by Rachel Magee
“She gave him the ole’ one-two.” Gram let go of Paige’s hand and held her fists in front of her face, jabbing the air in dainty punches. “You have to fight for love.”
“Fight for love?” Paige asked.
“It’s your life, kiddo. You gotta go after what you want.” She punched the air again.
Aiden chuckled from behind her and massaged her shoulders. “Easy there, Sugar Ray.”
Gram waved him off. “I do Sit Fit every morning. I’m as healthy as a cow.”
Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “It’s ‘as healthy as a horse,’ Gram.”
“Pshaw. At my age it’s ridiculous to think I could run as much as a horse. But a cow who stands around and eats all day? That’s more realistic. Now, shoo and get me some of that chocolate oozy cake. I need to talk to Paige.”
Paige nodded her head at the door leading to where the food truck was parked. “You heard the lady. She needs some cake.”
Aiden shook his head. “I get no respect around here.”
Paige considered Gram’s wise words. “How am I supposed to win him back when she’s Helen-of-Troy beautiful?”
“Be Helen-of-Troy beautifuler.”
Aiden stuck his head between Gram and Paige. “‘Beautifuler’ isn’t a word, Gram.”
Gram wagged a withered finger in his face. “Watch your mouth, young man. And while you’re getting my cake, I’d like a glass of milk to go with it.” Laughter crinkled her eyes. Aiden shook his head but jogged off in the direction of the door.
“I agree, though.” Paige was no stranger to being in the presence of exceptional beauty. Her mother, a supermodel turned fashion designer icon, was known for being a knockout. Paige spent her entire childhood in the middle of the fashion industry among people who turned heads for a living. While Paige considered herself pretty enough, she didn’t belong in the same category as they did. “In this case, I’m not sure it’s an option.”
Gram’s mouth twisted to the side as she studied Paige. Everything got quiet for a second. “Sure it is. Being beautifuler isn’t about how you look. It’s about who you are. Someone may like a pretty face, but we fall in love with a beautiful soul.”
Paige tilted her head to the side in confusion. “But he’s with Sasha now.”
“True. Occasionally people distract themselves with what’s around, but when you finally see the one your soul desires, it’s impossible to look away.” Gram wrapped her warm hand around Paige’s. “All you have to do is let the beauty within you shine and the rest will fall into place.”
Gram’s wisdom swirled around her, breathing life into Paige’s deflated spirit. She focused on the memories of their past, the time they had spent together.
“We did have a pretty great thing going.” She whispered the words almost to herself.
Ciera wrapped her arm around Paige’s shoulders and squeezed. “We simply have to remind him of it.”
“Then, go. Fight for love!” Gram cheered.
“But…” A thousand insecurities ran through her mind. But what if… Before she could go too far down the rabbit hole, Gram gently rubbed the outside of her arm.
“But nothing. Love is always worth fighting for.”
Ciera clapped her hands together, a look of glee spreading over her face. “Operation Get Paige’s Man Back commences now.”
Gram punched her dainty fists in the air again. “How exciting! I need a little drama in my life.” She stopped and looked around. “Also, I need my cake. Where did Aiden go?”
“Operation Get Brody Back. I like the sound of that.” Paige watched Brody dance, and her long-lost confidence started to rebloom.
Their life together had been great. He’d be lucky to have it again. Lucky to have her again. It was time to get him back. She pushed away from the table, feeling more alive and hopeful than she had all night.
“All right, ladies, back to work. It’s time to start gathering everyone for the bouquet toss.” She stared out at the group on the dance floor and caught one last sight of Brody and Sasha together. “I know true love has a way of working itself out and all that, but it would make me feel better if we didn’t tempt fate any further by letting Sasha catch the bouquet.”
Ciera smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back. I didn’t get the award for all-district guard in high school women’s basketball for nothing.” She clasped her hands and stretched them out in front of her.
Paige laughed and headed off to find the bride. “Fight for love,” she whispered to herself. It was a crazy idea, but it just might work.
Chapter Two
The following Friday night, Aiden’s restaurant, Cedar Break, was packed and the wait time was over an hour long. It was the exact Friday night scenario he imagined when he first decided to open this place two years ago. Man, he loved it here.
He stopped at the bar to chat with a couple of guys he knew from college.
“Glad y’all made it in tonight. What’s happening?”
He did the handshake/one-slap-on-the-back hug thing, then leaned on his elbow to face his friends.
“What’s the deal, Aiden? We know the owner and we still can’t get a legit table?”
Aiden chuckled and signaled his bartender to bring them another round of drinks on the house. “The action’s at the bar anyway. You know you like it here.”
The other one held up his drink in a toast. “You’ve outgrown this place. Is it time to expand?”
The familiar apprehension prickled inside him. His investment partner, Jacob Merrick, had been talking about expansion for some time now. Cedar Break was turning a substantial profit and, according to the money man, it was time to capitalize on it. Normally, Aiden would have thought this was a good thing, that it was time to move on. But for some reason, this time he didn’t feel ready.
“You know I don’t talk business on a Friday night. I leave that for weekdays or the golf course.”
