Southern Charm & Second Chances Read online

  Maybe this time they’ve found a recipe for success.

  Should she pack her knives

  Or sharpen them?

  Celebrity chef Liam Wright has come to Savannah to rebrand a local restaurant. And pastry chef Jane Clark couldn’t be more appalled! The man who impulsively fired her from her New York City dream job—and turned her life upside down—is now on her turf. And if the restaurant is to succeed, Liam needs Jane’s help navigating Savannah’s quirky culture...and their feelings for each other.

  Liam peered into the bowl. “What are you working on?”

  “A new savory bread recipe I came up with.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “It’s a beer bread with a blend of herbs and cheese that I’m in the process of perfecting.”

  “That’s why I smell beer. I thought maybe I’d driven you to drink.”

  He said the words with a straight face, but Jane gathered this was his attempt at showing that he had a sense of humor.

  Two could play that game.

  “Apparently you have.” She picked up the bottle, held it up to him in a toast and sipped.

  “Mind if I join you?” he said.

  “That means you’re staying awhile?” she asked.

  “Unless I’m intruding.”

  “Of course not. It’s your place.” She motioned for him to follow her. “Come with me and I’ll show you Charles’s food-and-beverage sign-out system.”

  At the pantry, he stopped at the door and, with one hand holding it open, he motioned for her to go first. If she hadn’t been distracted by his good manners, she would’ve remind him to make sure the doorstop was in place so the door didn’t—

  The door slammed shut.

  THE SAVANNAH SISTERS: One historic inn, two meddling matchmakers, three Savannah sisters.

  Dear Reader,

  When I’m not writing, I love to cook and bake. I came about it naturally because my family has always been all about food. Every celebration was centered around food, and when extended family is together, often we can’t leave one meal without starting to talk about the next. That’s because, to us, food symbolizes love.

  I had such fun when it came to writing Jane and Liam’s story. It’s set in a restaurant in Savannah and features Jane’s big femalecentric family. Through Jane and her family, Liam learns how to love and forgive.

  I hope you enjoy the story as much as I loved writing it. Please drop me a line and let me know—[email protected].

  Warmly,

  Nancy

  Southern Charm & Second Chances

  Nancy Robards Thompson

  National bestselling author Nancy Robards Thompson holds a degree in journalism. She worked as a newspaper reporter until she realized reporting “just the facts” bored her silly. Now that she has much more content to report to her muse, Nancy loves writing women’s fiction and romance full-time. Critics have deemed her work “funny, smart and observant.” She resides in Florida with her husband and daughter. You can reach her at Facebook.com/nrobardsthompson.

  Books by Nancy Robards Thompson

  Harlequin Special Edition

  The Savannah Sisters

  A Down-Home Savannah Christmas

  Celebration, TX

  The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride

  A Bride, a Barn, and a Baby

  The Cowboy Who Got Away

  The Fortunes of Texas: The Lost Fortunes

  A Fortunate Arrangement

  The Fortunes of Texas: Rulebreakers

  Maddie Fortune’s Perfect Man

  The Fortunes of Texas: The Secret Fortunes

  Fortune’s Surprise Engagement

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  This book is dedicated to Gail Chasan for bringing me into the Harlequin family all those years ago. Thanks for everything!

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Excerpt from Fortune’s Greatest Risk by Marie Ferrarella

  Chapter One

  Jane Clark was having a nightmare.

  Why else would Liam Wright be standing in front of her—in Savannah—in the middle of the restaurant that had become her sanctuary, eight hundred miles from the humiliation and bad memories born of the last time they’d spoken?

  The restaurant opened at five o’clock, but Charles Weathersby, owner of Wila, had summoned the entire staff—both front-of-the-house and kitchen—for an early morning meeting. Why, then, was Chef Liam Wright here, darkening the Wila dining room with his perpetual scowl?

  Jane fisted her hands and felt the bite of nails digging into flesh.

  Nope. It wasn’t a nightmare. She was wide awake.

  God!

  If this wasn’t a bad dream, it had to be a cruel joke. Because that was the only other explanation for his being in Savannah instead of terrorizing his own minions at La Bula, his New York City restaurant.

  Jane glanced around the dining room. Its black-and-white marble floors and polished dark wood contrasted with the light airiness of the glass from the windows and mirrors, which reflected the crystal chandeliers and pops of color from the red banquettes lining the back wall. It was so early, the front-house staff hadn’t had a chance to set the tables for that evening’s dinner. Soon they would cover the tables with crisp white cloths and napkins, and adorn the tops with a single red rose in a bud vase. A single red rose had become synonymous with Wila, its image on the cover of the menus and used in all of their advertising.

  The familiarity of Wila was comforting to Jane. It was a touchstone that reminded her that she was safe here. She had done well here. She wasn’t defined by past missteps.

  Judging from the way her coworkers murmured among themselves as they sat in the empty dining room waiting for the meeting to start, she wasn’t the only one wondering why Liam was there.

