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  Vicious Valentine

  Hawk’s Place Cozy Mysteries, Book 4

  Patti Benning

  Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Copyright 2021 Summer Prescott Books

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying, or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder.

  * * *

  **This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, places of business, or situations past or present, is completely unintentional.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Also by Patti Benning

  Author’s Note

  Contact Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Chapter One

  Hannah Cooper looked over the three employees in front of her. Each wore a brand-new uniform, and had a slim packet of papers in hand, which comprised the policies and a basic employee guide that she and her business partner — and best friend — Caroline had spent weeks putting together.

  This was a monumental time for the restaurant, and for a moment, words failed her as she gazed at the people in front of her. It had been nearly a year since they had opened Hawk’s Place, and this was the first time they were expanding their workforce. The fact that they not only had the profits to afford three new employees, but that those employees were necessary in the first place was nothing short of a miracle. Hannah well knew the failure rates for small businesses in their first few years, and restaurants had an even higher likelihood of bankruptcy and failure than other types of businesses. They weren’t out of the woods yet, but the fact that they were expanding after a year was a good sign.

  “Before we start, I just wanted to thank all of you for the hard work you’ve put in during the past few days. I know training isn’t ever very fun, but you three have done wonderfully. As our first new hires since our opening last year, you’ve had the dubious privilege of being our guinea pigs when it comes to training. Hopefully, the next hires will have an easier job of it. Remember that today isn’t a test that you can pass or fail. It’s okay to make mistakes and ask questions. That being said, even though the next few hours will be more casual than a regular shift, please still do your best. Before we begin, does anyone have any questions?”

  “I know you said it wasn’t a test, but will we be getting reviewed? I want to know how I’m doing.” The young woman who asked that was named Nadia, their new waitress. She had dark hair that she kept in a ponytail and was taking a year between high school and college to decide what she wanted to do with her life. She seemed down-to-earth and responsible, which was why Hannah had hired her despite knowing that she may move on in a year or two to attend a university.

  “Definitely. The senior staff will be observing you and will speak to you at the end of the shift to let you know what you did well and what you can improve on. When I say it’s not a test, I simply meant you don’t have to be worried about making mistakes. We understand you’ve only had a few hours worth of training at this point. We just want to see what you need more training in, and what we can do to improve the training program. Any other questions?” The three of them shook their heads. Hannah smiled and continued. “All right. Nadia and Shayne, go see Audrey for your table assignments. Tony, you can head to the kitchen and Brian will tell you what he wants you to do today. I’m going to unlock the doors in five minutes. Let’s get to it.”

  The small group dispersed, the two new servers, Shayne and Nadia, going to find Audrey, who would give them their assignments for the special morning shift. Shayne was a bit older than most of the staff, nearly Hannah’s age, but he seemed eager for the job and had the work experience she had been looking for. Tony, the youngest of the new hires, disappeared into the kitchen where Brian would be glad for the help. Hiring new kitchen staff had been much needed over the past few months, and Hannah felt bad for waiting as long as they had. With more and more guests as word of the restaurant began to spread and a larger variety of dishes, which they had added after the new year, their small team of original staff had been struggling.

  For the past few days, ever since they had finished up with interviews, Hannah and Caroline had taken to meeting the new employees before the restaurant opened for lunch. They had gone over policies, shown the new hires where everything was, and made sure they knew how to do the basic tasks that would be expected of them. Today, they were opening two hours early, though only to friends and family of employees who worked at the restaurant, and were doing a test run to see how everything went. When they first opened Hawk’s Place, Hannah and Caroline had weeks to train up the employees and make sure everything would run smoothly. She hadn’t appreciated that time enough, and wished she could offer the new employees the same experience.

  Once she unlocked the doors, their guests began filing in. She and Caroline had spread the word to their own friends around town, and she spotted a few familiar faces – mostly acquaintances of Caroline’s who had been happy to stop by the restaurant for an early lunch.

  Good, she thought as she walked around the dining area, watching the new staff work. We can start scheduling them, and in a few weeks, everyone else will have a fairer workload. They had been lucky so far – they hadn’t had a high turnover rate of employees at all, and they hadn’t had any major interpersonal problems either. She hoped the new hires would fit in just as well. They seemed to get along with the original employees so far, but only time would be able to tell if she and Caroline had made the right choices in hiring who they had.

  She didn’t have to do much that morning; her only job was to observe. She kept at the edges of the room, trying not to hover as she watched Shayne and Nadia wait tables. After a while, she slipped into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and leaned against the counter, happy to hear Tony and Brian chatting like old friends as they worked on the dishes. Brian had been thrilled to have a line cook; as their sous chef, he had sorely needed more kitchen staff to work with.

  Nadia nudged the kitchen door with her hip and stepped through, a tray of empty plates balanced on one hand. Her foot caught on the edge of a cabinet and she stumbled, but somehow managed to catch herself without dropping a thing. Eyes wide, she caught Hannah’s gaze like a deer in headlights, and after a moment they both grinned.

