Page 24 of A Chef's Kiss for Christmas

“Then why are you so angry?”

He looked her right in the eyes, and she could practically see the moment the anger left him. His voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper. “I’m just so sick of being a disappointment. It’s exhausting.”

Her heart squeezed, and the lump in her throat was almost painful.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He threw his hands up, and the vulnerability was gone in an instant. “It doesn’t even matter. They’ll be gone in the morning. I won’t have to see them again for a while.”

Anna wished she had something helpful to say, but the thought of not having her parents’ support was so foreign she could barely fathom it.

“I need to get back in there,” Warren said, gesturing to the kitchen.

“No way.” She stepped into his path when he moved to go around her. “You’re not going back in there. They’ll manage fine without you. Just go home.”

His eyes were fixed on the back door. “It’s the only place I feel useful.”

“You won’t be useful in there now. You’re just going to upset people.”

His gaze stayed on the kitchen door, but eventually he blew out a defeated breath. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll go home.”

“Are you driving?” she asked, looking around for his car.

“Yeah. My car’s at the front. Do you want a lift?”

“Please,” she said, deciding it was a good time to call it a night. “I’ll grab my coat and meet you at the front.”

As she pushed the door and walked into the kitchen, all eyes whipped to her.

“He’s gone home,” she said as she walked through. She caught Liam’s eye and grimaced. “He said to apologise to you all for shouting… and to thank you for doing such a great job while he’s not here.”

“Sure he did,” Liam said, but gave her an appreciative smile all the same.

Ivy had gone back behind the bar and moved over to Anna when she scooped up her coat.

“What just happened?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“He’s in a bad mood. But he’s gone now.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“What then?”

“You told him to get out of the kitchen,” Ivy stated.

“Yeah, so?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You told him to get out, and he left.”

“And?” Anna said, aware that Warren was waiting for her.

“Nobody bosses Warren around in the kitchen. And anyone who tries gets booted out of the kitchen themselves.”

With no answer to that, Anna shrugged.

“Are you going?” Ivy asked.

“Yeah.”