The Truest Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 4)

She was seriously killing him with these tight dresses.

Pregnant Emery did it for him like no woman had ever done it for him.

Emery caught the look in his eyes as they took their seats, and her cheeks turned a little pink. She read him like a book. “Stop it,” she murmured under her breath before looking down at her menu.

“Emery?” a deep, masculine voice said before Jack could reply.

They looked up to find the chef who’d been watching them behind the glass now standing by their table, gazing down at Em with a smile on his face. The chef was tall, though not as tall as Jack, and broad-shouldered. Jack would go out on a limb and say he was also a handsome guy.

And he was smiling the whitest smile Jack had ever seen at Emery.

Like he knew her.

Like he liked what he knew.

What the hell?

“Sebastian.” Emery grinned back at him in familiarity. “How are you? I’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to come to your restaurant.”

Sebastian.

Sebastian Mercier.

The guy who owned The Boardwalk.

How did he know Em?

Jack watched as the chef put his hand on the back of Emery’s chair and leaned into her a little. He watched, and he didn’t like what he was seeing.

“Well, you seem to have an excellent excuse.” His dark eyes dipped to her belly. “Congratulations.”

She blushed prettily.

Like how she blushed for Jack.

Jealousy roared through Jack before he could stop it. “I’m the father,” he bit out.

They both looked at him in surprise, as if finally remembering he was there.

Sebastian caught the ominous look in Jack’s eyes and pushed away from Emery. He held out a hand to Jack. “Sebastian Mercier. Head chef and owner of The Boardwalk.”

Reluctantly, Jack shook his hand. “Jack Devlin.”

The chef raised an eyebrow. “No relation to Ian Devlin?”

“Yeah, what of it?” he snapped.

“Jack,” Emery reprimanded.

“Oh, I meant no offense,” Sebastian said casually, as if unaffected by Jack’s sharp tone. “Can I help you with the menu? Recommendations?”

Before Jack could politely tell him to fuck off back to his kitchen, a voice cut through the restaurant.

“Emery, Jack!”

Seeing Em’s eyes widen to a spot over his shoulder, Jack turned to watch Cat Lawson hurrying through the restaurant, her cheeks flushed, her hair wild with the wind, her eyes filled with worry.

“Are you all right?” Sebastian stepped into her path as she approached. Jack was already rising from his seat.