Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

An hour later, they were called back into the dining room. The judges remained seated at their table while the six of them huddled at the end of it, and the lights and cameras were bright and whirring.

"We want to thank you for a fantastic meal," Francine said. "All six dishes and stories were incredible. Frankly, we were blown away, and this was our most difficult judging yet. But as you know, only two of you will go on to compete in the finals on Sunday."

Madison wished she was standing next to Gabe, but Art was in between them, and she felt a little adrift without Gabe's solid body next to hers. But she just had to keep it together for the next few minutes.

She wanted to win the round, but she also wanted Gabe to win, too. And there were four chefs standing in the way of that happening.

"I know it's been a long day," Francine said. "So, I'll get straight to the results and announce our top two chefs. The first chef moving on to the finals gave us a dish that was strikingly beautiful and, in her words, completely balanced and harmonious. We agreed with her assessment. And that chef is Madison Baldwin."

The crowd broke into applause, and she was almost afraid to believe it was true. But her fellow chefs were congratulating her, and then Francine asked her to step to the side.

She wanted to give Gabe an encouraging smile, but he wasn't looking in her direction, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She didn't want this competition to come between them. He had to have made it to the finals with her.

Francine seemed to take forever to collect her thoughts. Finally, she said, "The next chef moving on told us a very personal story, one that resonated with many of us, especially those of us who grew up cooking with our families."

Madison's heart sped up, and her hands clenched into fists. She held her breath, praying it was Gabe's story Francine was talking about.

"And that chef is…" Francine paused again, then smiled. "Gabe Herrera."

Madison had to hold back a cheer as she clapped as hard as she could, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief that they'd both made it to the finals. It almost seemed unbelievable.

But Gabe was walking toward her, and since all the other chefs had hugged him, she did the same, whispering, "We did it."

He gave her a wide, beaming smile as they separated and faced the judges once more.

"We're excited to have two very different and very talented chefs in the finals," Francine said. "For the next round, you will each cook a four-course meal that must include a dessert. You'll have from ten a.m. on Sunday morning until five p.m. when you'll serve dinner to a very elite group of judges, who you will meet on Sunday. For the competition, you'll also be able to select one additional chef from your fellow contestants to help you win the title. Madison, you will be selecting first."

She looked at the other contestants, who had varying degrees of disappointment and anger on their faces. She was pretty sure none of them wanted to help her or Gabe. But she decided to pick Lyssa. Since their first team challenge together, she'd appreciated Lyssa's plating skills and her background in fine dining would go well with hers. "I'll take Lyssa," she said, giving the other woman a hug as she came forward to join her team.

"Gabe?" Francine asked.

"Jacob," he replied.

"Any particular reason?" Francine asked.

"He's fast and likes hot flavors," Gabe returned.

"Well, it looks like we'll have the men against the women, both in individuals and teams," Francine said with a laugh. "Get some rest and good luck. And for those of you not moving on, we appreciate your time and your effort and hope you enjoyed participating in the competition. We wish you luck in your future endeavors."

As Francine finished speaking, the cameras and lights went off, and Madison turned to Lyssa. "I hope you don't mind helping me."

"Of course not," Lyssa said. "I'm disappointed I'm not moving on, but you're a fantastic chef, Madison, and we'll work well together. Plus, I'd like to see a woman win. And if it can't be me, I'd like it to be you."

As the judges got up from the tables, many of them came over to express their appreciation for her dish, and she felt a little overwhelmed by all the positive comments. She could see Gabe getting the same attention, and she had a feeling it would be a very close race to the end. But this was what they'd both wanted. And she didn't want to think about Sunday yet. It would be here soon enough.

When she finished her last interview, she wanted to talk to Gabe, but he was caught up in conversation with the beautiful Georgia Marks, the producer who was interested in having him on her show. Georgia had her hand on Gabe's arm and was whispering something in his ear. Clearly, she had picked her favorite. Madison could only hope Georgia wouldn't be judging the finals.

Feeling awkward now that she was on her own, she decided to leave. She'd wanted to celebrate with Gabe, but he was busy, and she couldn't just hang around like a third wheel, hoping to be noticed by the producer.

When she got to her car, she texted Drea with the good news that she'd made the finals and asked her how things were going at the restaurant.

The text she got back was filled with celebratory emojis and praise. Drea told her dinner service was going well, but reservations were down a little, which was not what she wanted to hear. She asked her how tomorrow looked and warned her that Larry would be coming in for dinner along with her parents.

Drea replied that tomorrow's reservations were better, so the restaurant should look busier when they arrived.

She told her she'd check in later but was going to take a minute to catch her breath since everything was under control there.

As she sent that text, she looked back at her messages to see the one from her father.

She didn't really want to answer him. But she did want him to know she'd won. She decided to send a group text to her mother, her father, and her siblings to let them know she was in the finals. She then sent a separate text to Larry.

Her mother got back to her immediately, telling her how happy she was for her and how she couldn't wait to celebrate tomorrow night. Her father said he'd expected nothing less. Neither of her siblings immediately replied. Larry came in next, saying he was thrilled and hoped the result would bring more people into the restaurant. He then added he'd seen a less-than-stellar review, and he wanted to talk to her about that tomorrow. They would have a chat before dinner service started.

