by Té Russ
I didn't have the heart to wake you. I had some errands to run and Lena has class this morning so I have to open the café. Come see me when you can.
Love,
X
He'd signed the note with 'love' at the end. It could mean absolutely nothing, but Maya hoped that it was a sign to how he felt about her. She remembered the talk they'd had during their romantic picnic. Although they hadn't outright said the words, she felt like that's what they both meant. She thought about how he had been with her last night. He'd been so gentle and nurturing to her. She'd been an absolute mess, and Xavier was able to pull her out of her dark place and back into the light. He'd been able to soothe her like nothing else could.
She got out of the bed and noticed her clothes were washed and dried on the end of the bed. She took another shower and got dressed. She left the small apartment, making sure to lock the door before she closed it then headed down the stairs.
Her nose caught a whiff of those croissants she loved so much and she grabbed her stomach when it started growling, demanding food. Even though Xavier had fed her well last night, since she hadn't eaten much over the last few days she was already hungry again.
She found her way to the bistro and ran into LeAnn.
"Good morning Maya!"
"Good morning Miss LeAnn."
"You look well rested, much better than you did when Xavier brought you in here last night."
"Thank you. I feel rested. It's been a rough few days."
"I heard. Xavier told us about your sister. Come on, have a seat and I'll get you some coffee."
Maya wanted to get back to the hospital, but she also didn't want to be rude, so she did as LeAnn said and sat down. LeAnn came back a moment later with a cup of coffee and two large buttered croissants. Maya smiled at LeAnn with thanks.
"How are you?" LeAnn asked, sitting down in the seat across from her.
"I'm okay, just worried about my sister."
"Of course you are. I can certainly empathize. Xavier and Lena's mother was my best friend."
"Really?"
Leann nodded. "I met Bobby at Mona and Eric's wedding," she smiled fondly at the memory.
"Was it love at first sight like Xavier said it was with his parents?"
Leann threw her head back and laughed. "Not at all, child. Of course since I was the maid of honor and he was the best man we were paired together. We argued quite a bit, but eventually we grew on each other and soon we fell in love. When he proposed, Mona was so excited. She said since we were both going to be married to brothers it felt like we would finally be real sisters in a way. But she'd had always been a sister to me and when I lost her..."
"I'm so sorry Miss LeAnn."
"It's all right. A piece of them is still with me with Xay and especially Lena, she's the spitting image of Mona." LeAnn gave Maya an encouraging smile. "You just keep the faith. I'll be praying your sister makes a full recovery."
"Thank you, I appreciate that."
They were quiet for a few minutes while Maya ate.
"It seems Xay is quite fond of you. You should have seen him last night when he came down to cook for you. He was so worried about you. And this morning he certainly didn't want to leave you."
"I understand he has a business to run. And just so you know, I'm very fond of him too, Miss LeAnn," Maya admitted quietly.
LeAnn nodded. "You're good for him. You brought his smile back."
Maya's cell phone rang, interrupting anything she'd been about to say. When she saw her mother calling she said, "I'm sorry, Miss LeAnn I've got to take this."
LeAnn stood, and took her plate. "Let me know if you need anything."
Maya answered her phone as LeAnn walked away. "Mom?"
"Where are you?" Her mother sounded frantic.
"What's wrong?" Maya asked, quickly.
"I came by Eva's looking for you, to check on you and you weren't there. Where are you?" she asked again.
"Oh, I stayed with...a friend. I couldn't stay at Eva's with everything going on."
"Well," her mother said, sounding relieved. "You need to get to the hospital. Your sister is asking for you."
"She's awake?!" Maya asked.
"Yes, so hurry and get here!"
"I'm on my way."
Maya stood and LeAnn rushed over to her.
"She's awake. My sister's awake," Maya said with tears of joy.
LeAnn gave her a big hug. "That's wonderful!"
"I've got to go. She's asking for me. Can you tell Xavier for me?"
"Of course, go on."
"Thank you," Maya said, hugging LeAnn again. She reached in her purse and pulled out some cash to pay for her coffee and croissant, but LeAnn stopped her.
"Your money is no good here, you're practically family."
Maya smiled at LeAnn's words and then ran out of the bistro to get to her car so she could go and see her sister.
Maya peeked her head in the door of the hospital room and saw Eva laying on the bed with her eyes closed.
"After all of the nasty diapers of yours I changed when you were a baby, you let them put me in these...rags?"
Her voice was scratchy, but it was so good to hear her sister's voice.
Maya let out a sound that was part laugh and part sob.
"I'll make it up to you. I'll be changing plenty of my niece or nephew's diapers," she said, sitting down in the chair next to the bed.
"How do you feel?" Maya asked quietly.
"Like shit," Eva grumbled. "But I'm alive and my baby is too, so I'm thankful. I must look terrible though."
"You're gorgeous."
"You sound like Roger."
"He's right too. Did you already know? About the baby?"
Eva shook her head. "I definitely wouldn't have been on my way to a wine café had I known." Her mouth tilted up. "Speaking of wine, how are things going with you and your new sweetheart?"
