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Chapters (66)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Chapter One
  5. Chapter Two
  6. Chapter Three
  7. Chapter Four
  8. Chapter Five
  9. Chapter Six
  10. Chapter Seven
  11. Chapter Eight
  12. Chapter Nine
  13. Chapter Ten
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Chapter Fourteen
  18. Chapter Fifteen
  19. Chapter Sixteen
  20. Chapter Seventeen
  21. Chapter Eighteen
  22. Chapter Nineteen
  23. Chapter Twenty
  24. Chapter Twenty-One
  25. Chapter Twenty-Two
  26. Chapter Twenty-Three
  27. Chapter Twenty-Four
  28. Chapter Twenty-Five
  29. Chapter Twenty-Six
  30. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-One
  35. Chapter Thirty-Two
  36. Chapter Thirty-Three
  37. Chapter Thirty-Four
  38. Chapter Thirty-Five
  39. Chapter Thirty-Six
  40. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-One
  45. Chapter Forty-Two
  46. Chapter Forty-Three
  47. Chapter Forty-Four
  48. Chapter Forty-Five
  49. Chapter Forty-Six
  50. Chapter Forty-Seven
  51. Chapter Forty-Eight
  52. Chapter Forty-Nine
  53. Chapter Fifty
  54. Chapter Fifty-One
  55. Chapter Fifty-Two
  56. Chapter Fifty-Three
  57. Chapter Fifty-Four
  58. Chapter Fifty-Five
  59. Chapter Fifty-Six
  60. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  61. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  62. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  63. Chapter Sixty
  64. Chapter Sixty-One
  65. Chapter Sixty-Two
  66. Acknowledgments

“Yep. But Elliott still has the key to the drawers. He must keep cash in there,” Lea added.

I looked at the bills and the balances. It was a mess. Something uncomfortable nagged at me. What the hell had I gotten myself into? It was scary. It had been as easy as … breathing.

For the next hour, Lea and I paid the bills that were due now. Then I reapplied blush and lipstick and buried myself in polite, meaningless conversations with our guests.

Elliott was awake on the sofa when I got home. “Thanks for checking in on me.” His mood was obviously altered.

“I called several times. I was running your restaurant,” I said. Biting my tongue had become an unnatural but necessary habit.

“Those injections hurt like hell, in case you were interested. But I think they did the trick. I haven’t had anything to eat,” Elliott snapped.

“Elliott, we need to talk about the restaurant.”

“It is my restaurant. Everything is fine.”

My mind entertained sinister conversations, but I restrained myself and didn’t let the thoughts make their way onto my lips. Instead, I went into the kitchen to scramble some eggs with tarragon for Elliott. Later I noticed he had fallen asleep on the sofa without even touching them. I went to bed alone, hating myself for adding tarragon. And wondering how the hell I ended up here.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The following Tuesday, I met Mac at the address he’d given me. It was a coveted address off Madison, a little higher than Ralph Lauren’s. He was waiting for me.

“Am I late?” I asked.

“No. Just eager to see you and get your opinion,” he said, leaning against the doorway.

“Well, I’m eager to get my check, so let’s get to it,” I said, which produced hearty laughter from Mac.

“I’ll bet you are a handful for the people in your life,” he said, still chuckling. He unlocked the door.

“Who says they’re not a handful?” But my focus quickly shifted to this grand old building. I could really take a spin in here. “Have you already bought it?”

“The bank says it’s mine all right. So, what do you think? Are you inspired? Do you think you could work your magic in here?”

I studied the beams and the intricate molding. With Mac’s budget, this place could really shine. “I think this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Mac,” I said, extending my hand, but he was fishing in his pocket and handed me a retainer check.