"A lot of people, women especially, believe that celebrities aren't very good in bed because they don't have to be. Do you think that's part of your problem?"
Lori groaned. She actually took a step forward, then stopped. Reid didn't need her breaking into his interview so she could tell the world that he was an amazing lover.
"I hate this woman," Lori muttered to her sister.
"I'm not real fond of her myself."
"I don't know what happened with the reporter who started all this," Reid said. "She never talked to me about anything. She came on to me in a bar. For all I know, the whole thing was a setup. It's been uncomfortable. This isn't anything any guy wants to deal with. As you know, I've been avoiding the press."
"I'm aware of that," the reporter purred. "Of all the reporters around, you chose me." She put her hand on Reid's arm. "Are you trying to tell me something?"
Reid looked directly at the camera. "Yes, I am. I'm putting up with these questions because they don't matter to me. Say what you want- I don't care. What's a hell of a lot more important than what anyone thinks about my love life is the fact that every day people are dying when they don't need to be."
The woman sighed, as if aware the juicy portion of the interview was over. "You're talking about those waiting for an organ donation."
"Right. In other countries, organ donation is the norm."
He went on with his pitch, but Lori wasn't listening. She pulled off her headphones and turned to her sister.
"He did it. He got through. I can't believe it. He was great. You saw that. Right?"
"He was a god," Madeline said, then sighed. "Seriously, he was terrific. I'm really grateful."
Lori hugged her. "Me, too. I still can't believe he was willing to go through that for you."
Madeline smiled at her. "No, Lori. He didn't do it for me. Don't you get it? He did it for you."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"BERNARDO IS A GOOD MAN," Mama Giuseppe said as she ladled more pasta sauce onto Dani's plate. "His father started the restaurant nearly fifty years ago. We were so young then, with foolish dreams."
The tiny woman, dressed all in black glanced around the gleaming restaurant kitchen. "Maybe not so foolish." She looked back at Dani's plate. "Eat. Eat!"
Dani cheerfully tasted another forkful of the perfect pasta. The sauce was delicious enough to make her wonder how rude it would be to lick the plate when she was finished. But as she hadn't technically started her interview, she'd probably better remember her table manners.
She'd arrived at three and had immediately been ushered into the kitchen. The prep chefs were hard at work, yelling and insulting each other in Italian. At least she assumed it was Italian. But judging from their expressions and the laughter, she had a good idea what they were saying. Some things about the back of a restaurant were all the same.
Although she'd met Bernardo, the owner of Bella Roma, he'd been called away to take a phone call, leaving Dani alone with his mother. As Mama Giuseppe had been offering incredible food, Dani wasn't complaining.
"I've asked around," Mama said. "I know you are a Buchanan, like the restaurants. Your grandmother, she's not a nice woman."
Dani wasn't sure what to say to that. "Gloria can be a challenge," she admitted.
Mama sniffed. "Is that what we call it? Still, you didn't pick her for family. What can you do? I have four boys. Four. God was good to us. And of the four, only Bernardo wants to go in the family business. One is enough, right? So now my grandchildren are growing up. This one wants to be a lawyer, that one a doctor. Nicholas wants to do hair." She shook her head. "A man who wants to do hair. But he's family, so I love him. The restaurant? Not so much. Alicia, she loved working here, but now she's moving to New York to get married. What? We can't have a wedding in Seattle?"
Mama sighed. "What can you do?" She looked at Dani. "You're not married?"
"Ah, no. I was. My husband and I…He, ah- "
Mama Giuseppe nodded. "I understand. Some men are good men. Some, not so good. My Bernardo, he's a good man. His wife died." She paused, considering. "You're a little young for him. Too bad."
Dani nearly choked on her pasta. Bernie, as he'd asked her to call him, had to be close to fifty.
Just then the man in question hurried into the room.
"Sorry about that," he told Dani. "My daughter's getting married in a month. We're averaging about one crisis every four hours. Has my mother been torturing you?"
Dani glanced at her empty plate. "Not at all. She's been keeping me well fed. I love everything here."
"A girl who eats," Mama said. "Good."
Bernie sighed. "I'm going to take Dani to my office, Mama. We're going to talk business. You'll want to leave us alone for a while."
"I'm an old woman. What do I know about business? I wouldn't want to get in the way of something important. Did I start this place with your father? Did I work all hours of the day while raising four children?"
"Ignore her," Bernie murmured as they left the kitchen and headed down a rear hall. "She can be dramatic."
"I adore her," Dani said and meant it.
"If you're not careful, she'll run your life."
Dani figured she wasn't doing such a great job of it herself, so maybe someone being in charge would be good.
They sat in Bernie's crowded office. He looked at the stack of papers and files lying on his desk and groaned. "I've got to get this organized," he said. "I never have the time. That's why we're hiring a manager. My daughter, Alicia, was working here, but she's moved to New York to be with her fiancé. I was hoping one of the other kids or one of my cousins would be interested, but they're not. They love to eat here, of course, but the work? Not so much."
He sounded a lot like his mother, Dani thought, holding in a grin. She was impressed the two of them could work together day after day and not kill each other.