“You only talk about it on the golf course to distract us from your pathetic score.” Both buddies chuckled.
Aiden popped some of the bar nuts in his mouth and slapped Ben on the back. “You’re on to my tricks, Ben, but I got a new driver. Be prepared to put your money where your mouth is next time we play.”
He said his goodbyes and walked to the next table of people he recognized, a group of couples—friends of his older sister. He shook hands, kissed cheeks and made small talk before moving to the next table.
After an hour, he’d worked the whole room and he felt alive. This place had become his favorite hangout. He loved the warmth of the front of house and fast pace and camaraderie of the kitchen. Even though it was his restaurant—well, half of it anyway—it always caught him off guard that he felt like he belonged here more than anywhere else.
Aiden wasn’t a trained chef, and before he opened this place he hadn’t had any sort of restaurant experience. He was an entrepreneur. He turned great ideas into successful businesses. But this idea, this restaurant, which had been opened on a dare and meant to be a time killer until he came up with his next big idea, had become his favorite project of all time.
Before he could start the rotation again, Jacob, dressed in his signature jeans and blazer, walked through the front entrance. Aiden waved him over to the table where he was talking with a group of men staying at the resort for a golfing weekend.
“I’d love for y’all to meet my investment partner. You want some tips on infamous hole three? He’s your guy. Birdie every time.”
Jacob shook hands around the table. “It’s all in the drive, fellas. You gotta hit it hard if you want any shot at being on the green in two.”
There was chatter as the men exchanged smack talk about how far each of them could or couldn’t drive the ball. Jacob met Aiden’s gaze over their heads and nodded to the back offices. An ominous, smoky grey feeling drifted through Aiden, but he kept it off
his face.
As soon as the banter wound down, Aiden slapped one of the men on the shoulder. “Enjoy your dinner and let me know how tomorrow’s round goes.”
He greeted two more tables on his way to his office, as much as a stall technique as to be friendly. As soon as they walked through the door to the back part of the building, the happy buzz of conversation faded away, and Aiden’s good mood went along with it. He didn’t bother talking on the short walk down the narrow hall to his tiny office. As much as he liked this place, he hated the back offices. They felt cold and empty.
Once in his office, he claimed the chair behind his desk to give himself the upper hand in the conversation. He had no idea what Jacob wanted to discuss, but it always had to do with money. While Aiden liked making it, he didn’t love talking about it. Jacob, on the other hand, seemed to live to discuss it.
“I didn’t think I’d see you until your son’s wedding next week. To what do I owe the pleasure tonight, Jacob?” Aiden leaned back in his chair, crossing one ankle over his knee, and grabbed the football lying next to his computer.
He didn’t bother to invite Jacob to sit, but Jacob did anyway. “This place is a gold mine, kid. It’s time to cash in on it.”
Aiden glanced around the tiny, plain square of an office, as if this room was what Jacob was referring to. “A gold mine, huh? I thought you told me restaurants never make it.”
To be exact, his words were “opening a restaurant would be like flushing good money down the toilet.” But Aiden didn’t feel the need to bring that up again. In the seven years Jacob had invested in his ideas, Aiden had made millions. His ideas and Jacob’s money, it seemed to be a good combination. One he didn’t want to sever yet.
“I said most restaurants don’t make it. But what you’ve created is more than a restaurant. It’s an experience. A lifestyle. People want this. In fact, people want this to the tune of five million dollars.”
The number stunned Aiden. He gripped the football between both hands and leaned forward. “Five mil? Who’s saying those numbers?”
Jacob settled into his chair, looking far too comfortable to be on the visiting side of Aiden’s office.
“A major investment group out of Dallas. They want to franchise it. Take it national. They’ve offered a full buyout package. We’ve thrown around some numbers but haven’t agreed on anything yet.”
Aiden fell back in this chair, stunned. “Is five mil on the table?”
Jacob had come into the picture when he brokered the deal to sell Aiden’s first company, an errand-running business Aiden started in college to earn some extra money. He sold it two years later for just over a hundred thousand dollars. Aiden, who had never known that kind of money, had felt like he’d won the lottery.
Over a celebratory dinner, Aiden mentioned the next idea he was working on. Jacob loved it, and their partnership was born. Aiden came up with the ideas and built the business while Jacob fronted the money and decided when the company was ripe to sell. They split the profits fifty-fifty. The partnership worked because they each had full control over what they did best. Jacob didn’t tell him how to manage the business, and Aiden didn’t argue when it was time to sell.
Together, they sold the second company for half a million. And the next one sold two years later for just over that. The restaurant was meant to be a pet project, a time killer until he came up with his next great idea. It was never meant as a money maker and Aiden certainly never expected it to be worth more than anything else he had done.
“It’s a solid offer, Aiden, but it might need a little persuasion to go through without a hitch. That’s where I need you,” Jacob said.
Aiden nodded, trying to process everything. This was really happening. They were selling the restaurant for a pile of money. He should have been elated. He should have been digging through his desk drawers to find his lucky pen to sign on the dotted line while dreaming up his next big idea. But he wasn’t. Instead, he felt hesitant.
