by Unknown
Helen nodded in approval. “That’s smart.”
Maureen scooped the vanilla ice cream on top of the apple strudel and handed the plate to Nathalyia. “Very. Restaurant competition is fierce. Nathalyia, you’re obviously doing something very right.”
“Thank you.”
“Serve the first one to Sam,” Helen said with a smile. “It will help soothe his ego since he lost three straight games of dominoes.”
“If not, there are always other ways.” Brianna clapped her hand over her mouth, then lowered her hands. “Blame it on the hormones.”
“For being right?” Helen questioned, her expression innocent.
The women burst out laughing, Nathalyia joining them.
Less than an hour later Rafael reluctantly parked in the employee parking space in back of Fontaine. “I wish it were dark so I could kiss you.”
“So do I,” Nathalyia said, then smiled. “I enjoyed meeting your family.”
His hand curved around her neck to keep it away from the tantalizing tie of her dress at her slim waist. “They like you, too. None of them could believe you couldn’t play dominoes.”
“It’s one of the fun things I’m adding to the list you’re going to teach me.”
His eyes darkened. “I know what I’d like to be doing with you that’s at the top of that list.”
“Unfortunately, not now or tonight.” She reached for her door handle. “Goodbye.”
His hand closed over hers. “I wish you didn’t have to go back inside, but I understand that you do.”
She looked toward the restaurant, then stared at him longingly. “I wish I didn’t have to either.”
His hand clenched hers instead of moving to the gearshift and putting the car into reverse. She might leave with him, but she’d regret it later. “That makes leaving you easier, and makes me look forward even more to tomorrow night.”
The corners of her mouth tilted upward. “I’m sure I’ll be equally terrible as I was at bowling.”
He brushed his thumb across her lower lip. “Then we’ll just keep on practicing.”
Her teeth scraped over his thumb, and bit down. His breath hissed though his teeth as desire shot through him. “I’m holding you to that.” She opened the door, and was gone.
Rafael got out of the car and watched her walk across the parking lot and up the back stairs. He admired the way the silken material hugged her glorious body and showed off her great legs. At the back door, she punched in the code, waved, and then slipped inside. Tomorrow night couldn’t come soon enough for him.
On Monday night, Rafael and Nathalyia had gone roller-skating. Tuesday evening, they had played miniature golf. Wednesday they had gone paddleboat riding. Rafael was aware as he kept glancing at the miniature clock on his desk on Thursday afternoon that he had purposely chosen things that would require him to hold her or be very close to her.
He accepted he wanted her as close as possible when they were together. He also got a kick out of introducing her to new things. She enjoyed what she did, but she wasn’t competitive.
He glanced at the clock again: 5:30 P.M. In thirty minutes he was off. He was going home to shower and change and then go to Nathalyia’s house. He was looking forward to being with her when they didn’t have to watch a clock.
He didn’t anticipate the evening ending in bed, but he did anticipate lots of practice in what was becoming his favorite pastime—kissing Nathalyia. Her mouth could be both sweet and seductive.
At 5:47 P.M. Rafael moved the cursor to shut down his computer. Sometimes the machine was slow. He wanted to be walking out the door at 6:02.
“Listen up.”
Rafael’s head came up at his team commander’s order. No. No! his mind shouted.
“We’ve been assigned to help with crowd control at the Oyster Festival. We leave in forty minutes,” Captain Coats told them and then turned to leave.
Rafael followed him into the hallway. “Captain.”
His commander turned. “Dunlap.”
“Is the entire team needed?” he asked.
“Isn’t that what I just said?” the commander answered.
Rafael was not backing down. One more man wouldn’t make that much difference. The commander was a reasonable man. “I have plans.”
The commander folded his arms across his thin chest. He peered at Rafael from beneath bushy gray eyebrows. “You’re probably not the only one with plans, nor is this the first time you’ve had to cancel.”
He didn’t want to cancel. He wanted to be with Nathalyia.
His commanding officer studied him. “The restaurateur?”
There was no way around answering the question. “Yes, sir.”
His arms fell to his sides. “I’ll tell you what my commander told me when I was dating Maria before we married. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” He looked at his watch. “We leave in thirty-seven minutes.”
Rafael watched his commander leave, then pulled out his cell to call Nathalyia.
“Hi, are you on your way over?” Nathalyia asked.
“No.” He blew out a breath. “My team is going to help with crowd control at the Oyster Festival. My commander just told us.”
“Oh.”
He heard the disappointment in her voice. “I tried to get out of it, but no go.”
“Doesn’t your team act as a unit?”
He looked at his team members making their own phone calls. They were there for one another. Period. “Yes.”
“I was looking forward to you coming over, but if your team needs you, then that’s where you should be,” she told him. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
“I have no idea.” He walked to his desk to shut off the monitor. If anyone understood responsibility, it was Nathalyia. “I’ll call if we finish before the restaurant closes, but tonight is out. I’m sorry you went to all the trouble for nothing.”
“Don’t worry about it. Thanks for the call. Be careful.”
“I will. Bye.” He hung up and went to get ready.
