by Brandy Bruce
“Ethan?” Isa answered. “Everything okay?”
He gritted his teeth. “Yeah, I’m all right. My back is sore today.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’m at the hospital right now. We’re about to meet with my father’s doctors.”
“Has something happened?” His heart felt as though it had plunged to his stomach.
“No, we’re just looking at options. I have to go.”
“Oh. Would you…? Do you want me to come over there? Is there anything I can do?”
“No, it’s a family thing. I can call you later.”
Ethan stared at the phone after Isa had hung up, the hurt from his back now spreading to his heart. He picked himself back up and decided to call Caleb. He might as well box up all the leftover food from the cooking sessions and send it over to the guys next door. He’d rather eat with the firefighters than have to go home to his empty studio.
* * *
Isa folded her arms and looked from her mother to Leo.
“I’m for it,” Leo said with conviction. “It could help. There are risks, yes, but right now Dad’s unhappier than ever with his condition. He needs relief from the symptoms. I know it’s not a cure. But it could help.”
“He wants to do it, Isabella,” her mother said.
Isa squeezed the bridge of her nose, wishing she knew what the outcome would be, wishing she knew the best course of action for her dad, for herself, for her family. “I know he does.”
“So are we in agreement, then?” Leo asked. “Do we move forward with the surgery?”
The three of them stood in Dr. Rosas’s office. After a lengthy consultation with the doctor, Isa, Leo and her mother were discussing the situation while Gabriel began a few tests. Isa paced the room. She stopped after a moment.
“I vote yes. If Dad wants the surgery, I vote yes. I’m very comfortable with Dr. Rosas, and she’ll be working closely with the neurology center every step of the way,” Isa yielded.
Her mother took a deep breath, her eyes lighting with an optimism that worried Isa.
“Mom, you heard the risks. And you know Dad will still have Parkinson’s. You understand that, right?”
Her mother nodded. “Of course I do. But if this surgery might improve his quality of life, it’s a chance I want for him.”
“All right, then. We’ll tell Dr. Rosas we want to do all the necessary tests to make sure Dad’s a good candidate for the surgery,” Isa said.
Her mom reached out for both Isa and Leo to take her hands.
“Let’s pray together.”
Isa closed her eyes and hoped God was listening.
* * *
Four days later Isa stood outside Redeemer Community Church, staring up at the large building.
“You made it!”
She turned to see a beaming Ethan walking up behind her.
“I told you I’d be here.” He walked up to her and Isa’s first thought was again of how tall Ethan was. Sometimes she felt as if he towered over her. She reminded herself to wear heels the next time they were together. Looking up at him, she was also reminded of how handsome he was. In just dark jeans and a shirt with the fire-station logo, he still made her heart rate accelerate. She tilted her head to the side, enjoying the view of Ethan.
“I know,” he said. “But I also know you worked the late shift last night unexpectedly. I wasn’t sure you’d have the energy to stay up.”
Isa held up a Grande-sized Starbucks cup. “I’m fueled for the moment. Just nudge me if I start to snore or something. I hate to turn down extra shifts. The additional money always helps.”
He led her into the church, assertively taking her hand in his. She liked the big open sanctuary and the easy friendliness of the churchgoers. Many knew Ethan and stopped to say hello to both of them. She knew they looked like a couple, walking around holding hands, standing so close to each other.
They sat together and Isa liked the fact that Ethan never let go of her hand. She couldn’t deny that he was beginning to feel more like a boyfriend than just a guy she casually dated. Even to her they seemed like a couple.
He brings me chocolate-stuffed croissants for breakfast.
When he kisses me, I’m almost sure I’m in love.
His blue eyes make me lose my train of thought at any given moment.
The list could go on. She chose not to think about it. Isa knew from experience that chemistry could happen with any number of guys. She needed more than chemistry.
She needed longevity.
The worship team began to sing and Isa tried to relax. She wasn’t sure why she felt so uneasy. For goodness’ sake, she’d been attending church for nearly as long as she’d been alive. Why, then, did she feel uneasy? She considered that it had been probably six months since she’d darkened the door of the church she normally attended with her parents.
It’s just been a while. I feel like something of a stranger to church, I guess.
The song leader paused between songs. He sat perched on a stool near the podium and smiled out at the congregation.
“Do you ever feel like you need a new song?”
Isa sat unmoving in her seat.
“I’m not just talking about a new worship song for us to learn. I’m talking about a new song in your heart. Have you ever felt completely dry, maybe discontent? Like you need something new, something fresh? You want to feel alive. You need a new song to well up inside you. But have you ever felt like you couldn’t find that song on your own? I have felt that way. Psalm 40:3 tells us that God can put a new song in our mouths and that many will see it and fear and trust in the Lord. Maybe you’re thinking that you can barely trust in God yourself, so no one is going to look at you and learn to trust in God.”
Isa stared down at her hands, blinking rapidly to hold back any wayward waterworks. But the room was quiet and she had to peek back up at the song leader. He had a knowing smile, a peaceful look in his eyes.
“You’d be surprised by what God can do.”
