by Amanda Usen
Ms. Gallagher reared back like Jenna had slapped her and dropped the pastry bag on the table. “I’m not punishing myself. My career is important to me. Roman and work are all I’ve ever needed. And I’m not hard on him—not usually.”
“Um…he’s not speaking to you. He’s given up on making you happy, which I think is actually a good thing for him. Because if you don’t know what will make you happy, he’s probably not going to get it right, either.”
Ms. Gallagher scowled, making Jenna chuckle. “If I had a dollar for every time Roman has looked at me like that, I’d be able to back your resort project.”
The other woman stared at her for a long moment. Then her blue eyes widened and her shoulders slumped. “I’m such a fool. I’ve been obsessed with getting funding for Oasis, jumping through hoop after hoop while Jeff harped on Roman the entire time. I think he’s been using my son to manipulate me, and I played right into his hands by demanding Roman keep a low profile, which is next to impossible for him, then criticizing the Beach House menu because Jeff didn’t like it. Ridiculous. Who doesn’t like beer and cheeseburgers? It was also Jeff’s idea to buy a table at the Larson banquet when he heard Roman was doing a course. How much do you want to bet Jeff has already decided he hates the dessert?”
“As far as pick-up techniques go, it’s unique, but Jefferson Morgan didn’t become a billionaire by being stupid. Is it working?”
Ms. Gallagher stripped her gloves into the trash. “It was working. You’ll have to forgive me for deserting you. Jeff’s in the poker room, and his luck has just run out. Would you mind keeping this between us until I talk to Roman myself?”
“Of course.” It wasn’t her rift to mend. However, as much as she hated that Roman had become collateral damage while Jefferson Morgan courted Roman’s mom, she sensed Ms. Gallagher wasn’t a woman who was easily manipulated. According to Roman, his mother had spent her whole life working, and it was time for her to relax. She wondered if Morgan had come to the same conclusion. “If I had to make a guess, I’d say Roman got his stubborn streak from you. It took a hell of a lot of effort to get his attention. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s probably hard to get your attention when you’re working, too. Perhaps Jeff did what he had to do. Maybe you should give him a chance.” She shrugged. “Or maybe he’s a jerk and doesn’t deserve another minute of your time. Only you know the answer to that, but who says you can’t fall in love?”
Ms. Gallagher’s eyes narrowed. “Who indeed? But by your own logic, who says you can’t stay in love?” Her voice was doubtful and her gaze lingered on Jenna’s sparkling ring.
“You know Roman.” Jenna’s throat felt tight.
“Yes, yes I do.” Ms. Gallagher nodded, looking thoughtful. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
As Roman’s mother left the kitchen, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Jenna’s arm. Her heart was a dull thud in her chest, and her head buzzed. Now I’ve done it.
Ms. Gallagher had unwittingly echoed the thought that had been in the back of Jenna’s mind all week. She didn’t just want the added benefits. She wanted Roman. The snowball she had envisioned rolling right over her plan was her plan, a snowball’s chance in hell that had turned into the most amazing ten days in her life, landed her with a pretend ring on her finger, and culminated in an honest-to-God profession of love she wanted to blame on champagne, but couldn’t. I don’t want to leave him.
As she acknowledged that truth, another one hit her.
Selfish. She was so selfish. Staying with Roman meant deserting her family…or asking Roman to desert his. They couldn’t simultaneously exist on both coasts, and each endeavor was a full-time job. Roman’s mother was counting on him, and it meant the world to him to take the burden of Gallagher Holdings off her shoulders. Even if he wanted to continue their relationship, which was a big if, she couldn’t ask him to give up his responsibilities.
And as for her responsibilities…
It was time to admit she’d used Cooper’s as an excuse to pursue Roman, and the ring on her left hand was a conspicuous reminder of exactly how far she’d go to get what she wanted. Had she suggested their fake engagement to get good press for Gallagher Holdings? Or had she just wanted Roman to put a ring on her finger, so she could find some way to make it stick?