  “Great catch,” Hannah said, finishing her water and dropping the glass off in the sink. “How are you doing? Are you comfortable with the basics?”

  “Oh, yes,” Nadia said as she began rinsing off the dishes. “I was nervous at first, but I’m starting to feel more confident now.”

  “Good. I’m glad. Keep up the good work. You and Shayne look great out there.”

  Leaving Nadia to finish unloading her tray in the kitchen, Hannah stepped back out into the main dining area. Her eyes roamed the room, looking for Caroline. She spotted her partner chatting with a familiar face at the bar: Vanessa was here. It was hard to miss the woman’s leather jacket and loud voice; Hannah probably would have been able to spot her across the dining area on a weekend night.

  Deciding that the restaurant would survive without her supervision for a few more minutes, she changed course to go chat with her friends.

  Vanessa was the first to notice her. She looked up, raising her glass in greeting as soon as she saw Hannah coming toward them. Caroline turned
and waved her over as well when she spotted her.

  “I’m glad you’re here. We were just discussing Valentine’s Day plans.”

  “Or the lack of them,” Vanessa said, giving Hannah a pointed look.

  “Why are you looking at me?”

  “You said you turned Ben down when he asked you to dinner for Valentine’s Day,” Vanessa said, her voice low. “That man adores you. I feel bad for him.”

  “I didn’t – well, okay, I did turn him down, but it’s not like you make it sound,” Hannah said, feeling defensive. It was a normal feeling for her to have around Vanessa. Even though the two of them were friends now, Vanessa still tended to get under her skin more often than not. “I told him that I was working late Valentine’s Day night and probably wouldn’t have the energy to go somewhere once we close. We still have other plans, though. What are you doing? Are you still seeing that new guy – what was his name, Ralph?”

  “Rory,” Vanessa said, giving her an unimpressed look, though that faded quickly when Shayne approached to drop off a plate with her burger on it. Vanessa gave him a grateful smile, then continued. “And I’m not sure yet. We saw each other again last night, though. He’s – well, nice. He reminds me of Ben, in fact. He said he’d call me today so we could figure out what we want to do for the holiday, but we already agreed not to do gifts. It puts too much pressure on people, especially so early in a relationship.”

  “I agree with that,” Hannah said. “Sorry – Shayne, did you need help with something?”

  “Oh, no, I was just wondering if the two of you wanted anything, but I didn’t want to interrupt.”

  “I’m good,” Hannah said.

  “I’ll take a soda,” Caroline said. “Thanks, Shayne. Good work so far.”

  “I’ll be right back with that,” he promised. He shot a lingering glance at Vanessa as he left, and Caroline waggled her eyebrows at her friend.

  “Look at you, enchanting our waitstaff. If Rory doesn’t take you out for Valentine’s Day, it looks like he’ll have some competition. Speaking of guys, is Corbin still bothering you?”

  “He’s your most recent ex, right?” Hannah interjected. Vanessa had had a few boyfriends in the time Hannah had known her, and she was busy enough with her own life that sometimes she found it hard to keep the people in her friend’s life straight.

  “Yeah, he’s the most recent disaster in my life. Did I ever tell you why we broke up? I don’t think I did. I’m pretty sure that’s when Caroline and I were out shopping a couple weeks ago.”

  “Oh, I remember that. We got Thai food and you told me all about what happened.”

  “You were working,” Vanessa said, turning back to Hannah. “We would’ve invited you otherwise.”

  “I’ll just have to get the story now,” Hannah said. As she leaned back against the bar, she began to wish she had ordered a soda too, even if just for the distraction. It felt strange to be sitting here doing nothing while the restaurant was running, though from her vantage point she could keep an eye on Nadia and Shayne as they worked and reassure herself that everything was under control.

  “Well, it’s a long story but I can give you the gist of it now. A couple of weeks before I left him, I started to get the feeling that someone was following me. Just small stuff – if I was walking home from work at night, I’d hear someone’s footsteps behind me, and I swear someone took a picture of me through my car window once. I’ve had someone ring my apartment buzzer a few times, and when I called down to see who it was, they didn’t answer. Nothing serious, but enough to make me uncomfortable. Then, one night, I went outside and I saw Corbin hanging around by the corner of my building. I don’t think he saw me. I went inside and texted him, just asking what he was up to, and he said he was at home making dinner. I decided to end it then. Not just because of the lying, but because of the fact that I’m pretty sure he’s the one who was stalking me. I mean, sure, he didn’t ever do anything threatening, but it was creepy and I would rather not end up on an episode of unsolved crimes.”

  “That sounds like a good choice,” Hannah said.

