He’d tried once again out of sheer desperation stopping by Joey and Taylor’s to beg Grace for forgiveness but she hadn’t even come to the door. Taylor had stepped outside to let him know it was best if he just stayed away. Grace had made her decision and it was final. He said if Sal really cared about her he’d make it easier on her by not coming around anymore.
As an adult, Sal couldn’t even remember going through motions of crying but the pain he’d been feeling all week and hearing Taylor so grimly inform him of Grace’s decision, had finally done him in. Of course he’d waited until he was home alone, and ever since he’d been dead inside.
The knocking pulled him out of his painful thoughts. He’d spaced out again. Vincent stood by the door. “Hey, Sal. Here I am. Reporting for duty.”
Sal had already decided he was just going to have to make the best of this. He stood up and shook his hand. “Welcome aboard.”
Sofia walked in behind him. “I already set him straight on the ride over here. He’s gonna behave. Although,” she turned and gave Vincent a look. “I don’t know how much he heard of it, since his attention was mostly on his phone the whole time. That’s gotta be a girl right? Your girlfriend?”
“Not yet,” Vincent smirked.
Sal remembered Grace telling him about her sister and Vincent texting all the time now. He had a sudden suspicion about Vince’s motivation to come stay with his parents. Sal eyed him. “What does that mean?”
“Means not yet, but I’m working on it.”
Sofia pulled two aprons out of the cabinet and tossed one at Vincent. “That’s gonna be a little hard now that you’ll be here all summer, won’t it?”
Another sly smirk swept across Vincent’s lips. “Not really. She lives out this way.”
Sal stared at him now. “You’re not talking about Rose are you?” His tone was a reflection of how he’d felt all week.
“Relax,” Vincent laughed. “She won’t even be around for a while.” He worked on getting the apron on then rolled his eyes. “Just when I finally get the okay to come out here, her mother and sister decide to take a trip to Laughlin and take her with them.”
Sal had stopped looking at him for a second to check his phone that buzzed on his desk but just the mention of Rose’s sister and then Laughlin made him freeze. He brought his attention back to Vincent. “Laughlin?”
“Yeah, and she doesn’t even know how long they’re going to be out there.”
Trying not to be too obvious, Sal sat down slowly on the chair and glanced back down at his phone nonchalantly, his racing heart didn’t make easy. “Is it a vacation?”
He gulped, picking up a pen on the desk, trying to rid the image of the guy with the roses outside of the restaurant and the disappointment on his face when Sal informed him he couldn’t see Grace anymore.
“I think she said it was kind of a spur of the moment thing.” Vincent paused before adding, “I heard about you and Grace breaking up. I’m sorry to hear it, man.”
Nothing could hide the pain Sal felt just hearing her name. He couldn’t even think of any other way to respond to that other than nodding. Sofia must’ve sensed the need to change the subject because she jumped in. “All right, Vinnie. Ready to be trained?”
Vincent smiled. “Ready when you are.
“Let’s go then.” She gestured to the door and Vincent walked out.
Sofia turned, giving Sal a small smile before walking out. He could only hope this was the worst pain he’d ever had to endure in his life because he couldn’t think of anything more excruciating. Somehow he thought time would make things better, but it only seemed to get worse with each passing day. Knowing she’d gone to Laughlin, no doubt her mother’s idea, now topped that agony with a blinding rage.
CHAPTER 29
After fighting the grief for days it began to take a physical toll on Grace. Days of nonstop job searching on little to no sleep and even less food finally did her in. The few times Joey and Rose persuaded her to eat she’d been violently ill. Then her body let her know it was done trying to keep up on so little rest and nourishment. She crashed down with the worst flu she could remember having.
She cried for days beside herself, assuring Rose and her two best friends that it had no>
Without insurance she couldn’t even see a doctor, unless she was willing to pay through the nose. Technically her insurance from Moreno’s was still active and she was sure Alex wouldn’t have a problem with her using it but she refused to have any kind of connection with that family ever again.
Finally an entire miserable week later of being so sick, Rose mentioned to Joey and Taylor about her mom’s insistence of taking a vacation to Laughlin. She even told them how it would be free.
Joey who was convinced that her illness had been brought on by the heartache over Sal and was also terribly worried about her, said a vacation was exactly what Grace needed. Rose and Taylor agreed. Her mother needed nothing more than for Rose to point this out and she got the ball rolling.
Even though her mom had been disappointed when she heard about Grace and Sal’s breakup it was almost as if she expected it. For once Grace had seen in her mom what only a lifetime of experience could teach you. Everyone else had been so sure she and Sal were right for each other. Even Grace had finally began to believe it with every ounce of her being. Yet her mom had shrugged it off as it she’d known all along it was only a matter of time. Grace had no place in a man like Sal’s life.
“Mija,” she’d said as she cheerfully helped Grace pack. “This is going to be good for you. We’ll go out there, eat at nice restaurants, gamble a little, do some swimming. Frank even said he’ll take us to the river and we could rent some jet skis. You and Rose will have a blast. By the time we get back you’ll be ready to move on.” Then she winked. “And if we play our cards right, maybe ready to start looking for a place to lease for your new restaurant. Frank is very interested in investing in something out here in California. This is gonna be perfect. You’ll see.”
