by Reina Torres
Mr. Peabody sqirmed as Shay cuddled him close. "So? That's great, right?"
"No, not really." Mira shook her head and slid down the wall, wincing a little as the chair rail scraped up her spine. "I told him I loved him too."
"Oh my god!" Shay was up and off the chair in a moment, sending Mr. Peabody into a flurry of feathered wings. "You said that? I mean, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Mira looked up at the ceiling and felt her head hit the wall with a dull thud. "Because I was hoping it was all a bad dream, some kind of waking nightmare where you see yourself running toward the cliff and you can’t do a thing to stop it."
Shay took the hangers away and set the dresses aside. "Okay, this is crazy. Hot and Sexy tells you he loves you, you tell him you love him. Why wouldn't that be good?" She waited for an answer and when it didn't come she sat back on her heels. "Do you? I mean, did you just tell him to-"
"No!" Mira huffed out a breath and looked her friend square in the eye. "I meant it, I mean... I still mean it, I just..." she pressed her fingers to her temples. "It's the last thing that I expected to happen. I had resigned myself to the life of a spinster woman with cats. Lots and lots of cats," Mr. Peabody looked up at Mira as though he hated the idea, "but now that I'm... that I'm..."
"In love with him," Shay added in the words to keep things rolling.
"I can’t let things go on the way they have been,” she could see that she’d confused her friend. “There was a woman at the festival.” Mira waited for the idea to sink in. “She thought she ‘recognized' me.”
“Oh,” Shay’s breath hissed out between her teeth, “and you think it’s because of Vanessa and Harris.”
“Exactly,” Mira managed a weak grin. “I have to tell Teo about Harris. I can't let things go and hope he never finds out."
Shay groaned. "Yeah, you know he will."
"I want him to find it out, from me. But,” she took a steadying breath, “every time I imagine telling him, I just can’t seem to do it without making myself seem like an absolute idiot!" She turned away from the sympathetic smile of her friend. “It would have been so much easier if I’d told him before we really got to know each other."
"But," Shay wasn't about to let Mira heap everything on her shoulders, "if you'd told him back then-"
"That according to a half a dozen Hollywood gossip sites I'm the worst home wrecking little-" she stopped when Shay covered Mr. Peabody's head, "'B-word' that the world has ever seen." She worried her bottom lip. "He would have run far, far away from me before he even got to know me."
"Now," Shay brightened a bit and lowered her hands to hold Mr. Peabody's wiggling form, "he knows you... he's in love with you! Just get it out in the open and you'll work things out."
Mira toyed with a dress hem. “That’s why I’m going tonight. I’m not going to tell him at dinner, that would be insanity,” she laughed a little at the way her hands were shaking, “but maybe, if I can have a decent conversation with him, relax a little, then I’ll find the courage to talk to him later.”
“So Velia and the other guests are like your… buffer. The guard rail on a bowling alley to keep you from throwing a gutter ball." She sighed. “But I think you’re making this harder than it is.”
“I bet you’re right, but I just can’t help myself.” Mira's smile was returning, even if it was a bit wry at the moment. “So, come, help me out. Which dress?”
When Velia rang her doorbell a few hours later, Mira had managed to talk herself down from the mental ledge she'd been huddled on for the last few days. After she locked her front door she was wrapped in a gentle hug and gifted with a kiss on her cheek. "I'm so glad you didn't call me to cancel," Velia's smile was nearly impish in the soft yellow light cast from the lamp on her porch. "You and Teodoro need to talk-" she held up her pointer finger for patience, "but not tonight."
Mira gave her neighbor a sweet smile. "Okay."
"Now," Velia took Mira by the hand and moved toward the stairs, "I think you need to come with me, there is a meal waiting for us, and I, for one, have been looking forward to having my two boys in the same room."
