by Mayne, Debby
She was ready fifteen minutes before Dante was due to arrive, so she went into what Miss Lucille called her "chat room," a tiny alcove near the front door. She picked up a magazine from the rack beside the loveseat and looked at the pictures until the doorbell rang. Her heart instantly beat faster.
Chapter 2
Dante was surprised as the door flung open within seconds of when he rang the doorbell. He grinned.
"Hi." Her voice cracked, and then she cleared her throat. "I'm ready to go."
He felt awkward as he held out the flowers and scarf. She glanced at them before looking back up at him, her eyes wide. "These are for you. We should probably put the flowers in water so they don't wilt." She stared at the scarf before smiling up at him. "This is really pretty."
"Why don't we put the flowers in water before we leave?" he repeated.
"Y-yes, of course." She took a step back. "Come on in. I'll see if I can find a vase in the kitchen."
Dante followed her to the back of the house, wishing he knew what to say. But he was tongue-tied.
She opened and closed several cabinets before she finally settled on a large plastic cup. "I have no idea where the vases are, so we can use this for now. Remind me to ask Bethann when we see her tonight." She picked up the scarf, looked at it again as she caressed it, and then draped it around her shoulders. "This is perfect, Dante." Her expression had softened.
"I'm glad you like it." If he knew he'd get that kind of reaction merely by giving her pretty things, he'd shower her with them. But he didn't want to overdo it, or he might scare her away.
A few minutes later, they were on their way to Gramercy Tavern, one of Judd's favorite restaurants. Dante kept trying to start a conversation by asking questions, but she gave him one-word answers. Finally, he sighed and gave up. They rode in silence for a few minutes before she turned to him and flashed him an apologetic smile.
"Sorry," she said. "I'm a little on edge tonight."
"Yeah, me too. Why don't we start over?"
She hesitated for a split second before nodding. "That's a good idea."
He took advantage of her agreeability and reached for her hand. She quickly tensed but slowly relaxed. "So how was your day?"
Sunny blinked a few times before answering. "I took some things to Miss Lucille at the rehab center. She's going to try crocheting."
"Didn't she do that before?" he asked. "As I recall, her last attempt had disastrous results." He remembered Bethann's description of the sweater last time the four of them had gotten together.
"She knitted that sweater that turned out all catawampus. Crocheting is different, and she's going to do something a tad easier this time."
"Don't tell me she's making pants."
Sunny laughed. "No, she's making a scarf."
"I'd like to see it when she's finished."
Her smile warmed him from the inside out.
*
Silence fell between them again for a moment before Sunny decided to try her hand at a fresh topic. "Did you ever look at that property for another restaurant?"
"Do you mean the one in Queens?"
She nodded. "It looked like a nice property."
"On paper, yes," he said. "But I don't think that area can support a Bubba's. I'm still looking, though."
She didn't want another lull in the conversation, so she asked, "Some of the customers are asking about more fried seafood options. And I was thinking that the menu—"
"Sunny," he said softly, holding her gaze, making her stomach churn. "Can we talk about something besides work?"
She swallowed hard. "What would you like to talk about?"
"I wasn't going to do this," he replied as he rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. "But I'd like to talk about us."
"Dante—"
He gently placed his free hand on her cheek. "Sunny, you know how I feel about you. If I could undo everything I did to make you trust me, I would. I know I made a huge mistake, and I regret it more than you'll ever know."
A lump formed in her throat as she nodded. She'd made enough mistakes in her life to know how quickly things could go bad. But still …
"Maybe," she said. "Let's just see how tonight goes, okay?"
He grimaced and then nodded. "I guess I have to accept that."
She turned and looked out her window to keep him from seeing the confusion on her face. She wanted more than anything to trust Dante and to let their relationship blossom into what it promised to be. But Chase had stolen her ability to trust, and she hadn't managed to get it back … at least not yet. She still had feelings for Dante, but every time she allowed herself to enjoy them, she had moments of fear that were downright debilitating.
Chase's sister Caroline had been a good friend too, but his death had changed their relationship. Caroline became moody and eventually quit returning her calls. Less than a year later, Caroline's family moved away.
At first Sunny had blamed God, and then she blamed his family for leaving town so abruptly after the funeral. She had mixed feelings about Chase, but she still loved his family after he was gone. It confused her that they didn't seem to love her back.
"Sunny," Dante said barely above a whisper.
She turned around and faced him. His attempt at a smile touched her heart, so she smiled back. A look of guarded joy came over him.
"You were so deep in thought I hated to interrupt you." He paused. "We'll be there in a few minutes."
She nodded. "I know." She swallowed hard and lowered her head, asking God to give her the strength to get through the evening without constant reminders of what she'd gone through. She'd been teetering on tears ever since she realized she could fall in love with Dante, but the memories of the past kept popping up.
Once they arrived, Dante paid the cab driver, and they went inside to find Judd and Bethann waiting. Bethann looked back and forth between them, a curious expression on her face. Judd, on the other hand, appeared normal. He gave Sunny a quick hug before reaching out to shake Dante's hand.
"Haven't seen you in a while. I'm glad the two of you could make it."