Jacob kept talking. “The head partner is going to be at a wedding tomorrow night at the resort. I heard you would be there as well. I thought you could schmooze him a little. Make this place seem too good to walk away from.”
The vibe of the restaurant, the happy hum of the front and the camaraderie in the kitchen, reverberated in his mind. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this? “It is too good to walk away from.”
Jacob snapped his fingers and pointed at Aiden. “That kind of passion is why you’re the master of closing deals. I knew I could count on you. Anyway, I called the resort and they seemed to think the wedding planner could get you at the same table as the investor and his wife. You have a date?”
“For a wedding tomorrow night where I RSVP’d single?”
Jacob pulled his phone out and typed a text. “No problem. Since they were already going, I’m sure his wife knows people there. How do you know the couple who’s getting married?” He waved the question off without looking up from his phone. “Never mind. Doesn’t matter. You know the entire town and half of Austin.”
“Fraternity brother from college,” Aiden answered, because Jacob needed to know that going to this wedding wasn’t about making money. His life was about more than business.
Jacob flashed a slick smile. “Fraternity brothers make some of the best business contacts. Which reminds me. I have the whole investment group coming to my son’s wedding in Seacrest next week. I figured it would be a great way to wine and dine them and close the deal. I’ve set up a lunch on Saturday for you to go over all the details with them.”
The phone in Jacob’s hand buzzed, and his attention went to the screen. He was quiet for the first time since he walked into the office. The silence settled like a brick in the pit of Aiden’s stomach.
After a second, he looked up. “So you’ll take care of this wedding, and we’re good for next week? I’m assuming you’ll have a date by then. You know men with commitments come across more trustworthy. I’d hate for them to think we weren’t serious.”
While his tone might have sounded friendly, Jacob wasn’t making a suggestion. Selling the company was his domain, and if he thought it was time and thought that Aiden needed a better half while they were courting the clients, Aiden needed to get on board on both accounts.
“Sure thing. I’ve got it under control.”
Jacob stood and took the one step required to cover the space from his chair to the door. “I knew you would. I’ll see you in Florida on Wednesday. I’ve got you set up in the biggest guestroom at my beach house. We’ll talk more then.”
He disappeared through the door before Aiden could say anything else, which was just as well, since Aiden had nothing good to say. He gripped the football in both hands and glanced around the room. They had created this place to sell it. This was always the plan. And the price tag was bigger than either of them had imagined.
But he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that this time the bottom line wasn’t all that was at stake.
Paige twisted the key in the lock of her townhouse after what could’ve been the most successful wedding rehearsal she’d ever been a part of. As a chronic planner, she’d always been a big believer in the benefits of running through an event to iron out any unforeseen wrinkles. But this time, the unforeseen wrinkle had to do with Operation Get Brody Back.
She swung the door open, and her cat sat poised on the other side, as if waiting for her.
“Well, hello, Lavender. Miss me?” She bent down to scratch the cat’s ears before hanging her keys on the hook by the door and setting her bag in its designated spot on the bottom shelf of the console table.
Lavender purred and rubbed against her legs.
“Yeah. I missed you, too. But tonight, we have work to do. Come on.”
Earlier in the evening, as the wedding party drifted into the venue for the ceremony run-through, the mother of the bride had given
Paige a seating chart change. Apparently the bride’s sister, Lindy Grant, had a house guest, some lifelong summer camp bestie who was in town for a while, and they wanted to include her in the wedding festivities.
“Brody’s new fling, Sasha Kane, scored a last-minute invitation to the wedding. And according to the new seating chart, she’s bringing a date.” Since last week when she’d decided to fight for Brody, Paige had tried to come up with a way to see him again. Perhaps even a time when the element of surprise would be in her favor. And here it was.
“This is our first chance to remind Brody what he’s missing.” Paige walked straight past the kitchen and up the stairs to the second floor, the cat trotting along after her.
Instead of turning left when she got to the top of the stairs, into the master bedroom, Paige turned right, into the guest room. Lavender ran in ahead of her and jumped on the bed, looking completely relaxed.
“There has to be something in here that will work for such an occasion. Don’t you think?”
Of course there was something in the closet that would work. It was crammed full of gorgeous clothes from the latest Gwyneth Blair collection, complete with shoes and accessories. Most of her friends called it the dream closet, and the ones who wore the same size as Paige often came “shopping” in it for their own special occasions. But as far as Paige was concerned, the only thing the closet held was a reminder of a life she didn’t want.
“But they’re just clothes, Lavender. Clothes that Mom designed. And they’ll probably look great on me.” Paige clutched the cold, hard knobs of the closet’s double doors and drew in a long, deep breath. “You ready for this?”
She swung open the doors. Before she had time to talk herself out of it, she scooped up an armful of the newest additions and dumped them onto the bed, kicking one of the doors closed with her foot.
She stood with her hands on her hips and stared at the pile of her mom’s latest creations. It wasn’t that the outfits weren’t cute. To be honest, most of them were stunning. Although, every now and again, she would get some bizarre frock that looked like something from a sci-fi movie gone wrong, which was always good for a giggle.
