Mariah burst out laughing. “Cooking requires creativity and you’ve always struck me as being somewhat...” She couldn’t find the right word without offending her cousin.
“Rigid?” Belinda offered.
Mariah laughed again. “A bit.”
Belinda snorted. “You wouldn’t be the first to think that way. Malik said the same thing once, but he’s softened my edges. Finding someone who loves you as you are, with all your faults, is pretty spectacular.”
Mariah nodded and sat down at the breakfast bar.
“How about a glass of wine?”
“Love one.”
“Grab a glass.” Belinda inclined her head toward the wine goblets hanging from the ceiling. “I already have a bottle open for the sauce.”
Mariah reached for a glass and held it out so Belinda could fill her goblet. It was white wine, but she didn’t care. She could use some relaxation and took a generous sip.
“So, you want to tell me what happened last night?” Belinda asked as she put her own goblet to her mouth and sipped.
“Everett, EJ and I had a wonderful day yesterday,” Mariah started. “And I could really see us together as a family.”
“Is it a problem that he has a child already?” Belinda inquired, leaning against the counter by the stove so she could keep an eye on dinner. “Because I wouldn’t have thought so.”
Mariah shook her head. “Not at all. I love EJ. He’s a great kid. Wonderful, actually. He calls me Miss Mariah. Can you believe that?”
“He sounds respectful.”
Mariah nodded. “Then we came back to Everett’s, and after EJ went to bed, we made love. And then—then he told me he loved me.”
“Oh, Mariah, that’s wonderful.”
“I know. And I should have been happy. And I was. For all of a millisecond. Because then he said he could see us together as a family and that we could give EJ a little brother or sister.”
Belinda nodded. “Now I understand.”
“Do you?” Mariah asked, scooting off the bar stool with her wine goblet. She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to look out over Lake Michigan. She was silent before turning around. “Everett loves me, but he wants more children I can’t give him.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Don’t I?” Mariah cried, and she couldn’t help it, but tears began biting at her eyes. “I tried for three years with Rich, and even with the fertility treatments, it would never take.”
“You have to tell Everett.”
“And have him stay with me out of pity?” Mariah asked. “I can’t!” She shook her head. “I won’t do that to him.”
“So instead you would deny him, deny yourself, love?” her cousin asked. “That could be a very solitary life, Mariah.”
“It’s what I deserve. I’m broken.”
Belinda put down her wine goblet and rushed toward her, grabbing her by the shoulders. “You are not broken, Mariah. You are an incredibly warm, kind, giving woman with a lot to offer Everett and his son, but you have to tell him the truth. Don’t shut him out.”
Mariah clutched Belinda’s hands as her cousin held her shoulders.
“You have to tell him,” Belinda repeated.
Her words echoed in Mariah’s head later that night as she tried to sleep. She knew Belinda was right. That she had to put all her cards on the table. And then, only then, if Everett chose to walk away, would she be able to say she’d done everything in her power to fight for what they had.
Chapter 19
Everett stopped by Lillian’s on Sunday for one final inspection before their grand opening tomorrow. He was also hoping that, what, Mariah was there? He hadn’t heard so much as a peep out of her since she’d run of his apartment more than twenty-four hours ago. He’d left countless messages and texts and received no response.
Was it over between them? He didn’t understand any of this and it was driving him crazy.
He was reviewing the inventory log when Amber stepped into the café, carrying a large box. “Hey, boss,” she said with a smile.
“Here, let me help you with that.” Everett took the box out of her hands and set it on the counter.
“Thanks.” Amber brushed her hands on her jeans. “So what brings you by? I could handle overseeing the equipment deliveries.”
“I know.” He’d just needed something to do to keep his mind off Mariah. He looked up and found Amber studying him. “What?”
“You just look down and not your usual self.”
“Have a lot on my mind.” He began emptying the contents of the box onto the counter.
“Mariah?”
He glanced up from his task. “You know about us?”
Amber nodded. “Mariah and I are friends.”
He turned around. “So you’ve heard from her?” He felt the first glimmer of hope he had all weekend.
She shook her head. “No, I haven’t, but don’t give up on her.”
“I don’t know, Amber. Mariah’s not exactly being forthcoming and talking to me,” he responded, “so it’s hard not to think that she doesn’t want to be with me and my son.”
Amber touched his arm. “It’s not like that, Mr. Myers.”
“Call me Everett.”
“Everett. There’s just more to the story than you know.”
“So she’s shared her feelings with you?” Mariah could share them with Amber, a virtual stranger, and not with him? Her man, her lover. It boggled Everett’s mind.
“She’ll be back,” Amber said, avoiding answering his question. “And when she does, please let her talk and tell you everything, because it won’t be easy for her to do that. It’s a like a raw scab, if you know what I mean.”
Everett nodded. He understood that kind of pain, because that’s how he’d felt when he’d opened up to her about Sara and her accident. The only difference was he’d done it, and Mariah was still keeping secrets from him. A secret Amber knew, but couldn’t share with him.
“Thanks, Amber. I appreciate the insight.”