Bethann leaned into him as she continued staring at Sunny. A brief glance at Dante let Sunny know that he noticed it too.
Finally, the maître d' motioned for them to follow him to their table. Before Sunny arrived in New York City, she'd never eaten at a restaurant as nice as this … or as expensive. The first time she went, she couldn't even speak, so Bethann and Cissy had to order for her. This time, she was prepared.
"Everything looks delicious," she said as she closed the menu. "Since it all sounds so good, I'd better leave it up to you." She gave Dante a swift glance and hoped he'd accept.
She watched his face as he appeared momentarily concerned, but he quickly recovered. "They have the best sea bass in town. How does that sound?"
Before she could answer, Bethann laughed. "It's not as good as the fried catfish at Bubba's, but I like it too. I think that's what I'll have."
Dante choked on the water he'd just sipped. "I can't believe you'd even compare the food at Bubba's to this."
Bethann shrugged. "It's all a matter of taste. This is more expensive and possibly more elaborately prepared, but some of us like downhome cooking and prefer it to just about anything else."
"I get it," Judd agreed. "Before I met Bethann, I had no idea what I was missing." He cast a loving glance at his wife. "Her great-aunt told me she was a great cook, but I didn't realize how good until that first brunch."
"Love at first brunch," Dante said. "I like the sound of it. In fact, that would make a great movie title."
That started a conversation about movies and titles, buying time to avoid anything too personal. Sunny knew that Bethann was dying to see something—some spark—between her and Dante.
Dinner was delicious, and Sunny finally relaxed as the evening wore on. The one time Bethann started to press for more information, Judd cut a warning glance in her direction, and she sat back and smiled. Nothin
g else was mentioned about Sunny and Dante being an item.
Finally, Dante looked at Sunny. "I know you need to get up early in the morning. Are you ready to go now?"
She nodded. "I think that would be good. I'll be on my feet all morning and into the afternoon."
Judd's eyes widened with a warning look at Dante. "Cut this girl some slack, man."
Dante shrugged. "She's the one who makes the schedule. I leave it completely up to her."
Sunny knew that her assistant had some medical appointments and needed a little time off, so she'd worked her own hours around everyone else's. But she didn't want to explain anything to anyone, so she just sat there with a smile plastered on her face.
Bethann got the message. "She knows what she's doing."
"Yes, she absolutely does," Dante agreed quickly, and Sunny wondered if there was a double message in his words.
A half hour later, they pulled up to the door of Miss Lucille's big house in Brooklyn. He got out of the cab, helped her out, and asked the driver to wait.
"You don't have to get out," she said.
"I'm walking you to your door." His tone was firm, so she didn't argue.
After they reached the bottom step, he turned her around to face him. As he held her gaze, she felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she didn't dare look away.
"Sunny, I'll do whatever it takes to make you trust me, even if it takes the rest of my life."
A nervous giggle escaped her lips, but she quickly recovered. "Dante, it's probably more of my problem than yours at this point. I have baggage."
"We all do. But I'm a patient man, and I'm willing to work hard for what I want … what I know I should have."
He leaned over, kissed her on the lips, took the keys from her hands, unlocked the door, and handed them back to her. As she went inside, she was aware that he remained on the steps until she closed the door behind her.
Once she heard the cab door slam and the car pulling away, she closed her eyes. Lord, I know I'm not perfect, but I need people to be truthful with me. It's so difficult for me to trust anyone anymore, and I don't want to get involved with a man I can't trust.
She'd barely opened her eyes when her cell phone rang. It was Bethann.
"What is wrong with you, girl? Can't you see that the man is madly in love with you?"
Chapter 3
As close as she'd gotten to Bethann, she hadn't told her about Chase and the fact that she found out he'd been seeing someone else after he died. She knew that until her closest friend understood that, she'd never be able to fathom not following her heart.
"There are some things I haven't told you." Sunny's voice cracked. "Some things that are difficult for me to talk about."
"I get why you had a hard time trusting him in the beginning," Bethann said, "but hasn't he more than made up for that? The man is practically begging for you to love him back."
"I know." Sunny walked into the study and took a seat on the overstuffed chair. "It's just that … well, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to trust him, no matter what he does."
"Okay, this sounds serious. Do you want me to come over there after work tomorrow? I think you need to unload. You've been alone in that big ol' honkin' house way too long."
"I'd love for you to come over," Sunny said. "But don't expect me to change my mind."
"Oh, trust me, I get it. Remember how hard it was for me to let go and love Judd?"
Sunny did remember. "It was always obvious that you and Judd were meant to be."
"Well, if I remember correctly, even you agreed with me that something wasn't right for a while," Bethann reminded her.
"Yeah, but I got over that very quickly. Judd never did anything wrong."
"I know, but this is different. That was a misunderstanding. This is intentional deceit."
"Okay, I get that," Bethann said, "but he's already apologized more than once. If he never does that again, don't you think you should give him a chance and see where this thing can go?"
"Never is a long time. Even if he's open and honest with me now, how do I know he won't resort to his old ways in the future?"