Sadness welled up inside her so hard she had to brace her hands on the table to keep from sinking to her knees. Dizzy, she looked for somewhere to sit and ended up resting her butt on the shelf under the table. She curled over her knees, knowing she couldn’t pretend anymore. No wonder her parents didn’t trust her to carry Cooper’s into the next generation. No wonder Cole had accused her of not having a plan. Left to her own devices, she didn’t fix things. She made them worse, and true to form, she’d created a big, fat mess.
A sob built in her throat. In her mind’s eye she saw Roman smiling across the dinner table at a blond child with his blue eyes. She pictured Roman and her working side by side in the kitchen, surrounded by their family. She added her parents, Cole, Angela, and a baby. Everyone was smiling and celebrating. She savored the image…and then she let it go.
That life could never be hers. The desire to go home overwhelmed her.
Come home to Cooper’s.
The idea dropped into her head like a tiny seed, then exploded, growing roots and branches. Home. Family. Community. She couldn’t have a family with Roman, but that was the perfect niche for Cooper’s. She knew exactly how she would create an environment that would be far more conducive to raising kids than a normal restaurant would allow.
Roman had been right about her that day in the Beach House office. When she imagined her future, it held kids and a man who would put family over work, and Roman wasn’t that guy. He’d always own a piece of her heart—first love was like that—but it wasn’t fair to ask him to change his life and give up his responsibilities for her. Likewise, she would never forgive herself if she didn’t follow through with her plan for Cooper’s, and now she knew exactly what to do.
As she got to her feet and picked up the pastry bag to finish the job, she wondered how long the idea for Cooper’s had been hovering at the edge of her subconscious, waiting for her to wake up. Guilt flashed through her. She’d been too busy falling in love with Roman to pay attention.
No, that wasn’t quite fair. She’d learned a lot from Roman during the Beach House renovation, but there was no magic secret for reinventing Cooper’s. There was nothing Roman could tell her that would convince her family to have faith in her. She would have to earn it.
It was time to go home.
…
Roman drifted, enjoying the most heavenly sense of rightness he had ever felt. She loved him. Her words rang in his heart, loud and clear, resonating like a bass drum, announcing the end of something. Or the beginning. So what if she was drunk? Now he had something to build on. He reached for her…and got an armful of pillow.
He opened his eyes and discovered he was alone in the bed, alone in the room, alone in the suite. Damn, she’d flown the coop. He thought it would take her longer to sleep it off. He grabbed his phone and sent her a text, then heard a ping from the other room that told him she hadn’t taken her phone with her.
He’d check the kitchen first.
He slid into clothes and then grabbed his wallet, phone, and key card, tucking everything into his pockets as he waited for the elevator. The casino was packed, but no one stopped him as he made a beeline for the kitchen. He saw her working in a corner and relief soared through him that she hadn’t flown farther than the kitchen.
He closed the distance between them. “I thought I’d find you here.”
“A lot of puffs to fill.” She kept her eyes on her work.
He took the bag out of her hand, and she grabbed a second one lying on the table and picked up another puff. “Double-fisted? That’s impressive. Or did you know I’d be joining you?”
She shrugged, looking uncomfortable, making him chuckle.
“If I help you fill the rest of the puffs, can we go back to bed?” He couldn’t wait to tell her he loved her, too, but he didn’t want to do it in the middle of the kitchen. “I’m not sure we can top what we did before, but anything can happen in Vegas.”
Her eyes darkened, and she lifted her chin. “Let’s go back to the room. These puffs are extras.”
She wrapped and stored the puffs at warp speed. He worked just as quickly, washing her tools and getting rid of the empty mousse containers. The faster he got her back into bed, the faster the last vestige of the panic he’d felt when he woke up without her would disappear. He grabbed her toolbox with one hand and pulled her out the kitchen door with the other. They popped out of the corridor and into the busy casino. Lights flashed. Cigarette smoke and noise surrounded them.
