The Cook's Secret Ingredient

Stir Two Hearts…And Let Simmer

Private investigator Carson Ford specializes in finding people. Yet his latest case has him stumped—he’s looking for a mystery woman who’s supposed to be his wealthy, widowed father’s “second great love.” But the pragmatic single dad knows that’s not how love works! This is an elaborate swindle…and it starts with the fortune-teller’s daughter.

All chef Olivia Mack can do is confirm that her late mother’s predictions were usually true. What she won’t admit is that she might know who the mystery woman is—or that she’s finding herself falling for the handsome, cynical Carson, not to mention his adorable son. She has always limited her “family gift” to her cooking. Now she just has to hope that her magic secret ingredient will lead to love…

“Did you let your father know that you’re looking for Sarah?”

A muscle worked in Carson’s jaw and he shifted. “I did.”

“And?” she prompted, sipping her coffee.

“He was a little too touched,” Carson said. “Even though I made it clear I’m not doing this to find his supposed second great love. I’m doing it to prove that he’ll feel absolutely nothing for this woman so he can go back to living his life.”

“What if he does feel something?” Olivia asked. “Yes, I know, power of suggestion, blah, blah, blah. But you can’t fake chemistry, a pull toward someone, a quickening of your pulse, an inexplicable draw.”

She knew because she felt it with Carson. She couldn’t stop stealing peeks at him—the strong profile, the broad shoulders, the muscular thighs.

“It would be pretty random for my father to meet some stranger and fall instantly in love. I have no doubt he’ll feel toward Sarah Mack the way he feels when he meets anyone. The earth won’t move.”

“What if it does?” she asked.

He looked at her, clearly frustrated. “It won’t.”

She couldn’t help a chuckle. “You sure are set in your ways.”

“You are, too.”

“Nope,” she said. “I’m open to possibility.”

* * *

Hurley’s Homemade Kitchen: There’s nothing more delicious than falling in love…

The Cook’s Secret Ingredient

Meg Maxwell

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MEG MAXWELL lives on the coast of Maine with her teenage son, their beagle and their black-and-white cat. When she’s not writing, Meg is either reading, at the movies or thinking up new story ideas on her favorite little beach (even in winter) just minutes from her house. Interesting fact: Meg Maxwell is a pseudonym for author Melissa Senate, whose women’s fiction titles have been published in over twenty-five countries.

In dear memory of Gregory Pope.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Olivia Mack added a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar to the chocolate-dipped cannoli and then handed it through Hurley’s Homestyle Kitchen’s food-truck window to the waiting customer. Would the confection work its magic? Of course it would. Olivia’s food—from blueberry pancakes to fried chicken to lemon chiffon pie—had been lifting spirits for as long as Olivia had been cooking, which was since girlhood. According to her mother, Olivia had a gift. Supposedly her food changed moods, healed hearts, restored hope.

Come on. Olivia hardly believed that. Comfort food comforted; it was right there in the name. If you were feeling down, a plate of macaroni and cheese did its job. And a chocolate-dipped cannoli with a sprinkling of powdered sugar? How could it not bring about a smile? Nothing magic about that.

Sorry if you don’t like it, but you have a gift, same as I do, same as all the women on my side of the family, her mother had always said. Miranda Mack passed away just over a month ago, and Olivia still couldn’t believe her larger-than-life mother was gone.

“Did you add chocolate chips to one end and crushed pistachios to the other like I asked?” Penny Jergen snapped from the other side of the food-truck window as she inspected the cannoli, her expression holding warring emotions. Olivia could see anger, pain, humiliation and plenty of heartbreak in Penny’s green eyes.

Which had Olivia refraining from rolling her own eyes at Penny’s usual rudeness. “Sure did.” As you can clearly see.

Barely mustering a thank-you, Penny carried the cannoli in its serving wedge over to the wrought iron tables and chairs dotting the town green just steps from the food truck. Olivia watched Penny stare down the young couple at the next table who were darting glances at her, then sit, her shoulders slumping. Olivia felt for Penny. The snooty twenty-six-year-old local beauty pageant champ wasn’t exactly the nicest person in Blue Gulch, but Olivia knew what heartbreak felt like.

Everyone in town had heard through the grapevine that Penny had caught her brand-new fiancé of just one week in bed with her frenemy, who’d apparently wanted to prove she could tempt the guy away from Miss Blue Gulch County. Ever since, Penny had walked around town on the verge of tears, head cast down. A barista at the coffee shop, Penny had handed Olivia her iced mocha that morning with red-rimmed eyes, her usually meticulously made-up face bare and crumpling. Olivia had been hoping Penny would stop by the food truck so Olivia could help a little. This afternoon she had.