Her mother seemed almost giddy about the fact that Ruben would be working and not able to go with them. Grace had sat on her bed, feeling the hollow inside her deepen. Not even her dream of having her own restaurant was enough to snap her out of it. But she’d taken the trip anyway. She needed to get out of her room, needed to feel normal again. If only it didn’t feel like an impossibility. She’d never be normal again.
The answer to the age old question, was it better to have loved and lost than never loved at all, if anyone asked Grace, was a resounding no! Even as beautiful as her time with Sal had been, and as happy as she’d been with him, she truly wished now she’d never been lifted so high. The drop was so profoundly bottomless, the climb back up would be brutal, if at all possible.
She tried her best to at least appear to be having a good time in Laughlin but she got the feeling Rose wasn’t buying it. Though she had moments where she thought she might be relapsing into her fits of nausea and even thought she felt a little feverish, she was able to function better than that first horrendous week after breaking up with Sal.
Her mother tried relentlessly to get her and Frank alone. She was determined to arrange a business partnership between the two of them. Grace had only agreed to be out there for a few days. By her third day her mother succeeded in getting her n gnt wasalone with Frank.
To her surprise, Frank had been more than modest when describing his hotel. It was far more fancier than he’d made it out to be. He had even reserved private huts by the pool for them for the entire week. Not that Grace planned on staying out there that long.
When he stepped in their hut that evening to say hello and ask if they needed anything, Grace’s mother invited him in to join them. As soon as he took a seat next to Grace, her mother excused herself and Rose, saying they needed to go grab a few things from their room. Grace started to get up to go with them but her mother immediately rebuffed the idea saying she should stay and keep Frank company until they got back.
&nbs
p; Frank ordered them both drinks. “Your mother tells me you’re looking for a possible partner to help you get your restaurant going.” He crossed his leg over his knee and sat back. “Did she mention I’m looking for projects to invest in? I think a restaurant would be a great investment.”
Grace sat up straight. “My ultimate dream is to have my own restaurant. But I’m not sure if I’m up for it right now.” That was putting it lightly. Just getting out of bed without falling apart was a struggle for her right now.
“Oh, I think you have it in you and your mom says your talent in the kitchen is something you were born with. A gift like that shouldn’t be wasted.”
Their drinks arrived. He’d taken the liberty to order her their signature specialty drink. Carrot cake martini. Grace had never been into the milky drinks but she wouldn’t insult him by refusing it. She reached for it off the waiter’s tray with a smile. The smell alone caused something in her stomach to stir .
“Your mom also told me about your falling out with your boyfriend. I’m sorry you’re hurt, but I can’t say I’m sorry to hear it, for personal reasons.”
Thoughts of Sal weren’t just painful, they literally sucked the air out of her. She closed her eyes desperate to will away the emotion even the mention of him brought her, then took a sip of the drink. Cinnamon overpowered the drink. The entire blend of milky sweetness, cinnamon and alcohol, along with the sudden heartache that stabbed at her made her stomach turn and she nearly gagged. Pulling her legs over the side of the ottoman, she stood up in a panic.
Frank sat on the edge of his seat. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, holding her hand over her mouth, unable to speak. Shit. It was happening again. Unable to even look at the drink anymore, she set it down on the small table next to the ottoman. “I’ll be back.”
Her stomach roiled and she barely made it to the ladies’ room, before throwing up her entire lunch. Rose rushed in as Grace finished rinsing her face in one of the sinks.
“Grace, I thought you were better.” She walked up to her, placing her hand on Grace’s back.
“I am. It was just the drink that Frank gave me. I’ve never liked those kinds of drinks and it didn’t sit well with my stomach.” She clutched her clammy hands together before Rose could see how they still shook. Rose’s troubled eyed tugged at her heart. She hated for her to be so worried. “I’m fine. I promise.” She smiled, ignoring another wave a nausea. “Lets go sit in the Jacuzzi.”
Finally, Rose’s expression softened a bit. “You sure?”
“Yep.”
One way or another Grace was going to have to snap out of this. It had gone on long enough and she hated what it was doing to Rose. Nothing could be done about the way things had turned out, but she had to find the strength to push past this.
Instead of letting yet another excruciating facet in her life define it, she had to turn it around and somehow make it the new beginning. There was no such thing as the perfect life and she’d been a fool to think she could have it all. But she would certainly make the most of what she could have.
“Let’s ask Frank and mom if they want to join us.” Rose’s scandalized expression made her laugh. “It was a little rude of me to run away and be sick when he was trying to impress me with their signature drink.” She shrugged, taking a deep breath. “Least I can do is offer to spend a little time with the man. He is footing the bill for this entire vacation, Rose.”
Grace smiled big, trying to convince not only Rose but herself that she’d be okay sitting in a Jacuzzi and not thinking about the first time she’d ever sat in one… in Sal’s backyard.
~*~
Sal stared into Melissa’s eyes as the image of her smiling face, lying on the pillow next to his went in and out of focus. “You’re not Grace.”
