Page 10 of A Family Affair: The Plan
A headshake, a loud sigh. “Oh, yeah. Now I’ve got a wife, a little boy, and another on the way. I’ve got a dog, too. I’m a real family man, and nobody sawthathappening, not even my mother. Elissa was definitely the right woman for me, but too bad she brought her own brand of trouble.” His expression turned dark, his words harsh. “That’s another story, and I’d just as soon leave it in the past.”
The heat in his words kept Sam from asking for details—not that he would because it was none of his business. Pete Finnegan was a straight shooter and Sam liked the no-nonsense attitude and the fact that the guy had crashed and burned and made it out of the rubble to get another shot at fixing his life. “I’m all for moving on and leaving the past where it should be…in the past. How about you get this place to a livable state so I can move in? I just need a place to sleep, a toilet that flushes, and a shower. A kitchen area would be nice, but I can get by with a hot plate. If you can get me to that point, I can check out of the Heart Sent, and you can keep working on this place. And thanks for fitting me in. I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, it’s kind of hard to ignore you when you remind me too much of myself.” A shrug and then “I know what it’s like to turn away from your family, leave town, and make some really questionable choices. After a while, I didn’t recognize myself because I was buried in so many layers of BS—wrong friends, wrong woman, wrong life. I had to lose everything to open my eyes and reassess before I destroyed myself. It wasn’t easy, but it was humbling and I guess it was necessary to find my way back.”
“I’d be happy if my father didn’t scowl every time he saw me.”
A laugh followed by a look that said he understood. “Hang in there. Keep your temper. It’ll happen.”
5
Hope hadn’t been to a bar like O’Reilly’s since her college days. Even then, she’d only been once or twice. She preferred tablecloths, soft music, wine glasses with stems. But Nick Borado worked here and she couldn’t deny being curious about meeting the man who’d been on everyone’s guest list from Martha’s Vineyard to Naples. Handsome, daring, bold, with unlimited funds, great clothes, and a carefree attitude. There’d been a lot of speculation about the man’s antics and whether they were all true or manufactured, but the truth emerged in Magdalena, New York, when a video circulated that told the story of the only woman he’d ever loved—Delilah O’Reilly.
Nick and Delilah were married and living in Magdalena. Apparently, some people really did get their happily-ever-after, and from the video she’d watched, these two deserved it. She wanted to meet this couple and if they permitted her to interview them, she’d ask the secret to their happiness and how living in a small town compared to city life. Hope made her way toward the bar and the dark-haired man in jeans and a black T-shirt. Whenhe glanced up, she recognized the face as the one that had graced the cover of tabloids for years.
“Hi there. What can I get for you?”
Handsome and engaging, the man exuded charm and an easy-going style. Hope held out a hand, smiled. “Hope Newland. I’m studying small town bed-and-breakfasts and Magdalena’s on the top of my list as a must-see place.” Her smile spread. “I hear I need to meet you and your wife.”
The casual smile shifted, his expression turned guarded. “And who might have said you should meet us?”
There was no mistaking the coolness in his words or the way he studied her as though he were five breaths away from asking her to leave. “Mimi Pendergrass.”
Mention of the woman’s name made his expression soften, the furrow between his brows disappear. “Something tells me you already know all about me.” The look said he meant pastandpresent.
Hope darted a glance at his left hand, spotted the black ring. “I think we used to travel in the same circles, but I hear, you’ve given up that life.”
A nod, a quiet, “I have. My wife and I run this place. Her father still owns the bar and makes the occasional appearance to fry a burger and provide instructions on kitchen equipment maintenance and how to create the perfect marinade.”
“Is your wife here? I’d love to meet her.” Yes, she wanted to talk to the woman who’d stolen Nick Borado’s heart.
The man who’d once been dubbed New York’s most “unattainable” bachelor, eyed her, his voice smothered with devotion and love. “That’s up to Delilah. If she agrees, we’ll chat. If not, we won’t.”
“Fair enough.” She glanced behind her toward the tables and booths. “I’d like something to eat. Do you mind if I find a booth?”
“Sure, what would you like to drink?” He must have spotted her hesitation because he smiled and added, “We’ve got some very good Chardonnays and the Pinot is quite acceptable. Delilah had her friends sample them and select their favorites.”
“I’ll try the Chardonnay.”
“Have a seat and check out the menu. You’ll see it at the table. Not sure what Mimi told you, but we serve a lot more than burgers and fries.”
“Okay then.” Hope made her way to the booth, slid into it, and eased open the menu. O’Reilly’s certainly did serve more than burgers and fries: chicken avocado sliders, roasted red pepper hummus, and portobello wraps. Wow, she had not expected that. Of course, there were the usual bar food options: burgers, fries, chicken wings with every heat level. She hadn’t tasted a chicken wing for so long and oh, how she’d loved the extra hot ones! Hope studied the various heat levels, thought about trying the super hot ones. Maybe next time… Today, she’d sample the chicken avocado sliders and roasted red pepper hummus. Were these choices add-ons from Nick and Delilah, or had Delilah’s father always been interested in healthier options?
“Well?” Nick Borado placed a glass of wine in front of her, grabbed a pad from his back jeans pocket. “Let me guess.” A smile slid across his handsome face. “You want a half dozen extra hot wings with a side of ranch and roasted red pepper hummus.” The smile spread, his voice filled with humor. “They pair very well with Chardonnay.”
Hope laughed. “You’ve got the second part right. I’ll take the roasted red pepper hummus and the chicken avocado sliders.” She closed the menu, returned it to its holder. “Maybe I’ll try the wings next time.”
He tapped his pen against his order pad. “Is that a brushoff or are you serious about trying the wings? You see, I take you for a hot wing kind of girl, but maybe only in private.” His gaze slidfrom her pearl earrings to the matching pearl necklace. “Take out and only if you’re eating alone.”
Oh, but he’d pegged her exactly right. She tried to hide a smile, failed. “Are you saying I’m too highbrow to enjoy a good wing? Or do you think I only eat boneless wings and then use utensils?”
The full-on laugh said he found her amusing. “I was just toying with you, but now I’m wondering if youaren’ta hot wing girl.”
“I love them, the hotter the better, but my friends don’t understand the obsession.” The first time Kent watched her tear into a chicken wing slathered with ranch dressing, he insisted she would get indigestion, and long-term use could give her an ulcer.You’re going to be sick, he’d said.If the dark meat doesn’t get you, the heat will. Don’t do it. You’ll regret it.On and on he’d continued until Hope ordered a dozen of the hottest wings on the menu. When they arrived, she offered him three, which he proceeded to eat with rapid-fire speed, oblivious to the heat or its consequences. Of course, she knew he’d end up in the bathroom, but sometimes people just had to learn a lesson on their own.
“Everyone has an opinion, even those who shouldn’t.” The shrug and the sigh said he’d had his share of people trying to tell him what to do. “How about half a dozen hot wings and the roasted red pepper hummus? You can try the chicken avocado sliders next time.”
“Umm…sure.” Why not? Kent wasn’t here…her friends weren’t here…and Nick Borado, the super cool heir to a clothing empire wanted her to try the wings.Why the heck not?