  Charles clapped his hands. “Boys and girls,” he said, his Southern gentleman’s drawl elongating the words. “May I have your attention, please?”

  When everyone quieted down, he continued. “Thank y’all for obliging me and coming in early on such short notice. I’m sure all y’all know Liam Wright. He’s the owner and executive chef of La Bula in New York City, as well as a winner of the prestigious Oscar Hurd Foundation Award and a past champion of the renowned television cooking show, America’s Best Chef.”

  Liam seemed to bask in the glory of his résumé as he looked everywhere except at Jane. She couldn’t decide if that was a good thing—maybe he didn’t recognize her. Was it possible he didn’t remember her? Yeah—no. Fat chance. More like he was purposely avoiding eye contact after the way he’d treated her the last time they’d seen each other.

  Pinpricks of shame needled Jane. Until now, she had managed to shelve the humiliation as she’d made an earnest attempt to move on with her life. And she had been getting on beautifully. Charles was happy with her work. Just a few nights ago, he’d confirmed that Wila’s revenues from dessert sales had never been higher. She’d even managed to score a feature in the Savannah Morning News. The food editor had interviewed her and sent a photographer who’d made the array of desserts Jane had prepared for the occasion look like works of art. She couldn’t have paid for better PR fo
r herself and for the restaurant.

  Things were going so well.

  She took a deep breath and filled her lungs with air, pushing past the tentacles of dread that had wrapped themselves around her windpipe, intent on suffocating her. She needed to stop overthinking things.

  Look how far you’ve come. Focus on that.

  Charles was an old family friend. She’d worked for him at Wila when she’d been in high school. He’d hired her again without question when she’d returned to Savannah. He hadn’t asked for specifics about why she’d left her job in New York and she hadn’t supplied them.

  It had been that cut and dried, and everything had been working out fine.

  Of course, it was entirely possible that Liam hadn’t showed up to ruin her life—again. Maybe he was in town and he’d popped in to see Charles, one professional to another. Maybe he’d even have dinner at Wila tonight. If he did, it could be a good opportunity. Jane would serve him rum baba. The ironic gesture would fulfill two purposes. One, it would show him that his visit didn’t fluster her one bit. And two, it would prove that she really did know what she was doing. In fact, she’d make sure the cake was so delicious it would knock his socks off. It would break the ice and they would have a good laugh over the rum baba debacle that had made him lose it and send her packing last year.

  “Many of you know that I’ve been eyeing retirement,” Charles said, interrupting the reunion scene playing in Jane’s head. “Even though this old body is tired and ready for a long vacation, I’ve decided it’s not time for me to completely bow out. Not just yet. However, I am ready to lighten my load a bit. That’s why I’ve decided to bring on a partner.”

  A partner?

  A couple of choice words went through Jane’s head as her stomach dropped to somewhere around her ankles.

  Oh, dear God, no. Not Liam Wright. Please.

  Even though she knew what Charles was going to say before he said it, she still wasn’t ready for the blow.

  “I didn’t want to bring just anyone on board. I need someone creative, someone with a keen understanding of fine dining and a flare for approachable luxury. At the same time, I realized it might be a good time to make some changes that will make Wila more competitive and cutting edge without losing the clientele and the timeless feel I’ve worked my entire life to cultivate... Liam Wright is a natural fit. So, effective immediately, Chef Wright and I will be partners and he will help us begin the transition into our new phase.

  “He will be here for the next month, working with you to refine the menu and implement the changes we need to make to achieve our new vision. Just so you know, we will be closed for a week, beginning Sunday, so that he can bring you up to speed on the new practices and procedures. But I will let him tell you more about our new and improved vision for Wila. Please join me in welcoming Chef Wright to Savannah.”

  Charles started the clapping. Jane joined in because it would’ve been rude not to, and it was the best way to show Liam that she was doing fine. Perfectly fine. But that didn’t stop her extremities from going numb as she watched Liam exchange a few quiet words with Charles before he addressed the staff.

  “What the hell?” murmured Joe Donoghue, Wila’s sous chef. “Have you heard anything about this?”

  Not wanting to discuss it, Jane answered with a quick shake of her head. Joe cursed under his breath, finally settling on one choice word that he muttered over and over under his breath like a banishing spell.

  “Thanks, everyone,” Liam finally said. He was dressed in jeans and a black Henley shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and solid chest. Her favorite body type on a guy—toned, but carrying enough meat that proved he was healthy, that he was not a slave to diets and the gym. He was tall—in the six-two, six-three range, she guessed—with dark hair and dark, dark eyes. No matter how Jane felt about him, there was no denying the sum of the parts added up to one very good-looking guy.

  He knew it, too.

  He was infamous for dating models. And he carried himself in a smug, too-cool-for-school, I’m sexy and I know it way that had always irked her. It still did.

  Charles’s phone rang. He looked at the screen. “I need to take this call. Everyone, make Liam feel welcome.” With the phone pressed to his ear, Charles disappeared into the kitchen.