The smile vanished. “Is that her name?”
Sal thought he nodded but he couldn’t be sure. His entire body felt numb.
Her hand caressed his face. “It’s better this way, Sal. It wasn’t meant to be. Remember that.”
The ceiling fan above his bed came slowly into focus. The memory that had come to Sal in his sleep wasn’t a new one, but the last part was new. He blinked a few times, making sure he was wide awake. Some of the times before when he’d thought he’d woken he’d gone right back into the dream but it didn’t get longer. It only repeated itself.
The last part new of this dream didn’t feel like it was an element of the memory. It almost felt as if it was his self consciousness trying to force him to just accept it. Why would Melissa say that?
He showered and dressed, the dream on his mind the entire time. That night in Vegas would forever haunt him. He’d most likely never recover from it.
The text came just as Sal pulled up to the restaurant. He stared at it with mixed emotions.
I lost the baby. It happened yesterday, so there’s no need now for me to try to prove anything to you. It’s done. I hope you’re happy. I know your pathetic girlfriend will be.
Of course even after all the trouble Melissa had caused she’d have the nerve to try and make him feel guilty, then top it off with an insult. He still wasn’t sure he believed she was ever pregnant but at least now this part of his nightmare was over.
He walked through the motions of opening up the restaurant in the same mechanical way he’d done everything since Grace had left. As much lediv> < as he wanted to believe that somehow things would go back to the way they once were before she walked into his life. That he could go back to be being fired up about expanding his family’s business. Deep inside he knew it just couldn’t. There would forever be a void in his life. A huge part of him was gone now.
Sofia rushed in the kitchen where Sal made his final walk-through before opening the front doors. “Romero is on his way. He said he has some stuff on Melissa. He hasn’t had any luck with the surveillance tapes but—”
“She’s not pregnant anymore, Sof.”
Sofia’s usual big eyes got even bigger. “She’s not?”
“She lost it yesterday.”
His sister’s expression went blank before turning into disgust. “I doubt she was ever pregnant.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now. Does it?” He walked past her and out of the kitchen.
Sofia followed him. “Yes, it does. Because if we can prove she never was then maybe we can prove nothing even happened that night. Think about it. If she’d lie about something this big then—”
“Sweetheart, I appreciate what your trying to do here. But I’m almost certain something did happen. I may not remember all the details but I remember being in bed with her.” He stopped to unlock the front door and turned back to her. “It’s not all clear but the parts I remember are pretty damning.”
She glared at him arms crossed, then looked over his shoulder with a smirk. Sal turned to see Romero standing on the outside of the glass door, grinning.
“It’s open,” Sofia said.
Romero pushed the door open and walked in. “You have my burrito ready?”
“No,” Sofia said, a hopeful smile spreading across her face. “But we’ll get it started for you. First I want the scoop.”
Sal began walking back towards the bar area, less enthused about what possible information Romero had. It’s not that he didn’t wish more than any of them that this whole situation could somehow be remedied but neither of them had heard or seen Grace the day she found out. Nothing short of a miracle would fix this. The facts still were, he’d been in bed with Melissa and one of the most vivid memories were of her unzipping his pants. It didn’t get any worse than that.
“All right,” Romero started. “So this Melissa bitch is a real whack job and is full of shit about a couple of things.”
“I knew it!” Sofia almost jumped.
“According to all her medical insurance records she hasn’t even made an appointment to see a doctor for any reason in months.”
Romero finally had Sal’s attention. “And this information is as of whe
n?”
“I ran that report last night.”
“So yesterday, she wasn’t in the hospital at all?” Sal felt his insides heat. All this time he’d been e hlastso guilt ridden, he hadn’t actually allowed himself to seriously consider that Melissa might actually have faked the pregnancy. If she had, she’d done it for one reason and one reason alone.
“Nah, that report is in real time. Why? Did she say she was?”
Both Romero and Sofia stared at him as he nodded but said nothing, still taking in what Romero had just dropped on him.
“If she’d been in the hospital yesterday it would’ve showed up. Besides I’ve been tracking a few of her credit cards. The girl is a shopper. She was at the courthouse most of yesterday, bought lunch there and a shit load of coffee all day. Then she headed to the mall and dropped some serious loot on clothes and shoes. Which brings me to the next thing she’s full of shit about.” Romero took a seat at the bar.
“Hold that thought,” Sofia said then yelled Romero’s order for the usual breakfast burrito he always had. “Okay. Go on.” She stood across from him on the other side of the bar ready to hang on to his every word again.
Romero smirked, his eyes going from Sofia’s to Sal’s. “She ended her day at DJ’s for a few drinks. I can’t see what kind of drinks she bought but she was only there for an hour and she dropped over fifty bucks. Unless she was drinking some expensive ass non-alcoholic drinks this pregnant woman got a pretty significant buzz last night.”
“I told you! I bet you anything nothing happened that night.” Sofia leaned in and lowered her voice. “Let’s be real here. If you were really that wasted that you don’t even remember anything how likely is it that you’d actually be able to … you know, perform?”
Making You Mine (The Moreno Brothers 5) Page 29