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“What happened?” Her father asked. Was it her imagination or did she hear a trace of guilt in her father’s voice? Had Ricardo told him about their encounter?
“Why was Ricardo taking pictures of the bistro? I saw him in the act and he scampered away when I confronted him.”
There was a moment of silence on the line. “Daddy? Are you still there?”
“Yes, Addie. I’m still here. I really didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone, but I suppose I waited too long to tell you. The street where the Blue Bayou is located is skyrocketing in revenue these days. The Prime Corporation is planning to build condos and a chocolate factory there. I want to make Caleb an offer to buy the place so I can develop it.”
“Daddy, he would never sell! The Blue Bayou is his heart and soul.”
“Well, this is a great business opportunity, Addie. We could make a small fortune.”
“We?” She asked in a high-pitched voice. “I want nothing to do with this scheme.”
“I’ll need your support to convince Caleb to sell. And since I turned my half of the property over to you, that gives us leverage.”
“Leverage?” she asked in a shaking voice. “To do what? Ruin Caleb’s dreams? I can’t and won’t do it!”
“You’re just being emotional. That area is going to be the next hot spot in Pelican Bay. I want a piece of the real estate action. Imagine all the possibilities. That bistro is nice, but it’s nothing compared to what we could replace it with.”
“I want nothing to do with this! Do you hear me?”
“This is business, Addie. Pure and simple. If you really want to cut your teeth in my world, you’re going to have to take off the kid gloves and make some serious moves. I have to run. We’ll talk about this more when I get home.”
The sudden dial tone took Addie by surprise. Her father’s abrupt ending of the call caused her blood pressure to boil. What in the world was he thinking? Was he so caught up in making money that he had lost sight of his own humanity?
By the time Caleb had come out of his meeting with Rayna, Addie had worked herself up into a frenzy. Things had been going so smoothly with Caleb on both a personal and professional level. She imagined he would find her father’s agenda hurtful and insulting. But once her father began making moves, she knew it was near impossible to stop him.
When she saw Caleb and Rayna holding hands as they walked out of the great room, her anxiety was replaced with joy. She could tell by looking at Caleb that he had been given answers to the many questions he’d been holding onto for all these years. He seemed lighter somehow. A burden had been lifted from his shoulders. She blinked away tears. It was an emotional sight to see Caleb holding hands with his birth mother. He deserved to feel complete and emotionally fulfilled. And the woman who had given him life deserved to know that her son was living a good life.
“Would you like to stay for lunch?” Rayna asked, darting a glance between Caleb and Addie. “The inn has an awarding winning chef.”
Addie winked at Caleb. “Your son here has won a few awards himself,” she said, her voice ringing out with pride. “He’s a masterful chef.”
Rayna clapped her hands together. “Chandra told me about your restaurant. She said the food was impeccable. I’d like to come visit one day soon if it’s all right with you.”
Caleb’s grin lit up his entire face. “I would love to have you come visit. And I know my pare
nts would jump at the chance to meet you.”
“That would be wonderful,” Rayna said.
As they headed toward the terrace to sit down, Addie couldn’t help but think what a miraculous turn of events this was. Caleb had stepped out on a limb of faith and agreed to meet his birth mother. For all he’d known, it could have been a disastrous meeting, full of bitterness and recrimination. Instead, it had been a rebirth for both of them. A chance to move toward the future with peace and understanding.
Thank you, Lord. For reuniting Caleb and Rayna. Their joy is effusive. Caleb deserves every ounce of happiness in this world. And Rayna has earned redemption.
Caleb was in such a good space right now. All of his worries had been put to rest. And judging by the way he was getting along so well with Rayna, they were going to be a part of each other’s futures. Yes, indeed. All was right with his world. She sincerely hoped her father abandoned his crazy notion about buying the Blue Bayou so he could own the valuable property. It would certainly put a damper on the happiness flowing in the air around them if he continued with his ruthless agenda. Addie wasn’t sure she would ever be able to forgive her father if he did anything to come between her and Caleb.
“There’s not a single problem in this world that love can’t solve.”
Jude Donahue
Chapter Ten
Ever since returning from his day trip to Tampa with Addie, Caleb had been floating on cloud nine. Everything had gone so smoothly, and although he and Rayna still had a lot of work to do in order to catch up on each other’s lives, he was very optimistic. In life, a person could never have too much love in their lives. And since Rayna had never given birth to any other children, Caleb knew how important he was in her life. God had truly blessed both of them!
In addition to Rayna, Addie was a huge focus in his world. The feelings she stirred up inside him made his heart feel as if it was about to burst. And even though he was still a bit gun shy about love, he knew he was falling. Hard.
He arrived at the Blue Bayou bright and early. They were testing out breakfast service. As soon as he drove up, Caleb saw a line outside the door. He shook his head and chuckled. This was amazing! They didn’t even open up their doors for another fifteen minutes. He let himself in through the back. Paolo and Nicola, the sous-chef, were at the counter doing prep work. A spicy smell wafted in the air. Chorizo?
