Read Chef's Delight (Stories of Serendipity) for Free Online Page A

she was so shocked.  “Sure!  Um, I don’t have any of the aged stuff left, it takes about a month to develop at least.  But the rest of it, I would be happy to have ready for you.  When do you need it?”
    “Can I come pick it up tomorrow?  I used most of what you gave me yesterday.  It was really great cheese.”
    “O-okay.  I’ll have it ready in the morning.”  Sleep was over-rated anyways, right? 
    “Great.  See you then, Jessie.”
    After hanging up the phone, Jessie let out a whoop of exultation, did a happy dance, and got into her truck to make a run to town to buy every lemon she could find.  She had cheese to make.
     
    Connor hung up the phone, feeling horny as hell.  Talking to Jessie about cheese of all things had managed to give him a hard on to rival any he’d had.  Granted, it had been years since he’d felt anything for any woman.  Sure, he’d had sex, but nothing else.  Not since Brandy. 
    Just the thought of his ex-wife tamed the raging erection, and soured his mood enough to go out to the carriage house and see what Luke was up to.
    The sounds of power tools came through the thin walls of the house, as Connor walked across the parking lot.  As he came closer, he heard the sounds of a woman’s laughter over the noise of what was probably Luke’s drill.
    Opening the front door, Connor called out, “Hello there!”  He didn’t want to interrupt anything inappropriate.
    “Back here, in the kitchen!”  His brother called back.
    Connor went to the kitchen, and was surprised to find Kathy sitting on one of the countertops, feet dangling over the edge.
    “Hi, Kathy.  I didn’t know you were coming over today.  Did we have plans for something?”  Connor was surprised to see her, here with Luke.  Since the restaurant was closed today, he wondered if he had asked her to come in to do something.  He didn’t remember, but his mind had been a little scattered lately.
    “No.  You didn’t need me for anything.”  She looked down at Luke, who was lying under the sink, his legs out in the middle of the kitchen floor, hiding his shoulders under the cabinet.  “I just stopped by to visit with Luke.”  She hopped off the countertop lithely as a kitten, “I was just fixing to leave anyway.”
    “Hey, since you’re here, can I ask you something?”  She was walking to the front door, and Connor was following her.
    She stopped and turned to look at him.  “Sure.”
    “Your friend, Jessie.  What’s her story?”
    Kathy snorted.  “Her story?”
    Connor blushed, realizing how it sounded.  “Never mind.  I’m going over to her place tomorrow for more cheese, I just wanted a little insider info before I get a gun pulled on me again.  Forget about it.”
    “Jessie is one of my best friends, I’m not airing her dirty laundry for you.  But I will tell you she’s worked harder than almost anybody I know to get her business running, market herself, make the cheese, and keep her goats in top condition.  And she does it all alone.”
    “So…there’s um…no husband?”
    “Why?  You like her?”  Kathy nudged him in the ribs.
    “I don’t know her, how would I know?  I was just asking.”  Realizing he was fixing to be in a heap of trouble if he didn’t change the subject, he asked, “How much do you think I owe her for the cheese she brought over yesterday?”
    “She brought over a little more than a dozen six-ounce packages?  Probably a little over two hundred dollars.”
    His eyes bugged out of his head.  “Two hundred dollars?  Seriously?”
    “That’s between two and three dollars an ounce for high-grade, hand-made, local goat’s milk cheese.  Dude.  Such a great deal.”
    “It is good cheese…” Connor said wistfully.
    “It is great cheese.  Tell her I said hi when you see her tomorrow.”
    “Okay, I will.  See you later, Kathy.  Enjoy your time off.”
    “Thanks, Connor.  Bye.”  And she turned and was out the door.
    Turning