The Baby Truce

The Baby Truce by Jeannie Watt Page B

Book: The Baby Truce by Jeannie Watt Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jeannie Watt
that she needed to move faster.”
    â€œ How did you say it? Were those your exact words?”
    His dark expression was all the answer she needed.
    â€œShe is not one of your orangutan kitchen workers,” Reggie said tautly. “She is not used to being yelled at or ordered about tactlessly, or…or…”
    â€œI didn’t mean to—”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter what you meant. You did some damage to morale in my kitchen and now I have to fix it.” She placed her palms on the counter, one on either side of a potpie, and leaned closer to him, so that they were practically nose to nose. “In six months time, you will be gone, if you haven’t left sooner, and Patty, I hope, will still be here. If you make her cry one more time, then our deal is off.”
    â€œIt’s not my fault she’s emotional. She wouldn’t last a day in a professional kitchen.”
    â€œThis is a professional kitchen and she’s doing fine at the job I hired her to do.”
    â€œYeah? Then what happened with the sauce yesterday?”
    â€œWould you stop fixating on sauce?”
    â€œI specialize in Italian food. Tomato sauce is important.”
    â€œI let her make it because you were working so fast I would have run out of things for her to do.” Not the entire truth. She’d let Patty make it to mollify her. That had backfired. “Then maybe she could have counted linens,” Tom said through gritted teeth.
    â€œOh. You didn’t like counting linens?”
    â€œWhat do you think?”
    â€œI think that for a guy who begged for a chance, you’re pushing me.” Reggie straightened up, shoving her sleeves even higher. Pretty soon they’d be over her elbows. “When Patty comes out of that bathroom, apologize.”
    â€œI—”
    â€œI don’t care if you were right or wrong or just trying to help. Apologize. And do not upset her again.”
    Tom’s mouth had flattened into a very thin line. For a moment Reggie thought he was going to blow. Or walk out the door. He pulled in a sharp breath, then exhaled, the muscles in his jaw held so tightly that the cords in his neck popped.
    â€œI’m not trying to screw things up, Reggie.”
    â€œThen leave Patty alone.”
    â€œFine. But you shouldn’t.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œLeave her alone. She needs more training.”
    He was probably right. Patty was good at following orders and she was a quick study, but her kitchen experience wasn’t as extensive as it could have been.
    â€œI’ll try to remember that,” Reggie said stiffly. “Now if Patty ever comes out of the bathroom again—”
    â€œI’ll apologize.” He pulled another pastry-lined ramekin toward him and started filling it. Reggie stared at the top of his dark head for a moment, realizing she’d been dismissed. Then she turned and went into Justin’s pastry room.
    Once her adrenaline approached normal levels and her hands stopped shaking, she would put together the puff pastry desserts Justin hadn’t had time to finish before going on shift at the lake.
    Having Tom around was exhausting.
    Â 
    W HEN P ATTY FINALLY EMERGED from the bathroom, her face flushed, her nose red, she walked straight back to her station, ignoring Tom for all she was worth.
    â€œI’m sorry,” he called.
    She didn’t even look at him.
    He shrugged and went back to work. A few minutes later, Reggie came out of the pastry room with a phone to her ear.
    â€œCan you make a piecrust?” she asked Tom.
    â€œI think I can handle it,” he said drily.
    â€œI need five ten-inch double crusts for apple pies. Pronto.”
    â€œAye, aye, Chef,” he said as she walked back to the office without looking at him.
    Piecrusts. Right. That was a task he passed off to his sous-chef. He stood for a minute, debating which flour to use, pastry or cake, and which

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