“Has. Still very much alive. He’s ninety-three.”
“Holy shit,” she exclaimed. “Those are some awesome genes.”
I chuckled. “He says one teaspoon of butter a day keeps the doctor away.”
“Is he in New York?”
“Nah, he’s originally from France, and he went back there after retiring. My parents are also there.”
“You’re half French?” she asked. “I mean... duh. Your last name is Dumont.”
“A quarter.”
“Do you speak it?”
“A bit.”
“Say something to me.” Her eyes were full of excitement.
“Tu m'as tellement manqué. Means I’ve missed you so much.”
“Your sexiness score just skyrocketed.”
“I didn’t know it needed improvement.”
“Ha! It certainly didn’t. On a scale from one to ten, it used to be on fifteen.”
“And now?”
She frowned, drumming her fingers over her cheek. “Hmm... not sure. Somewhere between twenty and twenty-five.”
I laughed, leaning against the counter. Skye pointed to a leather-bound notebook we’d framed on that wall. “What’s that?”
“A notebook with the original recipes. We still cook some of them, but they’re modified. We want to show homage to our history but keep up with the times.”
“Smart. I bet your family is really proud of you.”
“I think they are. I hope so.”
She studied me for a beat before saying, “That’s very important for you, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t tell how she’d guessed that, but I nodded.
“Yes. It’s not even the money driving me—or not just the money. I want to create something long-lasting... you know, for future generations.”
That thought had popped in my mind unexpectedly. I’d never thought about the future generation except for Lindsay... until now.
“Keep the legacy going on and growing,” she finished.
“Yes, exactly.”
I liked that she wanted to know more about my family, that she was curious and cared. Most of all, I liked that she understood what drove me.
“Want to see the office?” I asked.
“Sure.”
Taking her hand, I led her up a narrow spiral staircase and then opened the door to my office. The windows were red brick arches, as they were downstairs, but that was the only similarity. A leather couch and office chair and a huge mahogany desk took up the entire space. I was rarely here, but it had every comfort I wanted.