"We don't have to talk about me right now."
"I sure as hell don't want to talk about me right now," Eva said. "We know everything there is to know, on that current subject. It felt like I hadn't talked to you in forever before the accident. So I'm demanding you tell me. I'm injured, you can't deny any of my requests."
Maya smiled and took her sister's hand. "Things are going great between Xavier and me. He's an amazing man."
"See," Eva said. "I told you a little Spring affair wasn't going to hurt."
"Evie, I think this is more than just some...affair. I think I may be falling in love with him."
"It's written all over your face," Eva smiled. "You look so happy."
"I am," Maya replied. "I really am."
"I'm glad. I hope he makes you happy the way Roger makes me happy," Eva sighed.
At that moment, Roger walked in and Eva's eyes lit up.
"I got you some juice," Roger said, holding a cup up.
"Thank you, baby," Eva said. Roger walked over and helped her take a sip then kissed her on her forehead.
Maya could feel the love radiating between the two of them. Sensing that they needed sometime alone, she stood.
"I'm going to give you guys a minute," she said.
"But you just got here," Eva cried.
Maya leaned down and kissed her big sister on the cheek. "I'll be right outside."
Roger gave her a grateful smile and she stepped out of the room.
Several hours later, Maya was outside of Eva's room again with her parents while the doctors checked on Eva.
"Maya."
She turned and smiled when she saw Xavier walking toward her with a large bouquet of flowers.
"Hey!" she said, meeting him. "I'm sorry I ran out this morning without coming to see you–"
"It's all good. Aunt Lee told me your sister woke up."
He dropped a kiss on her cheek then asked. "How is she?"
"She's amazing," Maya said, bouncing up and down. "The doctors said she is healing well. They want to keep her for a few more days for observation, but sh
e should make a full recovery."
"And the baby?"
"The baby is healthy, I got to hear the heartbeat."
"That's great," Xavier said, smiling down at her.
"What are you doing here?" Maya asked quietly. She glanced over her shoulder to see her parents watching the two of them intently.
"I wanted to check on you. Things are slow since it's after lunch, so Lena is watching over the café. Speaking of Lena," he reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope. "She wanted me to give you this."
"What is it?" Maya asked.
"Open it," Xavier said, his eyes dancing with excitement.
She slid her finger under the flap to break the seal, and pulled out a thick card stock.
"Her graduation invitations! And she sent me one?" Maya was touched that Lena would want to include her.
"Of course she sent you one," Xavier said, as though there was no reason for her to question it. "Will you come?"
"I wouldn't miss it."
"Oh Maya!"
She cringed at the sound of her mother's voice. She knew that tone, her mother was demanding an introduction.
"I've met your family, it's time you meet mine," she said as she took Xavier's hand and pulled him toward her parents.
She cleared her throat when she stopped in front of her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Xavier Fuller. He's my–"
"'Friend'?" her mother finished with a teasing smile on her face.
Maya blushed and continued, "Xavier, these are my parents Sherri and Leonard Thorton."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Xavier said, shaking their hands.
"Likewise," Sherri said, cutting her eyes to her daughter with a look that said Maya would be telling her all about Xavier later on.
Maya squeezed his hand. "I'm assuming you brought the flowers for Evie, so come on. She'll want to meet you too."
The doctors were finishing up when they walked into the room. Eva looked up and a knowing smile spread across her face.
"Well well, who do we have here?"
Half an hour later, Maya stepped out of the room with Xavier, both of them laughing.
"Don't be a stranger, Xavier," Eva called out.
"I won't," he promised. Xavier shook Roger's hand. "It was good meeting you."
"You too," Roger said.
They walked down the corridor hand in hand and Maya sighed looking up at Xavier. He'd been so charming with her family.
"They absolutely adored you," Maya said.
"I really liked them too," Xavier agreed. He looked at his watch. "I've got to go. What are your plans later?"
"I don't know," Maya answered. "Why?"
"I want you to stay with me tonight," he said directly.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "I enjoy falling asleep with you in my arms."
She loved falling asleep in his arms too. She couldn't say no.
"I'll spend the night, but with Evie getting out of the hospital soon, I'm going to have to head home to Napa soon, I don't want to miss too much more work."
"I understand," Xavier said, although she sensed he was disappointed. If she were honest with herself, she would admit that she was too. She hated only getting to see him on certain weekends when one of them were free; it got harder and harder for her to leave or watch him drive away.
"Why don't you just head on over to my place when you leave?" Xavier suggested. "There's a key under a rock in the bushes near the door. You can use it to let yourself in. If I'm not there, just make yourself at home."
"It may be late," Maya let him know.
"If it is, then I'll be waiting for you."
He kissed her on her forehead and opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. "I'll see you tonight."
She watched him as he walked to the elevator with that long virile stride. Every time she was with him, she felt more and more sure that she was in love with that man.
Chapter 13
Xavier smiled when he entered his home later that night and found soft music playing and the lights dimmed.
