Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)(49)

When they reached the restaurant, Bryn scanned the room for Valmont. He appeared from the kitchen wiping his hands on a white-and-red checked towel. His eyes focused on her within seconds. He smiled like she was the best thing he’d seen all day.

Happy warmth filled her chest as he crossed the room to meet her. His gaze took in Jaxon and Lillith. When he reached her, he put his arm around her shoulders in a proprietary manner, which gave her a warm fuzzy feeling.

“I’m off work in an hour. Want to go Christmas shopping?” Valmont asked, like Jaxon and his mother weren’t standing there.

“Sure. I’m having lunch with Jaxon, Lillith, and my grandmother. After that I don’t have any plans.”

Valmont squeezed her shoulders and then removed his arm. “You’ll need a table for four. Would you like to sit by the windows up front or would you prefer a quiet table in the back?”

Jaxon said, “In the back,” at the same time his mom said, “By the windows, please.”

Valmont made a show of looking back and forth between Jaxon and his mother. “Sorry, I think she outranks you.”

Lillith grinned like a Cheshire cat as Valmont led them to a table by the front windows. “Is this to your liking?” he asked.

“This is perfect.” Lillith sat when Valmont pulled out her chair. “How do you know Bryn?”

“I’m her knight,” Valmont stated, like it was the most common thing in the world.

Lillith’s eyebrows shot up. “How did this come to be?”

“An obnoxious individual threatened Bryn, and I interceded,” Valmont said as he passed out menus.

Thank God he didn’t go into details. Today was supposed to be about forgetting Zavien, not dredging up old memories.

“Why don’t I bring a round of iced tea and some toasted ravioli while you wait for the rest of your party?”

Bryn’s stomach growled. Toasted ravioli sounded wonderful.

…

Jaxon sat ramrod straight in his chair, eyeing the front door like he expected Godzilla to come charging in. Given a meeting with Godzilla or her grandmother, Bryn wasn’t sure whom she’d choose. At least Godzilla wasn’t trying to fix her up with Jaxon.

What would she say when her grandmother walked in? How should she behave? She had no clue. “Lillith, this is awkward, but how should I act when my grandmother comes in? I hug my parents, but my grandmother doesn’t seem like the hugging type.”

Jaxon snorted.

Lillith pretended not to hear him. “If you were close, it would be proper to kiss her on the cheek.”

She’d spent limited time with her grandmother. “Close” wasn’t a word she’d use to describe their relationship. “I’m not sure we’re there yet.”

“I suggest you follow her lead. If she leans in, kiss her on the cheek. If not, then a light touch on her shoulder would be appropriate.”

Like she didn’t have enough to be nervous about. When Valmont returned with drinks and two trays of ravioli, she considered kissing him.

He winked at her. “I knew you’d be hungry.”

“You’re the best knight ever.” She unrolled the napkin containing her utensils and speared a ravioli with her fork. A quick dunk into marinara sauce, and she popped the ravioli in her mouth. It was crunchy, spicy Italian bliss. She was working her way through her sixth ravioli when conversation died down around them.

Marie Sinclair entered the establishment and heads turned. Fonzoli’s probably wasn’t on the list of restaurants her grandmother visited on a regular basis. Wearing a crisp dove-gray suit, her grandmother broadcast power and influence. Bryn resisted the urge to apologize for her gray sweatshirt and jeans.

Jaxon stood to pull out her grandmother’s chair.

“Mrs. Sinclair, how nice to see you again.”

“Thank you. It’s lovely to see you and your mother as well.” Her grandmother sat and turned to Bryn. Expectation and challenge clear on her face.

“Hello, Grandmother.” Hoping for the best, Bryn leaned in and pecked her grandmother on the cheek. “It’s nice to see you.”

A genuine smile lit the older woman’s face. “Thank you. It’s nice to see you, too.”

Okay. That went better than expected. Now what?

Valmont appeared next to Bryn. “Mrs. Sinclair, may I bring you something to drink while you study the menu?”

“I’ll have a glass of white wine and the pasta primavera.”

Since she probably shouldn’t eat an entire pizza in front of her grandmother, what was the easiest, least-likely-to-drip-on-her-shirt meal she could order? Best to choose something she could eat with a knife and fork.

“Bryn?”

An escape route wasn’t within Valmont’s power, so she decided on two pepperoni calzones.

After everyone placed their orders, her grandmother said, “We should discuss our plans for Christmas Eve.”

It was hard to discuss something she knew nothing about. “What time do you usually have dinner?”

“Dinner is served at eight. Of course the orchestra starts playing at six.”

Wait. What? “You’re having an orchestra?”

Her grandmother sighed. “I tried to convince your grandfather we should go with a three-string quartet, but he had other ideas.”