Sedona's Heart

by Sasha Fino

  Blanche watched Max come right up to her, putting out his cigarette. “Was that him?” he asked her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

  “Yes.” Felling embarrassed that her boyfriend had to witness what had just occurred. She was sad and disappointed with this, her celebratory day.

  “Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Max asked calmly as he faced her

  “Yes. Oh Max,” Blanche said, afraid she’d break down in front of him “Look, I know it’s not my place… but are you okay?”

  Blanche turned to look at him and saw that his eyes were kind and gentle “It’s opening day, Max. I mistakenly thought Dean would support my endeavor, just this once since I’ve always obeyed his wishes,” she said

  “Then it’s his loss. This is your day, and no one is stopping you from opening that front door!”

  “You are right. Thank you, Max, I’m just happy that I have you to share this day with,” she said.

  Without a word more they shared a passionate kiss

  “I missed you so much over the weekend,” Blanche confessed to him

  “I too…now let’s open The Sedona’s Heart Café,” he said happily extending his hand to her

  They started to walk back toward the shop. She felt an unaccustomed warmth, just holding his hand. Max and Blanche stopped at the front door, now adorned with a red ribbon. Kimberly, Lexy, and Annette were waiting, accompanied by a long line of people anxious for Sedona’s Heart to open

  “Aunt Blanche, will you do the honors and cut the ribbon?” Kimberly asked as Annette held out the scissors

  “I’ll be happy to,” she said, letting go of Max’s hand and taking the scissors with a feeling of great happiness inside

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to announce the grand opening of The Sedona’s Heart Cafe,” Blanche proudly said as everyone clapped their hands with excitement. This was a moment that she would never forget.

  Chapter 20

  Max knew that he was in a very bad situation. How could this have happened? He had waited for years for Renee to wake up and realize that she was still in love with him, and then he met Blanche, who was turning his world upside down and showing him a whole different side of life. One he liked, very much. He

  loved both women, differently, and was very confused Bill walked into his office

  “We have been busy all morning long, thanks to the grand

  opening of the Café!” he announced happily. “Sold ten paintings, already, today. Opening a coffee and sandwich shop in the Plaza was a grand idea!”

  “Renee is back,” Max blurted out. Bill’s face immediately changed from happiness to shock

  “That’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time. What is she doing back? I thought she left you for a younger man in Paris,” Bill joked

  “Not funny, Bill. We broke up for many reasons.”

  “Bet you were stunned to see her. How is she after all these years?” Bill asked, “She is amazing. Renee was at the brunch yesterday, and all of my old feelings for her resurfaced. Once we were very much in love. Lexy was an angel with her. Now everything has changed.”

  Bill looked at him. “Nothing has changed; Lexy will be fine. She’s…” Max cut Bill off

  “It’s not Lexy. I am in love with two outstanding women!” “Blanche, right?”

  Max let out a deep sigh as he looked at Bill. “Yes. I have been seeing Blanche for a while, and I do not want to hurt her.”

  “Okay, I understand the situation. You know what I would do if I was you? I would get Renee and Blanche together and let them have at it!”

  “I could never do something like that! I love them each in their own way.” “Then you are out of luck,” Bill said as he sat down in a chair

  “Stop it! This is a very serious situation! I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hurt Blanche or Renee.”

  “Look at it this way; Blanche is married, Renee isn’t.”

  “Where are you heading with this?” He looked at Bill

  “This thing with Blanche will never last because she has a husband. Maybe Renee came back because she finally realized she was still in love with you, wants to pick up where you left off.”

  “Yeah, but on the other hand, Blanche’s husband is an alcoholic who abuses her and Kimberly.”

  “Blanche is not this guy’s slave. I know you two are having an affair. My point is that a woman in love will drop her husband to be with you.”

  “I understand; I just wish things weren’t so complicated!” Max said, looking out the window. “It would be wonderful if Blanche and Renee could morph into one woman.”

