Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

As Gabe drove Madison to an amusement park next to the beach in San Diego, he thought about what she'd told him. Watching her panic during the cooking competition had made him wonder if she had some kind of deep-rooted anxiety, and now he knew where it came from. He felt bad that she'd had to grow up with that obstacle in her life and that she'd been hurt because of it. He was more than a little happy he'd helped her out. He didn't want her to lose because she had trouble reading the challenge card. Especially not after she'd gotten a bad review of her restaurant. He had a feeling that had started her anxiety, and then the challenge had blown that out of the water.

He was surprised by the review as well. He'd seen the dishes she'd turned out in the competition and had cooked with her during the first round. He knew she was a good chef. What was missing from her food?

A couple of weeks ago, he probably would have rejoiced at her bad review. He'd wanted her restaurant to fail from the moment she'd gotten Larry's backing. But he hadn't known her then. He'd just thought she was some lucky rich girl whose father helped her buy her way into a restaurant. And that had bothered him on many levels. Not just because of the nepotism factor, but because he respected people more who earned their way to the top, and on the surface, it hadn't appeared she'd earned anything.

But that opinion had been wrong. She had been working in restaurants for years. She might have been given an opportunity, but she still had to prove she could make it work, and that wouldn't be easy. While he hadn't eaten at the restaurant, he did know that the high prices would narrow the market regardless of the quality of the food.

She also had no name, especially in this area, and she was competing against a lot of other local chefs who had built their clientele for years.

It was difficult to make any new restaurant a success, but even more so the kind of restaurant she had chosen to open. Because she wasn't from the area, she couldn't even get friends in to fill the tables and advocate for her restaurant. She was starting from ground zero.

And it sounded like there was a chance she might not make it. Larry had set a short time frame for her to sink or swim. If she sank, what would happen then?

He frowned as the question rolled around in his head. He didn't know if Larry would give him another shot at the restaurant if Madison was out. Nor did he know if he would even want to take it if he did. Larry wasn't being realistic about the length of time it took to build a successful business. And knowing how important it was for Madison to succeed, to prove herself, he couldn't root against her. Just like today, when he'd seen her starting to fall apart, he couldn't stand by and let that happen.

She was his friend. Which also felt odd to say, but it was true. And maybe it wasn't that odd.

The first night he'd met her, he'd liked her. He'd been attracted to her immediately, but he'd also been intrigued by her and had wanted to know more. That had all taken a back seat when he'd realized she'd gotten the job he wanted. But a lot had happened in the past two weeks, and while she'd started out as his unknown, unseen enemy, she had become the one person he wanted to talk to more than anyone else.

And he didn't just want to talk. He wanted to explore the attraction between them, the connection that deepened every time they were together. He thought she might feel the same way, but she was afraid of getting too close with everything that was going on. He understood why she felt that way. While he'd refused to see her go down because she couldn't read a card, he still needed to beat her if he wanted the grand prize, and he didn't just want it, he needed it. He couldn't let his feelings for Madison get in the way of that.

But he wasn't going to worry about that now. He'd had enough stress for one day.

He pulled into the parking lot and gave Madison a smile. She hadn't said much on the drive, but that seemed typical. She kept a lot inside.

"Ready to have some fun?" he asked as they got out of the car.

"More than ready."

"What do you want to do first?"

She waved her hand to the towering coaster that was roaring nearby. "The roller coaster of course."

"You're on."

Since it was a Monday afternoon, the park wasn't too crowded, and the line for the roller coaster was fairly short. Within minutes, they were strapped into a car and chugging up the track.

"I love this part," Madison said, giving him an excited look. "It's the quiet before the storm. Everything is going slow. But once we get to the top, we'll fly."

"I prefer the flying to this slow chug-chug up to the top."

"You don't like anticipation? That's a little shortsighted."

He grinned at the teasing look in her eyes. "You make a good point."

