Love over easy, p.1
Love Over Easy, page 1
Love Over Easy
MOUNTAIN MEN OF CARIBOU CREEK: THE GRAY SISTERS BOOK 2
KALI HART
Love Over Easy is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2023 by Kali Hart
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
1. Kinley
2. Rowan
3. Kinley
4. Rowan
5. Kinley
6. Rowan
7. Kinley
8. Rowan
9. Kinley
10. Rowan
11. Kinley
12. Rowan
13. Kinley
14. Rowan
15. Kinley
16. Rowan
17. Kinley
18. Rowan
19. Kinley
Epilogue
More
Other Books by Kali Hart
About the Author
CHAPTER 1
Kinley
“You own a lot of stuff,” my youngest sister, Aurora, says, peering inside the nearly full storage unit. The movers have unloaded most of my belongings from the truck. The only items left are a sectional, a couple of dressers, and a bunch of boxes stuffed in the very back.
In minutes, my entire life will be crammed inside a twelve by sixteen space.
“Yeah, I guess I do.” I let out a sigh and wait for inevitable tears to sting my eyes.
They don’t come.
My eyes are dryer than the Sahara Desert.
Breakups are supposed to make people sad. Aren’t they? But, it seems the emotional churn in my gut is only about my beloved furniture getting man-handled into a less than pristine storage unit. I spent five years saving up for, and picking out, every piece. Each intended for a future that no longer exists.
When I told my boyfriend, Anders, that I needed to stay in Caribou Creek for most of the summer, he didn’t take the news well. We’d been fighting since the day I left Anchorage almost two weeks ago to answer Grandma Rose’s call. In my defense, I thought she was dying—we all did. But dying certainly wasn’t on her agenda. She surprised me and my sisters with an announcement: she was heading out on a world cruise and needed us to run her diner for an undecided length of time.
When I told Anders, he wasn’t supportive. At all.
I suppose I should’ve seen all of this coming. Well, maybe not the finding him in bed with my only city friend part. But in hindsight, the breakup was textbook predictable. The lack of sex and intimacy, and my complete lack of give a shit about it, should’ve been the first clue that this was inevitable.
“At least you never moved in with the guy, right?” Aurora says as the movers unload the sectional.
“Yeah.” If the ass-hat and my ex-friend had done the deed on my two-thousand-dollar Sleep Number, I’d have to burn the mattress. After I sent them the bill, of course. But Anders never stayed over at my place. He was always too above that. The mattress, thankfully, is unscathed. If I only had a way to haul it to Caribou Creek, I’d set it up in the guest room I’ll be calling home for the next month. Or whenever Gran gets back.
“You sound bummed,” Aurora notes, giving me a little side-eye, “but you don’t sound…”
“Sad?”
“Yeah.”
I shrug, just as confused as Aurora about my lack of feelings. I thought I loved Anders. I had expected him to propose any day. Or to at least offer me a key and ask me to move in to his place. I’d been willing to go on a little faith; to assume that living together would fix all the problems I was too happy to ignore. That’s why I allowed my apartment lease to expire.
But after the big blowout fight we had two nights ago, I knew I was done.
Him conning Stacy into his bed later that same night filled me with actual relief. The gutless wonder. He had to know. Cheating is something we can’t, and won’t, come back from. And he made sure I saw it too. Calling to ask for that damn book back he has no intention of reading. The moment I spotted them from the sidewalk outside his apartment, lip-locked and entangled together, I stopped wanting to fix what was so clearly broken. I just wanted out.
Maybe it’s seeing my oldest sister Willow so happy with Mason that made me realize what I was missing in my own relationship. Or just the horrible, selfish way Anders acted on the phone night after night just because I wasn’t around to keep him company. And all the freaking passive-aggressive sighs because he ran out of his favorite coffee, or his shirts were still at the dry cleaners because I’d left him high and dry. I wasn’t there for him? The mere suggestion of him driving to my hometown on the weekends was laughably inconvenient for him.
“I hear there’s a lot of single, hot guys in Caribou Creek these days,” Aurora says with a giggle, nudging me with her elbow.
“No thanks.” I shake my head vehemently. “I think I’m taking the rest of the year off from dating.” With a mutter under my breath, I add, “Maybe forever.”
“That’s everything,” one of the movers says, handing me a tablet to sign.
“Now what?” Aurora asks once I hand the tablet back and the movers load up in their truck.
“We grab a bite to eat and head back to Caribou Creek.” Grandma Rose leaves for her cruise tomorrow, and we have to be back to officially take over diner duties in the morning. I offered to drive her down to Anchorage today, but she insisted on taking the train. Apparently, the bridge jackpot—or poker, depending on who you ask—was more than the advertised twenty bucks. Grandma Rose has booked first class everything on this trip, scenic train ride included. “Maybe we can convince someone’s chef to come with us,” I add in jest. “Or kidnap one.”
