“As much as we love yours,” Tessa replied, her voice lilting slightly from her inability to hear her own words. “Did you bring me anything?”
“Sold out at the market,” Mara replied, sounding regretful. Turning her head to Jared, she quickly explained, “They use some of my products when I have extra.”
Looking directly at Tessa, Jared asked, “Would you use them all the time if you had an ample supply?”
Tessa looked at Mara questioningly, as though she was wondering if she should answer a stranger’s questions.
“Sorry. Tessa, this is my friend, Jared Sinclair. Jared, this is Tessa Sullivan, half owner of Sullivan’s. Tessa and her brother, Liam, run the restaurant,” Mara explained.
Jared had to let go of Mara’s hand to hold it out to Tessa. “It’s a pleasure,” he said warmly, already liking the cheerful female who didn’t seem the least bit troubled about the fact that she couldn’t hear.
“Same here,” Tessa answered, gripping his hand firmly and shaking it. “And yes, I’d use her products all the time if I could get my hands on them. Her jams and sauces are amazing. I’d love to have them all the time. I’ve based some of my recipes on her sauces, so I can only make them when she can get me a supply. And the customers love her jellies.”
Jared smiled at the attractive blonde as he dropped his arm to his side, automatically reaching for Mara’s hand again. “I’m trying to talk her into making her jams, jellies, and sauces into a real business. Then she could make them available all the time.”
The fair-haired female bounced up and down, excited, clapping her hands together. “That would be fantastic. But what about your doll shop?” She looked at Mara with a frown.
Mara shook her head. “The owner is selling the house. I have to find something else. The shop isn’t making money anyway, so there’s no point in finding another location.”
The blonde’s face fell. “I’m so sorry, Mara. But you’ll do great with the new business. Your edibles are unique and wonderful. If I could stock your taffy and jams near the register, I’d sell out in a day.”
“That’s what I keep telling her,” Jared seconded the woman’s encouraging comments when Tessa looked his way.
“Thanks, Tessa,” Mara answered with a smile.
“Let me get you a table.” Tessa went to clear and clean a table for them.
“You didn’t tell me you already had customers in town clamoring for your products.” Jared shot Mara an irritated look. Hell, her food products were obviously already in high demand here in Amesport. “Are there others?”
Mara shrugged. “Some. A few of the shops in town would like to carry them all the time. But I can never make enough to distribute.”
“That won’t be a problem anymore,” he told her harshly.
“We’ll talk about it. The offer you’re making isn’t acceptable to me. You should take at least half interest.”
Hell, if he was thinking with the head above his neck, he’d take more than half so that he had controlling interest. Unfortunately, the head below his waist didn’t give a damn about having the greater percentage in her business. The only place he wanted to control her was in the bedroom. Or up against a wall. Or just about anywhere that he could have some privacy. “We’ll definitely talk about it,” he ground out, his jaw clenched. Somehow, he’d talk her into seeing things his way.
Mara opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it again as Tessa came back to show them to their table.
Jared was agitated, and he wondered why it was so damn important that he make Mara see reason. It was a small business. It should be no big deal to him. However, for some reason, getting Mara to agree had somehow become the most important thing he’d ever done in his life. Her future depended on it.
Mara glanced around the restaurant and then at Jared as he looked over the menu. She didn’t need to look. She knew Sullivan’s menu by heart.
Maybe I should have taken Jared to Tony’s restaurant. He definitely doesn’t look like he belongs at a table with mismatched chairs and pictures everywhere of men holding up big fish.