“I bet Paris was beautiful,” she said.
“Here, you can be my sous chef and learn a few tricks from me, and I’ll tell you about living in Paris. Have you traveled very much?” he asked.
“No,” she admitted. “I’ve never been out of the state, really,” she said.
“Well, going to France was the first big trip that I had ever taken, and I was scared out of my mind. Here, break these eggs into this bowl, like this,” he ordered, showing her how to properly crack an egg and avoid getting shells into the bowl.
She took the eggs and the bowl from him, mimicking what he had done to the first one. “What are we making today?” she asked.
“Omelets,” he said. “Do you like yours with meat and cheese or veggies?”
She squinched up her nose and smiled back at him. “Um, just cheese,” she said. “I’m kind of boring when it comes to omelets.”
“Sounds good to me, and it’s a lot less work. I usually do bacon and cheese in mine, so these should be pretty easy. I’ve already got some cooked bacon in the refrigerator.” Taz pulled out the container of crumbled bacon that he kept on hand for omelets and salads, and she finished cracking the eggs.
“What do you miss most about France?” she asked as he whisked and poured the eggs into a pan.
“Um, the food,” he said. “Plus, I had a fantastic apartment over there. It was fun, but I wouldn’t trade my club to move back there. I’d miss the Smokey Bandits too much.”
“I’m sure,” she said. “You all are pretty tight-knit.”
“We are,” he agreed. Every time he got the itch to leave town, or travel, he’d think about leaving them and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. They were always there for each other. He knew that he could call Ryker and get him to help out today with Kai. There was no hesitation on his friend’s part, and he knew that he could have called any of the guys and gotten the same response. They would have dropped everything and helped out in a heartbeat.
He handed Kai a plate of food, “Eat up and fill out those papers,” he ordered. “We need to get this Gabe situation under control and today’s the day.”
“I agree,” she said. “I just hate that we have to go through any of this, but I appreciate you looking out for me and calling Ryker to help me out since you’re busy today.”
“Always,” he said. “I wish I could be the one with you when you turn in that paperwork, but the important thing is that you’ll have Ryker with you.”
“And Harlow,” she said. “Apparently, she’s really excited about our little field trip, so she’s coming along.”
“Well then, I know you’ll have nothing to worry about. Harlow’s vicious and there’s no way that Gabe will be able to get anywhere near you with her around.”
Kai giggled, “You’re right,” she agreed, “she’s a watchdog. I know that I’ll be in good hands, and I’ll tell you all about it once I get back to the bar.”
“That sounds like a plan to me,” he agreed.