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

“Me?” Hank laughed. “Not at all, man. But I do know that I didn’t understand what love was until I met you. Speaking of too fast? I look back now and can see I fell in love with you the moment you set that plate of food in front of me. I was a no-good, thieving derelict, yet youmoved fast. You took a chance. You fed me.” Hank let go of one of Ollie’s hands to swipe angrily at his eyes, where he could feel the hot pinprick of tears forming. He laughed, suddenly feeling self-conscious about his introspection. “It didn’t hurt either that you were one hot man. I think, that night, it was more than the food that made my mouth water.”


They both laughed, and Hank was thrilled to see a bloom of red rise to Ollie’s cheeks.


Ollie then spoke so softly Hank had to strain to hear. “Wait a minute. You’re in love with me?”


Chapter 53