Page 32 of A Family Affair: The Vow
“And?” Obviously, her sister had neglected to mention that Rae had never met a heat she couldn’t take.
“And… They’re hot.”
Nick laughed again. “I think she heard you the first time, buddy. I’m guessing Rae can hold her own in the heat department. Maybe I should bring her a side of the triple-hot sauce.”
Vic shot him a look, scowled. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Just saying, she can probably handle it… Even though you couldn’t.” A shrug, a grin as he leaned toward Rae and said, “Ask Vic about the night he challenged me to the triple-hot-sauce wings and who was left standing and who ended up in the bathroom.” He shook his head, laughed again. “It was a sad night, but sometimes you have to live it to learn it.”
After he’d gone, Rae lifted her wine glass, saluted Vic. “To triple-hot sauce and the stories behind it.”
The frown said he was not amused. “That man is never going to let me forget it. How was I to know he’d practically been raised on hot sauce?”
“I guess that just means you can’t judge a person by appearances, or what youthinkyou know about them.” She meant it as a joke, but the way he stared at her made her smile slip.
“You’re right. Sometimes you don’t know the truth behind a person’s story. You think you do and then they surprise you, spin you around and keep you guessing and just when you think you figured them out, they surprise you again. Not always in a bad way either.” He sipped his beer, set the bottle on the table, his words burning into her. “And that’s when it can get very interesting.”
Heat rushed to her face and she almost wished she had the triple-hot wings in front of her so she could blame the sizzle bursting through her on the hot sauce. But it was Vic’s words that scorched her and she needed to change the subject before he said something else about people surprising you and not in a bad way because he was absolutely talking about her and the truth was, she wanted to hear more. “Is Nick always in such a good mood? He does seem to have a funny sense of humor.”
“You wouldn’t have said he had a sense of humor a while back when Delilah landed in town. Heat and sparks and combustion were what you would have felt when you were anywhere near them. But they sure fought it and they fought each other with her father right in the middle. The whole town saw it, but they didn’t know Nick and Delilah shared a past or that they’d been married. Delilah’s father didn’t even know about the marriage and then the whole story burst. It was another mess.” He shook his head. “It was every man’s hell, but they got through it, and when you see them together, you know they’re perfect for each other.”
“I’m happy for them.” Who would have thought the heir to a clothing empire would find love and happiness in Magdalena?
“It’s pretty crazy, but I’ve seen my share of crazy when it comes to unlikely matches.”
She could not let that statement go and with a bit of coaxing he shared some of the most impossible couples as in “couldn’t stand each other” who ended up together. Ben and Gina Reed, Roman and Angie Ventori, Law and Ava Carlisle. She’d heard similar stories from Mimi, but each retelling was a little different, depending on the person’s perspective. When the wings and hummus with red peppers arrived, he’d been in the middle of telling her Law and Ava’s story. By the time they finished their food—yes, those wings were hot—Rae had heard enough unlikely-yet-meant-to-be stories that she’d begun to wonder if Magdalena didn’t hold magical powers that opened a person’s eyes and heart to their special someone. “Those are some over-the-top stories,” Rae said when Vic finished the last tale, this one about Radford Keller and Marisela Ricci, a couple separated by wealth, status, and personal beliefs, who fought through their differences and found love.
“True. And the wings?”
“Hot!” She dabbed her lips with a paper napkin. “But delicious.”
He finished off his beer, set the bottle on the table. “And yet, you didn’t stop. Impressive.”
“Thank you.” She hadn’t been this relaxed in a long time, and Vic was part of the reason. He was so easy to talk to and when he spoke, his deep voice pulled her in, soothed her, made her forget about the stressors that usually consumed her. They were comparing the various levels of heat in wings and how to adapt to them when Nick Borado appeared with a plate of sliders.
“Chicken avocado sliders, compliments of O’Reilly’s.” He winked at Rae, slid the rectangular plate onto the table. “My wife is very proud of this item, which is why I called it The Delilah.”
“They look delicious.” Rae eased one onto her plate. “Thank you very much.”
“You’re welcome.” Nick turned to Vic, pointed to the sliders. “Have you tried these yet?”
“Of course. I’ve tried just about everything here, and these—” he eased one from the platter “—get five stars.”
“Delilah will be pleased. I’ll let her know you think it’s a keeper.”
Rae nibbled on her slider, savored the blend of avocado, mushrooms, and provolone cheese. “Definitely a keeper.”
Nick’s dark eyes lit up as he placed his hands on the table, leaned toward her. “So, Rae, I’ve got to ask you about Perfectly D. Those were some seriously nice clothes. Loved the style and the use of vibrant colors for the stitching? That was genius.” His expression grew more animated as he spoke. “Delilah and I were talking about it and she admitted to having quite a few Perfectly D items in her closet.” He pointed to the flannel shirt and apron he wore. “But as you can see, we’ve become more practical.”
Stay calm.He’s only being polite and letting you know how much he loved the line. Which means he also knows the line no longer exists. “Thank you. It really was an exquisite line.” She sipped tiny breaths of air, kept her expression calm, her voice even. “But it wasn’t practical for the everyday woman and I understand why the company decided to change direction.”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard. Strong push in the online area with casuals. So, I guess that’s where you landed. Which line are you heading up?”
She was so tired of keeping the truth tucked deep inside. “Actually, none. When they dropped the line…they sort of dropped me, too.”
19
Nick’s expression went from enthusiastic to sympathetic. “Oh, damn, Rae, I am so sorry—”
