The door swung open on the other side of the room as Liza charged through it. “What the heck just happened?”
“He wanted me to come home and talk. I told him it was too late for that.”
“And then you came in here and cried all over the pancakes? Look, Dream, I know it’s tough when you’re fighting, but that man came all the way down here to make it right and then you sent him away? Are you out of your mind, girl?”
“It’s not going to be any different. You should have heard him. He was so cold, and anytime I try to talk to him, he makes it like it’s my fault; that I’m pulling away when he’s the one who is pushing.”
“Yeah, and if you don’t sit down and try to talk without fighting, you’re going to look back on this day and regret it. He’s in love with you, Dream. And I’m pretty sure those tears aren’t because you hate the man.”
“I love him, sure, but I’m not sure you’re right about him loving me. Star tried to get him to admit it, and you should have seen the backpedaling he did. It was like we were two kids on a playground and he thought I had cooties or something. He couldn’t even tell her he liked me. Liked, not loved.”
“He probably didn’t want to confuse the girl. That’s not the same, and you know it. She put him on the spot and you know he’s protecting his feelings and hers as well.
I sighed. “I don’t know. I guess you’re probably right.” “Do you want to always wonder, or do you want to know? Because there is only one way you’re going to find out for sure and that’s to go to him tonight.”
“He said he wants to have dinner. I guess I could. I bet Star’s staying with Cynthia so we could be alone.” It made sense that she’d take the girl for the night and it sure made going to him all the more tempting. He’d been one of the only men to give me what I wanted in the bedroom and just thinking about the two of us making love; I knew I never wanted anyone else.
“Of course, so you can be alone.” She gave me a sideward glance. “So when you makeup, you can really make up.” She waggled her brows. “You know he’s going to all the trouble to find another sitter and plan an evening. The least you could do is show. Let him give you a little attention.”
She leaned in closer. “Take the test and go to him. You can talk about things and depending on the results you can end it for good or start choosing baby names. At least you’ll be on the same page, and you won’t have any doubts. But I think you’re wrong. I think he loves you too.”
My stomach tightened in another knot, and I felt myself growing queasy. “What if I am?” I closed my eyes as panic pulsed through my veins making me dizzy.
“Then no matter what, you’ll have a beautiful baby to raise with or without him. I tell you, in the beginning with Brady, I was so sure he was the biggest mistake of my life, but I don’t know what I would do without the little guy. He’s everything to me, and I can’t picture life without him. He’s not the biggest mistake; he’s the greatest joy. That’s how it will be for you too. You deserve happiness, Dream. You want Chance, go get him. Be that happy couple you know you want to be. He wants it too; you just might have to prove it to him.”
“Fine, I’ll call him and tell him I’m coming.”
“Not this minute you won’t,” said Mack. “There are four orders ready, and you girls are getting behind. If Harold comes in and sees you two hens cackling instead of working, we’re all going to have a miserable afternoon.”
“You know that hearing aid is going to get you into a lot of trouble one day, Mack.”
CHAPTER 29 – CHANCE
I’d stormed out of the diner and wasn’t looking back. Dream had no idea how hard it had been for me to go in that place, after everything that had happened, and ask her to come home with me.
I didn’t even care if she kept her job, I just needed to know that at the end of each shift, she’d come home to me and Star and we’d be together like a real family.
The idea of a family had always seemed like a hopeless dream, and so when she’d presented me with the baby dream, I’d overreacted only because it had been a dream that I’d let go of a long time ago.
Even if it remained the three of us for the rest of our lives, I’d be content, but it obviously wasn’t enough for her.