Personal chef Beau St. Clair, recently divorced from his cheating husband, returns to the small Ohio River town where he grew up to lick his wounds. Jack Rogers lives with his mother, Maisie, in that same small town, angry at and frightened by the world. Jack has a gap in his memory that hides something he dares not face, and he’s probably suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Maisie, seeking relief from her housebound and often surly son, hires Beau to cook for Jack, hoping the change might help bring Jack, once a handsome and vibrant attorney, back to his former self. But can a new face and comfort food compensate for the terror lurking in Jack’s past? Slowly the two men begin a dance of revelation and healing. Food and compassion build a bridge between Beau and Jack, a bridge that might lead to love. But will Jack’s demons allow it? His history could just as easily tear them apart as bring them together.

Dinner at Jack's

I wondered who took care of the exterior of the house. Judging from our conversation, I would have to guess Maisie and not her son. Hadn’t she said something about how he spent his days mostly in bed, watching TV?


A squirrel ran across my path and dashed up one of the trees in the yard, then sat on the tallest branch, scolding me. He distracted me enough that I didn’t notice Maisie opening the front door.


“Yoo-hoo! You must be Beau.” Maisie wore oversized glasses and was probably in her fifties, with dyed red hair that was a little brittle. She was a few pounds overweight. She wore a pair of black leggings, flats, and a big sweatshirt that had a glittering owl emblazoned across its front. I paused for a moment, and something in my throat caught. Maisie reminded me a lot of my late mother, so much that she could pass for her sister.


Chapter 21