Stay strong, little man. His mother’s voice buzzed in his ears. Pray. Believe. God is with you. Always.
Caleb had prayed. He would continue to believe. And he would trust Molly. He would go to Pelican Bay and live with this family. God would be with him, even if his mother could not be.
“When your best laid plans go astray, it’s time to dig down deep and get creative.”
Jude Donahue
Chapter One
Caleb Donahue couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d felt so alone. Growing up in a big, bustling family in Pelican Bay had afforded him the luxury of never being forced to endure that particular feeling. He wasn’t being honest with himself. If he shut his eyes tightly and forced himself to go back in time, Caleb could remember an overwhelming sense of loss and loneliness. He hated going back to that dark place—it had been such an awful time of fear and dread. Dredging up those memories made him feel hopeless and sad. Caleb avoided thoughts of the past at all costs. What good did it do to stir up such horrific memories?
Ever since he’d been adopted by his forever family, loneliness hadn’t affected him. Until now. And it was messing with him big-time. It took him back to the time before—the darkness of his young life. The things he’d spent most of the past two decades trying to forget. The memories weren’t always clear, but he remembered enough to make himself sick every time they c
ropped up.
Focus, Caleb. He urged himself. Don’t get caught up in the storms of the past.
His entire professional world was going up in flames. And he was sick about it. He’d worked so hard to get his bistro up and running. It was popular and had received great reviews. He’d actually made a profit last year. Just last month there had been a write up about it in the Pelican Bay Gazette. He had finally found his footing. And then the bottom had fallen out of his world. In one fell swoop the rug had been pulled out from under him.
Now he was faced with uncertainty. His bistro was not entirely his own anymore. And it felt like a massive failure to have lost such control over his business.
Sebastien Fontaine had called in his loan, and since Caleb couldn’t repay the entire amount of money he owed the wealthy businessman, he now had a partner in the Blue Bayou. The beauty of opening his own business had been the autonomy to make his own decisions and chart a course for himself. He liked being the captain of his own ship. That was now a thing of the past!
He’d been foolish. Caleb had been so desperate to get the doors of the Blue Bayou open he hadn’t considered what might happen if he couldn’t repay Fontaine’s loan. Now he was knee deep in a sticky situation. What if Fontaine wanted to go in a completely different direction with the bistro? Would he have any recourse against a man of such vast wealth and connections?
The sound of the front door opening diverted his attention away from his melancholy thoughts. He felt as if his head might explode.
“Excuse me. We’re not open yet,” he called out. “Not for another half hour.” He’d forgotten to lock the front door. His brain was mush.
A shuffling sound forced him to swing his gaze up.
A woman dressed in a long peasant skirt and an over-sized blouse came walking slowly toward him. She was carrying a gigantic bag and held a folder in her hand. Her skin was the color of burnished bronze.
“I’m sorry miss, but we’re not open until noon today,” he called out, hoping to see her turn around and head toward the exit.
She fiddled with her glasses. “I’m not a customer.”
Caleb frowned. “I’m not buying anything if you’re trying to sell me something.” He wasn’t in the mood to play games today. He hated when vendors just stopped by to interrupt his day. Perhaps he should put up a sign. No solicitations on the premises.
She let out a laugh. It was rich and throaty. And Caleb wasn’t sure, but it sounded like someone who was slightly nervous. Her body language spoke volumes. She was fidgeting with her hands and looking around her in a nervous manner. Tension radiated off her in waves.
He took a closer look at her. With her round, tortoise shell glasses, retro clothes and wild mane of long hair, she looked like an owl. He had no idea what she was doing here.
“I’m not a salesperson, Mr. Donahue.” Her voice was prim and proper.
Caleb stood up straight. She knew his name. Why did she know his name?
She took a step closer, reminding him of a kid who was building up their courage. “I’m Addie Fontaine. Sebastian Fontaine is my father.”
Anger speared through Caleb. Why was Fontaine’s daughter showing up at the Blue Bayou? Perhaps she was trying to get free food now that her father was officially his partner. His thought was mean-spirited, but he was so annoyed that his professional life was being torpedoed by Sebastian Fontaine. He had absolutely no grace to offer his daughter.
Caleb glared at her, hoping it might make her disappear. “Did he send you here? To make sure I understood the papers he sent me? You can tell him I understand everything. He made it quite clear. He’s asserting his right to step in to the business I built from the floor up and become my partner. Tell him I understand full and well what I’ve gotten myself into with my poor decision making.”
She cleared her throat. “No, Mr. Donahue. You’ve misunderstood. My father isn’t your partner. I am.”
**
Addie Fontaine’s heart was beating like a jack hammer inside her chest. Her palms were moist and she felt like she just might faint. She wasn’t equipped for confrontations, and this was beginning to feel tense and awkward. Addie wasn’t a person who enjoyed going head to head with anyone. Her father had led her to believe that this meeting would be congenial. Why had she ever believed him? Clearly, he’d done this in order to see her step out of her comfort zone.