Blaze (Heat #3)(6)

I nod, unsure if this is the right thing to do. When I picked out those images of Tyler in old Nova it was when I felt close to him. I wanted him to have something that would help him remember not only what he lost, but also where his dream of opening his own restaurant began.

I step around the couch so I can stand next to him, my body physically vibrating from the nervous energy I'm feeling.

"Open it." I tilt my chin towards him.

His eyes light up. "You're sure it's okay?"

I'm not sure of anything but since he's already ripping the corner of the paper, I'm just going to go with it. The gift was custom made for him so it seems petty not to give it to him at this point.

He stops once he's stripped the frame of the paper. His gaze moves down to the back of the frame and the simple message I wrote in black ink.

To every yesterday and each tomorrow. Cadence. xoxo

My heart sinks in my chest. I'd forgotten I'd written that. It feels out of place now. It's too intimate given what happened last night. It's presumptuous and romantic.

The silence is so uncomfortable that I reach forward and flip the frame myself, turning it over to reveal the collection of images.

"I thought it would be nice to give you something from old Nova." I exhale before I continue, "I know you had a lot of good times there. This is meant to be a reminder of that."

He doesn’t reply. He doesn't even look up from the frame. Instead he lowers himself to the couch, his ass just barely meeting the edge of the cushion. He doesn’t seem to notice that he almost missed it.

I sit too. "If it's too much, I'll understand. Like I said, I had it made last week. A lot has changed since then."

He carefully rests the frame on the coffee table before he turns to face me. "Christ, Cadence. You're incredible. The gift is...it's my heart. You can't know what it means to me."

"You like it?" I scan his face, unsure why I'm even asking. It's obvious that he's touched by the gift. I can hear it in his voice. I can see it in his eyes. He's softened. He looks vulnerable and open.

"I f*cking love it." He fidgets, his knee brushing against mine. "No one has ever given me such a thoughtful gift before."

I smile in spite of myself. I feel the barrier around my heart breaking apart and I try to fight to keep it place. "I know that losing Nova was hard. I want you to be able to remember it in a positive way."

"I'll always remember it in the best possible way." His hands leap to my cup my face. "It's where I met you."

***

If ever there was an example of being saved by the bell, it's happening now, just as Tyler is leaning in to kiss me.

He stops with the first shrill ring of my phone. His left eyebrow pops up in silent query. He's wondering whether I'm going to kiss him or answer the call. I don't keep him in suspense at all. I lean back, away from his touch before I stand and head back to the kitchen to get my phone.

I scan the screen and see the phone number I used to call repeatedly years ago. It's the landline in Magari's office. It's Sergio. It has to be.

I silence the ringer with a push of my thumb as I let the call go to voicemail.

"You're not going to answer that?" Tyler appears in the doorway, the wooden photo frame tucked under his arm. "I can leave if you need privacy."

I need more than privacy to talk to Sergio. I need my nonna to mediate, the way she used to.

"No," I say without thinking. "I'm going to handle that issue later. I have to get to my meeting."

His chest lifts and falls with a heavy breath. "I want to see you again. Can I stop by tonight?"

I pick up my purse and sunglasses from the island. I need time to think about what I'm going to say to him when we do talk. I don't want to forgive and forget because if I do that, he'll think I'm good with what went down at his place last night. He made me feel small and guilty for not telling him about my fractured relationship with my dad.

"Tonight isn't good for me." I pull on the bottom of my ponytail. "Why don't you text me in a few days and if I'm up for it then, I'll meet you for a drink."

He clears his throat, obviously perturbed by my refusal to see him tonight. "I'll do that."

I fold my arms over my chest as I watch him turn and walk away.





CHAPTER 7


"If you're up to it, we want you on air next Thursday morning." Barbara shuffles through the uneven stack of papers on her desk. "That will give you enough time to come up with a dish to cook."

I nod, my gaze still buried in the thick contract she handed to me when I followed her into her office.

I came to the mid-town studio after Tyler left my apartment. When I was digging in my purse for my wallet to pay for cab fare, I saw Tyler's tablet. I'd forgotten about it but once I realized I still had it, I couldn’t focus on anything else. I debated stopping by new Nova to leave it with someone there, but it's too important to just drop into anyone's lap. I need to give it to Tyler and I want to do that soon. I have to. I can't even keep my mind on this contract.

"Do you have a lawyer who can look the contract over within the next couple of days, Chef?"

I smile as I look up at her. She's attractive even though right now she looks like she walked through a windstorm to get here. Her hair is out of place, and the collar of her blouse has flipped over onto itself. I almost smoothed my hand over it when she first greeted me after I found her in one of the editing rooms. An associate producer directed me there, telling me that Barbara wouldn’t want to wait to see me. That assurance had buoyed me enough that I told her I wanted the job without any preamble at all.