“I’m fine. I’m just . . . nervous, I guess. I didn’t expect to be here. I only came to Hawaii to learn to cook for my sister’s wedding, and suddenly I’m in this crazy contest.” She turned away from him and stared out at the ocean. “Don’t get me wrong—I want to win. I think we can win. Or . . . thought so until now. My cooking partner is so talented. It’s just . . .” She closed her eyes, breathed in more air.
“Just?” he said quietly.
“Lots of pressure. All those cameras watching our every move. And . . .” She looked out toward the ocean, the darkness, the mystery. “I don’t want to let him down.”
“I see.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the man as he took a sip of his drink. He considered his wine, then her, his blue eyes latching on to hers. “Be yourself, keep an open mind, and do your best. I have no doubt you’ll blow everyone away.”
What kind words, and being delivered with that British accent didn’t hurt either. “Thank you.”
He nodded, lifted his glass to her, then turned to go inside.
“They’re introducing the contestants,” Max said behind her.
She followed him inside and stood next to him. From the podium in front, Keoni was introducing the contest and this year’s field of entrants. Six teams all vying for entry, with five slots. Keoni singled out a brother-sister team of native Hawaiian descent, a hippie husband-wife team who ran a café on the North Shore, and a father-son pair from the base at Pearl Harbor. The sight reminded Grace of her father pairing with Owen.
That might be fun to watch.
She recognized the two ladies from their class, gussied up in Hawaiian dresses and leis. They waved to the crowd, giggling, as they were introduced.
When Keoni called their names, Max took her hand and raised it with his above their heads. Nodded to the crowd with a “bring it” athlete’s expression.
Super. She’d forgotten his other persona, the hockey player, the guy who didn’t know how to lose. Aka ninja chef on overdrive.
Grace let go of his hand as soon as he lowered hers and wrapped her arms around her waist. She barely heard the names of the last contenders, muscle-built brothers from California who’d flown over for the competition and waved from their perch by the appetizer table.
“When do the interviews start?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Max said, looking over her head around the room, anywhere but at her.
“Max! I didn’t know you were going to compete!”
Grace could have predicted the voice came from Tonie, the blonde. She watched as the woman wrapped an arm around Max’s neck.
Max kissed her on the cheek, his smile warm. “You look gorgeous, as usual,” he said, so much charm in his voice that the dark burn in Grace’s chest could turn her to cinders.
Tonie smiled, lifted a shoulder. “I would have gladly been on your team if you’d called me.”
Uh, I’m standing right here. Grace shook her head and made to move away, but Max caught her with a hand to her back. “Have you met my teammate? Tonie Addison, this is Grace Christiansen.”
Grace held out her hand, found Tonie’s slim and cool in hers. The woman’s eyes held a glint of challenge even as she smiled. “Nice to meet you. Are you a chef?”
Grace couldn’t help it. “Yes. I’m the kitchen manager for a restaurant in northern Minnesota.” She didn’t have to mention it was a pizzeria, right?
“Lovely.” Tonie’s gaze flicked over Grace, her expression hooded. “I wish you the best of luck.” She smiled at Max, then moved away.
“I want to go home,” Grace said quietly, not necessarily to Max, but he caught it.
“What?”
She glanced at beautiful Tonie, with her shimmery skin, the way she could glide through a room. Tonie looked like the perfect partner for Max, the one who could help him win any competition.
Grace just looked like a girl trying way too hard. She rubbed her arms. “I don’t know what I’m doing here. This was a terrible idea. We’re going to get destroyed, knocked out in the first round.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to do this. I feel stupid.”
“Well, you don’t look stupid,” he said gruffly. She probably wore too much hurt in her eyes because suddenly his expression changed. He took her by the elbow and walked her toward the door.
Keoni intercepted them. “Are you leaving?”
Max nodded, and Grace couldn’t look at either of them. Somehow she’d wrecked this entire evening.
“Grace isn’t feeling well,” Max said quietly.
Keoni nodded, something enigmatic in his eyes. “I see.”