Page 65 of Yours To Take
“The chef’s tasting menu in the comfort of your own cabin.”
I take the proffered glass of wine from Blake.
“Are we having it here so I can kiss you?”
“One of the reasons.” I press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “But Chef Wayne is nosey. He and Gramps love sitting around before dinner with some of Peter’s vodka and gossiping about what’s going on at the ranch.”
A look of understanding washes over his face. “And you don’t want them gossiping about us?”
“Not at all. My siblings are already doing enough of that. The entire town, really.”
“Guess I’m something of a hot commodity.”
“That you are.”
Placing a hand on my hip, Blake spins me and moves us toward the table. He pulls out my seat and I sit before he takes the seat next to me.
“Where do we start?”
I hold my glass up in a toast. “To the chef’s tasting.”
“The chef’s tasting.”
We clink glasses and sip on the exquisite wine.
I grab the small card that Chef Wayne put in the bag. “I have very strict instructions about serving the meal in the proper order.”
Blake takes the card from my hand and skims over it. “Holy shit. This sounds delicious.”
I smile and put the first dish on his plate. “You’re in a for a treat. Chef Wayne is amazing.”
“Mexican summer squash soup.” Blake peers down at the bowl in front of him, topped off with slices of avocado, cotija cheese, and cilantro. “This is the first course?”
“Yes.” I dip my spoon into the bowl and blow. The first bite is delicious—as I knew it would be.
“Damn. This is terrific.”
I smile. “Just you wait.”
“Oh, I can’t imagine how good everything else is. Those roasted quail lollipops sound weird, but oddly delicious.”
“That’s a great way to describe the food. We try to locally source as much of the food as possible.”
“Well, it’s fucking incredible.” Blake takes the last bite of his soup. “I never knew there’d be food like this here.”
I hand Blake the small plate of appetizers. “Are these the quail pops?”
“Mm-hmm. And rattlesnake sausage bites.”
“Rattlesnake?” This time, Blake looks disgusted. “As in the snake.”
I plop two onto his plate with the accompanying sauce. “Please withhold all judgment until you try them.”
Blake takes a bite and chews quietly. “Okay, why is this so good?”
“Because it is.” I lean over and bite the remaining piece out of his hands.
“Hey! I wanted that.”
