“Will do, Richard,” I said.
A few seconds later it was so quiet I thought that perhaps Delilah had accidentally hung up.
“I swear that man drives me up a wall sometimes.” Delilah laughed. “But I sure do love him. And I love you, and we miss you.”
“I miss you both too.” My throat tightened. “I promise I’ll get down to see you soon.”
“Don’t you worry about that. You come whenever you’re able.” She was quiet for a moment, before she finally spoke. “I know Richard thinks I’m crazy, and maybe that’s true. But you know how I am. I get those feelings sometimes. It’s like a little birdie in my ear that gives me messages that don’t always make sense.”
I knew those feelings well. She always seemed to know about things before they happened, like when I came to ask for their permission to propose to Carrie. She answered the question before I even asked. When I’d made the choice to start Carrie On Records, she called because something told her to call and congratulate me, though she wasn’t sure why.
“You know Carrie wanted nothing more than for you to be happy, right?” Delilah finally said. “Even if she couldn’t be here to see it, all she wanted was for you to be happy.”
My eyes stung, and my throat felt thick. “I know.”
There was silence on the other end, and for a moment I thought she already knew about Ella somehow. “You really do sound good, Cash. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”
I took a deep breath. “I will. I promise I will.”
Though Delilah always seemed connected to the world on a totally different plane of existence, I wasn’t sure if I believed it was possible for me to receive messages from the universe or the Great Beyond. And maybe Delilah’s call wasn’t a message. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
But it sure felt like a sign that I was on the right path.
Fifteen
Ella
“And then thegoatshiton me,” I explained, reliving the Nightmare on Goat Street that was Liv’s bachelorette party. We’d just been seated at Moto Cucina, a gorgeous Italian restaurant over on McGavock Street and were waiting for our server. “They literally gave me a shirt that said that.”
Cash laughed. “And are you going to wear it?”
“Obviously,” I said, glancing over the menu in an effort to stop salivating over how hot Cash looked in his charcoal-grey suit jacket. “I need everyone to know just how inconvenienced I was.”
“You’re not the least bit bitter,” he teased.
“I still have stress dreams about that goat, Cash.” I glanced up from my menu with a smirk, smoothing my hands over my little black dress. “I’ve been scarred for life.”
He chuckled, surveying his menu while I scanned the room. It was dimly lit by soft globe lights that extended from the ceiling, and the walnut bar and seating gave the place a warm, cozy feel. On either side of us sat couples sharing bottles of wine, deep in conversation, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. My eyes were drawn back to Cash who was somehow even more gorgeous in the glow of the flickering votive that sat at the center of the table.
“This place is nice,” I commented, tearing my gaze away from him and placing it firmly on the menu. “What’s good here?”
“I’ve actually never been,” he said. “I’ve wanted to come here for a while now but haven’t had a good enough reason till now.”
I felt my cheeks burn as a petite woman with her dark hair pulled in a bun stopped beside us placing two glasses of water on the table.
“Hey there,” she greeted. “Welcome to Moto. I’m Kelsey, and I’ll be your server this evening,” she said before launching into a list of their specials, each sounding more delectable than the last. “Can I get you started with something to drink? A cocktail perhaps? I’d be happy to bring you our wine list.”
“What sounds good to you?” Cash looked at me, taking a sip of water.
“You know, I’m normally a vodka tonic girl, but I’m really feeling a Moscow Mule tonight,” I answered. “Two limes.”
Cash coughed and a funny, almost shocked, expression came over him.
“And a diet coke,” I added as Cash began to choke on his water. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” He cleared his throat, waving off my concern, but he still had a deer in headlights look about him. “I’m fine, really. I’ll have a whiskey neat and an unsweet tea.”
“You’ve got it,” Kelsey said. “I’ll give you two a few minutes to look over the menu, and I’ll be back with those drinks.”