"Here we go," she said as they reached the top and then soared down the steep track.

Madison screamed as the wind hit their faces, as they were thrown back and forth against each other. The track went up and down and around, with one final loop sending them completely upside down. They defied gravity for a couple of seconds, before they were turned right side up and flew down the last bit of track, coming to an abrupt stop where they'd started.

He was still catching his breath when she said, "That was amazing. So fun. Didn't you think so?"

He actually thought watching her enjoy the ride had been the most amazing thing about it. But all he said was, "Yes, it was great."

"I kind of want to go again."

"We could."

"No." She shook her head. "There are other rides. Let's try something else."

For the next three hours, they made their way through the park, spinning around on a Tilt-A- Whirl, flying through the air on a giant swing, and going upside down on something called The Hammer. With each ride, Madison let loose a little more, turning into the laughing, funny, bright-eyed woman he'd first met.

She wasn't drunk this time, at least not on tequila. The rides had definitely opened up a new side of her. And she was just as eager to play the games, whether it was throwing a dart into a balloon, a basketball into a hoop, or knocking over heavy milk bottles with a softball. Despite her eagerness, she wasn't particularly good at the games. He was the one to win a giant lion he had no idea what to do with.

"This is for you," he said, trying to hand it to her.

She shook her head with a laugh. "Oh, no. That is yours. You worked hard for it."

"I won it for you."

"Not true. You won it because you didn't want to lose to that teenage boy who was trying to impress his girlfriend."

He frowned. She wasn't completely wrong.

"This has been the best day I've had in a long time," she added.

Her smile was so bright he felt dazzled, which was how he'd been feeling most of the day. "It's not over yet. Let's get a drink and some food. We can watch the sun set over the water."

"That sounds good."

"Although you won't find any Michelin-star food here," he warned.

"I'm actually craving a chili dog with cheese and onions. Do you think they have that here?"

"I can almost guarantee it. You constantly surprise me, Madison."

"In a good way?" she queried.

"In a really good way," he said as their gazes met.

"In that case, I'll take my lion now."

"Your lion?" he asked with a laugh. "I thought it was mine."

"I think she belongs with me. She'll inspire me to be proud and ferocious and the queen of the jungle."

"I think it's a male lion," he said dryly. "And maybe he does belong to me."

"No way. This is Leah, the lioness," she said, giving him a confident smile. "And it's too late for you to claim her. She's mine. As a thank-you, I'll buy you dinner."

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to. And besides, you spent about thirty dollars trying to win Leah, so it's only fair."

"It was closer to forty," he admitted. "I think those bottles were rigged."

"Well, the game of life is rigged, too. You just have to roll with it."

"That's a fairly Zen comment for a woman who was about to have a meltdown a few hours ago."

"Don't remind me," she said. "I feel more Zen now. You were right about a good scream releasing the tension. I have a dry throat, but I feel much better."

"Good. Let's find some chili dogs." He grabbed her hand, and she didn't pull away.

He found himself far happier about that than he should be. He wasn't even a guy who cared much about holding hands. But at this moment, he wasn't sure he'd ever want to let her go. That thought almost made him yank his hand away. He had so much going on in his life, so many people to worry about, that adding one more seemed like a bad idea for many reasons.

He told himself they were just hanging out. She wasn't looking for anything more, and he wasn't, either. They both had their careers on the front burner. He smiled at the cooking reference. It was nice to spend time with a woman who knew exactly what kind of life he led, what kind of pressure he was under. She might not know anything about running a food truck, but she knew what it meant to want to put out good food for paying customers and to build a business. The struggle was real for both of them.

Tonight, however, wasn't about the struggle. It was about the fun, and he wanted to bask in the good times for as long as he could.

Madison felt like she was living in a dream she didn't want to end. After picking up chili dogs and fries along with sodas and giant chocolate chip cookies, they went out to the sandy beach next to the park and sat down on the sand to eat.

