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she recognized a stubborn hard-worker and let her stay. That’s who you come from, Isla. Now go get him, girl.”
I could do this. “I’m on it, Gus.”
Now I just needed a plan.
It had to be big. Bold. Badass.
Sixteen
“What’s going on?” Michael asked me as he offered his hand. “Good luck today.”
I shook it. “Thanks. I’d be a lot happier about the situation if my relationship with Isla hadn’t just gone up in smoke.” I didn’t see Felicia. “Where’s your wife?”
The doors to the event had opened at ten. I was exhausted, heartbroken, and pissed. Not necessarily in that order. Part of me wanted to quit my job, on the spot, to prove to Isla how much I wanted to be with her. But the sensible side of me realized that it wouldn’t matter. If she wasn’t ready she wasn’t ready. The irony of that was not lost on me. How many women over the years had wanted a commitment I couldn’t offer?
Now I had fallen in love with the one woman in Brooklyn who was terrified of being in a relationship.
“She’s sitting down in the shade. I’m not sure she’s going to survive being pregnant in the city this summer. We may have to spend some time upstate.”
“In Saugerties?” I asked, surprised. Michael had never shown a lot of interest in small town living.
He nodded. “It’s cool and quiet. Think you’ll be able to get up there this summer?”
I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over my shoulder to spot Isla. She was missing again. She kept appearing and disappearing. We had both been studiously avoiding each other and Nick hadn’t mentioned what he had heard go down between us. Nico had just arrived to the event and had questioned her absence so I had covered for her and said she had gone to be interviewed as a rep for Bone. The truth was I had no clue where she was.
“I’d like to,” I said. “I want to start making plans for my restaurant.”
“That’s cool. Let me know if you need help.”
“Your hands may be great in the operating room, but brother, you do not know anything about construction.”
“But I’m great at hiring people.”
“That is true.”
“Where’s Isla?”
“I don’t know.” I eyed my brother. “For the record, I don’t appreciate you telling Isla I don’t settle down.”
I had avoided saying anything but now that me and Isla were over and Michael needed to know to mind his own business.
He made a face. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t my place to do that.”
“No, it wasn’t. You acted like Mom. Which no one wants to do.”
“You’re right. Again, I’m sorry. Do you want me to talk to Isla?”
“It doesn’t matter. We ended things.” I crossed my arms and internally dared him to say something stupid so I could punch my brother. I needed to punch something and he was a safe bet.
“Why?” he asked, simply.
“None of your business.” Mostly I said that because I didn’t know how to explain what the hell had happened between me and Isla. Or maybe I didn’t want to admit that she really wasn’t ready to dive in head first to our relationship.
“Okay. If you need to talk, I’m around.” He clapped my arm.
I nodded.
Grateful I didn’t have to do any of the serving, I watched Michael leave as the line of customers at our stall continued to grow. I was about to retreat to where no diners could talk to me when I was approached by an older man in an ACDC T-shirt.
