Evan thought about his daughter at home without any parents around right now. Things were about to get even more sticky with Michelle. He sighed in frustration, deciding that maybe he should take Katie for the summer. But would that be any better? She’d have to hang out with a babysitter here in Seashell Beach. What was the difference between that and Mrs. Gordman?
Evan must have fallen asleep because when he opened his eyes next, his bedroom was flooded with light. He checked his cell phone and called Katie.
“You’re not at school yet?” he asked.
“It’s Saturday!” she said.
Evan laughed. “I know, silly. What are you going to do today?”
“I don’t know. Mrs. Gordman says she’s watching a program, then maybe we can go to the petting farm.” Katie’s voice lacked its usual enthusiasm.
“That sounds like fun,” Evan said. “Can you feed the goats for me?”
“Okay,” her voice became brighter. “Can you buy me a rabbit?”
“A rabbit? What do you want that for?” Katie always requested pets, but Michelle had never allowed any such things in their home. Maybe he’d check with the owner of the apartment building to see if there were any restrictions. Except he really didn’t want a rabbit.
“They’re so furry!”
“You’re absolutely right,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll talk about it some more when you come to see me again.” He said good-bye to her, grateful that she seemed in better spirits now. He hoped she’d have fun at the petting farm.
The next phone call was a bit harder. First he showered and dressed, then when he’d gone through half of a cup of coffee, he called Michelle.
She didn’t answer. Of course. So, because he knew it would annoy her, he called her right back. Which was probably childish, but Michelle seemed to bring that out in him.
“Evan, I’m in the middle of something,” she said by way of answering. “If it’s urgent, text me.”
“I just talked to Katie… In fact, she called me at 3:00 in the morning.”
“Is something wrong?” Michelle asked, and Evan was mollified a bit when he heard the worry in her voice. He knew she loved their daughter as much as he did, but they had two completely different ways of showing it.
“She was scared, and she was missing you.”
“Oh, Evan. She’s a drama queen. You know that.”
Evan knew that Katie wouldn’t have to be a drama queen if her mom paid a little attention to her. Katie had to resort to extreme tactics to get anything from Michelle.
“I could have taken her while you went out of town,” he said.
Michelle sighed. “Yeah, but I didn’t have time to drive her up.” A muffled giggle sounded as if Michelle was trying to cover up her laughter. It was obvious she was with Randy. Probably still in bed.
“I could have come to pick her up,” Evan said, trying to keep the sharpness out of his voice. What he really wanted to say was that it seemed like Mrs. Gordman was the one raising their daughter instead of Michelle. Yeah, he got that she needed breaks and that she was dating and that one hundred percent of her life didn’t need to be about a kid, but today he was feeling more protective of Katie.
“Well, you just had her, and I’m sure you would have grumbled about it if I called you,” Michelle said, her voice sounding pouty.
Evan breathed out, trying to calm his growing frustration. “It might have taken some rearranging with work, but you know Katie comes first.” He almost added “for me.” It turned out he didn’t have to. Michelle was all too happy to take their discussion to the next level.
“Whatever, Evan. Stop pretending you’re the perfect dad. Katie told me that the governor was coming to your hotel, and so maybe I was thinking of you first.” She muffled her voice again, saying something to Randy. “But I really don’t care what you think of my motivations. When I have my daughter at home, I’ll make the decisions as to what does and does not go on.”
Evan rubbed his temple with one hand, while gripping the phone with the other. It took all of his patience to keep his voice neutral. “I don’t want to argue. I wanted to let you know that I can take her, even if I’m cooking for the President of the United States.” He took a breath as Michelle scoffed. “And if you think if you’re going to be really busy this summer, I’d be happy to keep her longer. Even the whole summer if you need me to.”
Michelle was quiet, which surprised Evan. He thought she’d immediately say no, then later allow him to extend beyond the normal two weeks. He heard her murmur something to Randy, then he said something back.
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” Michelle said.
Evan straightened. This was unlike Michelle, but maybe it was Randy’s influence. He wondered if he should or shouldn’t be grateful for that. Randy was the reason now that Katie was spending the weekend with a babysitter. And this boyfriend was the latest in a long string over the past three years.
“Thanks,” Evan said, grateful for this step forward.
When he hung up with Michelle, he started to feel more and more excited. If Katie spent the summer with him, maybe he could persuade Michelle to let her go to school in Seashell Beach. Surely there was a prestigious private one that even Michelle would approve of.
He took a sip of his coffee, feeling elated, but then he realized having Katie living him would complicate his life in other areas. He set down his cup. His budding relationship with Stella might come to a screeching halt if she realized dating Evan now included two.
Stella fidgeted with a pearl ring display. Evan would be coming in any minute on his lunch break. It was 3:00 in the afternoon, but since Evan started work later in the day, he had an odd lunch time. She looked toward the door as someone walked past the shop. Not Evan. They’d texted a few times this morning, and every time he wrote, her heart jumped.