It was the perfect night, still seventy degrees, as the sun sank toward the horizon. The chili dogs were messy but absolutely delicious, and she licked her fingers as she popped the last bite into her mouth.

Gabe gave her a somewhat confused smile. "I cannot figure you out, Madison."

"What can't you figure out?"

"How you can look so happy eating a hot dog while you spend your days creating complicated dishes for sophisticated palates. Most of your customers wouldn't eat a hot dog if you paid them to do so."

He made a good point. "Chili dogs are a guilty pleasure."

"Why guilty? Why not just a pleasure?"

"Because of what you just said. Hot dogs don't fit with my persona as a chef, the kind of food I want to make and promote. But I still like them, and today was supposed to just be about fun and not work," she reminded him.

"You're right. I wasn't judging you, Madison. You should eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Food is more than just sustenance. My grandmother taught me that. Meals are about connection, people coming together and sharing their day. It's about the experience and the memory a meal might carry as the years pass."

"That's a lovely thought. Your grandmother is very wise. And the chili dogs did make me feel like a kid again and remember a happy day in my life."

"What day was that?"

"I told you about the time I froze in second grade. After I had my meltdown, the school called my mom. When she picked me up, I was sobbing. I wasn't just angry at myself for not being able to read…I was afraid of what my father would say. But my mom was so understanding. She told me it would be fine, that she would get me help and I didn't need to worry about it. Instead of driving me home, she took me to a small amusement park near where we lived. It only had about three rides and some games, but it was a nice escape, and we ate chili dogs even though we were going home to make dinner for my father afterward."

"That is a nice memory. Your mother seems much more fun and easygoing than your dad."

"She is. And my father is not a bad person. He just wants the best for his children. He thinks he can get the best out of us by pushing and pressuring us to work harder. Anyway, we didn't tell him about the amusement park or the hot dogs, and I actually had to force myself to eat a perfectly prepared and healthy meal a few hours later. When I looked at my mom, she just gave me a secret smile, and I never forgot that day." She took a deep breath, feeling far too emotional for this moment in time. "What about you, Gabe? What's your favorite food memory?"

"I'd have to think about that."

"No thinking. Just go with what pops into your head."

"Let's see. My grandparents used to take all of us to a lake in the summer, and we'd put up tents and cook over an open fire. Our meals were always good, but one day we went fishing, and after hours on the lake, we brought home the trout we'd caught. My grandmother grilled it with lemon and some other spices, and it was the best thing I'd ever tasted."

"Because it was so fresh."

"It was perfect. I've never been able to recreate it, either. There was something magical about that fish that night."

"It sounds like a fun trip."

"It was. My brothers and I were crammed into one tent. My sister was just a baby during that trip, so she was with my parents. After we were supposed to go to sleep, my brothers and I turned on the flashlight they'd left with us and told ghost stories." His smile broadened. "I could scare the crap out of my little brothers."

She laughed. "I don't think you should be proud of that."

"Well, I had to take care of them later when they couldn't go to sleep, so it wasn't really a win for me, but in the moment, it was great. Did you ever tell ghost stories with your siblings?"

"No. I'm sure I would have gotten in trouble if I'd tried to scare them, which I wouldn't have done anyway, because I would have scared myself even more. I do not like horror stories."

"And yet you like roller coasters."

"Different kind of thrill." She waved her hand toward the sunset. "The sun has almost disappeared. It will get dark fast."

"Do you want to go?"

She wasn't sure she ever wanted to go. It was one of the best days she'd had in a long time. "Not yet. Let's keep talking. Tell me more about the Herrera family adventures."

"I've got a lot of stories."

"Let's hear 'em," she said with a smile.

It was after nine when they finally left the beach after laughing and talking about everything under the sun. Food often came up in their conversation. She'd never dated another chef, and it was nice to talk about cooking. They'd even argued over whether or not kale should have ever become so popular. She was a big fan. He was not. She'd told him she had a kale salad on her menu that was to die for, and he'd promised to order it when he came in.