It was a short walk to the driveway and Mira was thrilled to be riding with them instead of driving up to the elegant restaurant in her little Gremlin. When they turned at the corner of the house Mira caught the barest scent of his cologne in the breeze and raised her head to see Teodoro standing beside the Wrangler. He looked every inch the drop dead gorgeous man she’d fallen for. From his perfect hair, to his dark charcoal suit and moss green silk tie, to the perfectly glossy shine on his shoes.
But it was the hesitant smile on his face that melted her heart all over again.
He opened the back passenger door and helped his grandmother in. After he closed the door, he turned and took a moment just to look at her. “You're stunning.”
Teo gifted her with that moment, the look in his eyes mirroring his words and easing her worries. He held the door as she settled in and then took his place behind the wheel. From there, Velia kept up a steady stream of conversation as if everything was just as easy as pie, an outing with friends. Mira could almost believe it, buying into the idea that all she had to do was tell Teo why she was so afraid of someone recognizing her, and revealing her past.
It was so simple.
And yet it wasn't, she reminded herself. Living the rest of her life like this, hoping that her past stayed buried, would drive her crazy. She looked away and out the window at the passing shadows of the St. Helena evening landscape. Just being this close to him, without the ability to clear the air, was its own special brand of torture.
At the restaurant, just past the stately backlit sign announcing their arrival at La Maison d’Ambre, the valet who jogged up to the car greeted Mira with a bright smile and wave. She recognized him as one of the boys from the harvest. He opened the passenger door with a flourish. “Welcome, Miss C. Nice to see you again!”
“Nice to see you too, Craig. You look very nice,” she took his hand and stepped out of the Wrangler with a smile, “quite a difference from jeans and a t-shirt.”
The young man gave his dress shirt a nervous pluck. “Thanks,” he gave Velia a smile as Teo helped his grandmother from the car and then turned back to Mira, “Mr. Gephardt is taking us to see your gardens sometime next month.”
She nodded. “You’re in the culinary program?”
"Yeah." He gave her a nervous grin. “That’s why I took a job here. I thought I’d get a job in the kitchen and learn something, but I ended up parking cars instead.” He brightened a bit. “But I’ll get there, Miss C.”
She couldn’t help but respond to the cheerful note in his voice and the determination she felt rolling off of him in waves. “I’m sure you will, Craig. I’ll see you soon.”
Mira took Teo’s offered arm and Craig took the keys from Teodoro.
“Don't worry, Mr. Santini, I’ll take good care of it. Enjoy your meal.”
Teo offered his other arm to his grandmother and they made their way inside.
“Mr. Santini,” the Maitre'd looked down into his reservation book and stepped around the host stand, “your party is waiting inside.” He gestured toward the hallway and proceeded to lead them to the private dining room. As they walked, Mira took the opportunity to absorb the elegant atmosphere of the interior and the classically designed decor. The same elegant deep green and earthy brown color scheme continued from the entrance through the hall, lit by the soft glow of bronze fixtures. "This is amazing," she looked up and blushed, "just beautiful."
Teo lifted her hand from the crook of his arm, and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. "I agree. And I'm glad that I get to share this with you."
She was speechless. She wasn't sure what she had expected him to say, but the soft caress of his voice and the gentle warmth in his eyes gave her hope.
Velia waved them closer the moment they entered the room and together, Mira and Teo walked over to her side.
It was easy to identify Lo
renzo Santini at a glance. Genetics ran strong in their family, going beyond their coloring and dark wavy hair. Still, her practiced eyes identified the subtle differences between the two, including the slight difference in height and the broader line of Lorenzo’s shoulders. Mentally, she marked down their body proportions, guessing at size as if she was preparing to make them suits. It might have seemed like a parlor trick to some, but for Mira, it was a compulsive thing, like a nervous tick.
An introduction was made and Lorenzo give her a quick once over of his own. Like her own assessment, it was all about the numbers. While she was measuring in inches, he was evaluating her in other ways; height, form, the cut of her dress, even the height of her heels. It wasn't necessarily inappropriate, but she could feel the hardening of the muscles in Teo’s arm under her hand. Frankly, it could have been worse. If she had a brother or a sister, she'd probably worry over them as much as Lorenzo did for Teodoro, but given how much of a hand Velia had in raising them she had expected them to be as staunch in their support of each other as they were of their grandmother. She gave Teo's arm a gentle squeeze and released him to greet the woman who had appeared at Lorenzo’s side. Her face was immediately recognizable.