“Does that mean he said no?”
“Who?”
“Rowan.”
My pulse doubles hearing his name aloud. Willow urged me to ask my former best friend if he’d fill in at the diner. He worked in the kitchen one summer when we were still in high school and seemed to have a knack for cooking. But ever since Willow’s almost wedding, we haven’t been on speaking terms. “I thought we weren’t asking him.”
“Willow didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“That she was going to see him today.” Aurora speaks with such innocence. She couldn’t possibly understand why this is so problematic. That my best friend kissed me at Willow’s almost wedding. Rowan didn’t seem to care that I was there with Anders. But he did care when I left Caribou Creek with my new boyfriend and left him behind.
We haven’t spoken since.
That kiss still haunts me.
Not because my best friend kissed me and it was weird.
It was the opposite of weird.
To date, it’s been the best kiss of my entire life. And I still don’t know how to feel about that. I’m certainly not ready to face him, much less be stuck in close quarters with Rowan on a daily basis for the next several weeks. I never told anyone, especially my sisters, about that kiss. I hoped over time, the desperate urge to tell someone—anyone—my secret would fade.
It hasn’t.
“He won’t do it,” I tell Aurora, feeling confident in my declaration. “He’s too busy running his family business.” And he has no desire to see me. More than once since I’ve been back in town, he’s walked into the diner, spotted me, and turned right around to leave.
“Then who’s going to cook?”
That’s a good question. And none of us have the answer. Willow burns toast, Aurora’s set more than one kitchen on fire, and I can’t even get water to boil without burning myself. “Let’s hope Willow has a plan.” Before Aurora can say something about Rowan again, I add, “A better plan than Rowan Jacobs.”
For the sake of my sanity, I sure hope I’m right.
CHAPTER 2
Rowan
I scrub both hands over my face and suck in a deep breath. A fucking email, Dad? Really? I’ve read it three times, but I skim it a fourth just to be sure I didn’t mix up the words. After playing off-the-grid mountain man, my older brother Cassius is returning to Caribou Creek to reclaim his place in the family logging business.
“Fuck.” I reach for my coffee mug and find it empty. I stare at the stained bottom, unable to recall when I sucked it down.
I’ve worked myself to the bone for three long years, trying to prove to my father that I’m just as capable, if not more, than Cas to take over the family business. I’m the one who stayed. I grip the mug’s handle so tight it nearly cracks. After Kinley Gray chose that city jackass over our life-long friendship, I had to do something to forget about her. And that earth shattering kiss. To try my damnedest to move on from the only woman I’ve ever truly loved.
I did the one thing I swore I’d never do—I set aside the life I wanted and offered myself up to my dad, filling the void Cas left behind. I’ve become damn good at it, too. Which is why this nonchalant email feels like a sucker punch to the gut.
Now that Kinley is back i
I pull up an internet browser and start to skim remote Alaskan cabins along the river. My freezer’s looking a little bare these days. Might be time to fill it with some salmon. Before I can find the right place, a gentle rapping draws my attention to the door. I stiffen, not in the mood to be bothered after the shitty news.
“Yeah?”
“Rowan Jacobs?” a female voice says through the door.
“Yep.”
The knob twists, the door falling open. Revealing Willow Gray—Kinley’s older sister. “Hey, Rowan. How are you?”
I’m more surprised that Willow came back to Caribou Creek than Kinley, considering the last time she was home, she was running away from her own wedding. But no matter how much I try to avoid the gossip, I overheard a table of old codgers talking about Mason and Willow getting back together. Something about the old theater, too. “Hey, Willow. What are you doing here?”
She looks around my office. It’s nothing fancy since I prefer to work out of a trailer instead of the headquarters building. It’s a cramped space with room for a desk, an overworked coffee maker on its last leg, and a rickety filing cabinet. But it’s my sanctuary.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor from me?”
“You still like to cook, right?”
It doesn’t take me long to figure out where this is going. Rose Clayton is headed out on a world cruise, and word around town is they haven’t found a short order cook to fill in. Unless one of the Gray sisters acquired a new culinary skill in the last three years, none of them can navigate a kitchen worth a shit. They might burn down the diner trying. “I haven’t done much cooking lately.”
It’s a lie.
When I’m not throwing myself into work, I’m in my kitchen. Cooking, baking, grilling—it’s all like fucking therapy.
“But you used to love it, right?” Willow’s no doubt referring to the summer in high school I worked as a short order cook. Rose had broken her arm and needed someone who was good at taking directions. I learned so much those few weeks—the only summer I didn’t work for my dad. My favorite summer. It awakened a passion I didn’t know I had. But going to culinary school instead of college wasn’t something my family supported.