  “What do I do?” Max asked him

  “See how life plays out. If something happens one night between you and Renee, don’t agonize over it. Just let it happen

  “I will not have sex with Renee.” He was tired of telling Bill and Lexy that he had no plans to go and mess around with Renee

  “All right; I just don’t want you to regret it, someday, like I do. Yes, I was also in love with two women at one time, and to make the long, sad story short, they found out about each other… I ended up alone.” This was something Bill had never shared with him before.

  “If you could go back in time, which woman would you have chosen?” “The one who had my whole heart. She still has my heart to this day.”

  “That’s why I need to be truthful with both Blanche and Renee, and with my own daughter, Lexy!” Max said, looking out his window and onto the red rocks.

  Lexy and Max stood in the driveway, waiting for Renee’s limo to pull up. Lexy was looking forward to seeing her Aunt Renee. She had missed her for way too long. Lexy was wearing a dress Renee had sent her last summer and couldn’t wait for her to meet Kimberly

  “How was the first day at The Sedona’s Heart Café?” Her father asked her

  “Oh, Daddy, it was a huge success! Packed full all day long. Marge had to run to the store to buy more luncheon meat!” Lexy said happier than she had been for a long time

  “That’s amazing! I’m so happy for Blanche and Kimberly.”

  “Yes, now Kimberly and I are hoping that Blanche will leave that pig at last! This will be the best week, ever, helping out at the Café and spending time with my aunt!”

  “Don’t get your hopes up, Lexy. Aunt Renee is only staying for a few weeks,” her father said

  “I’m not, Daddy.”

  “Good—there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “What’s that, Dad?” she asked, looking up at her father with an expectant expression

  Before her father said another word, Lexy saw the limo coming up the long driveway

  “Dad, she is here!” she said, happily the limo parked alongside them, and Renee popped out “Lexy, baby!” Renee shouted, and Lexy ran to hug her aunt. After they hugged, Lexy saw Renee look at her father, “Hello, Max.”

  “Hello, Renee, come in and make yourself at home.”

  “I would love that. Now Lexy, I want to hear all of the things that are going on in your life.”

  “I will be happy to tell you,” Lexy said as the three of them walked into the mansion

  As the week went by, Blanche’s pride in her shop grew. Every day it was jampacked with people. Sedona’s Heart had already made a name for itself. Blanche had done interviews for the local newspaper and the TV station, both of which made.

  Dean displeased with her. Dean was very hostile, ending up drinking alone in the garage. Blanche and Dean had barely said two words to each other all week.

  “Hey, Blanche, would you carry these sandwiches and coffees over to a table?” Marge called out to her, interrupting her thoughts

  “I would be happy to. Do you know where Kimberly is? Kimberly told me that she and Lexy would be here to help out.”

  “She is probably running around somewhere with Lexy,” Marge replied, handing her a tray of food

  “I want you to call Kimberly on her cell and tell her that we need her, now.”

  “I sure will,
Blanche,” Marge said

  “Where does this tray of food go?”

  “Over in the corner by the window,” Marge told her and pointed the table out. As a few customers walked up to the counter. Without a word more, Blanche watched Marge walk over to take their order. As Blanche started over toward the table, she noticed Max seated there speaking with the only woman at the table.

  “Here you go,” Blanche said, putting the tray on the table. “I see you all have coffee—would you like me to refill them for you?”

  “Yes, and I’ll bet that you are the owner of this restaurant,” commented the woman.

  “I am,” Blanche replied

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jennet and with me are Dan, Jake, Bill, and I bet you know Max. We are the owners of some of the business here in Heller Plaza.” “It’s nice to meet you all. I’m Blanche,” she said, handing them their plates of sandwiches.

  “Welcome to the neighborhood! Hope your business does great,” Dan told her

  “Thank You,” Blanche smiled at him

  “If Jennet gets on your nerves, don’t worry, that’s just her,” said Bill, who was sitting next to Max

  “I beg your pardon,” Jennet said giving him a look

  “Here we go yet again! You’ll get used to Jennet and Bill,” Jake said trying to make a joke

  Blanche looked at Jennet and found her to be the kind of woman who has her nose in everything. For the first time, her eyes met Max’s

  “Hello, Blanche,” Max said

  “How are you, Max?” she asked him

  “Great, how about you?”