"We're a close staff," he said. "Most of my servers have worked here for years. Over half the clients are regulars. You know what that means?"
Dani knew he wasn't just making conversation. The interview had officially begun.
"Regulars are a steady cash flow, so you want to keep them happy," she said easily. "They like what they like. Some resist change. They have higher expectations. They want to be remembered and treated as special because they're giving something money can't buy- loyalty."
"Exactly." He sounded pleased. "For a while our customers were mostly older family and retirees. Aging. Then the neighborhood began to change. Suddenly we're hip. Or in. I can't keep up with the right term. Which means I'm neither, right?"
Dani smiled at him. He was terrific. For a second she wanted to agree with Mama Giuseppe- it's too bad that Bernie wasn't closer to her age.
"So now we're getting a younger crowd. I thought they'd clash with our regulars, but they don't. It's nice to see newlyweds and college kids around."
He passed her a menu. "We're traditional here. Mama sees to that. Our head chef answers to her. Nick has been here ten years and when he and Mama start screaming at each other, it's better to duck and run." He chuckled. "Lucky for you, they argue in Italian, so you'll miss most of it."
He flipped through a couple of papers. "What else? No real staff problems right now, but they come up. The older servers can resent new staff, but they work it out. The restaurant runs fairly smoothly, but there are always hassles."
He paused and Dani sensed he was waiting for her to elaborate on what the hassles could be.
"Late deliveries, missing linens, a batch of bad wine, an off dish that everyone starts sending back," she said. "The party of twenty that booked the private room changes their mind about the menu a half hour before they show up. That sort of thing?"
Bernie nodded. "Right. Good. Okay, then let's talk about your experience."
Over the next hour, she was grilled on everything from her college education to handling the temporary head chef while Penny had been on maternity leave.
When she'
d finished, Bernie leaned back in his chair. "We want someone to start right away," he said. "Are you available?"
Dani nodded. "I've given my notice at The Waterfront. I can leave anytime."
"You're clear on the fact that my mother is a big part of the restaurant? She's going to get involved and tell you what to do. She'll swear she won't, but don't believe her for a second."
"I like your mother," Dani admitted with a grin. "We'll work well together."
"Then the job is yours, if you want it." He named an impressive salary. "You'll get a cut of the profits. I'd like you to start out during the day. It's not so crazy then and you can feel your way. Once you're up to speed, we'll split shifts, so neither of us is always working nights."
Dani stared at him. "You're offering me the job? Just like that?"
"Just like that. I go with my gut. You'll do well here, Dani. So what do you think?"
* * *
LORI TRIED TO FOCUS on the fact that Reid had asked her out to dinner- like a date. Because worrying about a date was far less scary than thinking about meeting the board that would direct Reid's new foundation.
Nothing was official. The lawyers were still drawing up papers, but everyone was getting together to discuss direction, purpose, a mission statement.
Lori had gone online the previous evening to figure out what a mission statement was. She'd looked at other charities to find out what they were trying to do with their money. In a way it was good she was so scared about the board meeting because it distracted her from what her sister had said a couple of days ago, when they'd watched Reid taping his interview. That he'd put himself in the public eye and had endured humiliation for her. She couldn't seem to get her mind around that.
While it didn't rank as high as Kyle Reese's "I crossed time for you, Sarah Connor" in the first Terminator movie, it was damn close. A guy like Reid having to defend his sexual performance on national television was way worse than any punishment she could come up with- and yet he'd done it willingly. It had even been his idea.
Had he really done it for her? Because he cared about her? The possibility made her chest tighten and her eyes burn. She was afraid to believe, because if she believed, she would have to admit she'd fallen in love with him.
They parked in the lot of the Doubletree Hotel in Bellevue and walked into the foyer. Reid took her hand in his and led the way to the conference room he'd rented for the meeting.
"I'm nervous," she admitted.
"Then we can be nervous together."
She looked at him. "Why are you worried? You're doing an incredible thing."
"I'm some dumb jock who's been front page gossip. I picked a hell of a board. Why will important people with expertise in what I want to do take me seriously?"
"Because you have the checkbook."
"I want to be more than just the name on the building," he told her. "I'd rather not use my name at all, but I know I'll be a good front man." He shrugged.
She put her hand on his chest. "You're doing the right thing. I swear you are. I'm impressed. Seriously."
His gaze locked with hers. "That means a lot to me."
"I'm glad, because it's true."
They smiled at each other, then Reid squared his shoulders. "Ready?"
She nodded even though she wasn't and they walked into the conference room.
Eight people already sat there. Five men and three women. They were all over forty, well-dressed and chatting as if they knew each other.
Lori instantly felt out of place. It wasn't her clothes- she'd had Madeline help her pick out a conservative but attractive skirt and jacket, and her shoes were new and more expensive than she wanted to admit. It was that these people were some of the richest and most successful in the country and she was a girl who had grown up in a double-wide.
Reid introduced everyone. There were two CEOs, a founding executive from Microsoft, a woman whose family owned banks and other people who professionally gave away millions.
When they were seated, Reid began.
