Chapter THIRTEEN

Ariel clapped her hands sharply, the sound echoing in the stainless steel expanse of the kitchen. "Alright team, gather round."

Miles looked up from the cutting board where he was dicing onions, tears streaming down his face. Katie leaned against the industrial fridge, scrolling on her phone and looking less than happy to have been pulled into service, while Ethan hovered nearby, eager to help.

"As you all know, Darcy isn"t here today," Ariel said, her voice tinged with concern. "That means we need all hands on deck. I"m going to need someone to take on his prep work for dinner."

Katie barely glanced up. Miles wiped his eyes and looked uncertain.

Ariel sighed, already feeling the pressure of the day weighing on her shoulders. She thought of Darcy, hoping he was okay. This kitchen was their sanctuary, the heart of the BB. Without Darcy, it felt empty, lifeless. But there was no way he was making it to Cliffside today.

She squared her shoulders, rallying her resolve. They had guests to feed, a reputation to uphold.

"Let"s do this, team," she said firmly. "Katie, you"re on garnish duty. Miles, keep going with those onions... And the pasta…"

"Ew, garnish?" Katie said.

"I"ll do it!" Ethan"s eager voice cut through the bustle.

Ariel turned to see him standing up straight, a determined look on his face. Katie rolled her eyes, but Ethan didn"t notice.

"I can take over Katie"s duties," he continued. "Just tell me what to do."

Ariel studied him for a moment. He seemed kind, if a bit over-eager. But his willingness touched her.

"That"s very kind of you to offer, Ethan," she said warmly. "Have you worked in a kitchen before?"

He shook his head, reddening slightly. "No, but I"m a quick learner. And I want to help any way I can."

Ariel smiled. "Well, we"d be lucky to have you. If you work hard, I know you"ll do great."

She put a hand on his shoulder. His enthusiasm reminded her of when she first started out, so full of passion.

"Thank you," she added sincerely. "We"re going to make a great team today."

Ethan beamed, standing a little taller. In the background, Katie pretended to gag.

But Ariel"s eyes were bright. With Ethan"s help, they would make it through this day. She just knew it.

Ariel clapped her hands together, pulling the crew"s attention back to her.

"Alright, everyone, we"ve got a busy day ahead of us," she began, her voice warm but authoritative. "With Darcy gone, we"ll need all hands on deck."

She glanced around the kitchen, meeting each person"s eyes. Miles gave her a nod. Beside him, Katie slouched against the counter, arms crossed over her apron.

"Katie, you"re on desserts, then. The guests asked for chocolate souffles today, so we're going to make extra."

Katie just shrugged. Ariel suppressed a sigh. Getting through to that girl felt impossible sometimes. Ariel could tell that she was upset because Ariel had needed to pull her and Ethan in from their day of fun in the snow. It couldn't be helped.

"Ethan." She turned to him with a smile. "After garnish, you"ll be my assistant today. Help me with sauces, cooking proteins, expedite courses. Sound good?"

Ethan"s eyes shone. "Absolutely! Just tell me what you need."

Despite Katie"s sullen aura, Ariel felt a glimmer of hope. With this crew by her side, they could handle anything. The kitchen sprang to life. Miles hauled out vegetables, his knife soon clacking rhythmically against the cutting board. Katie reluctantly grabbed eggs and chocolate, mixing her batter with distracted disinterest. Ethan pepped garnish with alarming speed.

Then, Ethan hurried to Ariel"s side, practically bouncing on his toes. "What"s first, Chef?"

Ariel smiled, tying on her apron. This was where she belonged - leading her team, preparing great food.

"First up - hollandaise sauce. Then we filet the trout. After that..."

She continued listing tasks, mind racing ahead through the entire day"s menu. With Ethan assisting her, they dove into the work, the sounds and scents of a bustling kitchen enveloping them.

Ariel was impressed by how quickly Ethan picked things up. As she showed him how to make the hollandaise, whisking the egg yolks over a double boiler, he paid close attention. When she added the melted butter in a slow stream, he grasped the technique immediately.

"You"re a natural," she said as he finished the sauce perfectly.

Ethan beamed. "I love cooking. Always have. My mom says I"ve been fascinated with food since I was little."

"Well you certainly have skill," Ariel said. She gestured to the trout fillets ready to season. "Why don"t you dry rub these while I check on the soup?"

"On it, Chef!" Ethan sprinkled salt and pepper on the fish, then smoked paprika. Ariel kept an eye on him as she stirred a steaming pot of lobster bisque. Ethan handled the fish perfectly, turning them once until both sides were well-coated.

As they worked, Ariel found herself relaxing. There was something comforting about having such an enthusiastic helper by her side. Soon, they fell into an easy rhythm. Ariel would call out an instruction and Ethan would immediately move to help. They hardly needed to speak at all, anticipating each other"s actions. It reminded Ariel of cooking with her mentors years ago, their seamless teamwork honed over countless hours together.