“Anytime.”
Now all he had to do was wait for Mariah to get back. Would she show up for the official launch of Myers Coffee Roasters café tomorrow? She would have to. It was her family’s business. And when she did, Everett would be waiting, because he wanted answers. No, he needed them. He needed to know if she loved him just as much as he loved her.
* * *
“I’m surprised you asked me to take you to the airport,” Shari said, when she arrived at Belinda’s condo late Sunday evening to pick up Mariah. Belinda and Malik had a previous engagement that they couldn’t cancel on short notice and had left for the evening.
“I know,” Mariah said, “and I’d like to explain. Can we sit for a moment before we head out?” She motioned toward the living room, which was immaculately decorated in all white. It might look stark and cold to some, but it was Belinda’s style and suited her and Malik’s life.
“Sure,” Shari said, joining her on the sofa.
Mariah glanced at her cousin, who looked beautiful as ever in jeans and a pullover sweater. However, since Mariah had last seen her, Shari’s pregnancy had blossomed from a small baby bump to a large rounded belly. “First off, I want to apologize for how I behaved when I arrived yesterday. I was in a bad place and I completely overreacted.”
“I’m listening,” Shari said. Her small hands rested on her growing abdomen and Mariah had to admit she was just a little bit envious, but that was her cross to bear.
“You may not know this, but during my five-year marriage I tried for nearly three years to get pregnant,” Mariah began. “I tried everything, Shari.” Her voice shook as she spoke. “Fertility treatments, homeopathic remedies... I even quit working because I thought the stress was keeping me fro
m getting pregnant. Nothing worked. And yesterday, when I saw you with the one thing I wanted most in the world, I freaked out. And I’m sorry.”
Shari slowly rose from the sofa and came to sit beside Mariah, grasping her hands. “I’m sorry for you, Mariah. I had no idea that you’d gone through all of that. You’ve always been so close to Belinda that I didn’t want to intrude. I wish I could have been there to help you through this when you were here.”
Mariah patted her hand. “I wouldn’t have let you. I wouldn’t have let anyone, which is probably one of the reasons my marriage failed. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I’m truly happy for you and Grant and wish you the best.”
Shari nodded. “Thank you. It means a lot coming from you, because I know how much it has cost you.” The two women rose and hugged. “So how about I get you to the airport?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Mariah said. “I have a man back home waiting for me, who deserves so much more than I’ve given him.”
* * *
Mariah arrived on a red-eye on Monday morning with barely enough time to rush home, shower and change before she was due at the bakery. She would have to see Everett this morning at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the café opening. It was going to be difficult to smile and act as if nothing was wrong when a serious discussion lay ahead of them, but she had to. They would have a talk later and she would tell him everything.
Today was not only the café’s grand opening, but the debut of her Draynut at Lillian’s. Mariah couldn’t believe they were charging a whopping five dollars for the pastry, but Chase had been adamant about the price point. She just hoped that their customers would be willing to splurge on it, as well as purchase a high-end cup of coffee at Myers Coffee Roasters.
In the Seattle Times, Everett was running an ad Mariah had created to promote the new café location at Lillian’s. It was also on his company’s website and Facebook pages. Jackson was doing the same on their end for Lillian’s. He’d already uploaded images of the Draynut on Instagram and set up a Pinterest page with all their baked goods. Mariah wasn’t much into social media herself, but was glad Jack was on top of it.
“Good morning,” she said, breezing into the kitchen at 6:00 a.m.
“You realize what time it is.” Jackson glared at her.
“Yes,” Mariah said, wrapping the apron around her waist and tying it at her neck. “And I’m sorry I’m late, but it was a long weekend.”
“I certainly hope you enjoyed your jaunt to Chicago, while the rest of us here—” he glanced at Nancy and Kelsey, who they’d recruited to help out during her impromptu disappearing act “—have been slaving away.”
Mariah came up behind him and rubbed his back. “I’m sorry, Jack, but it really couldn’t be helped. But I’m here now and ready to dig in. Where do you need me?”
“Making your infamous Draynuts, for starters.” He sighed. “I didn’t want to do anything wrong and mess them up.”
She smiled at her brother, hearing for the first time a bit of uncertainty in his voice. Usually Jack was so self-assured. “You couldn’t. You’re a great baker, Jackson.”
“Not as good you, but I’m not bad.” He offered her a warm smile. He never could stay mad at her for long. “So, chop, chop, the clock is ticking.”
They worked in harmony for a couple hours until the hands of the clock edged toward nine, when they would open the bakery’s doors. They’d settled on a later opening to ensure Mariah had enough time to bake up the Draynuts nice and fresh, while Nancy and Kelsey continued the additional pastry batches in the kitchen. Amber had arrived an hour early to ensure the café was ready for the opening.
Everything was starting to come together.
Mariah and Jackson finally stepped away from the kitchen to change, then met up again in the storefront, watching the crowd grow outside the store. There was already a line wrapped around the corner. They were just discussing it when Chase came through from the back, dressed in his usual suit and tie. He wasn’t alone.
