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“I think we should open up the doors,” Caleb said. “We have a line out there.” He couldn’t stop from grinning.
“Rita just got here. She’s about to open up,” Nicola said.
Paolo smiled at him. “It was a great idea to do breakfast service, boss.”
“We’re growing pretty fast, aren’t we?” Nicola asked. “People are really buzzing about the place now that we’ve expanded our hours.”
“I know. Thanks to Addie we’ve breathed new life into the place,” Caleb said, acknowledging Addie’s contributions. “She’s been a Godsend.”
Paolo sent him a knowing glance. This time Caleb didn’t mind one little bit. He didn’t care if the whole world knew how he felt about Addie. It was a pretty epic feeling. Now that he had reconciled with the past, he needed to push past his fears of falling in love. Being burned by Felicity had nothing to do with Addie. She shouldn’t have to pay the price for another woman’s duplicity.
“I had to sign for a letter for you yesterday. I put it on your desk. It looks official,” Paolo said, looking up from chopping onions and green peppers.
“Thanks, Paolo. And thanks for covering for me while I was away. It’s a great feeling to know the place is in safe hands when I’m not here,” Caleb said, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
“Any time,” Paolo said, turning his attention back to his prep work.
Caleb excused himself and headed toward his office. He had a few pieces of mail sitting on his desk. He picked up a large envelope, frowning as he saw it was from Sebastian Fontaine and his corporation. Caleb slitted open the envelope and pulled out a letter. He began to read it, sinking down into his chair as the words leaped out at him.
I am interested in buying your portion of the Blue Bayou. A strangled sound burst from his lips. Caleb kept reading. Since the Fontaine Corporation owns the other portion of the property, it is advisable that you sell rather than become involved in prolonged litigation.
The letter fell from Caleb’s fingers. Shock roared through him like a runaway train on the tracks. How could this be happening? The Blue Bayou belonged to him. And Addie. Did Addie know about this? Was she in cahoots with her father to steal the restaurant away from him? No way! Clearly she didn’t know anything about this. She would have given him a heads up at the very least.
The sound of the door opening caused him to swing his head up. Addie was standing on the threshold with a smile etched on her face. She was holding a little bag with the emblem of a cupcake shop from around the corner. Tasty Treats. It was Caleb’s addiction. Normally, the sight of her standing there bearing cupcakes would cause him to smile. But after reading Sebastian’s letter, all he felt was anger and confusion.
“I come bearing treats,” Addie announced, holding the bag high up in the air.
All he could do was stare at her. He felt too numb from shock to speak.
She closed the door behind her and walked over toward his desk. Midway, she stopped in her tracks. “Caleb, what’s wrong? Has something happened?”
“You could say that.” He leaned down and picked up the letter from the floor. He waved it in her direction. “It seems the Fontaine Corporation wants to buy the Blue Bayou.”
Addie let out a shocked sound. “Oh no,” she said, covering her face with her hands.
“Please tell me that you didn’t know anything about this.” He studied Addie’s expression. His heart sank as he saw the guilty look creep over her face. She opened her mouth to say something, then shut it.
He sat back in his chair, feeling weary and shell shocked. Addie had known about her father’s intentions toward his restaurant. And she hadn’t said a word to warn him about it.
“You don’t need to answer. It’s written all over your face.” Caleb angrily spit out the words. “I guess blood is thicker than water.”
“Caleb, please listen to me. I knew nothing about my father’s agenda. I just found out a few days ago.”
Caleb slapped his hand down on the desk. “A few days ago! Yet you never breathed a word about it.”
“We went to Tampa and you were so happy. I didn’t want to rain on your parade. I had no idea he would really go through with it.”
“Are you serious? You’re the one who told me how single minded Sebastian is about business. He’s ruthless. And this place means the world to me. Do you have any idea of how much work has gone into building this place up?”
Addie’s lips quivered. For a moment he hesitated. He hated seeing her upset, but the thought of losing the Blue Bayou made him feel sick to his stomach. He had worked so hard to achieve his dream. What had he been thinking to borrow money from Sebastian Fontaine in the first place? Now, he was between a rock and a hard place.
“I’m not going to let this go down without a fight, Addie. So you can tell your father I’m not interested in his offer or his threats.” Caleb ripped up the letter and tossed it in the trash.
Addie took a few steps closer to him. “Caleb, if we put our heads together we can stop him in his tracks.”
Caleb shook his head. “I don’t need your help, Addie. You’ve done enough already don’t you think?”
“You don’t really think I had anything to do with this, do you? I love working here with you. I love being your partner.”
