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

“You are just the cutest little girl in the world, aren’t you?” Jack asked her, and I could hear her respond, “You got that right, handsome.”


“Well, come on in and have a seat. I’ll get you some food.” I gestured toward my chair and made a place for him by clearing away my place setting. There really wasn’t room for four at the table, but I was happy to lean against the sink. My most profound cooking lessons, in a way, had come from my mother, and the first of these was that the cook hardly ever sat down.


I got him settled at the table with a fresh place setting, a cup of the carrot soup, and a plate of the ahi and salad. He smiled up at me as I served him, and it sent a little spark coursing through me. Our gazes met and held for what seemed like a long time, so long in fact that I felt heat rise to my cheeks.


Chapter 69