Suzie hung up the telephone in Marianna’s kitchen and whooped so loudly that in the hallway, Rusty lifted his head and barked. “Another booking.” She turned to Marianna. “Someone else who was at the wedding on Friday night, and wants us to cook at their event. They asked if I could do my calamari dish.”

Marianna dropped the serving dish she was soaping back into the sink and smiled. “Sounds like it was a big hit.”

That was an understatement. The guests had cleaned the plates in record time, and after giving away every business card she’d taken with her, Suzie had resorted to scribbling Marianna’s number down on napkins and giving them to everyone who asked.

The massive chance she’d taken had paid off, and the fresh seafood had made the difference. She was just glad Marianna wasn’t mad that she’d gone ahead and made the calamari anyway, instead of the mini quiches. But man, did it feel good to have pulled it off and made the wedding a success. Maybe she’d never know how it felt to turn down fifty-five million dollars, but now she knew how it felt to bet on yourself and win.

Thank you, Nate.

Without his confidence boost – and his ‘Screw it’ motto – she wouldn’t have taken the chance.

She shook her head, trying to banish thoughts of Nate. She wanted to enjoy her moment in the sun and forget about the Nate-sized hole in her heart. How was it even possible to miss someone so much?

“You okay?” asked Marianna.

“Yes. Yes, I’m better than okay. Thank you for not being angry with me.”

“Angry? Are you kidding?” Marianna grabbed a dish towel and wiped her hands. “I have something I want to ask you. Do you think you’d be interested in owning a share of my business?”

Suzie’s heart turned over. “What do you mean?”

“This was the first weekend I’ve had off in years, and from the sound of it, taking some time off was the best thing I could have done. If there are two of us running the business, not only will I be able to do it more often, but we can do more events as well.”

Was she serious? “I was hoping you’d give me more responsibility and more hours. I hadn’t thought any further than that.”

“That’s exactly what I want, too. If you agree to buy thirty percent of the business, you could be running one event, while I do another. Double the income. And you’ll earn thirty percent of the profits.”

“You want me to buy a share?” Suzie’s heart sank. “I can’t afford—”

“I know.” Marianna dropped the dish towel on the bench and held both hands up. “That’s why I’ve come up with a solution. It’s only fair you pay something, seeing as I’ve set all this up, and it’s my kitchen and equipment. But what if we agreed a period of time that you were to work full time but keep drawing part-time money? You could work off your share of the business.”

Suzie opened her mouth and closed it again. Her brain seemed to be working at half speed and she didn’t know what to say.

“Let’s say you work full-time for the next three months,” said Marianne. “Same pay as now. Then you’d own your stake and could start drawing out profits as well. I think that would be fair, don’t you?”

Suzie blinked. She tried to work out the figure in her head, but her thoughts were too slow. Three months wasn’t long at all. It seemed too easy and not completely real. At any moment Marianna might laugh and tell her it was all a joke.

“I’ve stunned you,” said Marianne. “I know it’s a lot. But I hope you’ll think about it and let me know.”

“Um.” A happy feeling bubbled up in Suzie’s belly and the gears in her brain ground into life again. “I can’t believe it. Are you sure?”

“You’ve proven that people don’t always want asparagus rolls and quiches. I’ve got a solid business, but for the last couple of years it’s been coasting along instead of growing. You’ve got a knack for creating new dishes and I think your fresh ideas and enthusiasm could be what I’ve been missing. Together we could build this business into something great.”

Wow. What an incredible opportunity. Just a couple of days ago she was scraping ruined pastry into the trash and sobbing over what a failure she was. Now she was being offered the very thing she’d dreamed of. How on earth had things changed so fast? All she’d done was deal a card and take a chance on herself.

And if Nate where here with her, she’d be happy.

“So you’ll do it?” asked Marianna.

Suzie chewed her lower lip. Sometimes she really hated herself. “It’s a great offer. Thank you.”

“But…?” Marianna put her hands on her hips. “Your expression says there’s a ‘but’.”

“It’s Nate.”

“Of course it is. You’ve been on another planet since you got back from Laura’s wedding.”

Suzie ran her hand over her hair, wanting to grab a handful and tug. She was an idiot. It was official. But how could she accept the offer?

“I know things aren’t going to work out with Nate, but he’s all I can think about. And now I’m starting to wonder if letting him go could have been the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.” She shook her head. “I mean, it’s crazy to even think about running away to New York to be with a guy who’s so afraid of getting hurt that he has to calculate the chance of our relationship succeeding. But I guess I must be certifiable, because that’s exactly what I’m considering.”

Marianna clicked her tongue. “Don’t you dare go to New York. I need you here.” Frowning, she dragged in a loud breath. “Okay, tell you what. I’ll make it a fifty percent share. Equal partners.” She stuck one hand out, offering to shake. “Seriously, Suz, this is the best deal you’re ever going to be offered. If we both knuckle down and get this business pumping, I really think we could do well. What do you say?”

Suzie stared at Marianna’s outstretched hand, her heart thumping. If she owned half the business, she’d have equal say in the decisions they made. She could make any dish she wanted and redesign the menu.

It was everything she’d wanted. No, more than that. It was everything she needed. If she could make the business a success, it would change how she felt about herself. She’d never feel second best again.

It would mean giving up Nate, and that sacrifice would be terrible. But what was the alternative? Did she really want to turn up in New York, homeless and jobless, and ask him to take her in?

Running her own business, she could finally become the person she wanted to be. Once she was successful, she wouldn’t have to be in anyone’s shadow.

Yes, an equal partnership was what she needed. Both in business, and with Nate. And she’d never feel like his equal if she didn’t have the courage to deal herself an Ace.

Still, reaching out to put her hand in Marianna’s was almost unbearably painful. It was the right thing to do, but knowing what she was giving up still hurt like hell.

Marianna grinned at her as they shook. “Good choice, partner. I’ll get some papers drawn up for you to sign, then we’ll start making plans, okay? I hope you’re ready to put your head down and work hard, because we’ve got a crap-ton to do. Next step, world domination.”

Suzie nodded and managed a twisted smile. “This is going to great,” she said. It would be good, she promised herself. It would be enough.