I might be lying my face off, but I can’t show how stressed I am, because Addison’s already been stressed for weeks over this corporate retreat and the festival. She’s only been working for me for three months, after the previous chef who’d been here longer than me resigned. (And no, that’s not a big deal to lose the head chef at an inn where the restaurant is a huge draw. Nope, not at all.) So these will be the biggest events she’s had to cook for so far.

“Okay, but I have another problem.” Picking up a stray dish towel, she starts balling it up like a marginally less hostile version of Danny.

“Which is?” I ask, even though I’m afraid of the answer.

“Randy and Ronny quit.”

“Excuse me?” I squeak. Surely, this can’t be happening. Not right now. I must have heard her wrong. Or I’m hoping that this is all part of some elaborate, three-weeks-late April Fool’s joke my staff is playing on me.

All right, you got me, guys.

Addison nods solemnly. “Yup. They just sent me a text this morning saying they wouldn’t be coming in tomorrow, because they got some crazy idea about something or other and they’re moving to New Mexico. New Mexico!” She throws the towel onto the counter. “Don’t they know how freaking hot it is there?”

“Woah.” I hold up my hands in a placating gesture, like you would do to a bear approaching. Or maybe that’s not what you’re supposed to do with a bear, I don’t know. I’m not a wilderness guy. “It’s okay,” I tell her.

It’s really not, though.

Those irresponsible little shits. How many times have they been caught getting high in the walk-in and I let it slide? And now this is what I get?

“How am I supposed to get everything done in time when I’m down two staff members and one oven?” Addison asks, voice rising in pitch at the end. “This is going to be a disaster, and you’ll blame me. And I don’t wanna lose this job, because then I might have to crawl my ass back to my miserable, cheating ex-wife, and honestly, I’d rather chew off my own foot.”

“Um.” I don’t know what to say to that. First of all, I’m not sure how chewing off her foot would help anything. And since Addison normally keeps to herself, we haven’t gotten that close yet, despite my best efforts. So hearing her mention her ex throws me.