“Look who I found hanging outside the back door,” he said. Everett stood in the doorway behind him, wearing a charcoal suit.
Mariah’s pulse skittered at an alarming rate and a lump formed in her throat as she gazed at him. Outwardly he looked the same, that vital man who had captivated her from the very first time she saw him. But his eyes... Looking at his eyes, Mariah could see that a light had gone out. Had she done that to him? She hadn’t meant to, but she’d been struggling so hard with her own insecurities that she hadn’t been able to voice them to him.
Did he think it was his fault? That he’d done something wrong?
It wasn’t; it was her. She was damaged. And she needed to tell him that.
“There was a line out there,” Everett was saying, cutting into her thoughts, “so I had to park in the back and come in the rear.” His eyes never left Mariah’s as he spoke. They were silently pleading with her for answers. Answers that couldn’t come now, but would soon.
Soon she would tell him.
“Your ad and my leak must have done it,” Jackson said. He’d leaked word of the Draynut on their social media sites yesterday, hoping to generate some buzz. Clearly, it had worked.
“I took the liberty of sending a few folks from my team to divide the crowd from the press. I thought we’d let the media in first so we could capture the grand opening,” Everett said. “Hope that’s all right?”
“That was quick thinking,” Chase replied evenly. “Thanks, Myers.”
“No problem.”
Chase bumped Mariah’s hip as he came toward her, startling her out of daydreaming about Everett. “Excited?”
She forced a smile. “Heck, yeah. I just hope the Draynut lives up to our high expectations.”
“It will, it will, sis,” Chase said. “You’ve created a winner.”
“Thanks, Chase.” She hazarded a glance at Everett, but he was already walking toward the café. Dear Lord! She hadn’t even checked in on Amber. Mariah sighed heavily She really was failing on all fronts.
* * *
“Everything okay over here?” Everett asked Amber after he’d opened the front door and allowed members of the press in to set up. Several local newspeople had arrived for the ribbon cutting ceremony for Myers Coffee Roasters café and the Draynut’s debut.
As much as he craved to talk to Mariah and find out exactly what was going on with her, he also wanted to ensure the opening went off without a hitch. He knew he didn’t have to worry; Amber was not only an expert barista, but a seasoned manager able to oversee operations. However, Everett liked being hands-on.
It was why he’d limited his cafés to the Seattle market. Not only had he always wanted to be available, but he’d wanted to be able to stop in and check in on business whenever the mood struck him, just as his father had with the hotels. And look how well it had served him!
Nonetheless, Everett was here now and would roll up his sleeves and get dirty if needed. But apparently he didn’t need to, because everything was in order. The displays were stocked with Myers Coffee Roaster beans, as well as ground coffee and carry mugs for purchase. The menu boards mounted on the wall proudly displayed their signature coffee selections.
“I have it all under control,” Amber was saying.
“Of course you do.” He eyed his bohemian barista, who was decked in the standard Myers Coffee Roasters black shirt over a flowing blue skirt, with some chunky jewelry on her wrists and around her neck. Her hair was signature Amber in tight curls that hung to her shoulders. “I have the best staff.”
“Thanks, boss—Everett.” Amber smiled brightly. “We’ll make you proud.”
“Well, then let’s open this place,” Everett said as he stepped back over the threshold into Lillian’s bakery section. “We’re a go here!” he yelled across the room. He avoided looking at Maria
h, which was hard, considering she’d looked spectacular in a black-and-white pleated skirt and simple red keyhole top.
He’d nearly stumbled when he’d seen her standing beside her brother when he’d come in. He’d known she wouldn’t miss the launch, but was business the only reason she’d come back?
Had she come back for him?
* * *
The clock chimed nine, signaling it was time to start, and Mariah watched Chase open the doors to let the general public in. Soon, customers were filing into their small establishment.
As she stood at the register, Mariah was surprised at just how many people had come out. They had a steady stream of customers, and she and Jackson were handling them easily until a reporter asked to interview her about her concept for the Draynut.
Chase came over to the register, allowing Mariah to join the newswoman, who was just finishing an interview with Everett.
The reporter, a fresh-faced Asian woman, turned to her and said, “Mr. Myers was just telling us that you two worked closely on the concept for the café.”
Mariah glanced over at Everett through hooded lashes. Of course he would give her part of the credit, when he’d come up with the whole idea in the first place. But that’s who Everett was—a kind and giving man.
“Yes, we did,” Mariah said, smiling into the camera. “It’s been a great partnership.”
“And the Draynut?” the reporter asked. “Looks like it’s a hit with the locals.” The camera turned to pan the bakery, which still had a lineup an hour after opening. “How did you come up with the idea?”
Mariah answered all her questions, but her mind was still on Everett, who’d quietly left the interview area.
“I think we have it,” the reporter finally said, interrupting her thoughts. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.” Mariah shook her hand.
She was about to search for Everett when Jackson called out to her, “We need more Draynuts.”
“I’m on it,” Mariah replied, heading toward the kitchen. Her conversation would have to wait.
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