The Millionaire's Deception, page 17
“Seriously? You expect me to believe your bullshit after what you did?” Her jaw locked tight as she eyed him, the hurt so fresh on her face it nearly killed him.
“Give me ten minutes so I can explain.” He heaved in a breath. “If after that you want to call BS on me, go ahead and do it.” He wanted to grab her hand but knew that would be a colossal mistake.
She rolled her eyes. That wasn’t really an opening, but she wasn’t running out the door, so he needed to capitalize on the moment. He’d always done that for his own ends; this time he was doing it for her.
Instead of dwelling, he forged ahead. “I drew this sketch to give you an idea.” He handed her the drawing he’d done on the plane. It was rough, based on what he’d seen of her father’s rendering, but it depicted what could be done to Crossroads Café in the future. “This is the new restaurant, taking in the scene of the Mississippi from its floor-to-ceiling windows just like your father envisioned. The chef’s station will be in the center and open to the entire dining room. It will seat a hundred customers and you’ll serve family style, chef’s choice, just like the restaurant we visited in Little Italy, or if you want more flexibility it can be a special occasion venue used for weddings or other celebrations. Between the setting and the food you’ll have no trouble getting bookings if that’s the way you want to go. I guarantee people will travel many miles to partake of your culinary talents.” Her jaw tightened but he continued before she could stop his flow. “It’s what you told me your father wanted to do, and you’ll have a chance to fulfill his dream.”
“I guess you’re forgetting the fact that…oh yeah…I’m broke. What you’re talking about is going to cost a fortune. And if I had the money, how would I ever make it profitable when I don’t have more than twenty customers on a good night?” She placed her hands on her hips. At least she hadn’t charged out the door yet.
“I still have a little bit of money left, and I’m not without skills in terms of business plans and architecture. And I believe in you. Let me help you make it happen.”
Her forehead wrinkled as she thought through his plan. “Why?” It seemed like she wanted to say more but couldn’t.
“A couple of reasons. First off, you have passion for what you do, what you believe. I respect you for that. You’re a good person.”
“And?” Bette spoke the word. Frankly, he was surprised she’d been quiet for so long.
“I love you, Francesca.” To his surprise, the words didn’t stick inside his throat. For the first time in his life, he didn’t think about anything but right now.
“You’re saying that to try to make me feel less like a dork for falling for you.” Her voice was soft and much less confident than usual. Maybe he was making some progress, after all.
He knelt down. “I swear, I loved you the moment I walked inside Crossroads Café that first day.”
“You admitted it was about my legs. That’s lust, not love.”
“Okay, you’re right about that, but admit it, you were attracted to me from that first moment as well.”
“Yeah, well that was Ms. Francesca.”
“Who’s Ms. Francesca?”
“She’s the part of me I’m not too happy with right now. You know, the one that thinks with her hormones instead of her brains.”
“There’s nothing wrong with hormones, but it’s more than that. You’re a good person inside and out. You made me want to be a better person. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” He dropped on one knee and held out his hand. The ring he’d purchased in New York was sitting in the palm of his hand. “Francesca Antonia Ritacco, will you marry me?”
She stammered and sucked in a breath, but didn’t speak. Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“I suck at the engagement thing.” She drew in her bottom lip when it started to quiver. “I’ve been engaged something like a million times.”
“I’ve heard mention of that.” He stood and slipped the ring on her finger. As soon as he’d walked inside the door of Tiffany’s and spotted the antique setting of a round diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds all set in a diamond band, it felt right. He thought about the weathered gold band of her mother’s she kept in her jewelry box upstairs.
After all this, he might not have any money, but he’d have Frankie, and that’s all that mattered to him.
“But you don’t understand. I’m probably one of those women who get as big as a house when they’re pregnant.” She sucked in a sob as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m Italian, you know, and we like our pasta. It’s inevitable that I’ll gain a hundred pounds.”