“That was a long time ago.”
Willow bites down on her bottom lip, and I feel guilty that I’m making her uncomfortable. She’s not responsible for the decision Kinley made. The one that severed our friendship and made it clear I wasn’t the one she wanted in her life.
“Is there any way you’d consider being our short order cook for a few weeks? Just until Grandma Rose gets back? I’d really like to not run the diner into the ground before she gets back. The locals might take pity on us, but the tourists could destroy us on Yelp alone.”
I glance at the email, tempted. My brother and I don’t exactly get along. But I’d rather deal with his grumpy, arrogant ass than be around Kinley knowing she’s fucking another guy who doesn’t deserve her. One who didn’t witness our kiss because he was trying to fuck one of the bridesmaids. Not that Kinley believed me when I told her.
The sheer thought of it all makes me so angry my fists ball in my lap. “I don’t think I can spare the time.”
“I heard Cassius is back in town. Maybe he can cover for you?”
Shit. Word travels faster than a fucking forest fire in these parts. “He is.”
“Is this because of Kinley?” She’s sympathetic. I can see it in her eyes. But that’s the last thing I want from a Gray sister.
I reach for my mug again before remembering it’s empty. The coffee here is shit. All the good stuff is in the headquarters building. But even that fancy shit can’t compare to the diner coffee. I don’t know what Rose’s secret is, but it’s the best damn coffee in Alaska. I used to drink it by the gallon.
“I’ll tell you what.” I push out of my chair and approach Willow. Hoping to usher her out the door before she figures out what’s behind this nasty rift between Kinley and me. “If you convince Kinley to ask me—in person—then I’ll cover your kitchen while Rose is traveling.”
Willow’s entire face lights up. “Really?”
“Yep.”
“Can you start tomorrow?”
“Don’t get your hopes up, Willow.” I pat her on the shoulder and steer her toward the exit. “Kinley’s not going to come near me.”
“Why not?”
The memory of that fight still plagues me. We both said terrible things in the heat of the moment. I tried to fix it by kissing her. And damned if it wasn’t the best fucking kiss I’ve ever experienced. I’d bet my entire collection of cookbooks that Kinley felt the same. The look in her eyes said it all. The passionate slap said more. Yet, she still chose that city fucker over me. “You’ll have to ask her.” I hold the door open for her. “See you around.”
CHAPTER 3
Kinley
Trekking up Rowan’s long, winding driveway was not on my list of things to do tonight. It doesn’t matter that I’m a born and raised Alaskan. I’m not the outdoorsy, hiking type. If I see a bear, odds are I’m getting mauled. But with my car out of commission—thanks, Aurora for backing into a stop sign the second we got it unloaded tonight—the best Willow would do is drop me off at the bottom of the hill.
In her defense, I had to climb over the locked gate. Not like she was willing to ram it.
I shove both hands in my pockets, but that only lasts a few steps. Halfway up, I’m using my arms to propel me upward. Swinging them wildly with each step climbed. I don’t remember his driveway being so damn steep. Sweat dots my temples and I’m huffing as if a bear is actually chasing me.
If we had any other choice where the diner was concerned, I wouldn’t be here.
The last time I saw Rowan Jacobs was at Willow’s wedding. Well, it was almost a wedding until she ran off without telling anyone. After everyone realized Willow wasn’t coming back, most of the guests left. A bunch of us stayed because the booze was already paid for.
I took a fork right to the wedding cake, and that’s when it all started.
A loud, deep bark echoes from the top of the driveway, jerking me back to the present. I let out a scream and stumble back a few steps, catching my back on a birch tree at the edge of the driveway. I reach behind me and grip the skinny trunk to brace myself. A few more barks echo in the deserted driveway before a beast of a dog comes into view.
“Bear, knock it off.” Rowan’s booming voice causes my heart to skip a beat. My fingers dig into the tree trunk, as if I can blend in if I just hold on tight enough. I can be invisible.
Rowan struts forward, stopping beside his dog. His gaze zeroes in on me instantly.
“Um, hey.” Good grief! Did my voice just go up three octaves?
He folds both arms over his chest, biceps bulging. He was always fit, but I swear those muscles are twice as big as I remember. Kinley, stop staring!
“What are you doing here, Kin?”
My heart squeezes at the nickname. My sisters call me that, too. But it’s the way Rowan says it that makes me mourn the close friendship we had for most of our lives. All ruined with one stupid kiss. One very good, toe-curling, not-supposed-to-feel-like-that-with-your-best-friend kiss.
I push off the tree and trek the last stretch up the driveway, painfully aware that Rowan watches me struggle with each step and does nothing to help. So it’s going to be this way. The last few feet, the big, fluffy dog named Bear wags his giant tail and trots toward me. “You aren’t going to eat me, are you buddy?”
