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“Hey, beautiful!”
“Davie told us about your family’s Thanksgiving invitation. We accept!”
“My mother will be thrilled! They’ve both been itching to meet you.”
We chatted about a few details, with Leighton concluding, “And my mother says if you bring anything but yourselves, she's going to send whatever you brought right back home with you.”
I got a little choked up and Leighton heard it, “Darlin’?? Talk to me, please!”
“A whole family with … parents? Baby, this is a first—for all three of us. You know that?”
“I got you, beautiful.Wegot you.”
Sniffling, “Baby, sing that songDo You Wanna Dancefor me.”
“Aw, darlin’, you know the lyrics, too. Sing it with me? Bette Midler’s slow version?”
He started us out and over the speakerphone, I tried to find the sounds. I did know the words. The singing part? Not so familiar.
“Darlin! You have agreatvoice. Why don’t you do anything with music?”
“Dunno, just never have.”
He suggested, “How ‘boutMe and Mrs. Jones?”
“Oh, I know that one, too!”
Again, he led the way.
We sang it together to the end.
“My beautiful, talented lady! I’m swooning over here!”
“Aw, baby! I’ve got goosebumps. Mmm. We can’t …”
“… make love or dance yet.”
“… and I really, really miss …”
He reassured me, “… holding you close. And naked. Me, too, darlin’. Soon, my lovely. Soooon!”
Leighton kept me up to the minute about the construction and build-out of the newly acquired building.
Turned out Genevieve was right: My landlord caved in and sold the Peterson family the building.
And as she promised, Genevieve told me in a rare phone conversation with her, “We got it for a song. And we saved all of your small equipment and utensils. Did you know that?”
Me? No. I’d fretted like crazy about it and then totally forgotten to ask anyone. How could Iforgetabout thousands of dollars worth of stuff?
Oh, boy, was I ever out of control these days!
“No, I know Jerry and Alex divided up the perishables and took a lot to a food pantry. I’ve totally zoned out on the rest. Where is everything stored?”
She assured me, “Leighton has a fairly good-sized storage space on the same level as his workshop. Everything has been professionally cleaned and sanitized. Your man Alex oversaw that process. It's all wrapped and waiting for you to need it.”
This family was so good to me! Roberta saved Leighton and me from heartache and believing the other was off-limits. Genevieve masterminded the move out of my bakery space with Jerry and my staff. Leighton proposed a new location for my business.
Not to mention that Leighton, that wonderful man, had stolen my heart somewhere along the way.
