Page 118 of Wilde Abandon

Not a good idea.But he didn’t say so.“We’re a ways from opening.And besides, the restaurant and bar is Melody’s place.You’ll have to talk to her.”

She sidled up closer to him.“You could put in a good word for me.”She was damn good at what she did; that’s why he’d hired her so often and put her on at the center.“Come on, Fox.”She pouted a bit with a gleam in her eyes.“You know I’d be an asset.And Melody and I already know each other.You can make this happen.I know you can.”

“I’ll tell Melody you’re interested, but that’s all I’ll do.She’s in charge.”

“Well, if anything happens, like she decides to stay with her family here, I’d be happy to step in and open the place for you.I’ve got a ton of ideas for a really chic place that could cater to the Boston elite as well as wining and dining your clients.It’d be a match made in heaven.”

Fox wanted out of this conversation and pointedly checked his phone when it buzzed with an incoming email.“I’ve got a meeting.”He headed toward the door.

“Come to the dinner class.I’ll make it worth your while.You know you can’t resist my food.”

Up until he started spending time with Melody, he’d often found himself in the kitchen with the students at dinner time, learning to cook and enjoying a meal with Amy.

She’d often brought him breakfast from the morning class, too.

He could see where she thought they were closer than they were.Fuck.

“Sorry.I can’t make it.I have a work thing.”

He’d tell Melody Amy wanted to work at the new restaurant and make it clear it was up to her, but he didn’t like the idea.

There.He’d fulfill his promise to Amy and let Melody know it wasn’t what he wanted.She probably wouldn’t either.Not when she’d pegged Amy’s flirty intentions already.

But something nagged at him about the way Amy so casually mentioned that maybe Melody wasn’t ready to leave her home and family behind.

No.She was baiting him again, trying to make him think something about Melody that simply wasn’t true.

Melody had talked about buying a dining table for their whole family to fill and getting houseplants.And the way she had looked when she stood in the restaurant space and described what she envisioned for it… She wanted to come to Boston with him.

All he had to do was make sure she never regretted it.

Chapter twenty-nine

Melodyfinishedtheschedulefor the next two weeks, printed out a copy for Jax, then posted the schedule online so all the waitstaff could see which days they were on.That done, her feet sore from a long night, she headed out of the office to check the bar one last time to be sure all the cleanup had been done before she headed home to Fox.

She couldn’t wait to see him.It had been a long day.Yes, she’d seen him for those ten minutes at the center after her class, but that wasn’t nearly enough.

Things would be different in Boston.He’d be in the same building.She could go up and see him whenever she wanted.They could have dinner together every night.Then she’d stay to close or have a manager do it for her.They’d find a better balance in their lives together.

She stepped into the bar and found it clean and ready for the next day, with her two sisters and brother at the bar waiting for her.“What are all you guys still doing here?”

Lyric usually went home to Mason after the kitchen closed at nine.Jax didn’t stay past ten when he worked late because he hated leaving Layla home alone.And though Aria closed with Melody most nights, she usually left while Melody finished the scheduling.

Jax put four shot glasses on the bar.He poured some really good eighteen-year Macallan into three of the glasses and cranberry juice in Lyric’s because she was pregnant.

A baby.

Melody checked the urge to press her hand to her own belly as she thought about what it would be like to start a family with Fox.

He’d be such a good father.

They’d create the family he’d desperately wanted as a kid.

“What are we celebrating?”

Jax slid her a shot.Her sisters took theirs.They all held them up.“Mom told us about you opening a place of your own in Boston.We just want you to know, we love you, we wish you success and happiness and all the love you show us.To new beginnings.To your very own Dark Horse.To you, Melody.”

Choked up, her heart three sizes too big for her chest, she clinked her glass to theirs and knocked back the shot, though it wasn’t easy to get it down past the lump in her throat.“You guys are the best.And I’m sorry I haven’t had the time to fill you all in on my plans, limited as they are at the moment on exact details.”

---