Caleb had to stop himself from staring. Or commenting! He knew from his younger sister, Shayla, that sometimes it was best for a man to hold his tongue. He didn’t want to make a big deal of her ditching the glasses, since Addie might think he was saying she hadn’t looked good before.
He wasn’t looking for anything romantic with Addie, but he couldn’t deny the pull in her direction. Caleb had always felt eyes truly were the mirrors of the soul. Addie’s eyes were exquisite. He hadn’t experienced this type of reaction toward a woman for quite some time. Although Caleb wasn’t blind to attractive women, he was taking a hiatus from relationships.
All of a sudden, his ex-girlfriend’s face flashed before his eyes. Felicity Mathers had wrapped him completely around her finger in their one-year relationship. Beautiful and polished, Felicity was a news anchor. She was glamourous and eye-catching. She had made him feel things no other woman had, and in the end, she had dished out more pain to Caleb than he’d ever imagined possible.
Although Caleb had always struggled with commitment issues, Felicity had inspired him to dream of white picket fences, a house full of squabbling kids and a summer home in Breeze Point, Cape Cod where his Donahue cousins lived. But their relationship had imploded when Caleb had discovered Felicity was cheating on him with another guy. His agony had been almost unbearable. And when he’d confronted Felicity—ready to forgive her—she’d been cavalier about her infidelity. She had cruelly turned things around on him, blaming Caleb for her having cheated on him. In short, Felicity had told hi
m he hadn’t been enough for a woman of her status.
Even though he’d been head-over-heels in love with her, Caleb had known that Felicity would continue to smash his heart into bits if he allowed her to do so. Walking away from her had been incredibly painful. Even though he had wanted to love her for a lifetime, he was practical enough to know it was never going to happen. Fidelity and truth were way too important to him. Once bitten, twice shy.
In the dark recesses of his mind, he knew it was all tied up in his birth mother. Letting go of the people he loved was a constant struggle. It gnawed at him.
“Caleb.” He heard Addie saying his name. It jolted him out of his thoughts about Felicity.
He looked up. Addie was standing a few feet away from him in the doorway.
“Sorry,” he said. “I was daydreaming for a second.”
“You’re allowed, Caleb, considering how hard you work. I’m going to sit in the back office and go over some paperwork,” Addie said. “I’m going to do a little double checking on a few items.”
Caleb frowned. “Did you see something that didn’t add up?”
“No, it’s nothing alarming,” she said in a hesitant voice. “I’m really good with numbers, so certain things jumped out at me. It’s not a big deal, but it’s always best to have our records as clear and precise as possible. Who has been keeping your books?”
Caleb felt foolish. He made a face. “Me. I’ve been doing them.”
Addie’s face fell. “Caleb. You’ve been doing way too much around here. You should feel really proud about what you’ve achieved, but you need to delegate. You’re wearing too many hats. You’re the owner. Head chef. Social media person. And now you’re telling me that you’ve been keeping the books?” She shook her head in a stern fashion. “This place is making money. It won’t kill you to delegate certain responsibilities.”
Addie was right. He’d been trying to rein in expenses by not hiring more staff. It had led to him feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Success at all costs had been his mantra, but now that the bistro was bringing in a nice chunk of change, he could take a deep breath and allow others to chip in more. It was counterintuitive to the way he’d been thinking, but he knew it was for the best.
“You’re right. I need to let go a little bit. All this time I’ve been holding on out of fear the bistro wouldn’t succeed. I’m blessed considering how well it’s doing and the plans you’ve mentioned regarding growing the business. I just need some bodies to fill these roles.”
“I’m right here, Caleb. I’ve got to earn my partnership with you. Trust me. I don’t ever want anyone to say I’m sliding because I’m Sebastian Fontaine’s daughter.” She wrinkled her nose as if she’d smelled something rotten.
“Is that something that worries you?” he asked. He hadn’t even thought about the pressures Addie must be facing. Sebastian Fontaine had a formidable reputation. He imagined it wasn’t easy being the daughter of a very wealthy, well-known magnate.
“It doesn’t consume my every waking moment,” she said in a light tone, “but I want people to judge me on my own merits. I don’t want anyone to think I’m riding his coattails.”
He shook his head. “No one will think that. Not here anyway. You’re a hard worker, Addie. Your work ethic speaks for itself.”
Addie beamed. She looked as if she’d been lit up from the inside. “I appreciate that vote of confidence. I want our partnership to be beneficial for both of us. I promise to never lose sight of the fact that the Blue Bayou is your baby.”
“I appreciate that, Addie. I have to be honest.” He wanted to tread carefully with Addie’s emotions. “My goal is to one day be able to buy it back so I’m the full owner. I hope that doesn’t hurt your feelings.”
“Of course it doesn’t. I don’t blame you one bit. You came into this thing on your own after all. It’s perfectly natural to feel that way.”
“Thanks for understanding. Ever since I was a little kid I wanted this,” he confessed, sweeping his arm around the place. “My parents own a diner here in town called the Silver Spoon, so I grew up loving the hustle and bustle of the restaurant industry.”
Addie’s jaw dropped. “The Silver Spoon. I used to love going there when I was a kid. My twin sister and I used to love going there with my parents. Milkshakes and burgers. What great memories we made there.”
Caleb grinned. “See. Your reaction is just how I want people to feel about the Blue Bayou. It may sound corny, but I think feeding people is an act of love. And I’m not just talking about the industry. I made a point when I opened this place to develop a partnership with the Pelican Bay shelter on Dowses Street. All viable leftovers are donated to the shelter. And when I gather with my family for our weekly dinner, I feel rejuvenated. Between the company and the food, it’s sheer heaven.”
“It sounds like it. My family has never done weekly dinners or anything remotely resembling it. My parents divorced back when I was a child.” She let out a sigh. “It was a rough time. We’d never been a perfect family, but at least we’d been together. Everything changed so quickly. After the divorce, daddy moved out and we stopped attending church together. There were no more game nights or spaghetti and meatballs in our pajamas while sitting at the dining room table. Things got bitter in a heartbeat. And when we lost my twin sister to leukemia it got really dark.”
“I’m so sorry, Addie for your loss. You’ve been through a lot with your parents’ divorce and then your twin’s death.” He blew out a deep breath. “No doubt it’s made you stronger, but you’ve had a tough way to go.”
“I won’t argue with you about that,” she responded. “Thankfully, God was with me. Once I forgave Him, my heart opened up to His love.”