A cheer broke out as someone hit the jackpot. He squeezed her hand, feeling like he’d hit the jackpot, too. There was only one thing that could make this better, and wasn’t it convenient that she already had a ring on her finger? He couldn’t wait another minute to tell her how he felt about her.
“Hang on—I’m feeling lucky.” He stopped in front of a roulette table and dug in his pocket, then handed a fat stack of bills to the croupier. “On black. All of it.”
He turned to Jenna. “And if I win. You marry me—for real—tonight. I don’t want it to be a fantasy.”
…
Oh my God.
Jenna felt faint as the wheel spun. Her mouth opened, but no sound emerged, and her heart beat as erratically as the bouncing ball.
Yes. No. Yes. No. Slowing, slower…stopped.
On black.
Roman whooped and spun her in a circle. “Even money, baby. What do you say?”
Her heart ached. He was wrong. It could only be a fantasy. A really good one, but if she allowed herself to continue pretending what they had was real, it would ruin both of their lives.
“Roman…I can’t marry you.”
His face fell, excitement extinguished. “I know I’m not the kind of guy you imagined yourself ending up with, but we’re dynamite together. Give me a chance. We saved the Beach House, and there are a lot of other restaurants out there waiting for us to figure out the perfect solutions for them, too. We’ll do Cooper’s first, but that’s just one small business in a big, wide world. I know it sounds crazy, and there are a lot of things we need to figure out, but the main thing is we could do it together. I love you, Jenna, and I want a lifetime with you.”
“I can’t do this, Roman.” But oh God, it was tempting.
“Why not? What’s the problem? We’re magic together. In fact, I think we’re pretty goddamn perfect.” He pulled her closer, as if he intended to prove it, but she put her hands on his chest, holding him off.
“I think you’re perfect, Ro. I always have, and the sixteen-year-old girl trapped inside me wants to kill me for saying no to a life with you. It’s kind of like saying no to Brad Pitt or Channing Tatum, but I just can’t do it.” She broke away and headed for the elevator, hoping to make it back to the room before she had to explain any further. She didn’t want to have this discussion in the middle of the casino or worse, in an elevator, but Roman looked determined as he followed her, stuffing chips into his pocket.
As the elevator opened, she stepped to the back and several people got in after her, forcing Roman to stay near the front. She would have seventeen floors to think, if she was lucky.
The doors opened, and everyone but Roman got off on the third floor.
So much for luck.
“Tell me why,” he demanded.
It wasn’t going to be pretty, but he deserved the truth. “Because I love you, but I’ve been miserable since we got here, and this is your world. Bright lights. Beautiful people. Huge kitchens. I like small towns and small kitchens, like the one at the Beach House.”
“Then we’ll go back there. We’ll stay there.”
“You can’t. When your mother retires, you are going to be in charge of over a dozen restaurants up and down the West Coast. I bet some of them are even bigger than the one here at the Castle.”
He flushed, and she knew she was right. “I don’t want to build a life with a man who is going to be working even more than I am. You hit the nail on the head when you asked me if I want what my parents have. The answer is yes, and I can’t have it with you unless you give up everything you’ve ever wanted and come back to Lambertville with me…and stay there.”
He looked like she’d just clocked him with a baseball bat.
“Exactly,” she said. “I’d never ask you to do that. You wouldn’t be the man you are if you were willing to do that, and you’re a good man. I called you a momma’s boy, but that wasn’t fair. You aren’t under her thumb. You stand by her side, and when she retires, you’ll take the lead. She’s counting on you.”
He froze, an arrested expression in his eyes, and she cupped his cheek, feathering her thumb over his lips. “I came to California to figure out how to fix Cooper’s, but the restaurant and my family have been the furthest things from my mind. All I’ve thought about is you. Nobody thinks I can reinvent Cooper’s because I have a habit of losing my way. I dig myself deeper and deeper into trouble—”
“What are you talking about?” he broke in. “You have amazing ideas, your desserts are awesome, and you never run out of energy and enthusiasm.”