"Babe," he called out. "I'm home."
He loved the sound of that. He could get used to coming home to Maya every night.
He went to the bedroom and heard the shower running and decided to let her finish in peace. She'd had a rough few days, she could use some alone time. It pleased him that she'd taken his earlier advice about coming over and making herself at home. He went back into the living room and sat down on the couch, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes.
It had been a long day, especially after the night before. When Maya had shown up at the café looking so broken, he would have done anything to ease her pain. He was glad that her sister had woken up this morning; Maya had been so giddy.
He heard footsteps coming up behind him, and then felt hands running across his shoulders.
"I missed you all day," Xavier murmured.
"I missed you too, baby."
Xavier's eyes flew open and he shot up off the couch.
"Darby?"
She stood there, in nothing but a robe that was wide open.
"How the hell did you get in my house?" he asked, gruffly. He'd never told her about the hidden key.
Darby waved her hand in the air and rolled her eyes.
"Our house, you mean. Joyce let me in. I told her I misplaced my key. She was thrilled to see me," she said, referring to his housekeeper. Xavier made a mental note to inform Joyce that he and Darby were no longer together and that Joyce shouldn't let Darby in his house anymore. After Darby moved, he'd had the locks changed.
"Are you out of your mind?" he shouted. "What would possess you to come into my house as if you're welcome here?"
"How can you say that, baby?" Darby purred, as she walked seductively toward him. He took a step back.
"You need to leave Darby, now." He brushed past her and went into his bedroom looking around. He found her clothes on the bedroom floor and snatched them up. Then he marched back into the living room and shoved her clothes into her arms.
"Get dressed and get out now, before I call the cops."
Darby dropped her clothes and wrapped her hands around his wrists.
"You mean to tell me, that I'm standing here, like this, and you don't want me?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," he said, through clenched teeth, his temper rising with each passing second.
"I don't believe you," she said, digging her nails into his skin and pressing her body toward his. "You never could resist me."
Xavier looked up at the sound of the key unlocking his front door and Darby took advantage of his distracted state to press her lips against his. He pushed her away, disgusted and looked up in time to see Maya standing at the door in shock.
Maya shook her head and ran back out to her car.
"Maya!" he shouted, running after her. He caught up to her as she reached her car. "Maya, wait."
"I don't believe this," she mumbled.
"It's not what it looks like," he said.
"Of course not," she said, whipping around to face him, her eyes lit with anger. "It's never what it looks like. So you're telling me that I didn't just walk in on you kissing your ex. Who, by the way, was standing in the middle of your living room naked."
"I was trying to get rid of her when you got there."
"Why? So you wouldn't get caught?"
"Of course not! I didn't even know she was here when I got here. I thought it was you."
"That's the biggest load of crap, Xavier."
She turned again and opened her car door.
"I'm such a fool, all this time I thought you cared about me, but you've still been with her."
"After what she did to me do you honestly believe that?" Xavier asked, feeling like he'd been slapped on the face."You should know how I feel about you by now Maya, no one else. Certainly not her."
"I know what I saw in there just now," she shouted. "If that's any indication of how you really feel for me then....I'
ve been nothing more than a fool blinded by what I thought might be love."
"Maya, don't go," Xavier pleaded. "You can't possibly think, after everything we've been through, that I would actually do something like this to you. Maya you are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
She stood there staring at him with tears in her eyes and then got in the car.
"I can't do this right now," she said.
"Maya," he whispered.
She slammed the door shut, started her car and backed out of the driveway, leaving Xavier standing there watching her drive out of his life. As her headlights disappeared into the distance, he ran his hands down his face.
What the hell was he going to do?
He turned back toward the house. The first thing he was going to do was get this crazy woman out of his house. Then he was going to do everything in his power to win back the woman he loved.
"I can't believe you're still ignoring his calls."
Maya looked up at Eva, glared at her then went back to whipping through the pages of her magazine. Eva had been released a couple of days later and Roger had to go out of town. He didn't want to leave Eva, but she insisted that she would be fine.
Maya offered to stay with Eva while Roger was gone. The winery was kind enough to give her comp time so she wouldn't use up her personal or vacation days.
During that time Xavier had called, texted and instant messaged Maya non-stop, begging her to let him explain. She refused to talk to him. The image of another woman....a naked woman in his arms...was seared into her brain.
"Whose side are you on anyway?" Maya asked, frustrated that Eva was bringing Xavier up...again.
"Yours. Always. And I think ignoring Xavier is bad for you."
"Evie," Maya tossed the magazine aside and stood. "I told you what happened," she reminded Eva as she began to pace.
"No...you told me what you saw. You should let Xavier explain what happened."
"I don't think there's much to explain about walking in to find the man you love being mauled by his ex. His very naked ex."
"Maybe there is," Evie encouraged. "I mean, think about it Maya. You already told me the woman had a few screws loose. What about the time you told me how he drove all the way to Napa to see you after she showed up at his café spouting about how it was time they got back together."
