. She pictured white tables and wooden chairs. More windows, open and airy, bringing the outside in.
“Drinks are up here.” Jude stood at the bottom of a narrow ladder.
“There’s a loft?” Aurora asked, following him.
“Well, it’s a barn, so I left the loft.”
She climbed up behind him and found a sitting area with a sofa and chairs, a small television, some shelving, and a row of three cabinets.
“Yes, I totally hide out up here sometimes,” Jude confessed. “Have a seat. You want bourbon, wine—”
“Let’s try the mead. I don’t know that I’ve ever had it.”
“Seriously?” Jude grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and the bottle of honey-hued liquid. “Big-city girl like you?”
Aurora laughed, taking the empty glass he offered. “People in L.A. drink skinny margaritas and vodka with club soda. I’m going to guess this stuff has way too many calories for California drinkers.”
“This is true.” He opened the bottle. “It’s sweet, and a sipper, but it makes for a nice drink when it’s cool out, or you just want something sweet at the end of the day.”
He poured them both a couple of fingers, and the scent of honey and something akin to mulled wine filled her nose.
“I can tell from the smell, it’s strong.”
Jude read the label and laughed. “Eleven percent ABV. So yeah, sip it.” He clinked his glass to hers.
Aurora took a small sip, the sweetness hitting her tongue first, followed by the warm burn of the alcohol, finished with the smooth lingering taste of honey.
The result was a delightful drinking experience. “I like it,” she announced.
Jude took a sip and closed his eyes with a low hum. “I concur.”
The warmth spread to her limbs and Aurora settled back on the couch. It’d been a long week. For both of them.
She held the glass up to the light, turning it to catch the different amber hues throughout. “You could serve this at the restaurant,” she said. “As a specialty. An aperitif.”
Jude nodded and settled back beside her, mirroring her motions with his glass. “That’s a great idea. Especially if I could find a local vendor.”
“I’m sure you could, at least regionally.”
“And if not, I could probably learn to make my own.”
“It’d be a good skill to learn. Craft beer, mead. It’s all the rage now.” And she had no doubt he would and could learn both. From renovating the barn to running a farm to juggling his family and planning an expansion, she imagined there was little Jude couldn’t do.
Outside of baking a pie and managing his father.
“So.” He turned toward her and patted her knee. “What’s going on with you? What had you walking the streets in thought this afternoon?”
Aurora debated telling him, and how much to tell him. Beth would say she should lay it all out, her opportunities, her emotions, her insecurities, and her feelings for Jude.
Self-preservation told her to stick with the facts.
“My boss called me this afternoon. I’ve been asked to open a new restaurant in Malibu, and I have to be back next week.”
Chapter 19
Jude carefully kept his expression blank and remained silent, while his stomach fell through the floor.
Aurora turned the glass of mead in her hands. “It’s all I ever thought I wanted. My dream come true, but…I don’t know.”
A surge of hope bolted through his limbs. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”
She turned toward him, tucking one leg under her. “I’m not jumping at the opportunity like I thought I would.”
“I’m guessing it’s an amazing offer. The kind you’ve been waiting for?”
Aurora tilted her head. “It’s an amazing offer, and I imagine most chefs in my position would be flattered and back in L.A. tomorrow, but…”
He nodded slowly. “Not you.”
With a heavy sigh, she shifted. “This is what I thought I always wanted. It’s why I moved to California in the first place and worked my fingers to the bone. This was the goal. To rise up through the ranks with a big restaurant group, get a head chef gig, and make a big name for myself.”
He said nothing, but the doubt in her eyes pulled at his heart.
Those eyes. Aurora had always seen him for who he really was, the same way he saw her. She was a dreamer who needed to dream. He got it. He was the same. But sometimes you could focus so intently on the dream that you forgot to stop and ask if it was still what you wanted.
“I don’t understand. Why do I have doubts? Why am I not more excited?”
He wanted to be supportive, and unbiased, even though his dream was to have her here. Someone who really cared about her would put her first and help her figure this out.
Jude shifted as well, to mirror her position. “Well, let’s think about this. You’ve been back home for a couple of months now, were able to turn your family’s business around and make a difference, work with your sisters. Do you really have a boss here like you did back west?”
Aurora quirked her lips. “No. Beth can be bossy, but she’s not really my boss.”
“So then you’ve had the freedom and control that working with family provides, and you probably put less pressure on yourself now that business is good at the inn. You feel supported. Maybe, deep down, you’re happier here. Only you can answer that though. Maybe being here has made you question what’s best, and that old dream in L.A. isn’t what you really want anymore.”
