Page 50 of Catching Mr. Right

Chapter Twenty

SAM

I’m standing in Eat Me waiting for my coffee while Summer and Mandy and Ashleigh giggle, seated around one of the white café tables in the corner closest to the air conditioning. Cold sweat trickles down the back of my neck and into the collar of my shirt. I don’t think Hell has ever been this hot. Maybe it’s my heart. Or too much caffeine. Or my blood pressure.

Josef emailed me to tell me he was on his way to Reverence. With Claudia in tow. Why did I let it go so long? Why didn’t I break it off with her immediately? Because I wasn’t certain I would. Claudia would have been convenient, but she wouldn’t have been happy. I wouldn’t have been happy.

“Are you okay, man? You look wrecked.” Dylan hands over my cup.

Fine. “How do you keep up with a younger woman? How do you know it’s worth it?”

Dylan scoffs. “Too funny.”

“What? I’m pretty sure I said fine.” I scowl at him, then glance at Mandy who is shaking with laughter, pressed up against Ashleigh on one side, Summer on the other. She looks up as though she senses me watching her. Green eyes widen and she swipes her thumb across her bottom lip to scrape up some chocolate icing.

“You asked me how I keep up with your sister. That’s the first time you’ve asked anything about our relationship. At least to me.”

“Don’t get used to it.” I roll my gaze to the ceiling, squint at the glare from the downlights. Heaven help me. Mandy Pearce makes me want to grab life by the testicles and live it. Properly. Why does it feel like I haven’t? When was the last time I did something that was what I wanted, that benefited me? Josef’s is opening here because I made a good case, but it doesn’t benefit me. I don’t get to run it.

“Limo,” Dylan says.

“What?” I undo the top two buttons on my shirt.

“A limo drove by.” He waves a spatula at the picture windows that give a view of the street. “Don’t see a lot of those in town.”

Christ. Josef and Claudia must already be here.

“Hey, Sam.” Ashleigh approaches the counter with her empty cup that she hands to Dylan. She’s been visiting with Summer the past couple days, but she’s heading out again tonight.

“It’s been a while, Ash. Where have you been hiding?”

“Mostly up in the air.” She grins. “Seeing the world.”

“Good. That’s great. All of you should be having adventures.” I’ve known this girl since she was seven years old and stomping around in my mother’s heels and pearls, all big blue eyes and dark piggy tails, playing dress up with Summer, and she has always had her head on straight, for the most part. Far straighter than I did back when the girls were heading off to college. I’ve barely run into Ash since, both of us busy with our own lives and careers. It feels odd to be on such friendly terms for the mere minutes we see each other per year.

“We are.” She shakes her head at me, her gaze full of mirth. “All kinds of different adventures.”

“Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it.” I stumble through the words. Am I the only one who isn’t having some great adventure? Because everything I do is in the interest of acting my age, or being content, or not taking a chance on failure. Like with the restaurant.

“You should try it some time.” She runs her fingers across my bicep as she takes her coffee back to the table.

What would I give to get back into the kitchen, right now? What would I give to make that kitchen my own? Picking up a napkin from the stack, I yank my pen from my pocket and scribble on it. Then I tuck it into my pocket and stride for the door.

***

“The bar is set two inches too close to the kitchen doors. The whole section needs to be moved to the right,” Josef barks at several of the staff, who scurry to do his bidding.

We’re only twelve days from opening and he’s still making changes that should have been finalized by now. Claudia stands in the middle of the room looking bored. She inspects her manicure instead of the dining room, before turning to her father. “How long is this going to take?”

“If it had been done right then we would be on our way to the airport already.” Josef studies something on his phone as I close the door loudly enough that Claudia looks up from her fingers.

“Sam? Thank God. This town is awful. I can’t imagine why your sister would want to settle here.” She flies across the room and throws herself into my arms. “Tell me you’re coming home soon. I told Dad we were getting engaged. He wants to know when we’re thinking. All the good venues book up so far in advance.”

“You’ve done a good job with the place.” Josef joins us, clapping me on the shoulder. A sheen of sweat glistens on his bald head. “I saw you had some trouble with finding a head chef. You’ve gotten that sorted though.”

“Yes.” I numbly shake his hand.

“You’re making me a very happy man. Look at the two of you love birds.” Josef grins broadly. “I’m going to throw a huge bash at the house to celebrate the engagement.”

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