“Caroline Franzen.” Mira winced when she realized that she'd spoken aloud. She gave Lorenzo an apologetic smile before she turned back to the other woman. “Sorry to jump the gun there, but I have both of your cookbooks at home.” She gave Teo a little smile. “The braised beef I made for you was from her book.”
“That was amazing,” Teo gave Caroline an appreciative smile as he shook her hand.
Caroline beamed as she exchanged greetings with the couple. “If you liked that you should try the cassoulet recipe or maybe the duck-”
Mira's gasp startled the celebrity chef.
Teo’s soft chuckle of laughter set both women at ease. He leaned closer to explain the situation to Caroline. “She has a pet duck.”
“Ah,” Caroline’s blue eyes snapped with good natured humor, “that might make things a bit tense at the table if you tried to serve that recipe.”
Mira’s cheeks colored with a blush. “True. Although,” she admitted in an almost whisper, “I did have some of your duck confit at your restaurant in Pasadena a few years ago.”
Caroline's expression brightened. “Do you come to L.A. often? I’d love to have you as my guest!”
Mira's expression tightened and she prayed that no one would notice the tension in her body as she realized what kind of a corner she'd painted herself into. “No, I don't think so,” she felt her heart stumble in her chest, trip, and almost roll over behind her ribs, “I've been there before, I mean I used to live...” Her control on her emotions started to slip through her fingers like a snapped thread flying through her overlock machine.
“Not only has Ella lived in the City of Angeles, she's one of the most talented designers I’ve ever worked with.”
All attention shifted to the man who stepped up beside Caroline. His dark brown suit somehow managed to clash with the other earthy colors in the room, but his smile tied Mira’s stomach in knots. The last time she'd seen that smile, Harris Coates had been on the other side of his mahogany desk, firing her.
“It's been a long time, Ella.”
She opened her mouth, but couldn't manage to make a sound.
Before Teo could speak, the waiter announced that dinner was about to start. Lorenzo downed the bourbon in his glass and set it down on the bar top. “This should be interesting.”
Chapter Fifteen
Mira was happy only too happy to sit down at the table. Velia had rescued her from the awkward moment, leading her to the elegantly appointed table, with Teodoro at their backs. He held out both of their chairs, but she avoided his eyes as she sank into hers.
She felt Velia’s comforting hand on her arm.
"I'm impressed." Caroline stepped up to the table opposite Velia, her eyes smiling at the older woman. "Lorenzo and Teodoro credit you with the idea for Sunset Brew, Mrs. Santini."
As Harris pulled out Caroline’s chair, he looked across the table at Mira, trying to catch her eye. His frustration was written on his face.
“I guess you could say that," Velia easily drew everyone's attention, her face brightening as she reached for her napkin. "When they started drinking beer in college, after I gave them a lecture on 'moderation,'" Velia shared a wink with Mira, "they worked their way from the bargain brands at the corner store-"
Lorenzo groaned and shook his head, earning him a pointed look from his grandmother and a lighthearted laugh from Caroline.
"And then on to draft beers."
It was Teodoro's turn to react. He cringed at the memory. "Horrible stuff."
"So," Velia picked up again, "I told the boys if they didn't like the beer they found in the stores, they should make it themselves."
" Lorenzo," Teo continued, "was majoring in business."
"And Teo was the one who liked chemistry, and had a way with marketing." Lorenzo lifted his gaze to meet his brother's. "The rest was history."
"Well, I," Caroline lifted her glass to Velia, "would like to applaud you for the suggestion. What they have done in the last few years is truly impressive."
Accepting the praise, Velia beamed at the other woman. "Just as impressive as your career." She looked at Mira seated beside her. "Caroline made quite a stir in France before she returned to America to open her own restaurant in San Francisco. Once she got it up and running, she opened another location."
