It only takes a few days for Ollie D'Angelo to lose his boyfriend, his job, and his home. Instead of mourning what he doesn't have, Ollie celebrates what he does: the freedom to pursue his real passion -- cooking. He begins Dinner at Home, a home-catering business, and it takes off.<br><br>Late one night, Ollie catches Hank Mellinger, a streetwise hood down on his luck, about to rob his car. Ollie soon discovers that appearances aren't necessarily what they seem. Hank isn't a criminal caught red-handed, but a hungry young man trying to make a life for himself and the four-year-old niece he's trying desperately to take care of.<br><br>Instead of calling the cops, Ollie offers Hank a job and a way to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Together, they discover they can really cook ... and that their shared passion for food just might lead to a passion for each other.

Dinner at Home

“I’ve heard at the beginning is always a good place.”


“Don’t be a smartass, mister. Just because you’re clear across the country doesn’t mean I won’t come out there and knock your fucking teeth down your throat.”


Hank had to laugh; his mom was such a sweetie pie. “So what’s goin’ on with Stacy?”


A little frisson of fear ran through him. “Gone?” he asked, his voice rising with alarm. Like him, his sister was no stranger to hanging out with the wrong people and taking risks that were best described as “ill-advised” and worst described as “fucking dangerous”—or maybe “life-threatening.”


“Ah, don’t get your panties in a twist. I know where she is: in Pittsburgh, with yet another man. She says this guy’s the one. You know, her soul mate. Only thing is, he doesn’t like kids. So she left Addison with me. I don’t need a four-year-old underfoot! I’m too old to have some rug rat biting at my ankles. I got a life to live too.”


Chapter 9