The Charred Grape: A Short Story (Ebook)

$1.00

Caroline Baccene

Rachael, a hardworking single mom, juggles the chaos of making ends meet as a waitress at the beloved restaurant The Charred Grape and always strives to be the best mother she can for her young son, Leo.

When the restaurant is bought out and taken over by a new owner, Rachael and the rest of the staff are understandably more than a little nervous. Will they lose their jobs? Will new management be so unbearable they'll be forced to quit? Will their loyal customers accept this change of hands?

Those nerves turn into something else entirely as the days pass and Rachael learns more about her new boss and also becomes friends with the new chef. What starts as an easy and carefree back-of-the-house and afterhours friendship quickly seems to be turning into something else, but can Rachael find space in her busy, high-stress life for romance?

Caroline Baccene

Rachael, a hardworking single mom, juggles the chaos of making ends meet as a waitress at the beloved restaurant The Charred Grape and always strives to be the best mother she can for her young son, Leo.

When the restaurant is bought out and taken over by a new owner, Rachael and the rest of the staff are understandably more than a little nervous. Will they lose their jobs? Will new management be so unbearable they'll be forced to quit? Will their loyal customers accept this change of hands?

Those nerves turn into something else entirely as the days pass and Rachael learns more about her new boss and also becomes friends with the new chef. What starts as an easy and carefree back-of-the-house and afterhours friendship quickly seems to be turning into something else, but can Rachael find space in her busy, high-stress life for romance?

This story first appeared in Recipes for Romance: A Sweet Valentine’s Day Anthology, released in January 2025 by And You Press. This ebook contains small edits from the author; this version is no longer centered around Valentine’s Day.

This title is currently enrolled in Kindle Select/Kindle Unlimited.
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The Charred Grape: A Short Story
Caroline Baccene

Attic Ebooks

Release Date: March 5, 2025