Too Hot To Handle?
Grace Torres has a lot to lose. And the Texas Hill Country restaurateur isnt letting Ty Beckett steal her thunder. He may be the Lone Star States most famous bachelor chef, but Grace has a family legacy to save. Shell do whatever it takes to keep her beloved restaurant afloateven go head-to-head in a reality TV cook-off only one of them can win.
Growing up dirt-poor just made Ty more determined to succeed. But hes facing some stiff competition. Grace may be the only female alive who sees past Tys footloose facade and charming one-liners. Shes also igniting more heat than a Mexican jalapeño.
Walking away with first place could give Ty everything he ever wanted. It could also make him lose the one woman whos ever come close to taming this culinary cowboy!
They passed a stall selling an assortment of quality and novelty hats. He slowed to pick up a green plastic leprechaun bowler and plop it on his head. What do you think?
What she thought was that he was trying to cajole her out of a bad mood, and she adored his flippant nature. It was the perfect antidote to everything weighing on her.
Not actually the best look for you. She laughed. Her gaze landed on a cowboy hat. Every true Texan needed one. Here, try this.
Obligingly, Ty settled it on his head, then tipped it back with a finger to smile down at her.
Those blue-gray eyes hit her full force, and her breath caught. Damn, he was a good-looking man. She hadnt realized just how close they were standing until that moment, and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to slide her hands around his waist and reach up to meet his kiss.
Dear Reader,
Thank goodness the Texas Hill Country offers calorie-burning opportunities like hiking, cycling and dancingtheyre necessary to counterbalance all the fantastic food in the area! If youve ever attended the Fredericksburg Food and Wine Fest, or even just stopped for dinner in the region, youll understand my inspiration for this book.
In my first Hill Country Heroes story (Claimed by a Cowboy) I briefly introduced chef Grace Torres and her familys restaurant, The Twisted Jalapeño. Now Grace is a contestant on a televised cooking competition that will be filmed during a local festival. She needs the prize money and publicity to save her restaurant. But shes about to meet her match in charmer Ty Beckett.
Tys flirtatious banter and lazy smiles mask a steely determination. As a kid who grew up poor and hungry, he swore hed make something of himself. Now, hes trying to negotiate a deal to host his own cooking show, and the producers have hinted that if he wins the highly publicized competition in Fredericksburg, the contract is his. Ty has never let anything stand in his way. He relishes the challenge of facing down fiery-tempered Grace. Neither expected that, on the way to winning, they might lose their hearts.
Happy reading,
Tanya
P.S. To hear about what Im cooking up next, like Author Tanya Michaels on Facebook or follow TanyaMichaels on Twitter.
Tamed by a Texan
Tanya Michaels
MILLS & BOON
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Belated thanks to Susan Lang, who walked me through my first official wine tasting!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Chapter One
Chef Grace Torres had inherited her Irish mothers fiery nature and her late fathers impressively thorough knowledge of Spanish swear words, both of which were about to boil to the surface on this gloomy February morning.
I cant believe you two! Grace gripped the edge of the stainless-steel workstation so she wouldnt do anything stupid, like start throwing plates. The restaurant had enough financial burdens without having to replace dishes.
Bens and Victors nervous expressions might have been funny under different circumstances. Both of her brothers were older than Gracewhod been an unplanned souvenir from her parents fifteenth-anniversary cruiseand they each stood close to six feet. Not that Ben could stand right nowhed been injured during an arson investigation and would be in a wheelchair for another few weeks. Grace was the runt of the Torres family and claimed to be five-three, which was true when she wore heels. In height, shed taken after her aunt, small but fierce Tía Maria, instead of her parents.
Now, Graciela Victor was the oldest, and his tone bordered on patronizing.
Her already simmering temper began to bubble and pop.
We know you love this place, Ben quickly interrupted, secure in the knowledge that his broken leg and still-mending ribs would keep her from smacking him upside the head with a rubber spatula. We all love it, but
Ha! You love eating here, trying out new specialties before I put them on the menu and bringing your dates to woo them with the nostalgia factor. But you dont The two of you have never She broke off, eyes burning, and spun abruptly, turning her back on her brothers. I will not cry in front of them. It would be such a clichéd girl thing to do.
She battled the threat of tears with a stream of words that would have made her dad grin and her mother threaten to ground her from the kitchen. Colleen Torres had once said Grace was the only teenager in Texas who got more upset about losing cooking privileges than being forbidden to go to the movies with friends. Grace and her friends had rarely gone to the theater, though. Theyd had movie nights at her house, where Grace prepared a menu of snacks themed to go with the rented DVDs.
Guess I should brush up on my Spanish, Victor said behind her. I consider myself bilingual, but I only understood half of that.
I got all of it, Ben said. Trust me, youre better off not knowing.
When she faced them again, Grace was calmer. I realize youre both going through difficult times.
Ben, the lawman, was on medical leave, and Victor, who worked for a local bank, had recently separated from his wife of nine years.
But lets not panic, she continued, and do something we cant take back. Like sell the restaurant, her heart and soul. My home.
Of all the things shed inherited from her family, The Twisted Jalapeño was what she most cherished. The modest restaurant nestled in Texas Hill Country was a Torres legacy. It not only kept her close to the beloved father theyd lost three years ago, the Jalapeño gave her an opportunity to develop her own talent, putting her stamp on the place. She had big plans and hoped to bridge the gap between the past and a bright future for generations of Torreses to come.
