A Slice of Heaven

by Sherryl Woods

  His gaze met hers. “I just don’t want to mess things up between us, you know?”

  She nodded, filled with relief. “I know. Me, too.”

  “And I’ll be going away to school next year,” he reminded her. “It would be crazy to start something and then have to leave.”

  “You’re probably right,” she agreed, her hopes deflating.

  “Still, maybe we could spend some time together,” he said, as if he was working it out in his own mind as he spoke. “Like today, this shopping trip. We could think of it like a date, sort of.” He regarded her hesitantly. “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s a really good place to start,” she agreed.

  A grin spread across his face and he reached for her hand again. “You mind?”

  “Not at all,” she said, then winced. “But you’re supposed to drive with both hands on the wheel.”

  He released her reluctantly. “That’s one of the things I like about you. You follow the rules.”

  “Not always,” she said. “But I have learned that some rules are there for a reason.” She gave him a quick sideways glance as he started the car. “But you could hold my hand when we get to the mall. I can’t think of a single rule that would break.”

  Ty’s mouth curved into that smile that made her knees weak. “Me, neither,” he said.

  Annie felt as if she were floating on air. She’d taken a risk and it had paid off. She and Ty were a couple. Or almost a couple. Better than just friends, anyway. Heck, she didn’t know what they were, but it felt good.

  Ronnie was spitting mad. Dana Sue had successfully evaded every single attempt he’d made to get her in to see Doc Marshall. Tuesday’s promise had turned into Wednesday’s, then Friday’s. He’d spent most of each day trying to catch up with her, but it seemed no matter where he looked or called, he’d just missed her. Either she was slippery as an eel or her friends were covering for her. And he had too much respect for her professionalism to barge into the kitchen at Sullivan’s and make a scene—though he was only a hairsbreadth away from doing so.

  In fact, the only thing that would prevent the two of them from having a major blowup at the restaurant tonight was the presence of Butch Thompson. If Butch hadn’t especially requested dinner at Sullivan’s, Ronnie wouldn’t have gone within ten miles of the place, fearing what he might say or do when he finally crossed paths with Dana Sue.

  Butch and his wife were already seated at a table when he arrived. Ronnie forced a smile, greeted Jessie Thompson with a kiss on the cheek, then shook Butch’s hand.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  “We were early,” Butch said. “I’ve been itching to get a look at this menu all day long. Even Jessie’s declared a night off from her no-meat rule.”

  Ronnie chuckled. “Then I highly recommend the meat loaf. It’s one of the specialties here. With red bliss mashed potatoes, you’ll think you’re back in your mama’s kitchen.”

  “Not my mama’s,” Jessie declared. “She couldn’t cook worth a lick. That’s why I learned so young, so the family wouldn’t starve to death or die from eating too many things turned to charcoal. I did everything the old-fashioned, Southern way, too. It’s a wonder our blood can still find a way through our arteries.”

  Butch patted her hand. “You’ve made up for it, Jessie. We’re eating real healthy now. In fact, I’m sure all that oatmeal has sopped up any cholesterol that’s slipped past you. A break tonight won’t hurt either one of us.”

  She laughed. “It’s not that bad,” she told Ronnie. “Butch likes people to take pity on him.” She gave Ronnie a knowing look. “The way you did when you took him out for that steak a few months back.”

  “Whoops!” Ronnie murmured. “I guess she caught us.”

  “Said she could smell it on my breath,” Butch confessed. “But I think it’s just some sixth sense she has about when I’ve strayed from the straight and narrow.”

  Butch winked at his wife, reminding Ronnie of what a lasting marriage could be—two people who might bicker and tease, but who loved each other despite all their foibles.

  “So, Ronnie, are you going to lure your ex-wife out of the kitchen so we can meet her?” Jessie asked.

  He stiffened. “We’ll see,” he said tightly.

  Butch gave him an odd look, obviously picking up on the tension in his voice. “Things going okay on that front?”