Saturday morning Rafael wasn’t in his usual good mood, and he knew the reason. Picking up the dry cloth, he slid it over the hood of his newly washed car. Nathalyia had had to cancel last night and tonight. She’d sounded tired. She took on too many responsibilities at the restaurant, but he wasn’t about to suggest she hire someone to help out. He didn’t want her to think he thought she couldn’t handle things or for her to think she should stop dating him and spend more time at the restaurant.
Finished, he picked up another cloth to polish the chrome. The vintage Mustang had been a high school graduation present from his family. It had been a chick magnet. He sighed. There was only one woman he wanted riding in his car.
“You keep it looking good.”
Rafael started, then glanced around at the sound of Helen’s voice. She was already out of her car and coming down the driveway toward him. He’d been so deep in thought he hadn’t heard her drive up. “Hi, Helen. You want a cup of coffee?” he asked, then smiled. “I’m getting better at making it.”
“Maybe next time.” She looked at the house. “Your parents loved this place, loved each other, their sons.”
Something about her voice had him stepping closer. His hand closed over her upper forearm. “Are you all right?”
She turned and stared up at him. “I’m fine. I’m beginning to wonder about you, though.”
“Me?” He frowned. “I’m fine.”
“Rafael, don’t be afraid to follow your heart.”
His frown deepened. “What are you talking about?”
“Nathalyia.”
His hand came to his side. He stepped back. “We’re just having fun.”
Her smile was sad. “Then why have you been so restless and preoccupied lately? I watched you after I drove up. You were just standing there staring into space, looking miserable.”
He shrugged and tossed the cloth on the hood of the car. “So I like being with her. It’s no big deal.”
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Helen kept her gaze steady. “It is if you let fear rule you.”
“Fear?” he said, then his expression cleared. Helen was intuitive. Perhaps he had said or done something that alerted her to his feelings about long-term relationships. “My job is too dangerous. I won’t leave a woman and child behind.”
Helen touched his cheek with trembling fingertips. “It’s not fear for them. You fear for yourself.”
Rafael was stunned. He’d always considered Helen to be on target, but she had missed the mark this time.
“Your mother’s death affected all of you. You felt the pain and loss the deepest. You were angry at first, then you seemed to want to cram life into every second. You dated more than ever. You didn’t want to care about anyone that deeply again and lose them.”
“You’re wrong,” he told her fiercely. “If your theory is right, which it isn’t, it wouldn’t make a difference because, although I enjoy Nathalyia, it won’t last. It never does.”
She shook her head. “You feel differently about her. Could you face not seeing her again?”
His heart thudded. His gut clenched.
“The answer is on your face.” Her hand palmed his cheek. “I love you, Rafael. One day you’ll have to face your feelings, and when you do, I pray you’ll make the right decision.” On tiptoe, she brushed her lips against his cheek. “Sam is barbecuing for our Sunday dinner. I’m making a huge peach cobbler. If you want to bring Nathalyia, there’ll be plenty of food. See you tomorrow.”
Rafael watched Helen get into her car and drive away. She was wrong. Just because he wasn’t ready to end things with Nathalyia didn’t mean anything. Picking up the cloth, he bent to polish the chrome on his car.
Fate was conspiring against them, Nathalyia thought as she served a couple their order of the fried catfish and oyster platter on Saturday night. Two servers were out sick, another had an ill child, and a fourth had car trouble. She and Rafael hadn’t been able to go to dinner on Friday night, and the movies tonight were out as well.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” Nathalyia picked up the deck tray and stand.
“More butter for the baked potato.”
“Bread,” the woman requested. “I love your bread.”
“Thank you. We make it here. I’ll get those right out.” Nathalyia headed for the kitchen, checking on customers as she went. She didn’t see anyone with bored or annoyed looks and counted herself lucky. She had an excellent staff, but they were all busy trying to keep up, and the pace didn’t show any signs of letting up.
It was a little past ten and people were crowded by the hostess stand or in the bar waiting to be seated in the main dining room. Business was good, and while she was grateful, she wanted to see Rafael. That wasn’t going to happen.
She’d called him that morning and canceled. She just hoped he didn’t get tired of waiting on her.
Clarice came through the swinging doors of the kitchen carrying a tray loaded with bread and salads. Nathalyia had changed her assignment to the dining room. As she had expected, Clarice had no trouble adjusting.
“Rafael came in five minutes ago,” Clarice told her in passing.
“What?” Nathalyia glanced in the direction of the bar. She didn’t see him. “I told him not to come.”
“Guess he didn’t listen.” Clarice continued past her.
Nathalyia glanced toward the bar again, then went to the kitchen for the bread and butter. She placed the items on a tray, then went to the table and served them. “How is the food?”
“Delicious as usual,” the young woman said. The man, with a mouth full of food, nodded in agreement.
“Excellent.” Nathalyia picked up the tray and headed for the bar. She could tell herself that she was checking on the guests on that side of the room, which she was, but she also wanted to see Rafael.
She hadn’t seen him since Wednesday night, when he had followed her home. They’d shared a brief kiss and then he was gone, saying she had to be tired. She was, but she hadn’t wanted him to leave.
