“Daddy you can’t blame yourself for Tabitha’s death. You had no control over it.”
He sniffed back tears. “But I wasn’t available to you. When we lost Tabitha it hurt so badly. I didn’t know what to do with all those feelings, so I put them away so I didn’t have to deal with them. But it doesn’t work when you bury your emotions. Sooner or later they come bubbling up to the surface. Lately they’ve been bubbling up inside of me. I’ve been so very angry. A parent should never have to bury their child.”
“I know, daddy. I miss her too. She was the other half of my heart. It’s been difficult to make sense of losing her. I’ve often asked God why he took her.”
Sebastian shook his head. “I’ve asked the Lord the same question, over and over again. I would have traded places with her in a heartbeat if it had been an option.”
“The only thing I can fathom is that heaven needed her more than we did.”
Her father’s shoulders heaved and he began to cry. Addie wrapped her arms around him and tried her best to soothe him. It had been a very long time since she had seen him in such an emotional state. The last time had been at Tabitha’s service. He had been hiding behind a big brick wall ever since they had lost Tabitha. His grief had been too great to bear. So he’d shut down.
“Tabitha would be proud of you for admitting all this, daddy.”
“I hope so,” he said, drawing in a deep breath.
“I know so,” she said in a voice full of conviction.
“What about you and Donahue? I suppose he was upset about my plans for the bistro. He left an angry message with Delores.”
“He was quite upset with me as well,” she admitted. “But I think my giving him full ownership should soothe those wounds.”
“It’s my fault. Let me talk to him. I can clear things up and let him know you had nothing to do with any of it.”
“No, daddy. That’s not the way. I have to live my life and handle things for myself. If Caleb cares for me the way I care for him, he’ll realize life is better with me in it.”
“Amen to that,” her father said in a boisterous voice. “And if he can’t see it, then he’s a fool.”
“Daddy!” Addie said in a sharp voice. “Please don’t talk about the man I love that way.”
Sebastian held up his hands. “All right. I won’t say a word against him.” He began to grumble under his breath. “With all this devotion, I pray you two end up together.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” Addie murmured.
“Love is a splendid thing.”
Addie Fontaine
Chapter Eleven
As Addie left her father’s office, her thoughts quickly wandered to the Blue Bayou. She missed being there today. It had very quickly crept into her heart and soul. It had given her life a purpose. She was necessary and vital at the bistro. It stimulated her heart and mind. The thought of not being a part of it made her heart ache. Now that she’d given away her portion of the business to Caleb, it was no longer her responsibility.
Her cell phone began to buzz insistently. She picked it up, even though she didn’t recognize the number calling her.
“Addie. It’s Paolo. We need you at the bistro. There’s an emergency!”
Before she could utter a word, the call dropped. All she heard was a dial tone.
“Oh no,” Addie murmured. As if this day could get any worse. She raced toward her car and revved the engine. It had to be serious for Paolo to call her. Her heart constricted. What if there had been a fire at the bistro? Why had the line suddenly dropped? Had someone been hurt in the kitchen? Maybe something had happened to Caleb?
By the time she reached the bistro, Addie was a nervous wreck. She let out a relieved breath. At least the place was still standing. There were no fire engines sitting out front or flames flickering in the building. She made her way to the back entrance, barreling inside as if her own pants were on fire. Addie frowned. Where was everyone? No one was in the kitchen. She pushed her way to the main dining room. The room was ablaze with candles. Addie’s jaw dropped. Flowers were everywhere! What was going on?
Suddenly, Caleb was standing beside her, his face full of tenderness. “Addie.”
“What’s going on? Paolo said there was an emergency.”
“I asked him to call so I could get you over here.”
She angrily swatted at him. “What did you do that for? You scared me to death.”
“I needed to find a way to tell you what a fool I’ve been. I messed up earlier. Addie, you’re the most loving, wonderful person I’ve ever known. You haven’t given me a single reason not to trust you. I was wrong.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. “I can’t accept the gift you gave me earlier.”
Addie frowned. “What? Why not? I want you to own the bistro, lock, stock and barrel.”
“Because I love you, Addie. I love every single thing about you. I should have told you earlier. You’re a part of me now. And I can’t imagine life without you.” He leaned down and placed a kiss on Addie’s lips. “So you see, you can’t give me your half of the bistro because I want to be your partner. Not just in the business, but in life as well.”
