Ryder was unusually relaxed and refreshed as he walked into the dining room of Quinn’s Pub Monday morning. Taking the weekend off and spending time with his old friends was exactly what he’d needed. He’d liked Jenna, Brad’s new wife, the moment he met her. She and Brad fit together so well—it was as if they’d been together for years. He’d been skeptical at first when Brad said he’d proposed to a girl he’d only been dating for a few months, but when he met her, he understood.

When Jenna and Brad weren’t teasing each other, the love in their eyes was evident. Ryder was happy for his friend even if it made him a little sad for himself. He’d thought he’d found that kind of love once too, but it hadn’t lasted. He put all his energy into the restaurant and while he dated often, no one had captured his heart since.

“What smells so good?” he asked as he slid into the booth where his mother and sister sat drinking coffee and eating some kind of muffin. His mother put one on a plate and slid it over to him.

“Zen muffins, try a bite.”

He broke off a piece and popped it in his mouth. A rush of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and something unusually fragrant… lavender, maybe? collided with shredded carrots and raisins. The muffin was hot from the oven and it was delicious. As he continued to eat, a curious calmness came over him. The muffins were aptly named. Or maybe he’d just had a good night’s sleep for the first time in a long time.

“New recipe? You’ve outdone yourself this time. These are really good.”

His mother smiled mischievously, and he wondered what she was up to.

“Not me. Our new chef.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You hired someone? You didn’t mention anything when I checked in last night.”

“I didn’t want you thinking about work while you were off having fun. Just remember, you gave me permission to hire anyone I wanted.”

“Yes, we talked about that.” What was she going on about?

“Well, I just wanted to remind you, that this can’t be undone.”

“Who did you hire?” His mother was acting so strange.

“Oh, here she comes now.” Ryder heard footsteps coming up behind him. “I think you remember Bethany Davis?”

“Hi Ryder. It’s good to see you.” Bethany’s voice was soft and a little nervous. Ryder looked her way and felt a rush of emotions, everything from anger to confusion to attraction. Bethany looked even more beautiful than he remembered. Her hair was glossy and still so blonde. Lemon pie blonde he used to call it. It fell into long curls that she tied back in a ponytail. A few stray pieces fell in tendrils to frame her face.

And her eyes were as big and blue-gray as he remembered. She had a small straight nose and full lips. He used to love watching them as she tasted a ripe strawberry or as they came his way. He could kiss those sweet lips for hours and he had.

She was still as trim as he remembered, which was impressive considering that he knew she’d been working as a chef for years. Most chefs he’d met were not thin. Bethany was slim and small. She was just a few inches taller than his mother who didn’t quite hit five feet, no matter how tall she stood.

Ryder looked at Bethany and then back at his mother. He didn’t quite know what to say. His whole world had changed, just like that.

“How long are you in town for?” he finally managed.

“I’m here for good now.” For good. Why now? Why his restaurant?

There was a long, awkward moment of silence as both his sister and mother watched the two of them with fascination. It was too much for Ryder to take in.

“I’ll be in my office.” He stood and took the rest of his muffin with him. The last thing he saw as he walked away was the warmth and concern in Bethany’s eyes. What was his mother thinking offering her a job? And what was she thinking by taking it?

Bethany felt like all the air had rushed out of the room when she laid eyes on Ryder that morning. She hadn’t seen him in so long and he’d looked so good, with that thick, wavy hair that he always wore a little too long, the scruffy shadow along his jaw, that deep single dimple in his cheek when he smiled, and those eyes. Ryder’s green eyes always seemed to look right through her. But this morning they’d held so much emotion. She could sense a mix of confusion, betrayal, anger, curiosity and attraction.

On some level it was reassuring to see that the attraction was still there. It had always been strong between them. It had been so hard to leave Ryder. And no matter how she’d tried to explain, she knew that he’d never understood why she had to go. She wondered if he could ever forgive her and she was curious if there was anyone in his life. She knew he wasn’t married. She would have heard about that. Her best friend, Jill, still lived in Quinn Valley and she would have heard about that as it was a very small town. Too small it sometimes seemed as everyone knew everyone else’s business.

She hoped that it wasn’t going to be too awkward working together. They were not off to a promising start. But she knew that Ryder had been blind-sided. She hadn’t realized until that morning that his mother hadn’t filled him in about his new chef. Maybe Marcia thought it would be easier somehow, she wasn’t sure about that.

Or maybe Ryder just needed time to digest it. He’d never been one for sudden changes. She was glad she’d made her zen muffins for them that morning. The ginger and lavender had calming properties, and she’d had a feeling Ryder could use a little zen that morning of all days.

At a little past three, she felt his energy around her and glanced up. Ryder stood in front of the line, looking deep in thought. She guessed that he was ready for something to eat.

“What can I get for you?” she asked.