She entered the bar area and frowned when she didn’t immediately find him. People were two deep around the bar. Jake and the other two bartenders were extremely busy. Nathalyia walked farther into the bar. She scowled when she saw a female customer practically in Rafael’s lap. Nathalyia’s temper spiked. She began to work her way through customers.
“Excuse me,” Nathalyia said tensely. The redhead glanced around, a frown on her pretty face.
Rafael took the opportunity to stand. “Hi.” He turned to the woman. “Excuse us, please.”
The women glared at Nathalyia, then took a seat at the booth where three other women were sitting.
Rafael reached out and caught Nathalyia’s hand before the woman moved away. He uncurled her clenched fingers. “Never in a million years. Nat, you should know that.”
She felt foolish. Jealously was new to her. She’d never been rude to customers—even when they might deserve it. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
Rafael looked around them. There was no way for them to speak privately. He had just needed to see her. “We’ll talk later. Go take care of the customers.” He sat back on the stool and began typing on the laptop in front of him.
She should send him home. They’d be lucky if they got out by two. “Order dinner,” she told him and went back to work.
EIGHT
“Strawberry lemonade,” Rafael requested. Thank goodness Fontaine was less than thirty minutes to closing. He was more than ready to leave. He could only play so much solitaire on the computer.
Jake’s glance slid to the almost full glasses of iced tea and Pepsi inches away from Rafael’s laptop. “I’m taking up space and not ordering the usual for the bar,” Rafael explained.
“You could order water and it wouldn’t matter. The boss wants everyone who comes in here to feel welcome, no matter what they order.”
Rafael folded his arms. “That sounds like her.”
“She learned it from Martin.” Jake stared straight at him.
Rafael accepted the challenge and stared back. “We both know she didn’t have to maintain his philosophy. She’s her own woman.”
“It doesn’t mean she can’t be scammed.”
Rafael’s eyes narrowed. “No, it doesn’t, and that’s why I’m sitting here and letting you try to intimidate me instead of telling you to take a leap.”
Jake grinned. Evil twisted his mouth. “Try.”
Rafael leaned in. “If the time comes, I won’t try.”
“Rafael. Jake.” Nathalyia glanced uneasily between the two men. “Is everything all right?”
“Just a little discussion on what a fantastic owner-manager you are,” Rafael said, turning to her. Unobtrusively, his hand closed briefly over hers, his thumb grazing across the top of her hand. “You have to be beat.”
“I’m fine. You should go home.”
“I plan to. After I see you home. Thanks for sending the food.”
She frowned at him. “Which you insisted on paying for.”
He lightly squeezed her hand. “It’s a man thing. Go on. I’ll be here when you finish.”
“All right.” She looked at Jake again before leaving.
Rafael watched her leave, then went back to his laptop. Jake could growl all he wanted. There was no way he was leaving. Helen’s comment kept intruding on his thoughts. Could he face not seeing her again? She was dead wrong about him being afraid, but she was right about Nathalyia being different. He was nowhere near ready to stop seeing her.
Tonight—rather, this morning—he was getting the kiss he’d been thinking about.
She reached for him as soon as he came through the door later that night, curving her arms around his neck, pressing closer to his solid warmth.
Nathalyia was almost desperate for the feel of Rafael, desperate to taste him. It was as if she was starved and only he could appease her.
“I missed this,” he rasped.
“Me, too. O
ur jobs keep interfering.”
Leaning her away from him, he stared down into her exquisite face. “My sister-in-law is expecting me for dinner today.”
“And Sundays are busy for us. I’m not sure that my staff will be in full force tomorrow. That is, today,” she told him.
“We need time just for us.” He brushed his mouth across hers.
“We’re going to keep trying until we make it happen.” She bit her lip. “Unless you don’t want to try anymore.”
He kissed her, causing her blood to sing, her heart to leap with joy. “Does that tell you what I want?”
Her mouth trembled. “I’m slow at times. Maybe you should tell me again.”
He grinned and lowered his mouth.
Nathalyia breathed a sigh of relief when all of the staff checked in for Sunday service. She had never thought that she would want to get away from Fontaine. Finishing her rounds, she went to her office and called.
“Hi. Is everything all right?” Rafael asked.
She played with the pearls at her throat. “I’m at full staff. I can leave for an hour or two—if you can get away. We can relax on the patio.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Smiling, Nathalyia went to check her hair and makeup.
Rafael picked her up in sixteen minutes. Grinning, she rushed to his car. His smile was just as huge.
“You’re early,” she said, getting into the car.
“Anxious.” He closed her door and went around to the driver’s side.
“I hope your family doesn’t mind,” she said.
He twisted his mouth and pulled off. “I’m going back later. Helen is like a mother hen, but she understands.”
“Good. I like your family. You’re very lucky to have them.”
He caught his second green light. “Thanks. I know it. We’ve always been close. Simon and Patrick moving to Charleston hasn’t changed us. When Alec joins them in December we’ll remain close.”
“Celeste is beautiful. So are the rest of the women your brothers married,” she said.