Free Recipe for Romance by Olivia Miles Page A

The crew couldn’t start until they had plans in place, and with his father’s condition Scott knew it was up to him to lead the project or find a suitable replacement. He should go into the office and get started on this immediately, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet.
    He shuddered when he thought back on those summers of his youth spent tagging along as his dad went about his work. He supposed it was ironic that he still pursued a career in the construction business, but maybe starting his own Pacific Northwest-based company was his way of taking back control of the events that had gone so awry in his past. Or maybe there were just some things in life you couldn’t escape, no matter how hard you tried. The day Emily’s father died was a fog—a disjointed stream of memories. But the one thing he could never forget were the shouts. The panicked, horrifying shouts. He’d just had no idea at the time that he was the one who had set it all into motion.
    Scott straightened his back and marched to the car. His father had no problems covering up the truth, denying it. Well, not him. So many times over the years Scott had thought of picking up the phone and telling Emily the truth, but then he wondered if he would only hurt her more by setting himself free.
    Scott drove into town and killed the engine at a spot in front of the diner. He needed a clear head before heading over to the office, and a Reuben sandwich with hot coffee would do just the trick.
    “Scott!” The sound of his sister’s voice across the room as he walked through the door pulled him out of his dark mood and Scott grinned back at her, moving eagerly through the crowded tables to grab the last stool at the counter. It seemed the room went quiet as he wove his path, but he refused to give in to it.
    “What can I get for you?” Lucy asked with a smile. There was something in the crinkle of her eyes, an apology perhaps, an understanding. He closed his eyes briefly, showing his gratitude.
    “A Reuben with extra fries,” he said with a grin.
    Lucy scribbled out a ticket and clipped it in line with the others. “Scott, this is Holly Tate. She runs The White Barn Inn down at the edge of town. Holly, this is the kid brother I’ve told you so much about.”
    “So you’re the one who stuck a snake under Lucy’s pillow?” Holly’s lips curled into a sly grin, and Scott chuckled.
    “The one and only.” He extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Holly. I hope you won’t judge me too harshly based on my mischievous past. I was only four when I captured that snake out at Willow Pond.”
    “Are you kidding? I love that story.” Holly’s laughter was soft and pleasant, and the warmth in her eyes helped his shoulders to relax. “I’m an only child myself. I would have killed for an annoying little brother.”
    “Hey, I’m the only one who’s allowed to call my brother annoying,” Lucy protested. She slid him a knowing glance as she filled his mug with coffee from a glass pot. “You were pretty annoying, but you turned out just fine.”
    Scott set his jaw and forced his attention back to Holly. “I don’t think I remember you growing up in Maple Woods.”
    Holly shook her head. “I only spent the summers here so you might not have seen me. My grandmother lived here in the old white house I turned into the inn—”
    “I know the one.” Scott smiled at a fond memory of the stately old mansion and the kind woman who lived there. Studying Holly more closely, he had a vague recollection of a cute little granddaughter a couple years younger than himself.
    Holly paused, her gaze becoming wistful. “I always loved Maple Woods. Once I inherited the house and moved back, I knew could never leave it.”
    Scott gave a noncommittal grunt. “It is a charming town,” he managed. From the corner of his eye he could see Lucy watching him carefully. He fought to ignore her.
    “My fiancé mentioned you were here to oversee the rebuilding