Caroline grinned as she sipped her wine. "I like to do some 'unconventional' things in my restaurants. What I'm planning for my third location is an upscale gastropub within the Sunset Brew warehouse. I plan on buying the adjoining space for the dining room."
"It's going to be a huge hit," Mira smiled at the chef, "you'll have lines out the door.”
"You should see the space," Harris leaned forward until his coat caught on the tablecloth. He reached down to undo the button on his coat. "You could come back at any time. You could... stay with a friend."
Mira's cheeks turned ruddy with color. "I'm busy here. I'm not planning on going anywhere for a long time."
"Right," his grin spoke volumes. He didn't believe her and he wasn't gracious enough to let it go. "You're close enough to L.A. for a quick weekend getaway."
Teo could see how Harris' attention was upsetting Mira. There was something going on that he didn't understand. Mira knew Harris, but she didn't like him, that was obvious. He'd ask her about it later, but that wasn't going to stop him from offering his support to her now. Teo reached over and covered her hand where it lay on the table.
Her hand relaxed at his touch, and he saw her smile brighten when she looked at him. Teo wasn't sure, but the look in her eyes seemed... grateful. He felt something twist inside of his chest.
"Weekends," she replied, but kept her eyes on Teo, "are my busiest time at the garden. I wouldn't dream of leaving."
Lorenzo turned the focus back on Caroline. "Well, I'm glad you were able to make the time to come to St. Helena. I know we've discussed most of the details together, but it made more sense to come here to finalize things since Teo and Nonna are here."
Caroline smiled easily when Lorenzo mentioned his grandmother. "That's really sweet-"
"Sentimental maybe," Harris interjected, punctuating his comment with a swallow of his drink, "but isn't it kind of like an old fashioned proposal. You bring the new girl home to grandma?" He lifted his whisky glass to his lips again, laughing.
"It has nothing to do with sentiment." Lorenzo's tone was even but his eyes held a warning, one that Harris would have recognized if he had been paying attention. "Besides Teo and myself, our Nonna is the third partner in the business."
Even though she didn't know Lorenzo, Mira could easily read between the lines, because the two brothers were alike in many ways. They would include Velia because she was family. Mira turned her hand palm up so that she could thread her fingers between Teo's. His
slow smile had her heart swelling in her chest.
"Come on.” Harris looked around the table for support and settled his gaze on Mira. “You understand what I'm saying. Right, Ella?"
Mira instinctively turned to look at Harris and regretted it in the next heartbeat. He was watching her too intently. So many memories rushed up to the surface, threatening to drown her in regrets. "I don't understand what you mean, Mr. Coates."
"Sentimentality can get you in trouble in the business world.” He didn't wait for a reaction, barreling on. "You get a little too involved, you let your guard down. Things turn on you. Ella,” he put a special emphasis on her old nickname, “knows what I'm talking about."
Mira turned slightly away and struggled to keep her expression light. "You mean people turn on you, Harris-"
"Oh,” he leaned an elbow on the table and grinned, “now we're back to Harris, are we?”
"Please, stop." Mira's eyes were rimmed with red when she met his gaze.
Teo looked at Mira, feeling her distress in the trembling of her hand. “I think we’ve heard enough from you."
Caroline set her glass down on the table and turned to look at Harris. “Does this have anything to do with the brewery?”
When Harris looked at Mira, there was a flicker of something in his eyes that made her shudder. “No,” his jaw tightened as he signaled the waiter for another drink. He had gone quiet but no one was fooled. More than one pair of eyes were watching him carefully.
Things continued on in relative peace, conversation light. Thankfully, Harris was silent, but that silence came with a price. He'd put away more than his share of whisky, and Mira was all too aware of Harris slouching in his chair across the table from her, his sullen expression not so hidden behind his glass. She shifted and met Lorenzo’s cool gaze. Her introduction to Teo’s brother had been a complete disaster, and she knew that before the evening was done, it was only going to get worse.