“Are you trying to tell me something?” Rafe didn’t get too close. She stared at the ring as if it might bite her any minute. He didn’t want to scare her off when she might be coming around.
She shook her head as tears continued to flow. “No, no, I’m saying…you haven’t seen my flaws yet.” She waved her hands in front of her as her body continued to tremble. “This is all smoke and mirrors. Or maybe you hit your head or something, thinking I’m sexy because I really am a nerd. I like to read. I like to cook. My idea of a good time is sitting home and watching the Mississippi. My best friends are a bunch of old ladies. I—”
He covered her mouth with his hand. “I know you’re Italian, but will you be quiet for a damn minute?” He sucked in a breath. “I’m in love with you. I have been since the minute I walked inside that door and spotted you. Something about you spoke to me. I know it sounds corny and over the top. I’ve never felt that sense of home until I was with you. My home will always be with you. You want to stay here and go with the plan I drew up, I’m all in. You want to travel around the country, hell, around the world, I’m in with that, too. As you said, I can do my job anywhere.”
She launched herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist. He stumbled back but luckily didn’t fall on his ass and bring her with him.
After peppering his face with kisses, she rested her forehead on his. “I know my mom and pops would have loved you, too.”
“I’m not too sure about that. I’ve got a tattoo, you know.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “I heard from a reliable source that only bad boys have tattoos.”
Epilogue
Frankie huddled against Rafe’s shoulder as they walked toward Rockefeller Center. The red wool coat he’d surprised her with was the icing on the top of the cake of her outfit.
“Tell me again why they thought it was a good idea to do this interview outside.” She shivered. “It’s freezing.” As she spoke, a snowflake plopped onto her nose.
“It’s the lighting of the Christmas tree and it’s a perfect setting for your Special Edition of Holidays with Francesca Cookbook.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Not in the last thirty minutes.” He nuzzled her neck. “I think you’re overdue.”
“Rafe McCall, I love you. You and your bad-boy self were the best thing that happened to me.”
“Admit it. I had you worried for a while, didn’t I?”
“But you came through in the end. And managed to make the new restaurant possible as well, thanks to your interest-free loan.”
“You have a couple grand in preorders on your book. I can’t imagine what’s going to happen tomorrow when it’s available for sale. You’ll probably crash the internet.”
She separated from him in order to grab his hand. “You’ve always believed in me. Now you have to trust me in one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I want you to get in touch with your brother and invite him to our wedding in Iowa this spring.”
He seemed to pale despite the cold. “I haven’t talked to him in almost fifteen years.”
“That’s the point. He needs to be there when we get married.” She kissed his cheek. “Promise me you’ll try.”
He rolled his eyes but smiled as he did so. “For you, I’ll give it a try.”
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to Robin H.—editor extraordinaire—for her expert editing and infinite patience. I’m not going to lie. It took several passes for my story to go from one I really liked to one I absolutely fell in love with, but between her and Alethea, they stuck with me to make it shine like a precious gem.
To Alethea for recognizing there was a story in that short paragraph I wrote while waiting in my car. (iPhones come in so handy for jotting down writerly notes.) I fell in love with Rafe and Frankie in that first paragraph, and I’m so grateful Alethea saw the potential and chose my story for the Zodiac line.
To my friends and family who stuck with me through this writerly journey. As much as it pains me to admit it, it’s not always easy being around a writer.
About the Author
Wendy lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and one morbidly obese cat. She has a master’s in social work and worked in the child welfare field for twelve years before she decided to pursue her dream of writing. She has several books published with two different publishers and has self-published both a novella and a traditional length novel. Several of her novels have been finalists or winners in contests over the course of her writing career.
Most days you can find her pounding away at her laptop, spinning tales and inflicting mayhem on her hero and heroine until they beg for mercy. She loves to write contemporary romance or romantic suspense all infused with a touch of humor and, of course, the happily ever after.
Check out her website at: http://wendybyrne.net and drop her a note or sign up for her newsletter.
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Wendy Byrne, The Millionaire's Deception
