Love and Leftovers (7 page)

She owed Tate an apology for getting mad at him. He'd done her a huge favor by reminding her how self-centered Mike really was.

* * *

Once Mike and Rebecca were gone and Alexa was asleep, Lucy invited Tate over.

"I'm sorry," she told him.

"No, I understand why you were mad. I invited Rebecca up here with selfish intentions. I wasn't being up-front with you. But I panicked." He pulled her next to him on the couch. "Lucy, you mean more to me than you know. I've fallen for you faster than I could've ever imagined. I want more than just this summer with you."

"What?" Lucy blinked rapidly, as if blinking could help her process his words.

"If that's not what you want, I'm sorry. I just had to let you know."

"But are you sure?" Lucy asked. "A summer fling can feel real, but real life isn't just beach rolls and midnight skinny dipping."

"I know, it's just that I love being with you two. Even when we're just hanging out or making dinner together. You're like the ingredients in my life I didn't know I was missing, and I want you and Alexa to be with me. I love you." He looked at her with wide eyes.

"I love you, too," she whispered. "But sometimes, that's not enough. We live in different cities. We both have responsibilities."

"We have everything we need to make a relationship work. That's all that matters. The details will sort themselves out." He reached for her hand. "Will you be with me? I do have to warn you, I'm not sure where my career is going. This cookbook just isn't coming together, and I could be off the show."

She squeezed his hand. "If that happens, we'll figure something out. You're willing to take someone else's leftovers, so I'm willing to take a chance on you."

"What? Someone's leftovers? Lucy, don't talk like that."

She shrugged. "You could get anyone. I've got a kid and an ex and plenty of baggage." Those words hurt to say, but she had to put everything out there.

He hugged her. "If you're leftovers, then I love leftovers."

She melted into his arms. "All I know is, I don't want this to end. I thought this happiness and lightness I've been feeling was just from being up here in Maine, but it's you. So let's find a way to make this work."

"We will."

"Alexa's going to be up from her nap soon. Stay for dinner. It's spaghetti surprise night."

"I wouldn't miss it."

* * *

"You put the shrimpies in, you put the shrimpies out, you put the shrimpies in and you stir it all around ... "

Lucy, Alexa, and Tate danced around the table making spaghetti surprise.

"You're going to love it, I promise," Lucy said.

"I already do," Tate said.

Next they added tomatoes and carrots and bacon.

"Does bacon make it into every dish?" Tate asked with a whisper.

"Usually. We almost always have leftover bacon. Bacon makes everything better," she told him.

Tate stopped and stared out the window.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. "We can take out the bacon."

"No, everything's great." He laughed. "I've got it. I can't believe I've finally got it."

"Got what?"

"My cookbook." He shook his head laughing. "And it's thanks to you two."

"What is it?" Alexa asked, bouncing on her toes.

"A bacon cookbook?" Lucy asked. "Not a bad idea."

He laughed. "That's a good idea, too. But no, I was thinking leftovers. Leftovers You'll Love. New ways to spice up the food that gets tossed aside." He grabbed Lucy and spun her around, kissing her before setting her feet back on the ground. Then they scooped up Alexa, holding her between them.

"You're going to put beach rolls in the cookbook, right? They'd be good with bacon, too. What's in them, anyway?" Alexa asked.

Lucy cleared her throat. "Love, a lot of love."

Alexa shrugged. "Oh, I thought lobster was in them."

Tate and Lucy laughed. The kitchen timer went off, and they set Alexa down.

Tate poured the sauce over the noodles. He took a big forkful of spaghetti surprise.

"I love this," he said after swallowing. He wrapped one arm around Lucy and one around Alexa. "I love all of this."

Lucy smiled at him through the tears in her eyes. He was her missing ingredient, too.

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