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"You were there when I got on the scale at the doctor’s office yesterday," she joked "I’ away"

He didn’t smile "You’re perfect, Sophie"

She sank down on a chair at his kitchen’s breakfast bar Perfect Had he just said that? And more to the point, did he actually mean it? Did he actually think that dull, nice Sophie Sullivan was perfect? Beyond the fact that she could have his children?

She sed hard, then looked over her shoulder toward the dining table "What are you working on?"

He slid the plates of food into the oven’s war syste us trouble"

She was ashaht to realize how hard he worked to build his business Jake had alwayslook so easy

What else didn’t she know about hiet started with the pubs?" She couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t own them

He looked surprised by her question "I guess you were pretty young when I bought and opened the first McCann’s, huh? I’ve alorked in pubs, wherever my dad was All those tips added up over the years and when I got the chance to bail the owner of one of theone bad, I took it"

"How old were you?"

"Twenty-one"

"Wow, that’s really young to own your own restaurant"

"I guess so," he said, "but by then I’d been working in pubs forever"

"You’re good atit seem so easy, but--" She nodded at the spreadsheets "--I’ to see just how much work it all is"

"It’s just food and drink Anyone could do it Even a guy likeabout himself, like his incredible achieveot to see how amaz--"

"Food’s up" He slid it across the breakfast bar

Sheher off every ti i the way you always do that"

He plated so nothing