Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
She wanted to say something pithy. But what could possibly be pithy about that answer? “They’re all doing great. But you see Dane often enough. I’m sure he’s kept you up on everything Harrington.” Then she raised an eyebrow as if she were a teacher telling off a student. “But I’m not here for small talk.”
And she certainly wasn’t here to rehash their long-ago relationship.
Or to start it all over again just because she hadn’t been on a date in two years and no man had ever touched her, kissed her, pleasured her the way Ransom had.
* * *
Ransom thought he’d seen a spark there, for just a moment, a flame in her mesmerizing amber eyes that he wanted to fan into a conflagration.
But Ava Harrington turned all business right before his eyes. The CEO of an empire. The sight of her doing her thing made him even hotter.
He couldn’t help wondering what life would have been like if he’d never made that fateful offer.
“I have five Bay Area facilities,” she began.
She had over a hundred retirement communities, nursing homes, and senior care facilities around the country and was expanding internationally as well. Dane was extremely proud of everything his sister had accomplished. The man was proud of all his siblings, and he’d never been shy when talking about any of them. But it was talk of Ava that always pricked up Ransom’s ears. He wondered if Harrington had ever suspected the affair. If he had, he’d never given a single sign during any of the events or projects they’d worked on together.
“And I need someone to take over the catering for those five facilities,” she said.
She paused long enough for him to wonder why only those. But then, it made sense to split up catering between regions. He said nothing, though, letting her go on.
“I’d like you to design menus for older adults. We can’t have food that’s too exotic. They need meat and potatoes, but they also need nutrition. But most of all, they need to feel like food is something to be enjoyed during their later years.”
There was the Ava he remembered. She’d always operated on a huge scale, not just with her job, but with her heart. Now that she’d brought her dreams to fruition, so much more was at stake for her residents.
He gave her a nod, indicating she should continue.
“We have breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a snack bar in the afternoons where we offer things like soups, salads, and sandwich fillings. Something to tide people over until dinnertime or if they missed lunch altogether.”
He sat back, propped his ankle on his knee. “That all seems like a normal schedule. Definitely doable.”
Finally, she smiled, the beautiful smile he remembered playing on her lips. “They have their favorites too. We always have a hot-dog-and-beans day, a pizza day, something for them to look forward to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard them say excitedly, ‘It’s hot dog day.’ One woman at my Los Gatos facility plans her daughter’s visits around hot dog day. Mrs. Anderson told me I can never cut out hot dogs, or her daughter might stop coming to visit.” She looked at him, her head tipped, a dazzling smile on her kissable lips, not the harshness she’d shown him when she walked in. “Her daughter would visit her anyway, but we like to joke about it. So you can see that it’s much more than just the food. It’s about the community.”
No, Ava hadn’t lost her huge heart. “What’s wrong with your current caterers?”
He saw the hesitation in her eyes. But the only thing she gave him was, “They no longer meet my company’s standards.” Holding his gaze, she added, “Or my residents’ needs.”
He waited, but she said nothing else. He’d have time to push her about the real reason later on. If he decided he could work with her.
“I’m assuming you’re not just talking about menus, but that you want procurement, preparation, and staffing for both kitchen and dining room as well.”
“Yes. I’ve always found that’s much more efficient than doing it all in-house. Our caterers also handle special events within the complexes, such as providing drinks and appetizers for recitals or lectures.”
In addition to the cookbooks, restaurants, and TV show, he catered special events—anything from elite private parties to huge galas like the one for Gideon Jones at Dane’s Napa resort. He also created menus for resorts, cruise ships, retreat centers, and more.
But this was an entirely new field for him. “You’re asking a lot.”
She picked up her latte, took a long swallow, then set it down again, the mug’s clink on the table sounding empty. “Yes, I am. But my residents deserve it.”
He understood completely. This was about her community, and that was everything to her. It was even in the name of her corporation: Harrington Community Care International. But he had to warn her. “This isn’t exactly what I do.”