“TS Larkin, is that you? You look marvelous. Have you lost weight?”
And now her night was complete. “Clive Garret, as I live and breathe. You don’t look so bad yourself. Is that hair growing back at last?”
She watched his hand reach automatically up to his bald spot and struggled not to chortle. Made you look.
Clive laughed awkwardly and pulled his wife closer, as though needing protection. “We’ve missed you at the station, TS. I actually came tonight to offer you your old position back.” His wife elbowed him, and he coughed. “I mean a better position. Better pay. More creative control. Of course, the condition would be getting Nathaniel Grange to agree to do a morning show. Brunch with Laura is starting to tank in the ratings, the studio thinks the demographic would really appreciate someone with Mr. Grange’s talents.”
Clive winked at her, and she felt bile rise in her throat. “I thought you’d been speaking with him already. That you already had a deal in the works.”
Clive’s wife leaned forward, her voice the loud low of someone trying, not very hard, to keep a secret. “Clive tried everything, but that is one stubborn chef. He even got his sister’s private number, but Mr. Grange refused him every time. He’s very loyal to you. Said he wouldn’t work for anyone who’d been stupid enough to fire Ms. TS Larkin.”
“He said that?”
Clive tugged on his bow tie. “His words weren’t that civilized. But yes, that was the general gist. So? What do you say?”
Before she could formulate a response, a scattering of applause drew her attention. There they were. Clay, Louis, Jane and the boys. Nate. Her breath caught. He looked so handsome. Brand new chef whites, buttoned no less. He looked good. Too good.
She needed to leave.
She took a step back, and his gaze found her in the crowd. Found her and wouldn’t let her go.
He lifted his voice to be heard over the crowd and night noise of downtown. “The owners of The Iron Horse wish to welcome you. We have a special menu, a brand new décor and a lot of surprises in store for all of you.”
He waited for the applause to die down, his attention still focused solely on Truly. “We couldn’t have done any of this if it wasn’t for the vision and stubbornness of TS Larkin.” He smiled at the spattering of laughter. “She had to be stubborn, because I don’t take very readily to change. I was so afraid that she would turn my restaurant, myself, into something I didn’t want. It took me a while to realize that she knew what I wanted better than I did. So I thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.”
The crowd clapped in approval while Truly quickly wiped away her tears. He’d said thank you. Not I love you. But thank you. She wished that could be enough. It would have been, before she’d fallen for him. But it wasn’t anymore.
She turned her back, freezing in her tracks when he raised his voice again. “Don’t go.”
She knew he was talking to her. That everyone had looked in her direction, but she couldn’t turn around. She couldn’t look at him. Not right now. It hurt too much.
Then he was there, taking her by the shoulders and turning her to face him. “Don’t go. Please.”
She shook her head, tasting the salt of her tears as they wet her lips. “No, it’s okay. This night belongs to your family. To Clay and Louis and Jane. Enjoy it.”
This close she could see lines on his face that hadn’t been there a month ago. He looked tired. Sad. “How can I enjoy it when my family isn’t complete? When the most important part of it is missing?”
What was he saying? “Nate, its okay. I know you refused Clive, and I’m grateful. I don’t need your charity.”
His chuckle was anything except joyous. “Oh, my love, but I need yours. Could you take a little pity on me? I’m trying to tell you that I can’t live without you in front of a hundred people. Show a little mercy.”
The pieces of her heart came together with a single gasping breath. He loved her? She hadn’t believed it. Hadn’t let herself believe he might feel the same way she did. But what about Clay? And Louis?
She looked over at them, and Nate leaned closer. “They understand. You’re mine, Truly. I don’t want to share. Except on special occasions.”
He grinned, and she felt happiness bloom, warm and bright inside her. “Wait, that’s what you were trying to tell me? That you loved me?” He nodded, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring the catcalls and loud roars from the waiting diners. “Well, you aren’t very good at it are you?”
He shrugged. “Haven’t needed to be. Until now.”
One year later…
“So when are you going to tell him?”
Truly smiled up at Clay. “Tonight. I just want everything to be perfect.”
Clay winked. “I never make anything that isn’t.”
She looked arou