She realized she was truly enjoying herself. Leading her kitchen, preparing wonderful food, teaching a promising young man - this was everything she loved.

Ariel"s contentment was interrupted by a clatter from across the kitchen. She looked over to see Katie fumbling with a tray of empty wine glasses. They wobbled dangerously before Katie caught them at the last second.

"Careful with those, sweetie," Ariel called over. Katie shot her mother an irritated look.

"I"ve got it," she muttered. But Ariel noticed her daughter seemed distracted, gaze drifting over to where she and Ethan worked.

After the souffles, Katie had been assigned less complicated tasks like polishing cutlery and making iced tea. Ariel knew her daughter was capable of more, but she wanted to ease Katie into the responsibilities of the kitchen slowly.

But seeing the frown on Katie"s face now, Ariel wondered if she"d made a mistake coddling her. Katie was nearly an adult; it wasn"t right to treat her like a child.

As Ariel pondered this, Katie slammed down the last glass with more force than necessary.

"Is there a problem?" Ariel asked gently. Katie crossed her arms.

"No, everything"s just great," she said sarcastically. "I"m having the time of my life washing dishes while Ethan gets to actually cook."

Ariel sighed, wiping her hands on a towel. She went over to Katie, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know this isn"t your dream job. But we"re a team here - we all do our part."

Katie rolled her eyes but Ariel thought she detected a hint of a smile. "Yeah, okay," Katie mumbled.

"That"s my girl." Ariel gave her a quick hug. "Now come on, the soup needs tasting."

She steered Katie towards the bubbling pot, hoping the small gesture would lift her spirits. Ariel kept her arm around Katie"s shoulders as they walked over to the large pot of seafood bisque bubbling on the stove. Katie leaned into her mom, the frustration melting away.

"Here, try this." Ariel ladled a spoonful of the creamy soup and held it out to Katie. Katie blew on it before taking a sip.

"Mmm, that"s really good," Katie said, nodding appreciatively.

"I"m glad you like it. We"re going to need a lot more where that came from. How about you start a second pot? You should know this recipe by heart."

Katie smiled—small, but there. "I can do that."

"Thank you again for pitching in," Ariel whispered as she turned back to Ethan, patting him on the back. "It takes a team to run a kitchen."

Ethan smiled, looking proud to be part of it. "Any time, Chef."

Ariel put on a Motown playlist to liven the mood. Soon the kitchen was abuzz with activity - Katie creaming butter and flour for a roux, Miles julienning carrots, Ethan and Ariel shucking mussels to deep fry for an appetizer.

As she worked, Ariel kept an eye on the team"s progress. She enjoyed seeing them collaborate, teaching and learning from each other. Leading this crew gave her purpose. When the prep was done and all the dishes and surfaces clean, Ariel surveyed the gleaming kitchen with pride. It had been a good day"s work. She untied her apron and wiped her brow as she glanced around the now spotless space. The counters shone, the floors were swept, and all the dishes were neatly stacked.

"We did it," she said, a note of pride in her voice. Turning to her crew, she added, "You all were amazing today. I know it wasn"t easy taking on extra work, but you really came together as a team. I"m grateful for each of you."

Ethan grinned, clearly reveling in the praise. "It was fun! I"d be happy to help out any time you need an extra hand."

Katie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it wasn"t as bad as I thought it would be. The day went by quickly."

"That"s the spirit," Ariel said. "Now, time for lunch. I'll handle guest service, and then I'm going to bake up some sandwich loaves in case we lose power. You three enjoy your lunch—and Katie and Ethan, there are a few old sleds in the garden shed, if you want."

Katie"s eyes lit up at the mention of sleds. "Really? That sounds awesome!"

Ethan"s face mirrored Katie"s excitement. "Sledding? I"m in!"

Katie looked at Miles. "Come with us!"

Miles, meanwhile, had wiped his hands on his apron, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Before I join you, I need to make a call. I have to check and see if the boat shop can be looked after during this storm."

Ariel nodded in understanding. "Of course, Miles. Thanks for helping out here first."

As the younger pair excitedly chattered about their impromptu sledding plans, Ariel turned her attention back to her own tasks. As she gathered the ingredients for the bread, Ariel"s mind wandered to Connie and Carl, two of their guests who had been unusually quiet and reclusive since their arrival. They had yet to join the others for any meals or activities, and Ariel couldn"t help but feel concerned.

"Miles," she called out as he was about to leave the kitchen. "Could you check on Connie and Carl after your call? They"ve been staying in their room, and I just want to make sure they"re alright."

"Sure thing," Miles replied. "I"ll go up and see if they need anything."

With a plan in place, Ariel focused on her bread-making, the rhythmic kneading of the dough a calming process. The snowstorm might have brought chaos, but in the kitchen, Ariel found her peace.

One she hoped would last until the weekend—and the snow—was over.