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“Morning, Addie,” Caleb said in a boisterous voice as he strode toward her.
“Good morning, Caleb,” she said, forcing the words out of her mouth. On instinct, she brushed her hair down. Her mane had a life of its own at times. Last night she’d gone to the salon to have it styled and curled. The hairdresser had given her some tips about different ways of managing her flyaway hairs. Addie had been in love with the finished product. Nothing extreme had been done, but Addie felt she looked more professional and stylish. At the same time, she still felt like herself. Baby steps, she reminded herself.
Caleb stood and stared at her for a moment. He scratched his jaw. “You look different. I hope I’m not putting my foot in my mouth or anything, but every time I see you, there’s something different about you.”
Addie felt crimson heat creeping onto her cheeks. She didn’t even know how to respond to Caleb’s comment. She was fairly clueless about men.
She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. “You’re right. I got my hair done last night.” She couldn’t help but feel sheepish.
Caleb snapped his fingers. “That’s it. You look really nice.” He held up his hands. “Not that you didn’t look nice before.”
Bless him! He had no idea how his notice of her new hair style made her feel. She rarely got attention from men. And when she did, it was the wrong kind of attention. This felt like a sweet victory.
Addie let out a light chuckle. Caleb looked mortified, as if he was deeply worried about hurting her feelings. “No worries, Caleb. I’m not the type to get in an uproar over something like that.”
He dramatically wiped his hand across his brow. “I’m relieved to hear that. I have a younger sister who tends to be a bit over the top about things like that.”
“A younger sister? That’s great,” she said, her thoughts veering toward Tabitha. What she wouldn’t give to have one last conversation with her twin.
“Do you have any other siblings?” Caleb asked. “I know you said your twin passed away.”
“No,” she said in a low voice. “Tabitha was my one and only.”
Caleb’s face fell. His handsome features tightened. “Oh, Addie. I’m so sorry for your loss. That must have been so painful for you and your family.”
Addie felt emotion rise up in her. “Yes. Since we were twins, it made things a bit more intense for me.” She could see the sorrow etched on Caleb’s face.
“Oh, Addie,” he said, his voice cracking. “I can’t imagine.”
“It’s still hard to navigate life without her,” she admitted. “She was the more courageous twin. She always had an answer for every problem under the sun. And she encouraged me to reach for my dreams.”
“She sounds amazing.”
“She really was,” Addie said. “I was really angry for a long time at God for taking her away from us, but now I think God needed Tabitha in heaven. She’s probably taking charge and bossing the angels around.” She let out a light chuckle at the image of Tabitha being bossy in God’s paradise. Somehow it helped take the sting away from missing her sister. They would meet again one day. She knew it with a deep certainty. Her faith told her so.
She felt shocked at how open she was being with Caleb. Tabitha was not open to discussion as far as Addie was concerned. There were very few people in her life who she discussed her sister with—usually close friends and her mother. Her father still wasn’t able to talk about Tabitha in any meaningful way. Although her father was brusque and it was difficult for him to show his feelings, she knew he loved his family. It was just hard for him to show vulnerability over Tab’s death. Maybe one day those wounds would heal.
“I wish I could have met her,” Caleb said in a wistful tone.
“She would have liked you,” Addie said. She grinned at the idea. She’d known her sister like the back of her hand. Their twin connection had been strong. Tabitha would have taken one look at Caleb’s stunning face and made an over-the-top comment about his handsomeness that would have given her giggles for days. It made her happy to think of Tabitha giving Caleb a wholehearted thumbs up. She didn’t know why it mattered to her so much, but it did. Caleb was now her business partner. Day by day they were developing a friendship. Tabitha would definitely approve! And it made Addie all kinds of happy.
**
The Blue Bayou was hosting its very first event. A baby shower. Caleb didn’t know about babies, but he knew a successful event when he saw one.
Caleb had been surprised at how quickly it had all come together. They’d received a phone call from a frantic sister who wanted to give her baby sister a fantastic shower attended by her close friends and family members. A sudden burst pipe in her own home had left her without a place for the event. Although Caleb had wondered how they could pull things together so quickly, he and Addie, along with the entire staff, had made it happen. They had worked together like a finely oiled machine, proving that teamwork was essential in the restaurant business.
Cassandra—the heavily pregnant sister—thanked them profusely for making her baby shower dreams come true. Lizzy, the sister who’d arranged the festivities, stood by them grinning from ear-to-ear.
Once all the guests had left and the clean-up had come to a close, Caleb and Addie found themselves alone together in the kitchen.
Addie folded her arms across her chest. “I think it went well.”
“Me too,” Caleb said with a satisfied nod. “I never thought hosting events here could be so lucrative.”
“Oh yes, it’s really a great way to increase revenue. I have a lot of fri
ends who are always on the lookout for bridal and baby shower venues. Not to mention birthday parties and retirement send-offs. I’ll spread the word.”