Not that she and Gabe were dating, she reminded herself as he drove her back to the hotel to get her car. It was probably good that they weren't heading straight home because that raised all kinds of other possibilities in her mind, like whether or not she wanted to kiss him again or invite him in. But once they were in separate vehicles heading back to Ocean Shores, it would be easier to stay apart.

Not like now when she was itching for him to hit the brake, pull the car over, and kiss her until she was breathless. Just the thought of that made her feel hot and sweaty, and she cracked the window slightly, needing some air.

It was strange how Gabe could steady her but also make her want to jump off a cliff with him. And she should not do that.

It would probably be amazing, but then what? They were still on opposite sides of a cooking battle and a restaurant war. Not that it was much of a war, but it was still there in the background. And what if her restaurant failed? What if she got booted out? There wouldn't be any reason for her to stay in the area.

But that wouldn't happen. She was going to make the restaurant a success.

She frowned. Here she was, ten minutes away from the beach, and she was already starting to worry.

Gabe pulled into the hotel parking lot and stopped his car behind her vehicle. "I'll follow you home."

"Okay." She gave him a smile. "I had a good time, Gabe. Better than good, actually. It was wonderful."

"It doesn't have to be over," he said, a husky note in his voice.

Her heart jumped. "I think it should be."

"I've never been a big fan of the word should . I prefer to do things I want to do versus what I should do," he said.

"Doing what I should do usually means fewer problems, less risk."

"Less fun."

"We've had a lot of fun, Gabe."

"You can't have too much," he said. "But I'm not trying to talk you into anything."

"Why not?" she couldn't help asking, even though she should have left it alone.

"I want you, Madison," he said in a voice so direct, so bold, so hot that goose bumps ran down her arms. "But you have to want me, too. And if it's too complicated, then it's too complicated."

She stared back at him, her breath already coming too fast. She didn't want to say no. She didn't want to go back to her apartment alone. But it was complicated, and she should stand her ground, stay firm, keep her priorities straight.

"Since you can't seem to come up with a reaction to what I just said, maybe you should get out of the car," he suggested.

She opened the door and said, "I think I'm beginning to dislike the word should , too."

"Well, when you're ready to erase it from your head, let me know."

She drew in a breath, then closed the door, and got into her car. Her hands were a little shaky when she started the engine, but she told herself she was making the right decision, the safe choice.

Her mental pep talk continued all the way to Ocean Shores. Gabe pulled into his spot, which was just a short distance from hers. He gave her a brief smile as they walked into the courtyard together. Tonight, the pool area was empty, which was too bad. It would have been nice to have an interruption right about now. But they continued up the steps together.

"Goodnight," he said when they reached the landing.

"Goodnight," she returned, then forced herself to walk down the hall and around the corner to her apartment. She inserted her key into the lock and let herself in.

Flipping on the lights, she took a breath that was filled with regret and flopped down on the couch. She reached for the TV remote but couldn't bring herself to turn it on. She didn't want to watch television. She didn't want to do work. She wanted to be with Gabe.

The strength of her desire propelled her to her feet. She walked to the door, not sure what she was going to do, but she couldn't just stay here and do nothing.

When she opened the door and stepped onto the landing, she ran into Gabe. He caught her by the arms.

"Where are you going?" she asked breathlessly.

"Where are you going?" he returned.

"I was going to knock on your door."

"Why?"

He was going to make her say it.

"Because it's not that complicated," she told him. "It's really pretty simple. I want to be with you, too. I don't want this day to end yet. And I don't care about what I should do anymore."

He smiled. "I was going to say the exact same thing."

She grabbed his hands and pulled him into her apartment.

He kicked the door shut behind him.

Then she moved up against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let's keep the fun going."

His gaze was hot and searing. "All night long," he promised.