A less-than-stellar review was the last thing she wanted to discuss. She wanted to bask in her glory, but the competition was just one piece she needed to increase her chances for success. She couldn't forget that. Which meant, she should go to work.

She was just about to start the car when a text came in from Gabe, telling her he was going to get drinks and probably dinner with Georgia. He didn't think he should refuse because she wanted him to meet some other members of her team. He'd check in with her later, but he didn't know how long it would go.

She was more than a little disappointed they couldn't celebrate together now, but he had an opportunity that could be good for his career, and she couldn't blame him for taking it. She also needed to realize that from here on out, they would be going against each other, and maybe putting a little space between them wasn't the worst idea.

Ignoring her mixed emotions, she sent a simple, happy text. Have fun! Congrats again. We did it!

He replied with a thumbs-up, which didn't say nearly enough, but for now, it was all she was going to get.

Madison thought about going into the restaurant, but she'd been working all day, and as much as she loved La Marée, she needed a break. Between working in Gabe's food truck and the Lazure Hotel kitchen, she'd been sweating all day over a hot stove. She needed to cool off. Maybe she'd go for a swim when she got back to Ocean Shores. That might clear her head.

After parking in her spot, she got out of the car and heard music playing in the courtyard. When she entered, she found a dozen people around the pool, having drinks. There were balloons attached to one chair, along with two bottles of champagne. It must be someone's birthday.

"There she is," Kaia declared. "The champion. We didn't think you'd be back until eleven. We were going to put these in front of your door." She got up from the table to give her a hug. "Congratulations."

"This is for me?" she asked in shock.

"You and Gabe," Emmalyn said, hugging her next.

Lexie followed. "We're so proud of you both."

"I can't believe you already heard," she muttered.

"It was posted on the website," Lexie said. "We were keeping an eye on it. Let's get you a drink, Madison. We have wine, beer, or tequila."

"I'll have a glass of wine," she said.

"Red or white?" Ava asked.

"Red would be great." She'd only met Ava and her boyfriend, Liam, briefly, so she didn't know them well, but she was looking forward to getting better acquainted.

"Is Gabe on his way?" Ava asked as she poured Madison a glass of wine.

"No. He's meeting with someone from the Culinary Network."

"That sounds great," Liam said with excitement. "I could see Gabe on TV."

"He's very charismatic," Emmalyn agreed.

She sipped her wine as she nodded in agreement. "He is that," she murmured.

"Do you think you can beat him?" Kaia asked, giving her a speculative look.

"Yes," she said with a smile. "And I'm pretty sure he thinks he can beat me, so we'll have to leave it to the judges."

"Won't it be difficult to go against someone who is a friend?" Emmalyn asked.

She shrugged. "It is what it is."

"I've competed against my friends in surfing," Liam said. "I would just tell myself that they want to win as much as I do, and whoever is better that day deserves it."

She liked that approach. "That's what I have to do. I can't make it personal."

"Well, you are a fabulous chef," Lexie put in. "We all saw that the other night. It was one of the best meals I've ever had."

There was a chorus of agreement, and she felt touched to have such supportive neighbors, who were quickly becoming friends. As everyone sat down, she took a chair next to Kaia. "How's your brother?" she asked.

"He's fine. He's back at work," Kaia said, an annoyed glint in her eyes.

"You worry about him, don't you?"

"My brother is a magnet for trouble. I thought moving here to Oceanside would make him safer, but he finds danger wherever he goes."

"It sounds like he's a good cop."

"He's certainly willing to do whatever it takes," Kaia said. "Ben is a lot like our father, who was a Navy SEAL."

"That's impressive."

"My dad was and still is the ultimate tough guy. Ben follows in his footsteps."

"Don't you as well? As a paramedic, you're out on the street saving lives."

"That's true, but my job is not usually dangerous."

"Don't listen to her," Lexie put in. "Kaia had someone pull a knife on her a few weeks ago."

"The individual was having a mental health episode," Kaia said. "But I was able to calm him down."

"Sounds like you and Ben have more in common than you're saying," she said dryly.

Kaia made a little face. "Well, don't tell him that. Do you have siblings?"

"An older brother and a younger sister."

"Are they also chefs?"

"No. I don't think either one of them could even make a grilled cheese sandwich," she said with a laugh. "We have very little in common and aren't close."

"Well, you can't pick your family," Lexie interjected, a shadow in her gaze, making Madison wonder what Lexie's family was like.

Lexie and her Aunt Josie seemed to be very close, but maybe she was referring to her parents. Thinking about Lexie's parents made her think about her own. They'd be in town tomorrow, and while she was happy to see her mom, her father was another story. At least she'd made it into the finals, and they could celebrate that. That would hopefully take some of the focus off the restaurant numbers.

She sipped her wine, listening to various conversations going on around the pool. She loved how friendly everyone was. They were like a family, teasing each other and telling stories, but there was an underlying thread of caring and acceptance, and that felt rare to her.

By ten o'clock, the exhaustion of the day caught up to her. Gabe hadn't come back, nor had he texted, so she grabbed her bottle of champagne and one of the balloons and headed upstairs. She was disappointed she hadn't heard from him, but drinks must have turned into dinner. She felt a little jealous of the beautiful woman he was spending time with. Not that he couldn't flirt with whoever he wanted to. They weren't exclusive. She didn't really know what they were. Except that she liked him…probably too much.