Excerpt:

Faye Parker marched into Majestic Prospect Lodge and tried to ignore the jittery nerves that had flared when she met famous chef Brian Caruso for the first time. Ever since the plan for the Cookie Queen Corporation’s web streaming competition had solidified, Faye had been dreading his arrival. This was what happened when she skipped meetings run by Prue Armstrong: she was “volunteered” to consult with the town’s important visitor when she already had a job that kept her busier than a termite in a log cabin.

She’d expected a celebrity chef to be arrogant. His quip about the “crowd” at her restaurant supported her judgment.

The fact that he was handsome was no surprise. Every story she’d pulled up on the internet had included a photo, and Brian Caruso was the kind of handsome that could sneak up on a woman. His dark eyes had almost stopped her in her tracks.

Though there was a world of difference between his polished headshot for the TV cooking competition or the flat lifestyle photos of him working in his LA restaurant, and the three-dimensional man with both feet planted on her freshly mopped floor.

Those feet were in polished loafers that shone like glass.

Everything about him shouted expensive.

Fancy.

Superior.

Faye didn’t know anything about labels or menswear beyond the jeans and button-downs sold over at the Homestead Market, right beside the Produce section, but the haircut was perfect. His beard was carefully manicured. So were his nails. The only puzzle piece that didn’t fit was the tattoo covering the back of his hand. Why was she instantly curious about that part of his story? Finding his shy daughter hiding in his shadow had made it easier to regain her composure, but she’d had to set him straight about how busy her restaurant was. She worked hard there. He would put some respect on his face the next time he surveyed her dining room.