  “We’ve hit a little impasse over something, but we’ll fix it,” Ronnie assured him, his gaze drifting toward the door to the kitchen, where he was hoping to catch a glimpse of Dana Sue as the waitstaff went in and out.

  Brenda bounced up to the table just then and grinned at him. “Hi, Mr. Sullivan. Does Dana Sue know you’re here?”

  “No, and don’t bother her. I’m sure she’s busy.”

  “It’s crazy in there,” Brenda confided. “Karen called in and bailed on her again. Third time this week. Dana Sue’s looking pretty frazzled.”

  Frazzled wasn’t good, Ronnie thought. If he could have, he would have canceled this meeting and gone to lend her a hand. Instead, he forced a smile for Butch and Jessie. “You ready to order?”

  “The meat loaf’s come highly recommended,” Butch said. “I’ll have that.”

  “Make it two,” Jessie chimed in.

  “Might as well be three,” Ronnie said.

  After the waitress had gone, he looked at his partner. “Any particular reason you wanted to meet tonight?”

  “Aside from the prospect of a good meal, you mean?” Butch said. “I just wanted to congratulate you on the way things are going. I’ve looked over those reports you’ve been faxing to me, and you’re well ahead of projections. That tells me you’re working hard.”

  “Trying to,” Ronnie said. “Things should really start hopping after the first of the year. I want to justify the faith you had in me.”

  “Maybe you’re trying a little too hard,” Butch suggested, his expression one of concern.

  Ronnie stared at him. “What do you mean? How can I possibly be trying too hard?”

  “This business wasn’t the only thing that brought you back to Serenity, was it?”

  “You know it wasn’t,” Ronnie said.

  “How much time have you spent with your daughter and your ex-wife since you opened the business?”

  “Not as much as I’d like,” he admitted.

  “Don’t take your eye off the real prize here,” Butch told him. “What good is a thriving company if you don’t have someone to share your life with?”

  Jessie smiled. “Listen to him, Ronnie. He’s the voice of experience. I said something very much like this to him thirty-five years ago. He took it to heart, which is one reason we’re still together. I wouldn’t have given you two cents for the likelihood of that after our first five years of marriage, when he lived and breathed that construction company from early morning till late at night.”

  Butch covered her hand with his, then turned to Ronnie. “What did you see when you looked at those reports you’ve been sending?”

  “A positive bottom line,” he replied. “Four-month goals being met in one-quarter of that time.”

  The older man nodded. “Looked real good, too, didn’t it?”

  “Sure,” Ronnie said, though he wasn’t at all certain where this was heading.

  “But how many late nights did it translate into?” Butch asked. “How many times did you blow off the chance to spend time with your daughter or Dana Sue, so you could have an extra business meeting in the evening?”

  Ronnie sighed as the point sank in. “Too often,” he admitted.

  “I set you up with enough capital for the five-year plan we put down on paper. Succeeding in less time than that would be great, but not if it takes a toll on your personal life. Balance, son. Don’t underestimate the value of balance when it comes to setting your priorities.”

  Ronnie got the message. Once again, he thought of what Brenda had told him about the situation in the kitchen. He
glanced that way.

  “You worried about what the waitress said earlier?” Butch asked. “About someone not showing up for work tonight?”

  Ronnie nodded. “Dana Sue’s too stubborn to call for help, but on a Friday night this place turns into a zoo.”

  “If you’d like to pitch in and give her a hand,” Jessie said, “we’ll be just fine.”

  “That’s right,” Butch confirmed, his gaze locking with hers. “It’s not often I get my wife all to myself anymore. You go ahead and do whatever you can to help. I think I’ve gotten my point across, am I right?”

  “Absolutely, and thank you,” Ronnie said. “I really appreciate it. Don’t forget that your dinner’s on me. It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for me.”

  “No need for that. We’re partners, son,” Butch reminded him. “You’re doing plenty to keep your end of the bargain. Now, go on in there. I want to see if I can convince Jessie to stay at a motel with me tonight and pretend we’re honeymooning.”