Isa tried to concentrate on flipping through the church newsletter she’d received upon entering the sanctuary. She hoped the worship part of the service would end quickly.
“For those of us feeling dry…I want to remind us all that Christ came that we might live abundantly. Dry and discontent are not your future. Don’t believe that. A new song is waiting to fill your heart.”
Even with her head down, her eyes glued to the newsletter, Isa had to struggle for breath. She thought of her dad. Even trapped in a body that wouldn’t let him do the things he wanted to do, he seemed more at peace than she felt.
The thought shamed her.
I don’t want to be here, she told herself, though the words didn’t quite ring true with her heart. She didn’t like the guilty feelings that always seemed to accompany going to church. But something in her didn’t want to leave. Her soul felt parched.
A new song. A more abundant life. Dry and discontent.
Every word pricked her heart.
She glanced over at Ethan, prepared to whisper to him that she was feeling exhausted and needed to leave. But his eyes were on her, watching her seriously.
“You’re right where you need to be, Isa. Trust me,” he whispered in a low voice. She looked into those intense blue eyes. His hand tightened around hers and the ensnared sensation she’d felt wrap around her like a rope just moments before seemed to lessen as a result of the gentle pressure of Ethan’s strong hand.
Isa exhaled.
A new song.
I wish.
* * *
“Do you think you’d like to go again with me next week?” Ethan asked as they walked through the church parking lot together. He was unsure as to how Isa might respond.
She fiddled with the keys in her hand. “I�
�ll have to see.”
He just nodded. “Of course. It’s an open invitation, Isa.”
She stopped by her car. “I liked your church, Ethan. Really, I did.”
“It could be your church, too.”
She looked past him at the parking lot. “I should probably go home and sleep for a while.”
“Or,” Ethan began, “you could have lunch downtown with me. Your choice.”
She smiled Ethan’s favorite smile, the one filled with amusement and interest.
“My choice? Well, I’m not going to pass that up. Hop in my car and I’ll drive. I owe you a family dinner, Ethan.”
He didn’t even try to conceal his surprise. “Dinner with your family?”
“That’s right. We’re eating at Romano’s today. The family’s gathering in one of the banquet rooms at the Franklin Street location. Interested?”
Interested in being part of a real family dinner? Interested in Isa actually including him in a special family gathering? Interested in being with people rather than being alone?
He cleared his throat, trying to control his eagerness. “That sounds great, Isa. Thank you for inviting me.”
“No problem. You invited me first anyway. And I owe you a family dinner after how the last one you attended went.”
“To be fair, you warned me there’d be commotion,” Ethan said with a shrug.
Isa laughed. “True. But we don’t normally have women going into labor!”
Twenty minutes later Ethan followed Isa through the large Romano’s restaurant until they reached a spacious room, closed off, in the back. The room was bursting at the seams with people. Ethan recognized many from the short time he’d spent at Isa’s parents’ home the day Maggie had gone into labor. A buffet table lined the back wall and the smells of warm Italian dishes drifted through the room.
“Take Tony,” Mandy instructed. Isa’s sister-in-law walked up to Ethan and Isa. She grinned at Ethan.
“Ethan! So nice to see you,” Mandy said as she passed the baby to Isa. “I’m starving and Leo disappeared into the kitchen. They’re a bit short-staffed, so he’ll probably have to work. Grab a seat for me by you guys, would you?”
Ethan noticed that Isa looked thrilled to take the baby; she patted Tony’s back and whispered to him softly as Mandy joined the buffet line.
“Go make your plate, Ethan. I’ll find seats for us and Mandy,” Isa instructed.
Once his plate was nearly overflowing with lasagna, salad, chicken parmesan and mushroom ravioli, Ethan found Isa near the head of the table. She passed Tony to her mother while she went to the buffet. Left sandwiched between Isa’s mother and her sister-in-law, he tried to keep up with the myriad conversations around him. Isa’s mother often spoke in Italian to certain family members.
“It’s okay, Ethan,” Mandy said with a light smile. “You’ll get used to it. Leo sometimes rattles off to me in Italian and I don’t understand one word.”
Ethan shrugged, “I don’t mind. It must be nice to be part of such a large family.”
She looked at him thoughtfully. “Isa mentioned that you’re…well, not so used to a large family.”
He finished a bite of lasagna and wiped his mouth. “The firefighters of Company 51 are my family. But other than that—no, I don’t really have a family.”
He appreciated that she didn’t make a big deal out of it.
“You know what I think?” she said in a low voice.
He leaned close to hear her amid the noise.
“Families come in all shapes and sizes. The people in this room make up one of the most loving, beautiful families that I’ve ever seen. Not perfect, but they’re a picture of what I think family ought to be. They can make each other crazy, but they love each other like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The Romanos are special, Ethan. And if Isa brought you to family dinner today, she thinks you’re pretty special, too.”
He smiled at her, grateful for her words.
“She’s hard to read sometimes, you know?” Ethan said regarding Isabella.
Mandy laughed. “She’s a challenge. I’m guessing that’s part of why you like her.”