  “I’m good,” Blanche told him hiding their romantic relationship from these people

  “Would you like to sit down and join us?” Max asked

  “I would love to,” Blanche said moving over to sit in an empty chair next to Max

  “Once a week a few of us get together, discussing the goings-on at our businesses,” Max told her

  “Yes, it’s a great way to talk and share our business problems,” Dan added, “I’ve never heard of that before! What a great idea—a kind of business

  breakfast club,” Blanche said, remembering the movie

  “That’s a great way to describe us,” Jennet agreed. All of the men chuckled, “So what businesses are you people in?” Blanche asked, trying to fit into the

  “I own the other art gallery in the plaza.” Dan quickly replied “I own the jewelry store next to Dan,” Jake added

  “As you know, I’m the owner of Classy and Sassy Day Spa. And all of the gossips that go on in my shop will make your head spin.” Jennet told Blanche, “I bet.” Blanche replied wondering if she could survive working in a beauty shop

  “I’ll make sure to stop by all of your shops,” Blanche said looking at Max “Yes, I’ll make sure that you get a free hair cut when you do come in,” Jennet said happily

  Blanche sat around listening to Jennet, Dan, Jake, Bill, and Max talk shop. She wondered why she was feeling uncomfortable around Max for the first time in their relationship.

  Chapter 21

  Kimberly sat on her bed, heartsick, not knowing how to tell Blanche that Lexy’s aunt was here, staying with Lexy and Max in Sedona and that she was Max’s past lover. It was evening, and she had just gotten off the phone with Lexy, who had been telling her about her wonderful day of shopping with Aunt Renee in Scottsdale. Lexy couldn’t wait to introduce Kimberly and her Aunt Blanche to Aunt Renee and wanted to get them all together. Kimberly was thankful that she could use the busy Café as an excuse for not getting together and for not telling Aunt Blanche about Renee. Even though Blanche was tied up with the Café, Kimberly needed to tell her before she found out on her own

  After Kimberly got off the phone, she decided it was now or never to come clean with Blanche before Dean arrived home, drunk. She walked down the hallway and found her aunt in the living room

  “Oh, Kimberly, listen to this wonderful writeup on the shop,” she said, as she began to read the newspaper article aloud. “Blanche Burlington and her niece, Kimberly Aldridge, opened Sedona’s Heart at Heller Plaza, a coffee and a sandwich café. They serve all kinds of gourmet coffees, espressos, mochas, lattes, frappes, iced coffees, iced lattes, iced cappuccinos, and hot cocoas in the fall and wintertime, including all kinds of teas. Their delicious sandwiches include: Goat Cheese and Black Forest Ham on croissants with Harry & David Charred Pineapple Relish with Peppers; Tuna mixed with mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, celery, and almonds on egg bread; Chicken mixed with mayonnaise, curry powder, shallots, celery, a touch of sugar, and pecans stuffed in a pita pocket; Sliced Turkey with cranberry sauce on brioche; Smoked Salmon, sliced red onion, cream cheese, tomato, and capers openfaced on a bagel; Chopped Black Olives mixed with cream cheese on corn rye; Egg with mayonnaise, curry powder, a touch of sugar, shallots, and celery on wheat bread; and Sliced Flank Steak with mushrooms sautéed in sherry and sautéed onions piled on top on a Kaiser roll. There’s also a wonderful Chicken/Apple Salad that comes with the sandwiches: chopped apples mixed with shredded chicken meat. Burlington aid she was going to offer Soup of the Day when winter starts. The Sedona’s Heart Café at Heller Plaza is the new place to go when one comes to Sedona, with free Wi-Fi and reasonable prices.” Blanche finished reading.

  “Life is grand, now, Kimberly!” “That’s wonderful, Aunt Blanche! Can we talk?” Kimberly, said before she could change her mind and chicken out

  “What is it, my dear?” Blanche said, putting down the newspaper.

