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Her father’s shoulders heaved and he began to cry. Addie wrapped her arms around him and tried her best to soothe him. It had been a very long time since she had seen him in such an emotional state. The last time had been at Tabitha’s service. He had been hiding behind a big brick wall ever since they had lost Tabitha. His grief had been too great to bear. So he’d shut down.
“Tabitha would be proud of you for admitting all this, daddy.”
“I hope so,” he said, drawing in a deep breath.
“I know so,” she said in a voice full of conviction.
“What about you and Donahue? I suppose he was upset about my plans for the bistro. He left an angry message with Delores.”
“He was quite upset with me as well,” she admitted. “But I think my giving him full ownership should soothe those wounds.”
“It’s my fault. Let me talk to him. I can clear things up and let him know you had nothing to do with any of it.”
“No, daddy. That’s not the way. I have to live my life and handle things for myself. If Caleb cares for me the way I care for him, he’ll realize life is better with me in it.”
“Amen to that,” her father said in a boisterous voice. “And if he can’t see it, then he’s a fool.”
“Daddy!” Addie said in a sharp voice. “Please don’t talk about the man I love that way.”
Sebastian held up his hands. “All right. I won’t say a word against him.” He began to grumble under his breath. “With all this devotion, I pray you two end up together.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” Addie murmured.
“Love is a splendid thing.”
Addie Fontaine
Chapter Eleven
As Addie left her father’s office, her thoughts quickly wandered to the Blue Bayou. She missed being there today. It had very quickly crept into her heart and soul. It had given her life a purpose. She was necessary and vital at the bistro. It stimulated her heart and mind. The thought of not being a part of it made her heart ache. Now that she’d given away her portion of the business to Caleb, it was no longer her responsibility.
Her cell phone began to buzz insistently. She picked it up, even though she didn’t recognize the number calling her.
“Addie. It’s Paolo. We need you at the bistro. There’s an emergency!”
Before she could utter a word, the call dropped. All she heard was a dial tone.
“Oh no,” Addie murmured. As if this day could get any worse. She raced toward her car and revved the engine. It had to be serious for Paolo to call her. Her heart constricted. What if there had been a fire at the bistro? Why had the line suddenly dropped? Had someone been hurt in the kitchen? Maybe something had happened to Caleb?
By the time she reached the bistro, Addie was a nervous wreck. She let out a relieved breath. At least the place was still standing. There were no fire engines sitting out front or flames flickering in the building. She made her way to the back entrance, barreling inside as if her own pants were on fire. Addie frowned. Where was everyone? No one was in the kitchen. She pushed her way to the main dining room. The room was ablaze with candles. Addie’s jaw dropped. Flowers were everywhere! What was going on?
Suddenly, Caleb was standing beside her, his face full of tenderness. “Addie.”
“What’s going on? Paolo said there was an emergency.”
“I asked him to call so I could get you over here.”
She angrily swatted at him. “What did you do that for? You scared me to death.”
“I needed to find a way to tell you what a fool I’ve been. I messed up earlier. Addie, you’re the most loving, wonderful person I’ve ever known. You haven’t given me a single reason not to trust you. I was wrong.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. “I can’t accept the gift you gave me earlier.”
Addie frowned. “What? Why not? I want you to own the bistro, lock, stock and barrel.”
“Because I love you, Addie. I love every single thing about you. I should have told you earlier. You’re a part of me now. And I can’t imagine life without you.” He leaned down and placed a kiss on Addie’s lips. “So you see, you can’t give me your half of the bistro because I want to be your partner. Not just in the business, but in life as well.”
Addie let out a shocked gasp.
“I want to walk through life with you, Addie Fontaine. If my hunch is right, I think you love the Blue Bayou just as much as I do.”
