Read Online Den and Breakfast: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Honeycomb Falls Book 1) by Cassie Wright - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cassie Wright
Ads: Link
is. This tart is indecent . It's amazing. Where did you learn to bake like this?"
"You like it?" Tears brim in Anita's eyes, and she suddenly sits, as if her legs have just given out. "Oh, thank you. Oh god." She buries her face in her hands, her shoulders hitching.
"Anita?" I set the fork aside and sit next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Anita? What is it?"
"I - I was so worried you wouldn't." She looks up at me, tears running down her face. "I made six of them last night. I almost didn't come."
"But - why?" I shake my head. "You're amazing. Why were you so worried?"
"I really need this job." Her voice shakes as she looks from me to Hui, who also sits. "I have to become independent. I have to make my own money, and - and I've never worked in a restaurant, or been to culinary school, and it's the only thing I know how to do. It's the only thing I love."
I nod, squeezing her shoulder. "And you're amazing at it, do you hear me? Amazing. You're hired." I turn to Hui. "Do I even need to say that out loud?"
Hui shakes her head. "No. It is a given."
"Yes. A given." I stare into Anita's eyes. "You're hired."
"Oh, thank god." Anita's shoulders sag and she smiles at me. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You'll see. I'll cook for you like nobody has ever cooked in the history of all - of all -"
"Cooking?" I say with a smile.
"Yes!" Anita grins.
Hui holds up her fork. "I am going to have more."
"Good idea," I say, grabbing my own.
I want to ask Anita what's wrong, what she's running from, but I hold back. She'll tell me in time, when she's ready. If she chooses to trust me. For now, the happiness that radiates from her face as Hui and I demolish her tart warms my soul. She doesn't join in, but simply rests her chin on her palm and beams as Hui and I groan and eat, licking the forks as we do. Thank god it's a small tart. I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from finishing it, no matter the size.
"Thank you, Anita," says Hui, rising to her feet. She presses her fingertips to her mouth, then nods to her. "That was delicious."
"You're welcome," says Anita, smiling broadly, eyes sparkling behind her librarian glasses.
"I'm going to go buy the cleaning supplies," Hui says. "I will return soon. Excuse me."
She leaves the kitchen, and I turn to Anita.
"Why don't you spend the morning putting together a menu for our guests? With a little luck we're going to be serving shifters, so you might want to talk to our gardener, Blake, about what they might like to eat."
"Shifters?" Anita's eyes go wide. "Like, werewolves? Werebears? Werelions?"
I nod. "Is that OK?"
Anita smiles dreamily. "Is it OK that I'll be feeding the hottest men on the planet every morning? I'll say."
I grin. "You're a girl after my own heart, Anita. Take some time familiarizing yourself with the kitchen, then feel free to hunt down Blake and start brainstorming a menu. Sound good?"
"Yes," Anita says, and then reaches out to take my hand. "Thank you."
I feel my heart squeeze. There is such sincere gratitude in her eyes. "No, Anita. Thank you . It's going to be very special to have you join the Honeycomb Hall family."
She smiles, tears brimming in her eyes, and I stand. "Now I need to get to work. There's lots to do!"
And there is. I spend an hour on the phone with Mr. Hanscomb, exploring the legal requirements of becoming a B&B, and he promises to bring over all the necessary application forms for certificates. I then get on my laptop and read through the sanitation and hygiene requirements for the kitchen and bathrooms, as well as all the other regulations I'll need to cover. I know the New York requirements like the back of my hand, but the Massachusetts ones are another story.
When I'm done, I realize two things. For one, it's lunch time. Two, I think Honeycomb Hall is in good shape to pass all the requirements without too much remodeling.
I leave the study and immediately see that Hui's returned and is already hard at work. All the windows
"You like it?" Tears brim in Anita's eyes, and she suddenly sits, as if her legs have just given out. "Oh, thank you. Oh god." She buries her face in her hands, her shoulders hitching.
"Anita?" I set the fork aside and sit next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Anita? What is it?"
"I - I was so worried you wouldn't." She looks up at me, tears running down her face. "I made six of them last night. I almost didn't come."
"But - why?" I shake my head. "You're amazing. Why were you so worried?"
"I really need this job." Her voice shakes as she looks from me to Hui, who also sits. "I have to become independent. I have to make my own money, and - and I've never worked in a restaurant, or been to culinary school, and it's the only thing I know how to do. It's the only thing I love."
I nod, squeezing her shoulder. "And you're amazing at it, do you hear me? Amazing. You're hired." I turn to Hui. "Do I even need to say that out loud?"
Hui shakes her head. "No. It is a given."
"Yes. A given." I stare into Anita's eyes. "You're hired."
"Oh, thank god." Anita's shoulders sag and she smiles at me. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You'll see. I'll cook for you like nobody has ever cooked in the history of all - of all -"
"Cooking?" I say with a smile.
"Yes!" Anita grins.
Hui holds up her fork. "I am going to have more."
"Good idea," I say, grabbing my own.
I want to ask Anita what's wrong, what she's running from, but I hold back. She'll tell me in time, when she's ready. If she chooses to trust me. For now, the happiness that radiates from her face as Hui and I demolish her tart warms my soul. She doesn't join in, but simply rests her chin on her palm and beams as Hui and I groan and eat, licking the forks as we do. Thank god it's a small tart. I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from finishing it, no matter the size.
"Thank you, Anita," says Hui, rising to her feet. She presses her fingertips to her mouth, then nods to her. "That was delicious."
"You're welcome," says Anita, smiling broadly, eyes sparkling behind her librarian glasses.
"I'm going to go buy the cleaning supplies," Hui says. "I will return soon. Excuse me."
She leaves the kitchen, and I turn to Anita.
"Why don't you spend the morning putting together a menu for our guests? With a little luck we're going to be serving shifters, so you might want to talk to our gardener, Blake, about what they might like to eat."
"Shifters?" Anita's eyes go wide. "Like, werewolves? Werebears? Werelions?"
I nod. "Is that OK?"
Anita smiles dreamily. "Is it OK that I'll be feeding the hottest men on the planet every morning? I'll say."
I grin. "You're a girl after my own heart, Anita. Take some time familiarizing yourself with the kitchen, then feel free to hunt down Blake and start brainstorming a menu. Sound good?"
"Yes," Anita says, and then reaches out to take my hand. "Thank you."
I feel my heart squeeze. There is such sincere gratitude in her eyes. "No, Anita. Thank you . It's going to be very special to have you join the Honeycomb Hall family."
She smiles, tears brimming in her eyes, and I stand. "Now I need to get to work. There's lots to do!"
And there is. I spend an hour on the phone with Mr. Hanscomb, exploring the legal requirements of becoming a B&B, and he promises to bring over all the necessary application forms for certificates. I then get on my laptop and read through the sanitation and hygiene requirements for the kitchen and bathrooms, as well as all the other regulations I'll need to cover. I know the New York requirements like the back of my hand, but the Massachusetts ones are another story.
When I'm done, I realize two things. For one, it's lunch time. Two, I think Honeycomb Hall is in good shape to pass all the requirements without too much remodeling.
I leave the study and immediately see that Hui's returned and is already hard at work. All the windows