He looked wary. “I don’t know. What’s already made? I don’t want you to go to any trouble.” Or maybe he was so hungry that he didn’t want to wait anymore.

She smiled. “It’s no trouble. I have a tray of braised short ribs that are ready. I could plate that right up with some mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach.”

“Sure. That sounds good.”

She piled a plate high with food and added a generous drizzle of gravy over the short ribs and potatoes.

“Here you go. Hope you like it.”

“Thanks. It smells great.” He took the plate and walked off. Once he was gone, the air in the room suddenly felt flat…..the charged energy had deflated.

A half hour later, Ryder brought his empty plate back to the kitchen and handed it to the dishwasher. He strolled back over to the line and looked at her curiously.

“Those were the best short ribs I’ve ever had, anywhere. And I’ve had my fair share.” He seemed almost angry as he said the words.

“Thank you.”

There was a long awkward moment of silence before he finally broke it by asking,“Why are you here? This restaurant, of all places?”

Bethany shrugged. “It was the only opening in the area. I didn’t want to commute to Lewiston.”

“I wouldn’t want to do that either,” he admitted. He turned to leave and then added, “I heard about your mother. I’m sorry. Please tell her I asked for her.”

“I will.”

He nodded and then left again and Bethany felt tears come to her eyes. It had been a long day and ever since she’d been home, she’d been feeling emotional. It was harder than she’d thought it would be to see Ryder again, and to be around him. Her mother had adored Ryder and at first hadn’t understood why Bethany needed to go to New York when she could have just stayed in Quinn Valley and married him.

But at nineteen, she had wanted more. She needed to experience life outside Quinn Valley and to become the chef she wanted to be, she’d needed to work at the best restaurants. She’d wondered more than once if she’d made a mistake, but in her heart, she knew that she’d done the right thing, the only thing, that she could, for herself.

When Bethany walked in the front door, her mother was curled up on the living room sofa, with a soft fleece blanket wrapped around her. Her mother’s oversized orange cat, Simon, was sprawled across the back of the sofa and didn’t even glance Bethany’s way as she entered the room.

“Hi, honey, how was your day?”

Bethany knew that her mother was secretly hoping that Bethany and Ryder might get back together now that they’d be working together. But Ryder had made it clear when she left for New York that it was over for them. He’d immediately started dating Natalie Palmer, who graduated high school with them and had been a cheerleader and active on the beauty pageant circuit. Although she also knew that hadn’t lasted long. She hadn’t been home often after that, just for an occasional long weekend when she could get away, so she hadn’t run into him before now.

She sighed. If her mother had seen Ryder’s lack of enthusiasm when he saw her, she wouldn’t be as hopeful. Bethany just hoped they’d be able to work together. She flopped onto the love seat facing the other sofa.

“It was pretty good. I like it there for the most part.” If Ryder wasn’t there, it would be ideal. She loved the kitchen, and it was the perfect place for the type of food she wanted to focus on. Marcia welcomed her ideas for new menu items and specials and while he’d been less than happy to see her there, Ryder at least seemed to like her food.

“Did you see Ryder?”

“I did. You should have seen the look on his face when he realized that his mother had hired me while he was gone. If they weren’t so desperate for a chef, I think he might have told her to keep looking.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. I thought he might be happy to see you.” The light went out of her eyes a little and Bethany knew she was disappointed. She was too. Though she didn’t share her mother’s hope that they’d reunite, she was hoping that since so many years had passed that he’d be glad to see her at least as a friend.

“I’m sure it will be fine, once he has a chance to digest it all. Ryder never did like surprises.” Her stomach rumbled, and she realized she hadn’t eaten since lunch.

“I’m going to make a green drink, would you like one?”

“That sounds nice, honey. The one you made this morning was delicious.”

Bethany went to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a cold juice smoothie for both of them. She’d juiced green apples, beets, ginger, carrots and kale. The combination of fruits and veggies had a sweet fresh taste, and it was a way to get healthy, organic nutrients into her mother.

She was trying to build up her immune system to support the chemotherapy and help her mother heal faster. She’d just had her last treatment a few days ago and her doctor said if all went well, she could be cancer free soon. Bethany handed her mother her drink and settled back on the sofa with her own.

“Thanks. Are you working next Tuesday night?” her mother asked.

“I’ll be working on Tuesday but my regular hours are going to be ten to seven or so during the week and later on Saturday nights. I’ll get all their daily specials prepped and get them through lunch and dinner and Bryan, the sous chef will finish up. Is something going on Tuesday?”

Her mother smiled. “The girls asked if I might be up for music bingo. I haven’t been for weeks and I think I might be ready to get out again. You could join us if you’re not working.”

Bethany was thrilled that her mother was feeling up to going out soon.

“I’d love that. I can just join you all when I finish up.”

“Good. We need someone young on our team. There’s always music we have no idea about.”

Bethany laughed. “I’ll try my best. But I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”