Her heart warmed, but she’d learned her passion wasn’t always a positive thing. “Yeah, well, I came out here to pick your brain and ended up begging you to have sex with me, talking you into changing your menu, and practically forcing you to take a risk on the croquembouches. When I commit myself to something, I give it every bit of my heart and soul—for example, pretending to be engaged in order to get some publicity. If you’d asked me to marry you an hour ago, we’d be standing in front of Elvis right now, and I never would have come up with a plan to save Cooper’s. But I did. I finally came to my senses, and I know what I need to do.”
The elevator doors opened, and they got off on their floor. Roman said nothing as they walked to the room. He slipped his key card into the lock and held the door open. “Tell me.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m going to make Cooper’s a home away from home for everyone who comes to dinner. We’ll be open on holidays, and my family will eat there with the customers. We’ll have a playroom for kids alongside the dining room, so parents can eat without having to make their kids behave. Service will be family style. Comfort food. Fun veggie dishes even picky kids will like. It will be the kind of place where people will come to relax, knowing they’ll be greeted with a smile, even when they are holding a screaming baby or scolding a pouting ’tween. I think we’ll make our motto Come Home to Cooper’s.”
Roman caught her hand. “Let’s do it together, Jenna. Let me help you. My mother isn’t retiring yet, and I don’t have another project lined up after the Beach House.”
She shook her head. “I need to do this alone. My parents think I can’t do it, and I want to prove them wrong. I don’t want your money or influence to be the deciding factor. I want them to have faith in me.” Every minute she spent with him eroded her resolve. She glanced around the room and realized there was nothing to pack except a few clothes on the bathroom floor.
“So that’s it? You’re bailing on me? What about the dinner tomorrow night?”
“You don’t need me anymore. You know as much about the dessert as I do and way more about how to plate it for two hundred. The only sticky part will be the sugar, but I packed newspapers.” She felt something ease inside her as she realized the pressure was off in one respect. “I know your mom is going to love it.”
“I couldn’t care less.”
But she knew better, and she was glad Roman and his mother would be on speaking terms by tomorrow night. She pressed her lists into his hand. “Don’t forget the gold dust.”
She leaned up to kiss his cheek, breathing in his spicy scent one last time.
He wrapped his arms
around her and held her tight, and she thought she would choke on the tears crowding her throat. She slipped the ring off her finger, and held it out when she pulled away from him.
He shook his head. “I don’t want that back. I never intended to return it. Keep it. It’s yours, and take this, too.”
He slid a notebook out of his suitcase and thrust it into her hands. “I wrote down everything I know about re-creating a restaurant. I hope it helps, and if you run into any snags or have any questions, please call. I think your idea for Cooper’s is fantastic, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind you’ll make it a huge success. I’d tell you good luck, but you won’t need it.” His blue eyes shone with—oh God—love, and she had no idea how she was going to force herself to open the door.
He did it for her.
Numbly, she zipped her suitcase and rolled it out the door. Her grip was so tight on the ring, it bit into her hand, and the spiral binding of the notebook pinched the underside of her arm. I should be glad he’s making it easy for me. Going home is the right thing to do. But it felt like she was leaving everything that mattered behind her.
“I’ll call the limo service and tell them to look for you out front,” he said.
“Thanks, Roman.” She trained her eyes on the elevator and put one foot in front of the other. Don’t look back. If she could make it into the limo, she could cry for four solid hours with no one the wiser.
“Jenna?”
She paused and glanced over her shoulder. His smile made a tear slip down her cheek, but his words broke her heart.
“Take care, Goldilocks. I have faith in you.”
Chapter Twelve
Roman put the last strands of spun sugar on the two hundredth croquembouche and stepped back from the tray.
“Go,” he told the waiter.
Alex gave him a mocking smile and clapped her hands. “Kudos to you. They love the dessert out there. I had serious doubts about your ability to pull off such a complicated dessert after your talented little fiancée took off, but you proved me wrong.”