Bethann let out a loud sigh. "If you expect perfection from someone before you allow yourself to fall in love with him, you might find yourself single for the rest of your life."
"That's not always a bad thing," Sunny said.
"True, but I don't think you should turn away from this possibility."
"Okay, okay, let's stop pounding the same drum. I get off work tomorrow at three. What time can you be here?"
"I can be there at four. How about I bring some food and the two of us cook dinner together, like old times?"
Sunny smiled. "Sounds like fun."
*
"Have fun last night?" Anthony said as he sank down in the chair across from Dante's desk the next day.
"Yes." Dante tapped his pencil on the desk and tried to think of a subject to discuss. He still hadn't processed what had happened last night, and he certainly wasn't in the mood to discuss it with his brother.
"I don't think you need to get hung up on this girl and exclude everyone else. You've always had plenty of women falling at your feet. Besides, you're not getting any younger. Mom and Pop want lots of grandkids."
Dante smiled as he shook his head. "Mom just wants someone to hug and spoil, and Pop wants to make sure the family restaurant legacy continues."
"You know it's more than that, right?" Anthony lifted an eyebrow and looked Dante in the eye. "They want us to be happy."
"I'm happy."
"Oh yeah?" Anthony stood back up and looked down at his brother. "Is that why every time I walk by your office you look like someone stole your wallet, and you're trying to figure out a way to get it back?" He paused and then turned toward the door. "I have to line up some interviews for a new chef. If you need me, you know where to find me."
Dante didn't say another word. He remained sitting at his desk, thinking about what his brother had said.
He'd been happy—or at least he thought he was—until he let himself fall in love with Sunny. Ever since the day he knew she was the one, his mind had been filled with trying to figure out how to win her trust.
It wouldn't be easy, and he understood why. A day didn't go by that he didn't want to kick himself in the backside for not being upfront with her about who he was to begin with. He thought it was a smart business move to be incognito, but that plan backfired in a way he never imagined. He understood her initial reluctance, but she was being more stubborn than he thought she should be.
The saddest part about this whole thing was that he'd never done anything like that before. In fact, it hadn't even been his idea to begin with. One of his buddies in the restaurant association had mentioned that it would be fun to see employees as the customers do, and that got everyone at the table talking about how to execute such a plan. The timing of needing a new manager was such that Dante thought it was something worth trying. Who knew he'd be playing a trick on the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with?
The remainder of the day, Dante went over and over in his mind how to undo the mess he'd created. Finally, he decided to go to the restaurant and sit until she had time to talk. She couldn't very well ignore him when she was at work. He'd do that tomorrow.
*
Sunny had a wonderful time with Bethann last night. Together they prepared a good, old-fashioned southern dinner of ham, more pots of vegetables than they had room for on the stovetop, biscuits, gravy, and pecan pie with the nuts Bethann's mama had sent from Mississippi. Bethann brought some of the food home for Judd last night, but Sunny still had enough to eat leftovers for a few days.
Since she'd worked the breakfast shift yesterday, she went in a little later to cover lunch and dinner today. As soon as she opened the door to the restaurant, her eyes connected with Dante's.
Her heart thudded, and her lips twitched. She tried her hardest to appear confident and unfazed, but she wasn't sure she
carried that off. The only consolation was that Dante looked even more nervous than she felt.
"Have you been helped yet?" she asked as she tied her apron.
Dante shook his head. "I told Estelle I would wait for you."
Sunny glanced over at Estelle who shrugged apologetically. Then she turned back to Dante. "What can I get you?"
He held her gaze long enough to know that he wasn't here for the food. "How about I start with some coffee?"
"Comin' right up." She was grateful for the opportunity to walk away and regroup. She hated being surprised like this.
Estelle joined her at the coffee station. "Sorry about that. I don't know what's going on between you and Mr. Romero, but whatever it is, it must be a doozy." She shook her head. "He looks lower'n a snake's belly in a ditch."
"Don't worry about it. I've got him covered." Sunny laughed. "Lower's a snake's belly in a ditch, huh? I haven't heard that one in a while."
Estelle smiled but didn't say a word. She just filled a carafe and carried it to a table in her station.
Sunny managed to pour coffee and place it on the table in front of Dante without spilling it, a feat that she considered huge, considering how she was quaking inside. "Are you ready to order lunch?"
"What do you recommend?" he asked.
"It's all good." She cleared her throat. "But if I were you, I'd pick the chicken and dumplings."
"Okay, that sounds good. And I'll have the turnip greens on the side."
"Cornbread, biscuits, or yeast rolls?"
Dante glanced down at the table and stared at it before looking back up at her. "You choose because you're going to join me."
"I—"
"We need to clear the air, Sunny, and if it takes calling someone else in, I'll do that."
Sunny looked over her shoulder at Estelle, who was close enough to have heard everything. Estelle gave her a thumbs-up and winked.
"Okay," was all Sunny could manage.
"If it gets too crazy, you and I can both help out," he said. "But it looks to me like Estelle has everything under control for now." He stood. "Tell you what. You sit down, and I'll go get our lunch." He leveled her with a look letting her know it wasn't open for discussion.
