Page 20 of Perfect Pairing
“But you’ll be back in Chicago by then.”
“I know you’re old and everything, but even you’ve heard of cell phones and email.”
My dad hooked his arm around my neck and hauled me into his side, ruffling my hair. “You little shit,” he said.
“A little shit with a storefront for her bakery?” I quipped hopefully.
My dad held me at arm’s length, his pine green eyes, so like my own, darting across my face. “You sure this is what you want?”
I nodded emphatically. “It’s exactly what I want.”
“Then it’s yours.”
When we returned home, Mom and my sisters were in the great room, reruns ofThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsserving as background noise while they gossiped.
“Where have you two been?” Mom asked when we came in.
“Just went for a drive,” Dad shrugged, crossing to drop a kiss to Mom’s cheek. “What’s for dinner?”
“Well, since it’s Amara’s last night in town for too long,” she sniffed back tears at the thought of her daughter leaving so soon, “I wanted to do something special.”
“We’ve got something else to celebrate too.” Dad’s eyes sparkled with delight as he yielded the floor to me.
Mom glanced suspiciously at us. “Oh?”
“You know that vacant storefront on Main?”
“The one a few doors up from Blossom’s?” Ella asked.
“That’s the one.” I grinned at Dad then gestured between us. “You’re looking at the new owners.”
Mom’s brows slammed together in confusion. “You bought a building without asking me?”
“Lena,” my father groaned. “It’s not for me or for us. It’s for Brie.”
Suddenly, six pairs of eyes landed on me. “We bought it for my bakery,” I said proudly.
The room exploded, the voices of my five favorite women twisting together and rising in volume as they tried to speak over one another. Finally, my dad took pity on me and shouted, “Hey!”
The riot ceased immediately, and my mom and sisters grinned at me sheepishly.
“Sorry, honey,” Mom said.
“It’s okay,” I assured her. “But yes, we bought the building for my bakery. Dad is going to hire Jay Daniels to renovate it while I’m finishing up my apprenticeship. Then, next summer, I’ll move home and officially open the shop.”
“Oh, that’s just the best news!” Mom crowed, coming over to wrap me in a tight hug. My sisters joined in, and soon, the entire Delatou family stood in the middle of the great room, our limbs tangled together as they congratulated me.
“Well then,” Mom said when she pulled away. “Even more reason to head down to the winery for dinner.”
“You know I’ll never turn down a meal at the winery,” I said with a broad smile, and my sisters nodded their agreements. “Speaking of, how’s that new chef working out? Should I actually be looking forward to this? Is he even still around?”
I hadn’t been home since I’d left for Chicago at the end of June, and while I’d secretly been dying every day to ask about Ezra, I knew if I showed even a modicum of interest, my sisters would latch onto the knowledge like I was about to marry the guy.
We’d only met once, and while it had certainly left its mark on me, I doubted the same could be said for Ezra. I needed to temper my expectations.
“Oh, no, he’s still around,” Chloe said pointedly then glanced at my sisters, and they all shared a giggle.
My brows pinched together. “Okay? So how is he?”
