would you play around with?”
Her gaze circled the room. “I’m not sure. We’d want to keep the atmosphere we’ve build up in Mancini’s, but here we’d also have to become part of the community. You can get some really great customer relations by being involved with your neighbors.” She tapped her finger on her lips. “I’ll need to think about this.”
Rafe’s business instincts kicked in. He didn’t know what she planned to do, but he did know whatever she decided, it would probably be good. Really good. Because she had the other half of the gift he’d been given.
He also knew she was happy. Happier than he’d ever seen her. Her blue eyes lit with joy. Her shoulders were back. Her steps purposeful. Confidence radiated from her.
“You want Mancini’s to be successful as much as I want it to be successful.”
She laughed. “I doubt that. But I do want it to be the best it can be.” She glanced around, then faced him again. “In all the confusion between us, I don’t think I’ve ever said thank-you.”
“You wish to thank me?”
“For the job. For the fun of it.” She shrugged. “I need this. I don’t show it often but deep down inside me, there’s a little girl who always wondered where she’d end up. She needed the chance to be successful. To prove her worth.”
He smiled. “She’ll certainly get that with Mancini’s.”
“And we’re going to have a good time whipping this into shape.”
He smiled. “That’s the plan.”
Her face glowed. “Good.”
He said, “Good,” but his voice quieted, his heart stilled, as he suddenly realized something he should have all along. Kamila had broken his heart. But Dani had wheedled her way into his soul. His dream.
If he and Dani got close and things didn’t work out, he wouldn’t just spend a month drinking himself silly. He’d lose everything.
THE NEXT DAY in the parking lot of Mancini’s, Dani switched off the ignition of Louisa’s little car, knowing that she was two days away from D-day. Decision day. The day she had to use her return ticket to New York City.
Being with Rafe in Rome had shown her he respected her opinion. Oh, hell, who was she kidding? Telling her about Kamila had been his way of putting the final nail in the coffin of her relationship dreams. It hurt, but she understood. In fact, in a way she was even glad. Now that she knew why he was so determined, she could filter her feelings for him away from her longing for a relationship with him and into his dream. He needed her opinion. He wanted to focus on food, on pleasing customer palates. She saw the ninety thousand other things that had to be taken care of. Granted, he’d chosen a great spot for the initial Mancini’s. He’d fixed the building to perfection. But a restaurant in the city came with different challenges.
Having lived in New York and eaten at several different kinds of restaurants, she saw things from a customer’s point of view. And she knew exactly how she’d set up Mancini’s Rome restaurant.
She knew.
The confidence of it made her forget all about returning to New York, and stand tall. She entered the kitchen on her way to the office, carrying a satchel filled with pictures she’d printed off the internet the night before using Louisa’s laptop.
This was her destiny.
Then she saw Rafe entering through the back door and her heart tumbled. He wore the black leather jacket. He hadn’t pulled his hair into the tie yet and it curled around his collar. His eyes were cool, serious. When their gazes met, she swore she could feel the weight of his sadness.
She didn’t understand what the hell he had to be sad about. He was getting everything he wanted. Except her heart. He didn’t know that he already had her love, but their good trip the day before proved they could work together, even be friends, and he should appreciate that.
Everything would be perfect, as long as he didn’t kiss her. Or tempt her. And yesterday he’d all but proven he needed her too much to risk losing her.
“I have pictures of things I’d like your opinion on.”
Emory looked from one to the other. “Pictures?”
Rafe slowly ambled into the kitchen. “Dani has ideas for the restaurant in Rome.”
Emory gaped at him. “Who cares? You have a hundred-person wedding tomorrow afternoon.”
Dani’s mouth fell open. Rafe’s eyes widened. “We didn’t cancel that?”
“We couldn’t,” Emory replied before Dani said anything, obviously taking the heat for it. “So I called the bride’s mother yesterday and got the specifics. Tomorrow morning, we’ll all come here early to get the food prepared. In the afternoon Dani and I will go to the wedding. I will watch your food, Chef Mancini. Your reputation will not suffer.”
Rafe slowly walked over to Dani. “You know we cannot do this again!”
“Come on, Chef Rafe.” She smiled slightly, hoping to dispel the tension, again confused over why he was so moody. “Put Mr. Mean Chef away. I got the message the day you fired me over this.” With that she strode into the office, dumped her satchel on the desk and swung out again. She thought of the plane ticket in her pocket and reminded herself that in two days she wouldn’t have that option. When he yelled, she’d have to handle it.
“I’ll be in the dining room, checking with Allegra on how things went yesterday.”
* * *
Rafe sagged with defeat as she stormed out. He shouldn’t have yelled at her again about the catering, but everything in his life was spinning out of control. He saw babies in his sleep and woke up hugging his pillow, dreaming he was hugging Daniella. The logical part of him insisted they were a team, that a real relationship would enhance everything they did. They would own Mancini’s together, build it together, build a life together.
The other part, the part that remembered Kamila, could only see disaster when the relationship ended. When Kamila left, he could return to his dream. If Dani left, she took half of his dream with her.
He faced Emory. “I appreciate how you have handled this. And I apologize for exploding.” He sucked in a breath. “As penance, I will go to the wedding tomorrow.”
Emory laughed. “If you’re expecting me to argue, you’re wrong. I don’t want to be a caterer, either.”
“As I said, this is penance.”
“Then you really should be apologizing to Dani. It was her you screamed at.”
He glanced at the door as he shrugged out of his jacket. She was too upset with him now. And she was busy. He would find a minute at the end of the night to apologize for his temper. If he was opting out of a romance because he needed her, he couldn’t lose her over his temper.
