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know why she’s absent?”

      “Every time she calls in, it’s always about the kids,” Erik volunteered.

      “And I sympathize with that, I really do,” Dana Sue added. “But it comes back to my ability to keep this place running the way it needs to. It’s not fair for Erik and me to have to pick up the slack all the time. I have to have an employee who’s reliable.” She studied Helen worriedly. “Is she going to make a legal issue out of this? Is that why she came to you?”

      “No,” Helen said, putting down her fork. “I don’t think it needs to come to that and I wouldn’t represent her if it did. I just want you to sit down with Karen and me tomorrow and see if there’s not another solution, something that will enable you to run this kitchen the way it needs to be run, yet keeps her from losing her job.”

      “You’re putting Dana Sue in an impossible position,” Erik said protectively. “Come on, Helen, she’s not the bad guy here.”

      “I know that,” Helen said. “But Karen’s not some irresponsible kid, either. You’ve spent a lot of time training her. Just let her explain and see if we can’t come to some kind of solution.”

      Though Erik looked less than thrilled with the idea, Dana Sue nodded. “I can do that much.”

      “Thank you,” Helen said, then turned to Erik and added sternly, “And you, reserve judgment, okay?”

      “I’ll do my best, since the champion of the underdog requests it, but I’m not happy about it. I intend to be at that meeting. And so you know, I’m a little surprised that you would take Karen’s side over your best friend’s.”

      Helen bristled. “I’m trying not to take sides,” she retorted. “Successful negotiating means making this a win-win situation.”

      “Then tell me exactly what Dana Sue is getting out of this,” he demanded.

      “She gets to keep an excellent, well-trained employee,” Helen replied, determined to keep her tone reasonable, though his attitude was starting to grate on her. He wasn’t the only one who felt protective about Dana Sue. She’d been looking out for her friend a lot longer than he had. Her appetite fading, she said, “You know Karen’s good. I’ve heard you say it more than once.”

      “Doesn’t matter if she’s never here,” Erik said.

      His refusal to give Karen a break riled her. “That’s an exaggeration,” she snapped, losing patience.

      “Whoa,” Dana Sue protested. “It’s a meeting, Erik. We owe Karen that much. Helen’s right. When Karen’s here, she’s been terrific.”

      “Just as long as you don’t let your pal here railroad you into doing something that’s not in the best interests of the restaurant,” he said.

      “I’ve never railroaded anyone in my life,” Helen said, annoyed. Her appetite for her food completely vanished.

      “Really?” Erik scoffed. “Whose idea was it to get Ronnie Sullivan out of town when he and Dana Sue split up? That really worked out well for their daughter, didn’t it?”

      Dana Sue regarded him with dismay. “Old news, Erik. Annie’s fine now, and so are Ronnie and I.”

      “No thanks to Helen’s interference,” he said.

      Helen glowered at him, stung by his accusation. When Dana Sue would have responded to his comment, Helen stopped her with a look. “I can fight my own battles,” she said tightly. She faced Erik. “You weren’t here. You have no idea what was best at the time.”

      “No,” he agreed, leaning forward, his gaze intense. “I came along just in time to see all hell break loose when Annie landed in the hospital.”

      “That was not my fault,” Helen said fiercely.

      “Really? Her eating disorder was brought on to some degree because her father abandoned her, or did I get that part wrong?” He didn’t wait for an answer before charging, “You made that happen.”

      “That’s a little simplistic,” Dana Sue said, though neither of them even looked at her.

      Helen was practically nose-to-nose with Erik. “Where do you get off making an accusation like that?”

      “Just calling it like I see it, sweetheart.”

      “Go to hell,” Helen said, nudging Dana Sue until she moved out of the way so that Helen could slide out of the curved booth on the opposite side. She glanced at Dana Sue as she grabbed her shoes out from under the table. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, then scowled at Erik. “I suggest you skip the meeting.”

      “Not a chance,” he said. “Somebody has to make sure common sense reigns.”

      “And you have to be that somebody?” Helen asked. “How do you feel about that, Dana Sue?”

      “I’m pretty much shell-shocked by the way this entire conversation has spun out of control,” Dana Sue responded. “What is wrong with you two? I’ve never seen either of you act like this before.”

      “I guess know-it-all attorneys bring out the worst in me,” Erik said stiffly.

      “And judgmental men, who won’t even listen to reason, bring it out in me,” Helen said.

      Erik gave her a once-over that made her blood almost as hot as her temper. “I guess that means you won’t be wanting your pie, since I baked it.”

      The reminder of that peach pie, which had been all she could think about as she’d worked in the kitchen, created a major dilemma. Her mouth still watered when she thought about it. Her pride dictated she not let him know that.

      “I never said that,” she said huffily, then stalked into the kitchen and picked up the entire pie from the counter.

      One bite, she thought as she drew in a deep breath and savored the aroma. What could it hurt? She put the pie down, grabbed a fork and dug into the fragrant peach mixture and flaky crust, then sighed as her temper simmered down a notch. Maybe two bites, she decided. Erik would never know. She ate the second mouthful, then picked up the pie again, marched straight back into the dining room and, before she could talk herself out of it, threw the remainder straight into his shocked face.

      Beside him, Dana Sue sucked in a startled breath, then fought to contain laughter. Helen watched as the pie oozed down Erik’s face and onto his T-shirt. She was so intent on watching it spread across his impressive chest that she apparently missed the wicked glint in his eyes until it was too late.

      Before she could make a dash for it, he’d wiped most of the pie off his face and was on his feet. In an instant, he had his arms around her, his hot, demanding mouth on hers and the remains of that incredible peach pie crushed indelibly into her silk blouse.

      Helen figured she could always buy another blouse, but it was going to take a whole lot longer to erase the memory of Erik’s breath-stealing kiss from her head, especially with Dana Sue as an obviously fascinated witness. Dana Sue wouldn’t let her forget it in this lifetime. And since there were still a couple of diners left in the restaurant and this was Serenity, it would be all over town by morning. Helen Decatur, the Sweet Magnolia with the most common sense, the one who got people out of trouble, had just landed in a pile of it.

      When Erik finally released Helen from that ill-advised kiss, he cast Dana Sue an apologetic look, then headed for the kitchen. He needed to figure out what kind of insanity had possessed him to first taunt and then kiss a woman like Helen Decatur.

      She was a pushy, arrogant, know-it-all attorney, but she was also his boss’s best friend and a regular customer at Sullivan’s. Moreover, on more than one occasion including tonight, she had willingly pitched in to help them out of a jam in the kitchen.

      Maybe that was the problem, he concluded. It was one thing to disapprove of the fancy clothes and pretensions, but in the kitchen

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