Page 41 of Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa

Shaking his head in disbelief at her concerns, Wade pulled open the door and closed it behind him, striding down the walkway.

There wasn’t another peep out of Lydia as he left. No crying or running after him. It appeared as though the ring had assuaged her pain.

At the end of the driveway, he climbed into his car, surprised to find himself whistling as he drove out of the exclusive neighborhood and returned to the French Quarter.

A great weight had lifted from his shoulders. It was a relief to be free of the stress and resentment he’d been carrying for so long.

As soon as he parked in front of the antique store, Wade was struck by a terrible thought. He could not approach Marina yet. It would look terrible to run from Lydia’s arms into another woman’s arms. Despite his longing to talk to Marina, to confide in her, and to feel her embrace, he knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. It would appear as though he had been cheating on Lydia.

Even after so many years, Wade realized how much he was craving Marina’s touch, and her sweet smile. Mostly, he just wanted to be in her happy, beautiful presence. She was a calming, steady influence, and he should never have given her up.

With a sigh, he put the Bentley into drive and pulled back out of the parking space.

That’s when he noticed that the full-length shades had been pulled down. A sign hung in the antique store’s window.

Turning the engine off, he jumped out of the car, dread in his heart. Was Ruby Rose Antique’s going out of business? Was Marina ill?

His throat went dry as he read the words.

Closed until Further Notice

What had happened in the last few days? They were working on the Sutton Mansion. How could she be closed?

He ran down the sidewalk to The Coffee Loft, abruptly stopping when he entered the shop. His breath was ragged while he tried to get the world to stop whirling.

Most of the tables were empty at the moment, but Jenna, Marina’s best friend, was at the front.

“Hey, Wade,” she said when he approached the cash register. “Can I get you something?”

“Yeah, um, I’ll take a Dr Pepper with vanilla.”

“Big spender,” she teased.

He gave her a smile. “And give me your most expensive donut. To go.”

“That would be the maple and pecan giant.”

“Sounds perfect. Hey, I just saw that the antique store is closed,” Wade said, trying to remain nonchalant. “The place is dark. Where’s Marina? Did something happen?”

“She’s fine if that’s what you’re worried about. She had a trip to London to meet with her customers there. She’ll be back in a few days. Mrs. Sutton was here yesterday. They discussed her antiques and potential buyers in the UK. The pair of them yakked for an hour while I entertained her chauffeur with my famous lattes and endless donuts. Do you need her phone number?”

“Um, no, I’ll just wait until she returns.”

“Here’s your food, enjoy!” Jenna said gaily.

Chapter Nineteen

On Monday, Marina finished organizing more of the new shipment that Wade had helped her unpack on Friday.

The jewelry was now done, the rare books placed in their corner, and now she puttered about the store, arranging the new lamps and figurines plus a couple of early 20thcentury telephones that were adorable and in great shape.

Wade had done a phenomenal job placing the Victorian-era couches and the scrolled Chippendale tables. Marina was thrilled with those.

Placing everything so the shop looked like a cozy 18thor 19thcentury British home was the fun part.

A book on an end table with a pair of spectacles.

Pillows on an armchair.

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