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 wanted to be there for her. I loved her,” she said softly, looking at Hank.


Hank appeared to soften. His features took on a little less furious mien, and he reached out and touched his sister’s hand. “She asked about you. She said she loved you too.”


“Did she really?” Stacy’s face lit up.


Hank nodded. “It was probably for the best you weren’t around. It wasn’t pretty. You can remember her as the party girl. She’d like that.”


The three grew quiet, the only sound in the kitchen the laughter and the yelling of the girls outside. Their innocence hurt Ollie deep inside.


Finally, it was Hank who had the courage to address the elephant in the room. “Are you here for the reason I think you are, Stacy?”


Ollie could see the fear in Hank’s eyes, the despair. And—totally irrational—the hope.


Stacy sipped her coffee. When she began speaking, Ollie found himself unable to look at Hank. He couldn’t bear it.


Chapter 59