  “Remember I told you that Lexy’s Aunt Renee is staying with the Heller’s for a few weeks?”

  “Yes, what about it? Lexy told me she wants me to meet her aunt.”

  “Aunt Blanche, this aunt of hers has a history with Max,” she said hating to be the bearer of bad news

  “What do you mean?”

  “They were lovers once,” Kimberly told her in a quiet voice

  “I had no idea. Max hasn’t told me that. He said that his late brother’s wife was spending time with them, and I trust him to tell me if it is something more. Besides, I’m a married woman.”

  “Do you love Max?” Kimberly brut out.

  Blanche, astonished at the question, stood up from her chair

  “If so, please leave Uncle Dean! Kimberly pleaded. “We can move into the Heller mansion, and we can be a family! I don’t want this Renee Rara, the fashion designer, to take Max away from you.”

  “Kimberly, don’t act childish… I care very much for Max, but I have my reasons for not leaving Dean. Things you would not understand.”

  “Oh, I see. You are scared to leave Dean,” Kimberly said, rolling her eyes “No, it’s not that, and we won’t discuss it, Kimberly, Blanche told her, curtly.

  She knew that her aunt was not going to go into detail by the tone of her voice, “Max and I… well, that’s all you should know. Don’t build something up in your head; that’s not true.”

  “Fine. I just thought you should know about Renee.”

  “Well, I appreciate your telling me, but I am sure if anything serious was going on between Max and Renee, Max would let me know. I’m sure he would have eventually told me about his past with Renee. Kimberly, I don’t want you to get involved in this.”

  Kimberly was angry. It had taken a lot of courage to tell her aunt about Renee, rather than having her aunt’s heartbroken.

  I’m sorry, Aunt Blanche.”

  “I understand. I would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes,” Blanche said with a big smile. “What will be, will be, Kimberly.”

  “What’s that mean?” Kimberly asked, too tired for a lecture about life from her aunt

  “It means things will work out as they are meant to be.”

  “I get it. What are we doing tomorrow? Mr. Heller is having his annual summer party tomorrow night!”

  “Working. Saturdays will be busy at our café, and then we are going to that party tomorrow night, with Uncle Dean,” Blanche told her. Kimbe
rly looked out the window and saw her uncle’s car pull into the driveway. Drunk already, she bet.

  Why can’t Aunt Blanche just leave him for Max? Kimberly thought.

  After dinner, Max and Renee decided to take a stroll in the gardens while Lexy stayed inside and watched TV. The sun was setting, and Max saw the Red Rocks glowing, giving off the magical energy they possess. Max had been waiting to get her alone all week, but Lexy seemed to be everywhere they went. Max knew he held the fates of four people in his hands, and the last thing he wanted to do was to wreck Lexy and Kimberly’s friendship with his love for Renee

  “Lexy is wonderful! We had a grand time shopping together in Scottsdale. You did a wonderful job of raising her, Max.” “Thank you!”

  “It is still hard to believe that she is fifteen. I would love for you

  to let her come see me in Paris.”

  “Okay, just let me know when,” he said to her. While thinking

  about how to tell her what really was on his mind

  “What are you thinking about, Max?” Renee asked, brushing

  her hair out of her face

  “How wonderful the Red Rocks and the gardens look tonight,”

  Max commented

  “Yes, everything certainly has grown. It feels like it was only

  yesterday that Lexy and I planted this garden. She was seven, I

  think. What a grand time we had!” “Yes, I thought you two were

  crazy to plant a garden as the mansion was being built. I was so

  worried about my girls…you and Lexy,” Max said, realizing that he

  had just called Renee “his girl.”

  “Max, it’s okay. I know that I messed up our wonderful

  relationship. I missed out on a lot, watching Lexy grow up, a

  chance to have a family, to bring a baby into the world, and you and I growing old, over a dumb fashion line in Paris,” Renee

  admitted to him, turning around to face him

  “I have been trying to talk to you about us,” Max told her,

  “What about us?” Renee asked looking at him

  “You have been gone a very long time, and I’ve met a woman by