  “It’s good to be here,” Liam said. “Savannah is one of my favorite places in the world. That’s why I was stoked when Charles approached me about joining the team here at Wila. And that’s what we will be—a team.”

  He paused, unsmiling, and glanced around the room as if driving home the point. His gaze landed on Jane.

  “I already know at least one of you.”

  Oh, great. Oh, God.

  Her mouth went dry and her heart folded in on itself. The look on Liam’s face wasn’t damning, but it didn’t exactly fill her with the warm fuzzy feeling of opportunity, either. Jane managed to lift the corners of her mouth into what she hoped was a convincing smile, one she would share with an acquaintance.

  No need to antagonize the beast.

  Especially when he would be her boss.

  Again.

  She hoped.

  Because the alternative would mean more professional upheaval, and she’d just gotten settled.

  “If you would,” Liam said, “let’s go around the room and each of you introduce yourself and tell me what you do around here. Let’s start with Jane over there.”

  He remembered her name.

  The tentacles of dread tightened and Jane suddenly found it hard to catch her breath. Because...well, she hadn’t exactly lied to Charles. No, she hadn’t lied at all. She just hadn’t told him why she’d retuned to Savannah and needed a job after going to culinary school and working in one of the hottest restaurants in New York City.

  She hadn’t volunteered the reason behind her homecoming. It had been too humiliating. She had made such a stupid mistake and, in the end, she’d let herself down, which had almost hurt more than being fired by “America’s Best Chef.”

  Almost.

  After the dust had settled, she’d had a hard time finding another job in New York as an executive pastry chef at the level at which she’d been working. Jobs just weren’t that plentiful. Finally, when Charles had made her the offer, she’d had no choice but to come back to Savannah.

  While she’d been grateful for the job, she hadn’t been very excited about coming home. Savannah was a far cry from New York.

  In many ways, she’d been just as snobby and too sophisticated as she’d mentally accused Liam of being.

  But her case was totally different.

  Even so, she’d suffered because of the firing.

  She’d just gotten her mojo back. Things were just starting to happen for her. She’d missed Savannah more than she realized. She was feeling at home here. In fact, she’d recently turned down two job offers—one in Hilton Head and one in Atlanta—because this job felt right. Charles gave her the freedom to experiment and try new things. It was amazing the things she could accomplish when she didn’t have to fear making a mistake, which is what she’d lived with every day at La Bula.

  Now, she’d come to work this morning only to find the big, bad wolf huffing and puffing and threatening to blow down the life she’d rebuilt. But first, Liam wanted her to reintroduce herself to him. In front of everyone.

  The last time she’d seen him, he’d embarrassed her in front of her La Bula coworkers. Every single word he’d said had been true. But what had hurt almost as badly as making the mistake was the way he’d called her out in front of everyone—his temper going from subzero to blazing in a matter of seconds.

  Though she’d done nothing wrong, she was at his mercy again.

  The best way to deal with Liam Wright was to hold her head high and look him in the eyes.

  She swallowed and composed her expression so that her
face wouldn’t betray how utterly nauseated she felt.

  “Welcome, chef. As you know, I’m Jane Clark. Previously, I worked for you in New York as executive pastry chef.”

  Until you fired me.

  “Now I’m back in my hometown, working right here in Wila as the executive pastry chef.” She punctuated her introduction with a smile, relieved that her voice hadn’t shook.

  Liam nodded, his eyes lingering on hers. She held his gaze in a wordless game of visual chicken, daring him to be the first one to look away.

  Or to ask her to leave the same way he had that night.

  Finally, he blinked and moved on to the next person, sous chef Joe.

  Jane stuffed her hands into the pockets of her white chef’s coat and discovered that she was shaking. She sat like that for the duration of the introductions, which seemed to last an eternity.

  When the last person had spoken, Liam said, “It’s great to meet you all,” then turned to Jane. “And it’s nice to see you again, Jane... I’m sure you’re all excellent at what you do, but I’m sure you’ll understand why I need to meet with each of you individually and reinterview you for your jobs. Are there any questions?”

  * * *

  Liam had been blindsided when he’d walked in and seen Jane Clark sitting in the Wila dining room, looking just as surprised to see him as he was to see her.

  He regretted the way he’d lost his temper when he’d fired her. Everyone in the kitchen had gone completely still, looking at him like he was a monster who might turn on them next, but her mistake had almost cost him everything he’d worked so hard to build.

  Here they were again. Of all the restaurants in all the world, he had to walk into hers—or however that corny movie line went.

  Why was he even thinking about corny movie lines at a time like this? He didn’t have time to watch movies, much less quote them.

  Jane Clark was a curveball. He’d have to deal with that later. For now, he needed to figure out what to do with the rest of the staff, who were glaring at him like he’d insulted their mothers. Reinterviewing for a job wasn’t fun, and the stony faces staring back at him underscored the chore’s unpopularity. But, really, it was simple. If they were good at what they did, they wouldn’t have a problem. Attitude was everything. The current collective mood didn’t bode well.