  Ronnie left the two of them with their heads together and a look in Jessie’s eyes that suggested Butch wasn’t going to have to do much persuading. Apparently she wasn’t half as hardheaded and impossible as the woman in Ronnie’s life.

  Dana Sue wasn’t sure exactly when she noticed that she was feeling a little queasy and light-headed. It must have been right as the dinner rush kicked into high gear. Karen had bailed on her for the umpteenth time lately, which meant Dana Sue was going to have to deal with the headache of replacing her, something she’d been loath to do, knowing how difficult things were for Karen as a single mom. Still, she couldn’t have an assistant who was this unreliable.

  Amazingly, Ronnie had once again come to her rescue. He’d breezed in the door a few minutes ago, plucked an apron from the hook in the pantry and asked for an assignment. He’d done it without commenting on her failure to schedule a doctor’s appointment, but she doubted she was off the hook. When she risked a look in his direction, she noticed he was chopping vegetables and making salads like a pro. She’d just turned to thank him for pitching in when she broke out in a sweat.

  This wasn’t the first time it had happened. On each occasion she’d found a way to dismiss the symptoms, just as she’d dismissed them when her hand had felt a little numb and she’d had to put aside a knife and stop chopping until sensation came back. Adding up all the incidents suddenly frightened her in a way that each individual occurrence hadn’t.

  She grabbed a stool and sat. Frightened by the light-headed feeling, which still wasn’t going away, she called Ronnie’s name, her voice little more than a frightened whisper. He whipped around and was at her side in an instant.

  “You okay?” he asked, his hands on her thighs. “What’s going on?”

  “I think her blood sugar must be all out of whack,” Erik said, immediately joining them, his expression worried. “She hasn’t been paying attention to what she’s eaten lately. Her blood-testing kit is in her office. I’ll get it.”

  “No,” she protested, not wanting Ronnie to witness whatever evidence might show up in the results.

  Ronnie looked into her eyes. “Sugar, we had this conversation the other night. You know you can’t play games with this, not if you have diabetes.”

  “I don’t have it,” she said, shooting a disgusted look at Erik for ratting her out about her eating habits, and for being so quick to volunteer to get her testing kit. “Not yet, anyway.”

  “Do I need to get you to a hospital, call 911, what?” Ronnie asked, calm and reassuring, but grimly determined.

  Erik handed her a slice of cheese. “This should help. I’ll go get your kit.”

  Within a few moments, Dana Sue could feel her body slowly returning to normal. “That’s better,” she said, regarding Erik gratefully as he returned. “No need to test now.”

  “Either run the test or go to the hospital,” Erik said flatly.

  “I’m with Erik,” Ronnie said. “Two choices, Dana Sue. We either call Doc Marshall and ask him to meet us at his office, or we go straight to the emergency room.”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be okay. Besides, we’ve got a full house tonight. I don’t have time to go anywhere.”

  “Annie could pitch in,” Erik suggested. “She’s learned some of the basics from you. And Helen said she’d come by anytime we need her. Believe it or not, she takes directions in here pretty well.”

  “Call them,” Ronnie told Erik, then scooped Dana Sue into his arms. “Let’s go get you checked out, sugar.”

  “Put me down, you idiot,” she snapped, even though it felt good to be cradled against his chest. “And don’t you think, under the circumstances, that calling me ‘sugar’ is a bad idea?”

  Ronnie grinned. “You are feeling better, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, dammit, which is why I don’t need to see a doctor.”

  “Too bad. Maybe if you’d made that appointment earlier in the week the way I asked you to, it wouldn’t have come to this,” he said, exchanging one of those superior-male looks with Erik that made her want to clobber them both over the head with a cast-iron skillet. Erik was grinning when Ronnie marched out the back door with her still in his arms.

