Savor You (Fusion #5)(47)

“Is apple pie popular in Italy?”

I smile and shake my head. “When she and Daddy moved here, it was important to her that she fit in. She wanted to cook American meals. She wanted to make friends with her neighbors, and she definitely didn’t want to be an outsider.

“So, she gathered recipes from her neighbors and would even go spend time in their kitchens, watching them. Apple pies are her favorite.”

“Your parents are—”

“Old fashioned? A little odd? Nosy as fuck? Yeah, they’re all those things. And they are wonderful parents. Landon and I were always loved and never went without much. My dad has been a contractor for as long as I can remember. He worked his ass off so Mom could stay home with us, and they made a nice life for themselves here.”

“They love you very much.”

I nod and add some apples to a pot to boil with sugar and cinnamon. “Sometimes they use the we love you so much just so they can intrude. Try to take control. Embarrass their children.”

“I think most parents do that,” he says with a laugh. “That’s not necessarily an Italian trait.”

“I know.” I sigh and glance over my shoulder at him. “And I don’t mean to complain, especially when I’m standing near a man who no longer has his parents. It’s not that I’m ungrateful.”

“I know. It gets frustrating. Do you make pies like this for the restaurant every year?”

“I usually have apple pie on the menu for fall, but I’ve never been able to make them ahead like this. I normally make them every day at Seduction. And we run out after being open for an hour. Even if I bake twenty pies, they’ll be gone in three days.”

“I’m so proud of you, Mia.”

My head whips up in surprise.

“I mean it,” he continues. The apples are all peeled and sliced now, and he’s leaning against the countertop, his arms crossed over his chest. “What you’ve done with your restaurant is beyond impressive.”

“It’s taken a village. There are five of us,” I remind him, but he shakes his head.

“I’m not trying to take anything away from the others. It’s obvious that you all live and breathe that place. But as a chef, I know how much work goes into designing a kitchen, building a menu, and all of the little things that no one else thinks about. You’ve put a lot of yourself into it.”

“I have,” I agree and stir the apples, then get to work on the crusts. “And you’re right. There were plenty of nights when the girls would go home around midnight and I’d stay through the night. Especially in the beginning. I’m not telling you this for sympathy.”

“I know.”

“I just enjoy experimenting, and I really love my job.”

“I know that too.”

“So it’s been a labor of love for all of us. The aphrodisiac element was my idea. I liked the thought of our place being sexy. A place where a newlywed couple could come, or maybe a first date. Anniversaries. People say all the time, my husband took me out on a date, and I wanted us to open a place that catered to date night.

“It’s in every element of the place. Not just the food. Addie designed a wonderful dining room, with rich fabrics. Comfortable colors that relax and stir the senses. The music piped through the place is sexy. It came together better than any of us expected.”

“It’s a sensation,” he says with a nod. “I heard about it not long after you opened. I didn’t know you were one of the owners at the time, but your restaurant made its way through the food grapevine. What you’ve done is remarkable.”

“Thank you.” I smile widely and lay the crust in a pie plate, then fill it with apples. “That means a lot.”

“What can I do now?”

“These two are about to go in the oven. If you want to start more apples in the pot for two more pies, we’ll get them going as well.”

For the next twenty minutes, we work side by side, not needing to talk at all. The quiet is comfortable, and my house is beginning to smell amazing.

“Hello?”

Landon’s voice calls out from my front door just as the next two pies go into the oven. Camden and I walk out of the kitchen to greet him.

“Hey,” Camden says and shakes Landon’s hand. “How are you?”

“Good.” Landon smiles at me and cocks a brow. “How are you?”

“I’m good too,” I reply. He sniffs deeply.

“Pie!”

“It’s still baking,” I inform him, rolling my eyes.

“Great. I’ll stay long enough to have hot pie.” He grins and takes a seat at my dining room table.

“Is that the only reason you’re here? Did your psychic powers tell you that we’re baking today?”

“I don’t have psychic powers,” Landon informs Camden, who only smiles in response. “I just had a few hours free and thought I’d swing by to see you. Cami said you took the day off.”

“I did. Camden and I went to the orchard for apples.”

“So I take it the new chef is working out?”

“He’s really great,” I reply with a nod. “And I trust him, so I can take more days off.”

“I’m glad. You worried me.”