They asked him some questions about his dish, and he talked them through some of the changes he’d made to the basic recipe. He was using a fusion of Japanese cooking techniques that he’d been enjoying a lot lately and a classic French bisque, which was what the clam chowder was based on.
He couldn’t help the soft spot he had for the sisters. The way they’d simply accepted him in their kitchens when he’d been hiding from his grandfather’s rages. The way they’d directed him to the garden and told him about the edible plants and explained to him how flavor profiles worked.
Chasing away the last of the lust he’d felt for Indy, the somber feelings that being in this place stirred in him settled as the ladies moved on.
He continued putting in the ingredients and tasting the dish as it developed. Though he was ignoring her, he knew he wanted to win. He wanted her to be his for a weekend. And yeah, he could come back and ask her out, but that wasn’t something he’d do. Once he won this wager, Gilbert Corners would see the last of him.
There was something more to Indy than met the eye. That spunky personality, those wide-leg pants and formfitting blouse. She moved around her kitchen tent in a flurry of movement that was precise, she was a very thorough woman, he realized, wondering if she was like that in every part of her life. The way she’d challenged him, then blushed, touched him and then pulled back.
He wanted her.
He shouldn’t be turned on by a woman who lived in Gilbert Corners. But he was. And if his life had taught him one thing, it was that it was unpredictable and there was no guarantee for a long one.
He was going to have her.
“So this is what they pay you for?”
“Dash? What are you doing here?”
“He’s a surprise judge,” Ophelia said. “The locals were keen to have both of you here for the event.”
“No wonder a storm’s brewing,” Conrad said.
Ophelia just shook her head. “I’m glad you were able to make it, Dash. I’ll give you two a moment to catch up and then be back with the cameras.”
Dash looked tired. The last ten years had been hardest on him. Though he’d been unscarred by the crash, he’d been the one to watch Conrad and Rory go through numerous operations and rehab. Rory was still in a coma.
“God, I still hate this place,” Conrad said.
“Yeah, me too. I’m really surprised you agreed to do this,” Dash said.
He told Dash about the alleged curse as he worked. Rita looked calmer now that he wasn’t watching Indy, and their dish was starting to come together.
“So if you win the curse is broken? Or if she wins?” Dash asked.
“I don’t think they even know. Folks around this part love a good legend. Apparently, the Main Street Business Alliance is going to use this cook-off to raise the town’s profile, and Indy’s got a TV show where she refurbishes run-down towns like GC.”
“That sounds interesting. But still, I guess you better win.”
“I always win.”
“Of course you do—you’re a Gilbert. I’ll leave you to the cooking and go meet your competition.”
Dash walked away but he couldn’t help thinking about what his cousin had said. He was a Gilbert. The next forty minutes were intense as he finished his dish and the sourdough bread bowls to serve the chowder in. Ophelia told them when to end their cooking and then judges were moved into position at the table. The competition was judged blind, so both his and Indy’s workstations had a partition set up as they plated the dishes, and then the servers would come and collect them.
The tables for plating were set back to back and he was very aware of the smell of summer peaches as she moved behind him. He finished and turned to see she was still working, but then she concluded and spun to face him.
“I think that’s it,” she said, wiping her hands on her curvy hips.
“It is. Now it’s in the hands of fate,” he said.
“Fate? You strike me as too cynical to believe in fate.” She gave him that gamine smile of hers again as she tipped her head to the side to study him.
There was nothing sexual in the pose or the question, but he felt his cock stir. He wanted her. She wasn’t his normal type. That dichotomy of confidence and nerves was usually too chaotic for him, but with Indy it seemed to be making him want her more. “I am, but it’s right up your alley, isn’t it?”
“Maybe,” she said with a teasing grin.
“Maybe?”