Maybe it was because she could still feel his arms around her and his kisses on her mouth. Evan had been right; Amelia had waited up for her, and then, this morning, they’d all had cheesecake for breakfast. It had been a long time since Stella had seen her mother able to eat something enjoyable that wouldn’t shock her system. Stella wanted to kiss Evan again just for that.
Stella pulled out one of the pearl rings and slipped it on. She’d done the inset work for the pearls herself. The rings were one of the more popular items in the shop, and they also sold well online. She twisted the ring on her finger, wondering if it was possible to fall for a man so soon… this hard? Maybe it was the wine she’d had with dinner.
Maybe it was because being around Andrew had made her realize how much she missed being with a man. Or maybe Amelia’s excitement had become her own excitement. Or maybe it was seeing her mom close her eyes in pleasure as she ate the cheesecake Evan had made for her.
The door jingled, and Stella looked up to see Evan walk in.
The second she saw him, she knew she wasn’t falling for him for anything other than she wanted to be with him. Evan walked toward her with a half smile. Stella barely had time to slip the pearl ring off and put it back before Evan leaned down and kissed her cheek. It was only a kiss on the cheek, but it made her all too aware of him. She didn’t know how it would be when she first encountered Evan after their date the night before. Now she knew. Sweet.
“Are you here to shop for some more jewelry?” she teased, putting a little space between them in case a customer came into the shop.
“No, I’m here to steal you away.” He wasn’t letting her move too far. “What are you hungry for?”
She was hungry for anything. “What? You didn’t cook for me?”
Evan laughed. “I didn’t want to be late.”
“I thought we could order takeout,” Stella said. “Then I won’t have to put up the closed sign.”
“Why are you putting up the closed sign?” Amelia asked, coming out of the office.
Stella turned. “I thought you were leaving today.”
“Change of plans.” Amelia grinned and sidled up
to Evan, looking him up and down. “That cheesecake was divine.”
“Thank you,” Evan said, his face turning pink.
Stella wanted to laugh. “We were, uh, about to order takeout.”
“If you two want to go get lunch, I’ll mind the shop.” She looked at Stella and wagged her eyebrows.
Stella wanted to laugh at Amelia’s antics. But at that moment, she was really glad that Amelia had decided to stay
She and Evan left the shop, and Evan slipped his hands into his pockets. Stella felt disappointed that he didn’t hold her hand, but it was probably better— they’d only been on one date after all. She thought of how Amelia had conveniently come into the shop so they could go to lunch… it was almost as if she was spying on them.
“What are you smiling at?” Evan asked, nudging her.
“Oh, just everything, I guess.”
“Where do you want to go to lunch?”
Stella already knew. “Let’s go to The Fortune Café— it’s not as great as your cooking, of course. I ordered it the other night, and it was really good.”
“Thanks,” Evan said.
He seemed more quiet than he had the night before. Maybe he hadn’t slept much like she hadn’t.
Stella hadn’t been inside the café before, but she knew it was next to the watch repair shop.
When they reached the door of the restaurant, Evan opened it for Stella. They stepped into the dim interior, and the scent of fragrant spices hit Stella. The place was nearly empty, and Stella assumed because it was between the lunch and dinner hour. A waitress walked toward them, the name Emma on her name tag. She wore the standard server’s uniform— black pants, white button-down shirt, and a white apron. “Two?” she asked.
“Yes,” Evan said. “Can we sit by the window?”
“Certainly,” the woman replied. She led them to a table in the corner of the restaurant that overlooked Tangerine Street.
Stella sat down, impressed that the red tablecloths were real fabric.
“Have you eaten here before?” the waitress asked, taking out an order pad from her short apron. Emma was a really pretty woman with beautiful brown eyes, but Evan seemed more interested in the menu than the waitress. Always a good sign.
“I’ve ordered takeout,” Stella said.
Emma’s eyebrows lifted. “You did? How was it?”
Stella was surprised at the question. It seemed that the waitress was very interested.
“It was really good,” Stella said.
“I’ll let the cook know.” The waitress glanced at Evan, then back to Stella. “Did you get a fortune?”
Stella was even more surprised now, especially since she remembered the fortune quite clearly. “I did. Isn’t that standard with all orders?”
The waitress seemed to hesitate. Then she smiled. “Yes. I’m curious about that kind of stuff— Chinese fortunes, good luck charms. I always wonder if they ever come true.”
Stella shrugged. “I still remember mine, but I guess time will tell if it does come true.” She opened her menu, wondering why the waitress was prying so much.
“What’s the cook’s specialty?” Evan asked, and the waitress launched into a description of a few dishes.
They all sounded great to Stella.
Evan ordered a shrimp dish and Stella ordered her standby, cashew chicken.
He fell silent again after the waitress left. Stella hadn’t expected this— she wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t a quiet Evan. He’d been sweet when greeting her, but it seemed that now he was pretty distracted.
She looked around the restaurant at the Asian décor and red tablecloths. “This place has a great ambiance.”
Evan nodded, and Stella wondered if he’d really heard her.
She thought about the questions the waitress had asked her about the fortune cookie. Emma’s questions were more than curious. A bit strange. Stella shook off the thought and asked Evan about his day at work. He briefly mentioned the governor’s family, who had left after lunch.