Ethan looked over at Isa by the buffet table. She stood with her hands on her hips, arguing with someone he was fairly certain was her cousin; the two girls looked so similar. Within seconds both girls were laughing and Isa’s bright smile lit up the corner of the room. She shook back her dark hair and Ethan was again taken aback by how beautiful she was.
He knew in that instant that he’d been waiting for a woman like Isabella Romano for a long time without even knowing it. For so long he hadn’t even been interested in dating. Work was his life. Fighting fires gave him fulfillment. He’d dated now and then—all the wives of his friends tended to try to set him up with their single girlfriends. But dating had always felt casual, and he’d intentionally kept it that way. But now…he wanted more. Maybe he’d wanted more for even longer than he realized.
And he wanted it with Isabella.
Her family just happened to be a bonus.
“Ethan,” Mandy said, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced over at her. “When I say Isa’s a challenge, I mean it. If you want to win her heart, you’ll have to dive in for the long haul. She’ll need proof.”
“Proof?” he echoed.
Mandy nodded without further explanation. Isa’s mother passed Tony back to Mandy and Isa joined them at that moment, breathless with laughter. She sat down between Mandy and Ethan.
“What were you two talking about?” Isa whispered to Ethan.
He shrugged. “You.”
She smiled as though she didn’t mind.
“I want to remind you that you did say you were looking for more chaos in your life, remember?” Isa teased.
Ethan winked at her, leaning closer until Isa held her breath.
“I’m pretty sure I found the chaos I was looking for, Isabella.” He whispered the words so only she could hear them. He could see her weighing his words, unable to find her own. He enjoyed the blush rising in her cheeks.
“Did you just associate me with pandemonium, Ethan Carter?” she whispered back.
“You said it, Isabella Romano,” Ethan answered with a grin.
Chapter 11
Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow. Five-fifteen in the morning and he was already stressed beyond belief. In just two hours, the Second Chance Café would open. His café would open. He’d spent the past week at the café day and night, preparing to open. Every day, his cooks had prepared a trial service in order for Ethan to ensure that the food was up to par. Bread was baking, the new menus were ready to be handed out, the casual, firefighter-style T-shirts for the waitstaff had arrived, the sign out front looked inviting and beautiful—all that was needed was paying customers.
It’s now or never.
Ethan pulled pans of bread from the ovens. He’d arrived to begin baking bread at 3:00 a.m., along with a second baker. The kitchen, drenched with the scent of fresh, hot homemade bread, smelled incredible. By 6:00 a.m., both cooks had arrived and they were prepping for a breakfast rush. The firefighters had helped spread the word for the past several weeks, passing out flyers all over the city in anticipation of the grand opening of the Second Chance Café. Blake’s college-aged son had created an amazing website for Ethan. With a few finishing touches, Rachel had the interior dining room ready and it was striking. The gas fireplace indeed made the dining room inviting and attractive.
Ethan could barely breathe from nervousness. He’d be cooking for strangers, people there to critique his culinary creations.
What if no one showed?
He felt sick.
Oh, God, I didn’t expect to feel so nervous. What if I fail? What if this whole enterprise was just plain crazy on my part? What if no one like
s the food? What if I don’t make any money?
Ethan took a deep breath. He’d been trying to memorize Scripture ever since he’d accepted Christ—one of Caleb’s suggestions.
He stepped outside the kitchen into the dining room for a moment alone. He placed both hands on the coffee bar and bowed his head.
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. The Bible verse flooded his heart. It was a simple, short verse, and one of the first he’d memorized. He held on to it for dear life.
When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
“Ethan?”
He opened his eyes to the sight of one of the waitresses studying him. “I checked the bathrooms—everything looks fine. I made sure all the silverware has been rolled up. The guys in the back said that the kitchen is prepped. We’re ready.”
He nodded at her, again wiping the sweat from his forehead. “It’s five till seven. I’m going to go ahead and open up.” Ethan unlocked the front doors. A smile crossed his face at the sight of the fire chief standing at the door.
“Chief Rawlins!”
“I wanted to be your first customer, Carter.”
Ethan swallowed the boulder in his throat and held the door open. “Welcome.” Ethan stepped aside as Jenny, his head waitress, led Chief Rawlins to the coffee bar and poured him a cup of coffee while he perused the menu. The front doors opened and a host of rowdy firefighters clambered inside. Ethan grinned as he disappeared into the kitchen to start working. The orders were steady. Ethan had expected a busy first day with the excitement of a new café, and he was not disappointed.
Jenny poked her head in the kitchen at about seven-thirty. “We’ve got a customer who wanted to compliment your pain au chocolat.”
Ethan couldn’t stop the smile from coming to his face.
“About five foot four? Dark hair and dark eyes?”
Jenny laughed as she went back to the dining room.
Ethan washed his hands and checked the status of all the orders before stepping out behind the coffee bar. There sat Isa at the bar, the most beautiful woman for miles. He waved as Mick and Kay walked through the door, holding up one finger for Isa to give him a moment. He walked over to the older couple.