Addie let out a shocked gasp.
“I want to walk through life with you, Addie Fontaine. If my hunch is right, I think you love the Blue Bayou just as much as I do.”
Addie grinned. “I do, Caleb. From the very first day when I showed up here, I’ve been head over heels for this place. And with every day that passed, I began to fall for the owner. Even though he can be a stubborn, inflexible so and so.”
Caleb let out a groan. “I’m so sorry, my love. I was acting like a fool. I felt so defensive after getting the letter from your father. I was wrong to mistrust you, but it just felt like everything I’d worked for was slipping through my fingers.”
Addie reached up and placed her hand on the back of Caleb’s neck. She ran her fingers through the hairs at the nape of his neck. “I understand. That’s why I wanted to give you full ownership of the bistro, Caleb. I wanted to show you in no uncertain terms that my feelings for you are true and wholly unrelated to the Blue Bayou. I love you, Caleb. I want you to be happy.”
“I want us to be happy, Addie. And we will be. I don’t have a ring yet, but I want to spend forever with you. I don’t want to spend a single day without you. Will you marry me?”
“Caleb!” Addie said, wrapping both arms around his neck and letting out a whoop of joy. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
“Phew!” Caleb said, wiping his hand across his brow. He gestured around him at the candles and the flowers. “I was beginning to wonder if all of this was for nothing.”
Addie giggled. “You sure know how to put on a show, Caleb Donahue.”
“I was prepared to grovel if I had to,” he admitted. “Because the truth is, my life is far better with you in it. I promise you I won’t ever forget it. From this moment forward.”
“Oh, Caleb. I feel the same way.” She reached up on her tippy toes and placed a sweet kiss on Caleb’s lips. This, she realized, was the happy ending she’d never dared to dream about. She had all she would ever need in this world with Caleb at her side.
And she couldn’t wait to be Addie Donahue.
THE END
Coming Next:
All This Love (Heath and Bella)
Late summer
Chapter One
Heath Donahue had made a huge mistake. A colossal one! One year ago when he had returned from military service overseas, he had been racked with depression. Seeing his best friend blown to smithereens by an IUD had been traumatic and devastating. He had fallen into a deep dark black hole where no one or nothing could reach him. His large, bustling Donahue family had tried over and over again to help him, to no avail. He had been stubborn. And living his life through a fog of despair and grief.
Thinking he was doing her a favor, Heath had broken up with his childhood sweetheart, Bella Vincente. In breaking up with the love of his life
, he had been under the belief that he’d been doing her a favor. Heath had been trying to be noble.
In reality, he’d been such a fool. But depression had left him a shell of a man. His head had been all jumbled up. He’d been so tired of hurting the woman he loved. Over and over again. But giving her up had dealt him more pain than he had ever imagined. And now that he had fought his way out of the depression, he wanted Bella back. He needed her.
Heath was standing at the doorstep of her pink Victorian house. He could see her white Jeep in the pebbled driveway. He rang the bell several times. She didn’t come to the door. He looked over at the window and saw the curtain move. She was inside! He knew it.
“Bella! Please open the door. I need to see you.”
He began to bang on the wooden door. He was pounding so hard it rattled.
“I’m not leaving until you see me.”
Suddenly, he heard a voice from inside.
“What do you want, Heath? Why are you banging on my door like this?”
“Because I need to talk to you and you aren’t answering my calls or texts.”
“This is ridiculous. It’s over. We’re over.”
“I’ve been getting help for my depression. And my PTSD. I’m better, Bella. A lot better.”
“I’m happy for you, Heath. You deserve to be whole. And content. But it doesn’t have a single thing to do with me.”
“Bella!” he roared. “I don’t want to talk to you through a door. Open up!” He pounded on the door with his fists. “Mrs. Carruthers is on her porch staring at me. It’s only a matter of time before she calls the sheriff’s office.”
He heard the clicking of the lock and watched as the knob began turning. The door slowly opened. His eyes honed in on the fact that Bella’s hair had grown out several inches. Her eyes were more green today than blue. And her figure looked different. Heath let out a shocked gasp. As Bella came into full view, Heath couldn’t ignore her rounded stomach. The T-shirt she wore left nothing to the imagination. There was no disputing it.
Bella was pregnant. And from the looks of it, she was pretty far along in her pregnancy.
Adored (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 2) Page 14