Victor sighed, running a hand through his inky-black hair. All three siblings had the same dark hair and eyes. Colleen, a pale redhead with ethereal features, used to laugh at the surprise on peoples faces when they realized she was their mother. Its not only Ben and I who have hit bumps in the road, Victor pointed out gently. You think were so preoccupied with our problems that we dont see how hard everythings been on you? Putting in crazy hours here, breaking up with Jeff last week, the situation with Mom.
Grace winced at mention of their mother, recalling the stab of guilt when shed gone to visit Colleen yesterday. The woman had been confused about where she was and how shed gotten there, asking her daughter, Are you here to take me home, Gracie? I hope we did the right thing. Grace and her brothers had agonized over the decision to move their increasingly disoriented mom from her longtime home to an apartment in a supervised facility.
Instead of dwelling on that, Grace focused on the far less painful split with her boyfriend. It was fun for a few months, but Jeff clearly doesnt understand me. He was mad I wouldnt make huge Valentines Day plans with him because I needed to be here. He should have been more flexible! February 14 is a number on the calendar, not a test of loyalty. We could have been just as romantic together on the fifteenth.
Ben held up a hand, his expression pained. Im gonna stop you there. Dont really want to hear about my baby sisters romantic escapades.
Im twenty-six. She rolled her eyes. Plenty old enough forescapades.
But her grumbled words were a matter of form, not a declaration of interest in dating. Truthfully Jeff had been right about her priorities, which was why shed kindly told him he should find someone else. Once the restaurant was back on its feetand her brothers werent hounding her to sell itshe could worry about romance.
I was saving this for Sunday dinner, she said, but since you two decided to ambush me She strolled out of the kitchen with no further explanation, confident theyd follow.
Grace really had been planning to share the big news with her family this weekend. Even before theyd moved Colleen into one of the assisted-care apartments, theyd gone to the complex on Sundays to have dinner with Tía Maria. The wizened seventy-four-year-old woman had outlived both her husband and her younger brother, Graces father. Unlike Colleen, Marias mind was still as sharp as her tongue had always been. Shed moved into the apartments willingly after breaking her hip one year, claiming she liked the smaller living space and the twice a week housekeeping help. Grace took some comfort in knowing Maria visited her sister-in-law every day and helped soothe Colleen when she became confused.
Inside the tiny office adjacent to the storeroom, Grace opened the bottom drawer of the scarred wooden desk and withdrew a manila envelope with her name on it. Just seeing it made her heart beat faster in a combination of exhilaration and nerves. She took a steadying breath while she waited for Ben to roll his way into the office. Victor walked behind his brother.
This better be good, Ben said. Its not a piece of cake to wheel down that hallway.
She shoved away her remembered horror at hearing hed been hurt, keeping her tone light. Oh, quit your whining. Wheeling yourself around is probably good for your upper body strength. She waved the envelope. Behold, the next step in my plan to revitalize the restaurant.
Ben widened his eyes in a comical attempt at fear. Were still trying to adjust to your last step. You know she has people drinking something called a blueberry tequila sour?
A couple of months ago, Grace had hired Amy Winthrop, a mixologist from Austin whod been adding signature twists to traditional cocktails. Some of the regulars had been shy about trying her more outlandish margarita flavors, but Amy was slowly winning them over, just as Grace was gradually winning fans with her fusion dishes. The restaurant still served some of the classics that had been on the menu since her grandparents first opened the doors, but there were a thousand places from here to the border where a person could order a burrito. Grace wanted the Jalapeño to stand out.
And my brothers want to sell it. The three of them owned it jointly, which meant Ben and Vic held the majority vote. She had to convince them she could do this.
Her gaze swiveled from Ben in his chair to Victor in his suit and tie. I realize you guys watch ESPN and that Wall Street show, not Food Network, but even if youve never seen them, you have to know there are a lot of cooking shows on the air. Theres a new one called Road Trip that focuses on different regions of the country, hosting multiepisode competitions in each location. In March, theyre spotlighting the Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Association and filming challenges at Frederick-Fest. The ten-day annual festival was always a major draw for both tourists and culinary professionals.
And guess who made it through the selection process and is one of the semifinalists! Despite her best efforts to demonstrate businesslike competence, her voice squeaked with excitement.
They picked you? Victor asked.
Of course they did. Ben winked at her. Theyd be fools not to! Way to go, hermanita.
She beamed. Thank you.
Victor was not as caught up in his siblings enthusiasm. I assume this televised competition is going to take a lot of your time next month. How are we going to keep the restaurant running smoothly? In a perfect world, Ben and I would cover it, but hell be on crutches. And I have a full-time job at the bank, not to mention meetings with lawyers and trying to schedule time with my own children.
Plus, Ben inserted, neither of us can cook.
Victor ducked his head. That, too.
Temporarily we can cancel the lunch shift and open only for dinner. Plenty of places around here do that, she added in a rush. It wouldnt be forever, just long enough for us to snag all the free publicity the competition will bring. One of the judges is an editor whose food magazine will do write-ups on the contestants and the shows website will run streaming videos of cooking demonstrations and other footage. This will be great for us!
I dont know how I feel about you pinning all your hopes on this, Victor said slowly. Ever since the woman hed planned to be with till death parted them had told him they were no longer compatible, hed been a lot more pessimistic. To be fair, though, as the person who kept the books for the Jalapeño, he knew better than anyone that they were barely scraping along. You could work for someone else, Grace, and have all the joy of cooking without the responsibility of everything else. We didnt suggest selling the place because we dont believe in you.