Page 21 of Happy Endings

“I’m sorry I never got to meet her,” Trixie replied softy.

“Want another?” Ignoring her condolences, he dumped the dustpan’s contents into the trash. The broken ceramic dishes clanged as they fell into the bin, the sound echoing in the open dining room.

“No, thank you. Everything was perfect. Glad to see you’re cooking your greens with smoked ham hocks,” she said as she rubbed her belly with satisfaction.

“Mama insisted on it. You should have seen the look on her facewhen Mrs. Harris suggested using smoked turkey necks to make her greens healthier.” Andre chuckled at the memory. “We have plenty in the back if you want more.”

“I couldn’t eat another bite,” she said brightly. Trixie stopped mid-smile and her face fell. “I’ll just wait for Keisha. You don’t have to be nice to me.”

“Seriously?” He dropped the broom and dustpan into the corner of the service station. “You think I’m that petty?”

“What am I supposed to think after our last conversation? You can’t even look at me.”

Andre forced himself to look at her.She’s so hot when she’s mad at me.Where the hell did that come from? He didn’t need to get involved with her again.

“You’d rather avoid the problem than face it head on,” she continued. “You hate confrontation so much it’s easier to walk out.”

Andre spun around and strode over to her table.

“Yes, I walked out on you,” he said, his jaw clenched. “It was for the best.”

“What happened to standing behind me no matter what happens?”

He did promise her that. And broke that promise in the worst way possible. If he told her the real reason, he’d break her heart again. She didn’t need to know about the talk between him and her father.

“After all we’d been through with my parents.” Trixie pressed her lips together, and her nostrils flared with anger. Her eyes told a different story. Those deep, thoughtful brown eyes held back tears. “You were the one who pushed me to tell them I didn’t want to be a pharmacist. That I wanted to become a therapist. How could you give up on us after they gave up on me?”

“Fuck, Trixie. I—I didn’t give up on us.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Andre grabbed a chair from the nearest table and sat down. The booth had space for four but sitting side by side that way felt too intimate. He needed space between them, so he could think.

“Then explain.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

The movement pushed her full breasts up higher, and his eyes followed their movement before he caught himself.

“My eyes are up here, Andre.” She tossed her napkin on the table. “You haven’t changed. I can’t even have a serious conversation with you. You spend all night discussing the best way to mix an old-fashioned, but when it comes to emotions, you bail.”

“I do not.”

Not anymore anyway. That was the old Andre whose world revolved around his New Orleans bartending job. Everything changed when he got the phone call about his mom’s cancer. He grew up. Something he should have done after he graduated high school and worked at the restaurant full time instead of running off. Now his family needed him, and he had no plans on bailing. This restaurant was all he and Keisha had left of his mother, and he wasn’t going to give up on it.

“Okay, maybe I wasn’t so great at talking about my feelings. But I’ve changed in the last two years.” Losing Mama had changed his priorities. No more partying and sowing wild oats in other states. He had responsibilities now.

She scoffed, not backing down.

“Host another show at Mama Hazel’s.” The words flew out of his mouth. Where the hell did that come from? This was Keisha’s idea. He didn’t want to spend any more time near Trixie than was necessary. But it was too late. He couldn’t take back his offer without looking like an asshole. Correction: more of an asshole than he already was.

“Excuse me?” She leaned forward and looked him over, tilting her head left, then to the right. “Where is Andre Walker, and what have you done with him?”

“I’m serious.” Maybe if they did spend time together, she could see that he was different now. More mature.

“Why should I? I’m doing fine without you.”

Ouch. He had a feeling she wasn’t talking only about her job.

“Maybe you are, but you could be doing better if we team up.”

“Keep going.” She uncrossed her arms and leaned forward.

“Look, things have been tight around here since District Market opened. We need something different to draw in new customers. You’ll introduce your clients to Mama Hazel’s by holding your shows here. They fall in love with us and come back with their friends for dinner.”

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