Page 90 of A Chef's Kiss for Christmas

Jen smiled condescendingly. “If you have kids one day, you’ll understand about wanting the best for them.”

“I’d want them to be happy,” she said, feeling suddenly choked up. “Do you even care about that?”

“Reaching his full potential would make him happy,” his dad said.

“Wow!” Anna was gripping her cutlery far too tightly. “I can’t believe this is an actual conversation.”

Warren’s hand on her leg got her to look at him. “Please, just drop it.”

She might have done just that if she hadn’t caught the vulnerability in his eyes.

“They’re horrible people,” she said, not taking her eyes off him and not lowering her voice at all. “They’rereallyhorrible people.”

His sister made a noise that was somewhere between a screech and a burst of laughter. “How lovely of you to sit there and criticise us.”

“Well, you have no problem criticising Warren. At least I’m being truthful. You are horrible. All of you.” She plucked her napkin from her lap and threw it on the table as she stood. “I can’t sit here. I can’t even be in the same house as you.”

Warren called her name as she stormed out, but she didn’t stop. In the entrance hall, she pushed her feet into her boots and angrily pulled on her coat before striding outside.

The wind caught the door when she pulled it behind her, and it slammed so violently that she winced. It didn’t break her from her anger though, and she stomped the entire way to the end of the drive before calming down enough to realise she didn’t know where she was intending to go.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Anna’s biggest regret when she paced beside the gate was that she hadn’t picked up her hat and gloves before storming out of the house. With her hands shoved into her pockets and her shoulders hunched up to her ears, she stayed where she was as Warren walked casually towards her.

“I didn’t mean to slam the door,” she said when he got near. “The wind caught it.”

His smile was only a small curve of the lips, but his eyes sparkled. “That’s what you’re worried about? The door slamming?”

“I realise I shouldn’t have told your family they’re horrible people, but I just don’t feel bad about that yet. It was true.”

“I feel as though the dynamics are all off here. The way you explained it to me, I’m fairly sure I can say bad things about my family, but you can’t. At least that was how it worked when I said something about Carla.”

“But you didn’t say anything to them!” she shot. “You just sat there and took it. They were being mean.”

“They–”

“Please don’t defend them,” she cut in. “They were mean, and I’m furious.”

“I can see that.”

His eyes went pointedly to her hands, which were balled into fists at her sides. “There’s a wall there if you need it.” He tipped his head and smirked.

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Really? You’re thinking of lying in the snow with your legs in the air?”

“No.” She almost smiled at that. “I was thinking of punching it.”

“Ah!” He pursed his lips. “That would hurt.”

“It would.” She rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead. “Could you please get my stuff?”

“What stuff?”

“My clothes and everything. I don’t want to go back in there.”

“Where are you planning to go?”