He was too quiet— granted she’d only been on one date with him, but the Evan of today was a lot different than the man of last night. “Is everything all right?” she finally asked.
He lifted his eyes, as if he’d just realized she was talking to him. His intent gaze made her stomach flip, and memories of kissing him the night before came back full force.
“Sorry. I have a lot on my mind. Katie called at 3:00 a.m.”
“Is she okay?” Stella asked.
“Yeah,” Evan said, his tone subdued. “Her mom was out of town, and she was stressed about that.”
Stella exhaled, relieved that maybe his silence wasn’t about her. “Does she travel for her job or something?”
“No. Boyfriend.”
Evan didn’t need to elaborate. Stella knew by the tone of his voice how he felt about it. But a new worry had grown. Anytime the subject about his ex-wife came up, he seemed so melancholy. Was it possible that he regretted the divorce? That he was still in love with Michelle?
The waitress came back, carrying their food. Frankly, Stella was grateful for the distraction. This lunch date wasn’t going quite like she’d envisioned.
They started eating, and Stella said, “Do you like it?” She figured that since he was a cook, he’d be a lot more discerning.
“It’s really good,” Evan said, sounding impressed, but he didn’t elaborate.
Stella asked him a couple more things while they ate, but by the time the waitress came back to refill their drinks, she was ready to go. Whatever was going on with Evan seemed to be beyond her reach. She just didn’t know him well enough to make it her business to pry.
And even though she felt that his silence wasn’t really about her, how many times would this happen if they continued dating? Every time his daughter called or he had to deal with something concerning his ex-wife?
“We’re out of fortune cookies,” the waitress announced, walking up to their table. “Sorry.” She slid the bill on the table. “I’ll be your cashier as well.”
“Thanks,” Evan said, setting his credit card on top the bill.
Stella wanted to ask about the fortune cookies, but it was probably better to get back to the shop. Evan signed the credit card receipt when the waitress returned, and they left together.
By the time they stepped outside, Stella’s eyes were smarting. Really mature. “Hey, Evan, I have a quick errand to run. Do you mind if we split up here?”
He looked faintly surprised, but only said, “Sure. I’ll see you later.”
She gave him a quick smile, then turned and walked in the opposite direction, just to put space between them. When she reached the street corner and stopped to wait for the crosswalk sign, she glanced toward The Fortune Café.
Evan was still standing in the same spot she’d left him. Watching her. So now he notices me. She couldn’t read his expression from this distance. Strange, she decided. Really strange.
Evan had been trying to talk himself out of it all day— while he was at work, while he went to lunch with Stella, and on the drive back to the Mariposa. But by the time he left the hotel at 9:30 p.m., his mind was made up.
He was going to ask his ex-wife for full custody. But only after Katie spent the entire summer with him. Evan hoped that easing Katie into living with him full time, in addition to letting Michelle have a taste of more freedom, would work in his favor.
The only problem was he’d been on a great date the night before with a fabulous woman. And this would change everything. When he arrived at his condo, he paced the floors, thinking of how he could still have a dating life while his seven-year-old daughter lived with him. Stella had been great around Katie, she’d even remembered his daughter’s name having only been around her once. But he knew firsthand how complicated relationships could be.
There were really only two options that he saw. Involve Stella in everything that included Katie, which Stella might not go for. Or cut things off with Stella
entirely. He knew Katie would like Stella, and he could imagine his daughter becoming attached to her. But things were too new between them, and he had no way to predict the future.
He exhaled. He also couldn’t let things slide with his daughter. Dialing Michelle’s number, he closed his eyes, hoping that she’d thought about his offer. When she answered, he said, “You probably know why I’m calling.”
“Yes.” Her tone sounded patient for once. “I’ve talked to Katie about it, and she seems excited to spend the summer at your place.”
Evan sank onto the couch, relief flooding through him, although he still didn’t have Michelle’s answer. “And what do you think?”
“Well, at first, I wasn’t too excited about it. But after talking to Randy, he mentioned that I could travel with him on some business trips. So it might work out after all.”
“Great,” Evan said. “When’s a good time to pick her up?” He hated to act too pushy, but he was going to take all the momentum he could get.
“Maybe Thursday? She has a birthday party at her friends on Wednesday night.”
“Okay, I’ll plan on Thursday.” When Evan hung up, the relief of Michelle’s answer replaced any concerns or worries he might have had before.
He leaned back on the couch, thinking about what he’d just committed to, and how it was definitely going to change his life and everything in it. Dates like last night wouldn’t happen unless he had a sitter… and even then he didn’t know if he’d want to stay out so late.
Evan knew he liked Stella. And although he’d completely annoyed her at lunch today with his preoccupation over Katie, Stella hadn’t gone crazy on him— which Michelle would have definitely done. He appreciated that, but he knew he needed to apologize and then explain some hard truths to her. Before he could talk himself out of it, he left the apartment and climbed in his truck. It was almost 10:00 p.m., but he hoped to catch Stella still in her shop.
The Fortune Cafe (A Tangerine Street Romance) Page 22