Midlife Do Over

I sat back in the comfortable striped chair that faced the short end of the coffee table and waited for her to absorb what I’d said, to gather her own thoughts, and respond.

Except all I got was a soft snore accompanied by even breathing. She’d fallen asleep. I’d poured my heart out—finally—and she’d missed it all due to exhaustion.

Which meant I had to find a way to say those words to her all over again, and I knew just how to do it. I dropped a quick kiss on her forehead, locked the door and made my way home.

Chapter 26

Pippa

“Hey Devon, why is the stage set up? I don’t have anything on my schedule.” The past week had been busy with the event rooms in the restaurant booked every single night, and I was so tired I slept on the couch, fully dressed until morning.

Devon turned with a grin. “Live performance. Impromptu.”

“Oh. Okay.” As long as it wasn’t some big event that infringed on the schedule, I could handle it. “Who is it? I’ll start doing some social media blasts to get more butts in the seats.”

“It’s a surprise,” he said cryptically. “For everyone.”

“Everyone except you?”

He shrugged. “I’m special that way.”

“Well today is my day off technically, so I’m going to finish up some paperwork and then Val’s meeting me here for an early dinner.” Early because I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes open past nine-thirty when I wasn’t at the restaurant, and because she had an early shoot in the morning.

“Valona reserved a table.”

My brows dipped in confusion. “She did? When?”

Devon shrugged. “Don’t know, all I know is there’s a table reserved under her name for today. Six o’clock.”

“Okay.” I made my way back towards the peace and quiet of my office, away from the sights and sounds and smells of the restaurant that still weren’t particularly easy on my stomach. But managing a restaurant was more than a full-time job, and staying on top of paperwork took up most of my time.

***

A knock sounded on the door and startled me. “Yeah?”

The door opened and Val stood there dressed in a long flowing black skirt with a matching shirt, a multi-colored scarf belt around her waist. “Did you forget about dinner?”

“What? No way. It’s only three o’clock, Val. I didn’t forget.”

Her lips pulled into a sympathetic grin and she pointed to the big clock on the wall. “It’s five minutes after six, Pippa. You must have fallen asleep.”

I glanced at the clock on the computer screen and sighed. “Must have. Give me two minutes to save this and wash my face and I’ll meet you in the dining room. Promise.”

“I’ve already ordered a whiskey with a beer chaser. You’re the designated driver tonight pregnant lady.”

“Pregnant lady reporting for duty,” I shot back with a salute and a smile.

Five minutes later I was seated across from my best friend and feeling good. Not just, not sick, but actually good. Tired, but I had a smile on my face and I felt genuinely hungry as I ordered a roasted tomato bisque appetizer, and crab risotto. Valona arched her brows in surprise. “This is a change of pace. You look as if you’re back in the land of the living.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled. “Thanks, I think. You picked a good night, according to Devon there’s live music tonight.”

“Oh goody! How are things going with Ryan?”

“They aren’t.” He hadn’t been around much since the night he drove me home from the restaurant and poured his heart out to me while I pretended to be asleep. It was a crap thing to do and I knew it, but my heart needed to be protected from a man who could shatter it. “I haven’t seen much of him since he returned to town.”

Valona’s eyes narrowed to slits as she eyed me suspiciously. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because you are a suspicious, cynical sort. You should really work on believing in humanity more,” I joked.

“I’m not talking about humanity, I’m talking about you, my best friend in the whole wide world. What aren’t you telling me?”

I rolled my eyes and let out a put upon sigh. “I’m not telling you that Ryan poured his heart out to me and that I pretended to be asleep because it’s easier to hate him, to mistrust him, than it is to risk letting him break my heart all over again. Mine and the baby’s.”

“Whoa.” Valona sank back against her chair and whistled. “That’s a lot.”

“I know. Am I a horrible person?”

Valona shrugged as the low strains of a bluesy rock song started. Two different guitars played the same eight notes on repeat until a set of drums kicked in followed by a keyboard.

“Possibly,” she joked and took a sip of beer.

“Gee thanks.”

The music grew louder and ended our conversation, and I forced my attention away from the bisque and towards the stage. I gasped at the sight of The Gregory Brothers on stage and turned to Valona with a question in my eyes.