"I appreciate each of you agreeing to serve on my board. I don't know most of you- my business manager gave me a list of names and I started asking around. You're the best at what you do and I'm going to need that. I have no experience with philanthropy, but that's about to change. I want to improve the world, one kid at a time, through sports. That's my mission statement. It may be as simple as new cleats for football season or as complex as designing and building a stadium after a hurricane. Let the other charities take on diseases, I want us to figure out ways to improve kids' lives through sports of all kinds."
"We have a good financial start," one of the men said.
"I agree." Reid leaned forward. "I'm hoping we'll have more. I've never been one for endorsement deals, but I'm willing to do them now. All the money I earn for speaking for companies willing to pay will go back into the foundation. I'm going to use my name and my former career to get into places most people can't. I want to bring attention to where it's needed. If that means taking a couple of hits from the press, I'm willing to do it."
He stood. "Each of you brings expertise to the table. For some of you, it's managing money. Others have a gift for finding out where that money should go. If you're wondering about Lori's job." He nodded at her. "She's here to keep us grounded. Her professional background is in nursing. She knows how to deal with people going through a rough time. She'll keep us on track."
He smiled at her.
It was one of those melt-your-socks kind of smiles that made her pulse rate double. The woman sitting next to her leaned close.
"Okay, now I'm breathing hard and I'm happily married."
"Tell me about it," Lori whispered back.
Reid continued to talk about what he wanted them to accomplish. As she listened she wondered if this was a dream. All her life she'd been too afraid to go for the happy ending. This time she wanted it enough to try. Enough to risk her heart and the possible fall that waited just out of reach.
* * *
REID PARKED at the edge of the dock. "I know it's not a restaurant. Is this okay?"
Lori looked around at the lake, the twinkling lights of the houses on the other side, and the tidy row of houseboats at the end of the dock.
"It's great," she said. "Are you cooking?"
He grinned. "Not a chance. Food will be delivered later. Come on. I've been gone long enough that there shouldn't be any press lurking around."
He led the way to the houseboat. As Lori breathed in the damp air and the scent of water and plants, she realized that if the press really had backed off, then Reid didn't have any reason to stay at Gloria's house much longer. Which meant she wouldn't be seeing him as much.
The thought saddened her, so she pushed it away and instead concentrated on the two-story houseboat in front of her.
The structure was dark blue with white trim around the many windows and set away from the neighbors. Planters lined the walkway leading to the front door. Reid unlocked the door, then leaned in and hit a couple of light switches. Lori stepped into a surprisingly open space done in leather and wood.
There was a fireplace and a view of the lights, hardwood floors, warm area rugs and a staircase leading to the second floor.
Beyond the living room was a dining area and a doorway to what looked to be an impressive kitchen. On the other side was a study.
Everything was perfect. Bookshelves lined the angled stairway, taking advantage of unused space. There were trunks in corners, display shelves, welcoming colors and a real sense of home.
"It's beautiful," she told him. "Really perfect and amazing. I thought you'd be more the high-rise condo type."
He shrugged. "I looked at some, but then I saw this place and I bought it the same day. It was old, so we gutted the place and built new."
"We?" She did her best to hold in a wave of jealousy. "Let me guess. Tall, blond, big boobs and Southern?"
Reid moved toward her and kissed her. "You think you know everythin
g, but you're wrong. My decorator was a guy and I didn't sleep with him."
A guy? She liked that.
"Before you can ask," he said, touching her face, then easing his fingers into her hair. "I don't bring women here. This is my place. It's private. You're the first."
If she hadn't already been in love with him, that single statement probably would have pushed her over the edge. She drew in a breath, not sure what she wanted to say, only to be saved from possibly confessing something she might regret by a knock on the door.
Reid released her and let in a delivery guy. After paying the man, he took the two shopping bags from him and walked into the kitchen.
"Chicken marsala, pasta, a salad and a special decadent cake for dessert," he told her. "I went with chocolate because I know you go crazy for it." He grinned. "I'm trying to seduce you. How am I doing so far?"
He was the best-looking man she'd ever seen, but that didn't seem to matter anymore. While the chemical attraction was still as powerful as ever and probably would be as long as she drew breath, it wasn't the reason she was here.
She was here because of who he was. He hadn't seduced her with his body- he'd seduced her with his soul. The man inside, the heart of him, called to her with a song she couldn't resist.
She crossed to him, took the bags from him and set them on the counter. Then she leaned close and kissed him.
"I don't need chocolate," she whispered against his mouth. "Not when I have you."
"Tonight you get to have both. Pretty close to heaven, huh?"
She smiled. "Closer than you know."
* * *
"I'M GOING TO cut your sandwich into tiny bites and then feed them to you," Reid said with a grin. "Later, I'll read to you."
His grandmother glared at him. "You'll do no such thing. I might still be recovering from a broken hip, but I'm strong enough to throw things at your head."
"But can you hit me?" he asked. "I'm not sure about your aim."
"Where do you think you inherited your pitching ability?" Gloria's mouth pulled on the corners, as if she were trying not to smile. "You're in a good mood this morning. Why is that?"
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