How Six Chefs Got It On Page 7

  He didn’t want to witness the farm stripping her of her sparkle. He’d put his life on the line—and watched his fellow Marines die—to ensure people in this country had better options than just trying to survive. But she’d used her freedom to choose the hard, soul-sucking life.

  “So, are you joining the rehearsal as an honorary member of our family?” he asked.

  Her smile disappeared, the corners of her sexy mouth tightening. “I’m not trying to crash your party. I came out here because, in addition to all the stuff you never cleaned out of your room, I found some of your family’s things in my attic. I hoped you or someone else would have a few minutes to sort through the items and tell me what you want saved and what I can toss.”

  He didn’t have to worry about creeping into flirtation mode anymore. “You’ll have to ask Luciana. If you leave it up to me, I’ll pitch everything without glancing at it.”

  “You have a lot of childhood memories left that you’ll regret throwing out.”

  As if she had any idea what kind of regrets he carried. “I keep my memories in here.” He tapped his forehead.

  She opened her mouth, no doubt to convince him he needed all that stuff he’d tried so hard to leave behind. So he said the first thing he could think of to shut her up.

  “Want to guess my favorite memory of you, Professor? The open-air view of your ass as you toddled around in a hospital gown.”