Page 33 of Recipe for a Curse

Chapter 14

Breakfast was fast, and I badly needed to restock the kitchen with fresh things like veggies and fruits. Zach didn’t arrive until the tail end of the meal, appearing in the kitchen as we were cleaning up instead of the dining room.

“Are the roads clear?” I asked.

“As far as I can tell, yes. Looks like another storm is headed in our direction. Tomorrow or the day after,” Zach told me as he filled his plate with eggs and leftover bacon. There was already a tray set aside for Sean who had a more traditional Asian breakfast. Though since he still sort of ate like a bird, it was mostly tea and some soup.

“I need to get to the grocery store.” With the way Rio ate I might just need an increase in the food budget. Would Zach get mad if I brought that up? He’d never questioned it before, and Mr. Yamamoto paid most of the bills. But a major increase might raise flags, especially since there were no events planned in the near future.

Zach’s gaze flicked to Rio. “Yeah, with another mouth to feed, restocking is a good idea.”

Rio frowned and looked away. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“You’re not,” I promised him, tugging at the collar of my sweater a bit. Without Rio’s warmth I’d been chilly, and since he’d left me a very glaring hickey, I’d chosen to wear a sweater with a draping turtleneck sort of thing. I’d need to see if one of the staff knew a way to make it less scratchy in the wash because it was driving me nuts.

“I make sure all my people are fed,” Zach said looking between us. Could he tell we’d sort of done a thing? “Let me know once you’ve cleaned up and I’ll drive you down. Don’t want to chance your car getting stuck.”

“I can’t fit that much in my car anyway,” I agreed. Meanwhile, I could really load up his truck. “Can we stop at the food bank so I can drop off bread?”

“Of course,” Zach agreed.

That had me moving faster, zipping through the cleanup and bagging up the bread. Some supplies we got delivered in bulk, like flour and sugar, but other things I preferred to choose for myself. And my shopping list was full of fruits and fresh veggies, things I was certain Rio hadn’t had in a while.

“I’ll wait here,” Rio whispered.

“You don’t want to come?”

He seemed hesitant.

“There won’t be a lot of people. There never is in the middle of the week,” I assured him. But his grip on the counter didn’t loosen. I wondered if his illness, whatever it was that made him hungry all the time, would make him more vulnerable to the virus. That thought made me want to keep him home where he was safe. “You don’t have to go. You can go back to my place and rest if you want.”

“If you’ll check the fireplaces while we’re gone,” Zach said to Rio, “that would be great. Make sure everyone is stocked with firewood. You know where the wood is.”

“I can do that,” Rio agreed.

I stared at him a moment longer. I patted his hand. “There are containers of snacks in the fridge for you. Anything you’ve been craving?”

A hint of a smile curved his lips as he looked at me, like maybe it was me he wanted. And that little idea made warmth curl through my stomach. I wanted to throw myself at him. Not exactly a good idea in front of the boss. Instead he said, “Those cinnamon rolls were amazing. Ever made the sticky bun kind? With the nuts on them? Haven’t had those since I was a kid.”

“I’m on board with that,” Zach agreed and patted his stomach, “Though I don’t need the sugar. Can’t recall ever having a sticky bun that wasn’t store bought.”

I gaped at him. “What? Then you’ve never had a sticky bun. Real sugar, honey, and butter? How have you lived this long?”

“Deprived apparently.” He pointed at my phone. “Add it to your list and grab your jacket. It’s still an icebox out there.” He headed toward the garage. “We’ll be back before lunch,” he told Rio. “Sean might have things to do to keep you busy.”

“I’ll help as best I can,” Rio agreed.

I smiled, hoping that he was finding a place here at the manor and would stay. I could work with him not wanting to leave much. Other than my weekly shopping trip to refill the pantry, I hadn’t left much either since the pandemic started. It was just safer to stay home. The few friends I had were more than willing to Facetime or ramble on a call with me while I cooked. I sent them cookies for the holidays and they sent me daily memes to keep me laughing. Life had been more isolated in the last year, but not all that different from the previous one, partly living this far north and working in a very small area. I did plan that once this pandemic finally ended, I’d have my friends up for a weekend. Perhaps I’d even get them signed up for some classes, show them how to make moon cakes or mochi ice cream.

I triple checked my list before getting in Zach’s waiting truck, bundled up like I was ready for a trek into the tundra rather than a heated car to a heated grocery store. He’d put the lid on the truck bed, to protect the inside from the snow and ice, but it also meant I had plenty of room to fill the truck with supplies.

“Rio eats a lot,” I told him as we headed toward town.

The roads were better, though still icy. And so few cars were out that the black ice at the stop signs and lights was almost inevitable. Zach powered through it all, his attention focused on the road.

“It’s fine,” Zach said. “Buy what you need.”

“It will increase the budget,” I said quietly.