No Funny Business (The Lennox Brothers Romantic Comedy)

like being with him, and how painful it had been to let him go. “Thank you, Kade, but I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You have twenty-eight people coming for lunch,” said my so-called best friend, who seemed determined to force me into it.
“That’s okay. I can manage.” I realized I was still polishing my glasses on my coveralls and put them on. Unfortunately, being able to see more clearly only made Kade’s presence even more unsettling. He was so gorgeous, he was impossible to look away from. And when he smiled, his cheeks dimpled in the most irresistible way.
Apparently when he’d first appeared on TV, the demand for dimple creation surgery had gone through the roof.
“No offense, Nat, but I can’t let you cook.” Carlotta folded her arms, her expression stubborn. “People could die.”
Kade pushed away from the table he’d been leaning against and walked to the counter so he could look through the serving hatch into the kitchen.
“I have some recipes to come up with for the new season of my show,” he said. “I’ve never been so inspired as when I used to work here. Spending a day in your kitchen could work well for both of us.”
I was starting to object again when my phone rang. Pulling it out of my pocket to send the call to voicemail, I saw it was Emmy Eaves.
The real estate agent I’d listed the café for sale with had never called me before. Could she possibly have news?
Theoretically, selling a building and business in a popular tourist destination like San Dante should be a breeze. But the building had been built as a prohibition distillery at the turn of the nineteenth century. Dad had converted it into a café when he opened Mack’s Place forty-two years ago, but since then, the building had been designated a historical structure. If anyone wanted to make changes now, they’d have to apply for a Cultural Heritage Permit, a process complicated and expensive enough to put most buyers off.
Not to mention that Mack’s Place had gone downhill in the two years since Dad hadn’t been in the kitchen, so our books showed our profits going in the wrong direction.
It wasn’t exactly an enticing package.
Which is why my heart was racing at seeing Emmy’s name appear on my phone’s screen.
“I’m sorry,” I said to Kade and Carlotta. “I need to take this.” In a daze, I put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Natalie? It’s Emmy. I’ve had a call from a couple who are interested in buying the café. They want to come in tomorrow to have a look around, and I suggested I bring them at three o’clock, when you’ll be closing for the day.”
“Three o’clock.” It wasn’t agreement so much as a stunned repetition of what she’d said.
“Good news, right?” Emmy sounded cheerful. “You can polish the silverware in the meantime, to make the best possible impression.”
“They know about the historical building restrictions?” I sounded hoarse, and not just from the fire extinguisher chemicals lingering in my throat.
“I filled them in.”
“And they’ve looked at the books?”
“Of course.” She sounded like she was going to hang up.
“Wait. Emmy, does it have to be tomorrow?”
“You want to delay showing them the café?” Her tone made it clear what she thought of that idea. “Seeing as this is the first interest you’ve had in—”
“Never mind. Tomorrow’s fine. Wonderful, even. No problem at all.”
“Great,” she said. “See you then.”
I hung up feeling dizzy. The possibility someone might buy the café so I could pay off the loan and hopefully go back to Chicago to resurrect my journalism career was burning through my brain like an inferno through a gas station.
Because the café's books weren’t impressive, the café itself had to look good when they arrived. It had to seem full of potential, like it wouldn’t be too hard for the new owners to turn the business around and revive its glory days.
And maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for me to attempt to cook for the group who’d be celebrating their anniversary. The buyers might have second thoughts if the café was littered with corpses.
Kade had clearly heard at least my side of the conversation. “You’re trying to sell the café?” He sounded surprised. “Does Mack know?”
“Dad’s in denial, but I have to sell. I have no choice.” I swallowed hard. Kade seemed to have put our history behind him. I’d have to do the same.
“Could I please take you up on your offer?” I asked. “Will you help me in the café tomorrow?”
“Of course.” His dimples reappeared. I’d heard a rumor his production company had insured them for a million dollars each, and when I was in their presence it was easy to believe.
“We’ll get the place humming so it looks busy when the buyers get here,” Kade added. “Give them a good first impression.”
I let out a relieved breath. We were on the same wavelength, and it felt great to have another ally. “Thank you. That would be great.”
“I’ll start by restocking your cabinet.” Kade motioned to the empty cabinet that usually held cookies, muffins, and cakes.
“Oh no. It’d take too long to refill, and we’d only have tonight to do it.”
His eyes sparkled. “I can fill your cabinet tonight. Don’t worry, it’ll be good for both of us.”
It sounded dirty, like a euphemism for having sex. And it wasn’t just me who thought so, because Carlotta snickered.
I felt my cheeks heat. Nine years ago, Kade had filled my cabinet. He’d filled it over and over again, and it had been the best cabinet filling of my life.
Of course he could walk in here after everything that happened between us and make me think about sex.
Kade hadn’t changed. At all.
And that was why I’d ended our relationship.
It had been wonderful from the start. The most fun I’d ever had. And Kade had been so irresistibly charming, I used to agree with everything he suggested, letting him decide where we went and what we did,