Preston Pruitt put aside his dreams of becoming a gourmet chef at a high-end restaurant to raise his daughter while her mother was on active duty in Afghanistan. Now Abby is a precocious eight-year-old in love with fairies and princesses, and Preston works at an unimaginative and monotonous job as a short order cook.<br><br>Abby has her quirks, and when she tries to wear a pair of costume wings for her school pictures, her father is called to help talk her out of them. That's when Preston meets Cam Richards, a handsome photographer with his own studio in town. Between Cam's quick smile and flirty manner, Preston is smitten and surprises himself by asking the guy out. Late night phone calls lead to dinner dates, and soon Preston is falling for Cam. It helps that Abby approves of her father's new special friend.<br><br>With Cam’s encouragement, Preston gets the chance to interview for an executive chef position. Now that he has all the ingredients, will he finally fulfill his dream of becoming a top chef and find the perfect recipe for romance?

Recipe for Romance

Before Mel arrived to pick Abby up, Preston made sure her overnight bag was packed with everything she’d need and not only the things she wanted to take. Toothbrush, toothpaste, pillow—in case she didn’t like sleeping on the one Jocelyn let her borrow—comb, nightgown, clothes for the morning, the stuffed bunny she couldn’t sleep without. A handful of toys and books Preston wondered would make it back home or get left behind.


Abby pulled the bunny from the bag and clutched it tight, then tucked it into the top of the bag so its head stuck out. When she reached for it again, obviously nervous, Preston reminded her, “Now you know Mel isn’t going to have pancakes for breakfast tomorrow.”


“I know.” Abby smoothed down the bunny’s ears as if they were hair. In a sing-song voice, she recited, “I’ll eat what I’m given, whatever it is, and I’ll thank her for feeding me and letting me stay over. I know, Daddy.”


Chapter 53