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The man immediately turned the wheelchair around to look at her. A smile touched his
aged face. "Come in," he said in a strong voice. He offered her a chair across from him.
"You said you wanted to ask me questions about your grandfather and that episode with
the Westmoreland secret recipes."
Jessica nodded. "Everyone thinks my grandfather is the one who gave them to you."
The man waved a frail hand in the air. "No one gave me anything. Although some of my
entrees may have tasted like Westmorelands' they weren't. I tried to tell Scott
Westmoreland that, but he was too bullheaded to
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listen, and I guess it didn't help matters that he knew I'd been trying to convince your
grandfather to become my partner. But there was this friendship thing between him and
Westmoreland and nothing would shake that."
Jessica was saved from saying anything when the butler brought in a tray of iced tea.
When she found herself alone with Mr. Schuster again, she said, "Evidently something
did shake their friendship, since he stopped working with Scott Westmoreland."
"Yes, but he would have eventually gone back. The two got into it all the time but they
would always resolve their disagreements and get back together. They made a hell of a
team. Your grandfather was a great cook and Scott, bless his stubborn hide, was one hell
of an entrepreneur. And I understand his grandson Chase Westmoreland is just like him.
He's a fantastic chef and has a good head for business when it comes to running a
restaurant."
Jessica smiled, thinking that the older man had paid Chase a nice compliment. "And
you're sure there's no way you were using any of the Westmoreland recipes?"
The older man chuckled. "At my age I wouldn't bet my life on anything, but my cook at
the time said they were was his own recipes, and I had no reason not to believe him."
Jessica nodded again. "Could you tell me his name?"
"Theodore Henry. But we called him Teddy for short."
"Does he still work for you?"
"Heavens no, he stopped working for me years ago. But I understand Teddy owns a
catering company in town."
Jessica took a huge sip of her tea then set the glass down and smiled. "Thanks, Mr.
Schuster, you've been
70 THE CHASE IS ON
a big help and I appreciate you taking the time to see me. I intend to find Mr. Henry and
talk to him."
"Hey, Chase, will you quit looking out that window? Jessica hasn't returned yet. If I didn't
know better I'd think you were really smitten with her."
Chase turned and frowned at his brother. "I just met her a few days ago, Thorn."
Thorn shrugged, smiling smugly. "So? All it took was a couple of seconds for Tara to
knock me off my feet."
Better than her knocking the hell out of you. Chase shook his head, reminiscing. He could
vividly recall the night Tara and Thorn had met. Tara had been so mad at Thorn he was
lucky she hadn't whacked him. "No one is knocking me off my feet," he finally said.
"If you say so."
Chase inhaled deeply. Sometimes he wished he'd been born an only child.
"Dare thinks there's something suspicious about her," Thorn added.
Chase raised his eyes heavenward. "Dare's a cop. He thinks there's something suspicious
about everyone."
Thorn chuckled. "That's true. I don't think he was too happy that she was so close-
mouthed about herself and her family."
Chase leaned against a table, remembering what Jessica had shared with him the other
night. It wasn't exactly something he'd want to share with the whole world if it had
happened to him. He'd felt touched that she had told him as much as she had. "She's a
private person, Thorn. Let it go."
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71
Thorn smiled. "Hey, it doesn't bother me if your woman has secrets."
"She's not my woman."
"Who isn't your woman?" their sister Delaney came up and asked.
"The chocolate chip lady," Thorn said grinning. "She makes the best damn chocolate chip
cookies."
Chase narrowed his eyes. "She made them for the guys on the team, but I couldn't help
noticing that you, Stone and Dare grabbed a few."
Thorn shrugged. "They looked too tasty to pass up and they reminded me of the cookies
Grampa's cook used to bake before they went their separate ways years ago. And as far as
your team goes, all that sugar in a teenager's mouth isn't good. Think of all the cavities.
We did their parents a favor."
Chase was about to say something when he noticed Jessica's car pulling into the parking
lot.
"Looks like your woman is back," Thorn said as a smile tilted a corner of his mouth.
Chase shrugged nonchalantly. "So? What of it?"
Thorn rubbed his chin. "That's what I'm wondering myself," he said as he walked out of
the room.
It was close to five o'clock by the time Chase had tidied up his restaurant and taken out
the last of the trash. His brothers had hung around to help, but he was glad when they'd
finally left. They had ribbed him enough for one weekend.
He locked the door to his restaurant and glanced over at Jessica's place wondering what
she was doing. She'd
72
THE CHASE IS ON
said she would spend the weekend relaxing and he didn't want to bother her, but a part of
him had to see her.
What he had told Thorn was true. He and Jessica had known each other for only a few
days. But he had to admit that in such a short length of time he had learned more about
her than he had about some women he'd dated for a full month. He'd learned about all the
unhappiness she'd had in her life and how much she enjoyed baking. He liked talking to
her and felt comfortable telling her about the injury that had kept him from going to the
pros. But he hadn't mentioned anything to her about Iris and the broken heart she had
dealt him during that time.
He smiled when he thought of the hit Jessica had been with the kids on his team and their
parents. Everyone had appreciated her thoughtfulness in wanting to reward the team with
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