Her gaze locked with his.
That was precisely the issue. It was written all over her face.
“It’s okay to feel that way.” He reached for her free hand. “In fact, it’s normal. You’ve been back and working with your sisters for a while now. You’ve been successful. The inn has flourished with you there. Everyone brags about you and your food. People see how amazing you are, and you’re home. You’re somewhere you feel comfortable and happy.”
She squeezed his hand. “It’s so weird, because I didn’t feel comfortable about coming back here. I left home because I was hurt. I needed to get away, to find myself. Coming back, I was worried about facing the past, facing you.”
A knot formed in his chest.
He nodded, knowing what she meant. He’d felt the same. Aurora left for good reason. He’d hurt her and, when she left, she’d hurt him too. Distance had helped them heal, and age gave them perspective.
“But I needed to go. Get out of the nest, away from my mom and sisters. Figure out what I wanted outside of you and find my own way.”
“Which you did. Successfully.” He intertwined his fingers with hers.
“I didn’t know how it’d be to see you again.”
“Weird, at first.” He laughed.
“So weird.”
He didn’t want her to leave again. Not now. “Listen, I’m trying to remain unbiased here, and just be supportive. My sisters tell me all the time that sometimes I just need to listen and not try to solve everyone’s problems, but…” He took a swig of his mead and set the glass down. “But screw it. I wasn’t really kidding about you being chef at the restaurant. I just said that because I thought I’d stepped on my tongue while telling you about it and—”
“I knew you weren’t kidding.” Aurora squeezed his hand.
“You did?”
“Come on, Jude. I know your tells. I knew you were serious, but I…I’d frozen up by then. I didn’t know what to say. A million thoughts were racing through my head when you said that and…” She let the sentence drift and shrugged.
“I know. It was a lot.” And he’d been selfish enough once to try to decide things for her. He’d never make that mistake again. He couldn’t ask her to give up what she wanted just for him. He wasn’t sure what kind of future she wanted, but he knew he wanted her.
“Listen.” He brought their hands to his lips and dropped a kiss on her knuckles. “I think you can do whatever you want, and you should follow the dream that makes you happy. Not because you feel like you have to accomplish something or risk being a failure, and not because you owe it to anyone else. Not out of fear or obligation. Do what you want. And I don’t know what’s going to happen with the restaurant as far as timeline and success, but if I can open a restaurant and you want the chef job, it’s yours. Consider it a standing offer for whenever you decide.”
Aurora smiled sweetly, and his chest ached at the sight.
“I think…” She swallowed hard. “I might like that.”
His heart cut a backflip and it took every bit of his will not to attempt one himself. “Yeah?”
“I mean, I know there’s still a lot to be decided, but I’m not freezing up or saying no. I’m saying maybe. Everything inside me is telling me I can’t take that job in Malibu. It’s all wrong. I just…I have to figure out how to tell them and, like you said, figure out what I want.”
His heart was still busy dancing as he kissed her hand again. “Take whatever time you need.”
“Are you going to talk to your dad again?” she asked.
“I am.” He nodded, more determined than ever. “I’ll try your advice and ask him to be involved. If he’s still against it, I’ll figure out another way. Maybe buy the barn outright and do it all on my own.”
Aurora’s face lit up at that. “You would do that?”
“I may have to.” He chuckled. “I don’t want to go that route, but the old man might not give me any other option.”
She set down her glass and wrapped his hand in hers. “It wouldn’t be the worst plan in the world. You could still make it work.”
Pulse pounding in his ears, he dared to address the other piece of their future. “If you stay.” He swallowed hard. “I’d like to…” He stopped and began again. “I don’t want to just be friends.”
Her eyes sparkled and her flushed cheeks glowed. “Being friends has been great and all, but me neither.” She smiled.
That she would even consider staying here, give up Los Angeles and a head chef’s gig for a future and a possible second chance—he was dreaming.
Jude leaned in, pulling her closer. His lips found hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck, in his favorite way. She tasted sweet, like honey, and she kissed him like she never wanted to let go.
He wouldn’t.
He’d never hold her down, but god, he wanted her to stay forever. He wanted another shot. Wanted to be more than a friend or an old flame. He wanted to be hers. He longed to share dreams with her again, and this time, make them a reality.
Aurora kissed his jaw and whispered into his ear. “I want to stay the night. With you.”
He leaned back, her breath warm on his skin, making his entire body thrum with life. “Here?”
She smiled at him, impishly. “It’s what we would’ve done years ago.”
