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to the restaurant and give the chef a taste of his or her own medicine. After trading insults, and with at least half the show devoted to the featured chefs spouting off about how no one would outcook them in their own kitchens, Ben would challenge each chef to a cook-off to be judged by random customers. The tag line “Can your beast beat ours?” was a dare no one seemed able to resist.
    On the episodes she’d watched, Ben had never been bested, either while cooking or throwing down the verbal gauntlet. He seemed able to see exactly where a person’s weakness or insecurity lay then needle and push until he drove men and women to the breaking point. The only plus side Chloe noticed was that by getting a taste of their own medicine, most of the chefs featured committed to turning over a new leaf by the end of the episode.
    Those silver-lining endings did nothing to ease her nerves at the thought of Ben controlling the future of her business. If he could take down those difficult, hard-hearted chefs, what kind of damage would he do to her if she fought him on the lease?
    “He can be scary, too,” Chloe added, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “At the end of last season, he came close to a physical altercation with one of the featured chefs on the show.”
    “I thought you only watched a couple of episodes?” Tamara asked with a laugh.
    “It was hard to look away,” Chloe admitted.
    Tamara grinned. “I hear you on that.”
    “Honestly, I can’t believe they let that particular episode air,” Chloe said quietly. “Ben was totally in the other guy’s face like he was about to lose it. He’s intimidating when he doesn’t even try to be, but when he’s angry, it’s kind of terrifying. The other chef started crying, and the producers had to pull Ben away. My heart was beating a mile a minute. If he wanted to, Ben could really hurt someone.” How would she stand up to him and come out unscathed?
    “I don’t know,” Tamara said, drawing Chloe back to the present moment. “I can see why someone might be willing to let a man like Ben Haddox do a little dominating.”
    At Chloe’s startled gasp, Tamara quickly held up her hands. “Not me, mind you. You know I learned my lesson and I got a new life now. No one’s going to lay a hand on me ever again.”
    “I never touched any of the participants on the show.”
    Both women spun around to find Ben standing directly behind them. A glance past his shoulder showed Abby and Zach looking at a display of kites near the front of the store.
    Chloe smoothed a hand over her apron. “For a big man, you are remarkably talented at sneaking up on people.”
    He flashed her a faint smile, but his eyes were serious. “I didn’t touch them,” he repeated.
    His quiet scrutiny was almost more unnerving than his shouting. “You didn’t need to,” she said with a laugh that sounded more like a nervous croak. “Your verbal evisceration was quite effective.”
    His thick brows drew down over his eyes, but before he could answer, Tamara stepped forward. “Tamara Black,” she said, reaching for his hand then pumping it in hers. “Chloe likes the big words and I don’t understand bunches of them, but let me just say I like what you’ve got going on, Mr. Haddox.”
    The smile he gave Tamara was genuine, and he nodded toward the bright pink ends of her hair. “Call me Ben, and I like what you’ve got going on, too.”
    Tamara giggled like a schoolgirl then pointed at Abby and Zach. “Those your kids?”
    “My niece and nephew.”
    Tamara nodded. “They’re cute.”
    “They’re hellions,” he muttered.
    “Must be how you know they’re part of the family.” She wagged a finger between Ben and Chloe. “I can tell you two got business, so I’m going to help those kids pick out the most expensive kite we have in stock.”
    “You go, girl,” Ben told her, earning another giggle.
    Chloe rolled her eyes. “Have them get two kites.” Ben smiled.
    “You got