  “Ronnie Sullivan, I have been taking care of myself for quite some time now,” she began, only to have him cut her off with a look that said she hadn’t done a particularly good job of it. She frowned and admitted, “Okay, maybe I’ve let a few things slide. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

  “Annie’s better now,” he said. “And you deliberately ignored me when I asked you to call Doc Marshall and make an appointment. You know you’re in the wrong. That’s why you’ve been avoiding me ever since the night you made that promise.”

  “You didn’t ask me to do it. You ordered me to,” she reminded him.

  “Sorry. My mistake. I was just thinking about your health.”

  “Not your problem,” she said tightly.

  “I think we had that discussion the other night, too.” He plunked her down in the passenger seat of his pickup, then got behind the wheel and backed out of his parking place as if in a race. “I’m going to worry about you. Get used to it.”

  As soon as they were on the road, he glanced at her and said firmly, “Maybe we need to get something straight. I’m back for good. I thought opening the business would prove that, but I guess you’re going to need constant reminding. In addition, I intend to marry you again. The timing’s up to you, but the outcome’s a given. That gives me worry rights.”

  Even though his claim made her heart leap, she scowled at his arrogance. “The outcome is not a given,” she retorted. “You have a lot of nerve coming back here and making assumptions about me.”

  “I’m making assumptions about us, actually. We belong together, Dana Sue. That is never going to change.”

  She desperately wanted to believe him. “Even now?”

  He studied her blankly. “What do you mean, even now?”

  “I’ve gained weight. I’m dealing with the possibility of diabetes. I’m a mess,” she said, choking back a sob at how completely out of control she felt even after all the changes she’d tried to make.

  He regarded her with dismay. “Honey, you are so far from a mess,” he chided. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t care about a few extra pounds as long as they don’t hurt your health. As for the diabetes, if you have it, we’ll deal with it. If you need insulin, I’ll even learn to give you shots.”

  “You’re terrified of needles,” she objected.

  “I’ll get over it,” he said emphatically. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I love you. I love your high spirits, your generous heart, your beautiful face, even your ferocious temper. I’m not quite as crazy about your stubborn streak, but I can live with it.”

  Dana Sue held his gaze and saw nothing that would make her doubt what he was telling her. Not even the flicker of an eyelash to suggest he was using sweet talk to get something he wanted, rather t
han speaking from his heart.

  “Okay,” she said at last, giving in to him, to her own heart. She should have done this when he first came back to town, and saved them both months of aggravation, but that stubborn streak he’d mentioned had stopped her.

  Ronnie’s gaze narrowed. “Okay what? You’ll go to the doctor without complaining?”

  She shook her head. “No—though I’ll do that, too. I’m telling you I’ll marry you.”

  He looked stunned. “You’re saying yes,” he murmured, as if he couldn’t quite believe it. The tires squealed as he swerved into a parking space at the hospital and cut the engine. “Yes?”

  “I’m saying yes, and believe me, no one is more surprised by that than I am.”

  “You’re saying yes when I’m about to haul you into an emergency room,” he muttered with a shake of his head. “That pretty much knocks the romance right out of the moment.”

  She grinned at his frustrated tone. “You had something else in mind?”

  “Christmas morning,” he admitted. “A pretty velvet box under the tree. Me declaring my undying devotion, while Annie cheered. Something like that.”

  “It is a pretty picture,” Dana Sue admitted, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her out of the car. “But something about all this suits us.”

  He regarded her with a bemused expression. “A hospital parking lot suits us? How?”

  “It’s unpredictable. A little crazy.”

  He covered her mouth with his and kissed her till the dizzy sensation came back, this time in a good way.

  “I think I’ll include that in our wedding vows,” he told her when he finally pulled away, ending the kiss.

  “What?” she asked, still too dazed to think straight.

  “I’ll promise to keep things crazy and unpredictable all the days of our lives.”

  A smile spread across Dana Sue’s face. “Now that’s a promise I know you’re capable of keeping, Ronnie Sullivan.”

  And something told her that once she had her little slice of heaven back again, she wouldn’t have any desire to sneak a slice of Erik’s pies or decadent cakes. Maybe this time Ronnie would turn out to be good for her heart and for her health.