want me off.”
“I just want to see you happy, Mags.”
I give her the side-eye, once again realizing that my sister has grown up a hell of a lot since she moved here, away from my mother and me. I feel a twinge of jealousy at what she’s been able to accomplish free of our mother’s clutches—the same clutches I should have broken free from ages ago.
The tables have definitely turned, and I can’t seem to find my way out from underneath them.
We start up the stairs to get to the second floor, where the cooking school is, when Monica halts and swivels around to face me. “Promise me you’ll have fun today. This certificate means a lot to me.”
I bite back a laugh. “What’s the deal anyway? I thought you were just doing all this cooking stuff to impress Zach. You already got the guy.”
She releases her hard look, and her eyes soften. “It’s not all about Zach. I actually enjoy this cooking stuff now. It’s fun, and it’s nice to not blow my paychecks on takeout all the time.” She sighs. “But don’t worry. After today, you never have to come back. I only invited you because I thought it would be fun for us to do together.”
My shoulders sag with my exhale as guilt tranquilizes my mood. “I know. So did I. But that was before the instructor turned into a major asshole.”
Monica chuckles as we stop at the top of the stairs in front of the main entrance. “Desmond is not that bad.”
I huff, not budging from my stance. “You’re just saying that because he’s Zach’s best friend.”
“No.” Monica shakes her head. “I’m saying that because I’ve gotten to know Desmond, and while he may be a little rough around the edges, he’s actually a good guy. Zach wouldn’t have chosen him to run the cooking school if he wasn’t.”
I roll my eyes at the millionth mention of her boyfriend today. I’ve officially lost my sister to lovesick-puppy status. “Don’t you think it’s a little strange to be so fond of two guys who Dad has spent more time with than us? After Dad abandoned our family when we were kids.”
Monica cuts me a glare. “Please, not this again, M.” Our dad gave us the nicknames M&M when we were little. For some reason, Monica became M and I became Mags.
“Why not this again? That’s the reality of it, isn’t it? Dad disappeared and got himself a new family. Then he took Zach and Desmond under his wing.”
“Stop talking about Dad like he’s a bad guy. He messed up, but Mom wasn’t perfect either, which you’d know if you gave Dad a chance to explain. Just talk to him, and—”
I narrow my eyes, cutting her off, then push my way through the entrance. There’s no way I’m letting her go on about what a great guy our dad is now. Having an affair is one awful thing, but starting a new family while completely abandoning the one that already exists? There’s no forgiving him for what he did to us.
I shake the negative thoughts from my mind as Gretta, Desmond’s assistant, beams at me when I approach. “Hey, Maggie. You ready for certification day?”
Already spun out of shape, I’m about to tell her exactly what I think about certification day when Monica pushes against my side and starts gushing about her excitement. I snort my disdain.
“What’s the matter, Maggie?” calls a deep voice from the front of the room. “Sad today’s your last day with me?”
My eyes snap to find Desmond Blake—full beard and man bun on point—in all his cocky glory, currently leaning over a countertop while chatting with another female student. Flirting, no doubt. It’s what he does. It’s why the class is filled with ninety percent women and a few grumbling husbands.
Last month when I first laid eyes on his hot, tall, Southern bod, I couldn’t peel them away. Our flirtation was on another level, but it didn’t last long. I came to find out his flirtation wasn’t reserved for me alone. The batting eyelashes, undress-me stare, wicked smile, and syrupy sweetness were all part of his schtick.
“It doesn’t have to be, you know?” he continues with a grin. “You could always come back next month.”
My laugh is instantaneous, bubbling up my throat before I can stop it. “The only way you’ll ever catch me in this kitchen again will be in your dreams, Desmond Blake. I’ll take my certificate and be on my