The Key Ingredient by Susan Wiggs Read Free Book Online

dispute with Martin. He had no sense of the oddity of his idea. He had always believed the show’s appeal stemmed from the outlandish. She was equally convinced that the success of their show stemmed from its authenticity. That, and a talented chef whose looks and charisma held an audience spellbound for an hour each week.
    â€œI trust,” she whispered, rising on tiptoe for another kiss. He was the star of the show, after all. He had the ear of the executive producer and was used to getting his way. The details, he left to Annie—­his wife, his partner, his producer. It was up to her to make things happen.
    With the argument still ringing through her head, she braced her hands on the sill of the window overlooking the garden of their town house. She had a million things to do today, starting with the ­People magazine interview—­a behind-­the-­scenes piece about the show.
    A window washer was preparing to climb a scaffold and get to work. Martin passed by on his way to the garage, pausing to say something to the worker, who grinned and nodded. Charming Martin.
    A moment later, his silver BMW roadster shot out of the parking garage. She didn’t know why he was in such a hurry. The Monday run-­through was hours away.
    She sighed and turned away, trying to shake off the emotional residue of the argument. Gran was fond of saying that a fight was never about the thing being fought over. The water buffalo wasn’t the point. All arguments, at their core, were about power. Who had it. Who wanted it. Who would surrender. Who would prevail.
    No mystery there. Annie surrendered, Martin prevailed. That was how it worked. Because she let it? Or because she was a team player? Yes, they were a team. A successful team with their own show on an emerging network. The compromises she made were good for them both. Good for their marriage.
    Another thing Gran would say was imprinted on Annie’s heart—­remember the love. When times get hard and you start wondering why you married him in the first place, remember the love.
    Fortunately for Annie, this was not hard to do. Martin was a catch. He was the kind of handsome that made women stop and stare. His aw-­shucks charm wasn’t confined to the show. He knew how to make her laugh. When they came up with an idea together, he would sweep her into his arms and dance her around the kitchen. When he talked about the family they’d have one day, the babies, she would melt with yearning. He was her husband, her partner, an irreplaceable element in her life’s work. Okay, she thought. Okay, then. Whatever.
    Annie checked the time and looked at her work e-­mail—­all her e-­mail was work—­to discover that the scissors lift they’d rented to install a new outdoor lighting set was having mechanical problems.
    Great. One more thing to worry about.
    The phone rang, and the screen lit up with a picture of a cat. “Melissa,” said Annie, putting her phone on speaker. “What’s up?”
    â€œJust checking in,” said Melissa. She seemed to check in a lot, especially lately. “Did you see that e-­mail about the cow?”
    â€œBuffalo,” Annie corrected her. “And yes. Also, I have a note about a lift that’s not working. And I’ve got CJ from ­People coming. So I guess I’ll be in late. Like, really late. Tell everyone to sit tight until after lunch.” She paused, bit her lip. “Sorry. I’m cranky this morning. Forgot to eat breakfast.”
    â€œGo eat something. Okay, gorgeous,” Melissa said brightly. “Gotta bounce.”
    Annie turned back to her computer to double check the meeting time with the reporter. CJ Morris was doing an in-­depth piece on the show—­not just its stars, Martin Harlow and Melissa Judd, but the entire production, from its debut as a minor cable program to the hit it had become. CJ had already interviewed