  “I always seem to draw in the creeps,” Vanessa said with a sigh. She paused as Shayne returned with the drink. “Enough about me, though. I want to hear what you two ladies are doing on Valentine’s Day. If I don’t get my romantic date, I can still live vicariously through yours.”

  “Well, unlike you assumed, I do have plans with Ben,” Hannah said. “We’re having dinner here after the restaurant closes. We’ll have the whole place to ourselves. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “That’s such a good idea,” Caroline said. “I wish I had thought of that. Dean and I are getting takeout and we are going to have a romantic evening at home. We already promised to keep our phones off for the whole evening. It will be just the two of us, no distractions.”

  “Are you planning on getting something from the restaurant?” Hannah asked. “If you are, I will whip up a cake or something special for the two of you.”

  “We haven’t decided where we’re getting food yet,” Caroline replied. “We might pick it up from somewhere out of town. It will just depend on what we are both in the mood for that evening.”

  “I think Hannah wins,” Vanessa said, taking another sip of her drink. “It’s hard to beat having a whole restaurant to yourselves for a date.”

  “It’s not a competition,” Caroline said, rolling her eyes. “Not everything is a contest, Vanessa.”

  “Maybe not for you,” Vanessa replied with a grin. “I’m glad both of you have nice plans, though. I know it’s silly, but I love Valentine’s Day. The hearts, the chocolate, focusing on someone you love... it’s an underrated holiday.”

  “It’s going to be a busy holiday, that much is certain at least,” Hannah said. “We’ve got reservations all evening. It will be our busiest night so far this year.”

  “It sounds like you hired the new guys and gal just in time,” Vanessa said.

  “They’ll still be too inexperienced by Sunday to take much of the pressure off of everyone else, but any help is good.”

  “I can come in early in the evening if you need more hands in the kitchen,” Caroline said. “Dean and I aren’t having dinner until later anyway. I feel bad leaving you to manage the holiday by yourself.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Hannah said with a wave of her hand as she rose from her seat. “You’ve got Dean, and I’m glad you two will be able to spend the day together. Besides, you’ll owe me.” She grinned. “This way I won’t feel guilty the next time I ask you to take an extra shift.”

  Caroline chuckled as Hannah walked away. Taking the time to chat with her friends had been nice, but she had to get back to work. The new employees couldn’t train themselves after all.

  Chapter Two

  Before Hannah knew it, Valentine’s Day arrived in a flurry of pink and red decorations. She blinked as she stepped into Hawk’s Place on Sunday morning. Hoping to build some excitement for the holiday that would have them all working themselves to the bone, she had given the employees free reign on decorating the night before. They… may have gone a little bit overboard, she thought as she stared at a huge cut-out of Cupid hanging from the ceiling high above. She knew she certainly hadn’t bought anything like that, so someone must have made it. It was impressive; one of the employees was a hidden artist.

  While the decor wasn’t much to her personal tastes — she hadn’t seen so much pink in one room since her obsession with the color when she was eight — it certainly looked festive. The decorations weren’t the only preparations they had made for the holiday either; she and Caroline had bought special heart shaped pans and molds the week before in preparation for Valentine’s Day. While not a necessary purchase, they were doing well enough that they could afford it and the pans would also be used for weddings and anniversaries that they would cater once they got that part of the business up and running.

  There was so much to do. She blew out a breath and continued in, m
oving through the… festive… dining area toward the kitchen. It had been nearly a year since they’d opened Hawk’s Place, but she and Caroline were still just beginning their journey. They had barely begun to touch all of their plans for the restaurant’s future. They had a long way to go before Hawk’s Place was truly the restaurant they had dreamed of.

  The first few hours were blessedly easy. They had a few couples come in for lunch and prepared nearly an equal number of orders for take-out, but they had plenty of time in between orders to prepare for the swiftly approaching dinner hours. Even as Tony and Brian chopped, sliced, and diced vegetables for the coming evening, Hannah swiped bowls and plates holding the finished products to add to the soups and roasts that had to be ready in time for dinner. Many of their entrées were made fresh as soon as an order came in, but cooking a melt-in-your mouth pot roast from start to finish in twenty minutes was a stark impossibility.

  The scent of roasting meat, onions caramelizing in butter, and simmering broths made her mouth water despite the breakfast she'd had before she left her house. It was hard not to stuff herself full of the delicious food she made every day, but her waistline wouldn’t thank her if she did. Besides, she was looking forward to dinner with Ben that evening and knew it would be even better if she kept herself to nothing but a light lunch beforehand.

  After Hannah put the finishing touches on a slowly cooking pot of chili, she leaned back against the counter with a groan. A glance at the clock told her that the dinner reservations would begin soon; right now, they were in a lull between the lunch and dinner hours, and she knew that this would likely be her only chance at a break for the rest of the night. She wouldn’t have long, but then she didn’t need long. Just a few minutes to freshen up, take a walk around the dining area, and have a glass of water before she got back to it.