Chapter 5
5
H ope hadn’t been to a bar like O’Reilly’s since her college days. Even then, she’d only been once or twice. She preferred tablecloths, soft music, wine glasses with stems. But Nick Borado worked here and she couldn’t deny being curious about meeting the man who’d been on everyone’s guest list from Martha’s Vineyard to Naples. Handsome, daring, bold, with unlimited funds, great clothes, and a carefree attitude. There’d been a lot of speculation about the man’s antics and whether they were all true or manufactured, but the truth emerged in Magdalena, New York, when a video circulated that told the story of the only woman he’d ever loved—Delilah O’Reilly.
Nick and Delilah were married and living in Magdalena. Apparently, some people really did get their happily-ever-after, and from the video she’d watched, these two deserved it. She wanted to meet this couple and if they permitted her to interview them, she’d ask the secret to their happiness and how living in a small town compared to city life. Hope made her way toward the bar and the dark-haired man in jeans and a black T-shirt. When he glanced up, she recognized the face as the one that had graced the cover of tabloids for years.
“Hi there. What can I get for you?”
Handsome and engaging, the man exuded charm and an easy-going style. Hope held out a hand, smiled. “Hope Newland. I’m studying small town bed-and-breakfasts and Magdalena’s on the top of my list as a must-see place.” Her smile spread. “I hear I need to meet you and your wife.”
The casual smile shifted, his expression turned guarded. “And who might have said you should meet us?”
There was no mistaking the coolness in his words or the way he studied her as though he were five breaths away from asking her to leave. “Mimi Pendergrass.”
Mention of the woman’s name made his expression soften, the furrow between his brows disappear. “Something tells me you already know all about me.” The look said he meant past and present.
Hope darted a glance at his left hand, spotted the black ring. “I think we used to travel in the same circles, but I hear, you’ve given up that life.”
A nod, a quiet, “I have. My wife and I run this place. Her father still owns the bar and makes the occasional appearance to fry a burger and provide instructions on kitchen equipment maintenance and how to create the perfect marinade.”
“Is your wife here? I’d love to meet her.” Yes, she wanted to talk to the woman who’d stolen Nick Borado’s heart.
The man who’d once been dubbed New York’s most “unattainable” bachelor, eyed her, his voice smothered with devotion and love. “That’s up to Delilah. If she agrees, we’ll chat. If not, we won’t.”
“Fair enough.” She glanced behind her toward the tables and booths. “I’d like something to eat. Do you mind if I find a booth?”
“Sure, what would you like to drink?” He must have spotted her hesitation because he smiled and added, “We’ve got some very good Chardonnays and the Pinot is quite acceptable. Delilah had her friends sample them and select their favorites.”
“I’ll try the Chardonnay.”
“Have a seat and check out the menu. You’ll see it at the table. Not sure what Mimi told you, but we serve a lot more than burgers and fries.”
“Okay then.” Hope made her way to the booth, slid into it, and eased open the menu. O’Reilly’s certainly did serve more than burgers and fries: chicken avocado sliders, roasted red pepper hummus, and portobello wraps. Wow, she had not expected that. Of course, there were the usual bar food options: burgers, fries, chicken wings with every heat level. She hadn’t tasted a chicken wing for so long and oh, how she’d loved the extra hot ones! Hope studied the various heat levels, thought about trying the super hot ones. Maybe next time… Today, she’d sample the chicken avocado sliders and roasted red pepper hummus. Were these choices add-ons from Nick and Delilah, or had Delilah’s father always been interested in healthier options?
“Well?” Nick Borado placed a glass of wine in front of her, grabbed a pad from his back jeans pocket. “Let me guess.” A smile slid across his handsome face. “You want a half dozen extra hot wings with a side of ranch and roasted red pepper hummus.” The smile spread, his voice filled with humor. “They pair very well with Chardonnay.”
Hope laughed. “You’ve got the second part right. I’ll take the roasted red pepper hummus and the chicken avocado sliders.” She closed the menu, returned it to its holder. “Maybe I’ll try the wings next time.”
He tapped his pen against his order pad. “Is that a brushoff or are you serious about trying the wings? You see, I take you for a hot wing kind of girl, but maybe only in private.” His gaze slid from her pearl earrings to the matching pearl necklace. “Take out and only if you’re eating alone.”
Oh, but he’d pegged her exactly right. She tried to hide a smile, failed. “Are you saying I’m too highbrow to enjoy a good wing? Or do you think I only eat boneless wings and then use utensils?”
The full-on laugh said he found her amusing. “I was just toying with you, but now I’m wondering if you aren’t a hot wing girl.”
“I love them, the hotter the better, but my friends don’t understand the obsession.” The first time Kent watched her tear into a chicken wing slathered with ranch dressing, he insisted she would get indigestion, and long-term use could give her an ulcer. You’re going to be sick , he’d said. If the dark meat doesn’t get you, the heat will. Don’t do it. You’ll regret it. On and on he’d continued until Hope ordered a dozen of the hottest wings on the menu. When they arrived, she offered him three, which he proceeded to eat with rapid-fire speed, oblivious to the heat or its consequences. Of course, she knew he’d end up in the bathroom, but sometimes people just had to learn a lesson on their own.
“Everyone has an opinion, even those who shouldn’t.” The shrug and the sigh said he’d had his share of people trying to tell him what to do. “How about half a dozen hot wings and the roasted red pepper hummus? You can try the chicken avocado sliders next time.”
“Umm…sure.” Why not? Kent wasn’t here…her friends weren’t here…and Nick Borado, the super cool heir to a clothing empire wanted her to try the wings. Why the heck not?
Nick returned a few minutes later, pointed to her wine glass. “So, what do you think?”
“It’s very good. I’m…”
The lip twitch pulled into a full-on smile. “Let me guess. You’re surprised? Shocked? Baffled?”
No sense pretending. “All of the above?”
The laugh made his eyes sparkle and she could picture him attracting attention—with or without the Borado name. He seemed approachable, kind, and friendly. Maybe now was the time to ask if she could interview him and Delilah regarding their decision to move to Magdalena. “Nick, I’m spending a month here getting to know the town, and the people. I work for a major hotel chain and we usually build or renovate hotels in major cities and suburbs, but we’re interested in getting into the bed-and-breakfast arena in small communities. My job is to figure out what brings people here, what makes them come back, even what makes them stay.”
The smile faded, the dark gaze turned darker. “I see.”
“I don’t work for a tabloid and I’m not here to get a story about you or your wife.” The look he gave her said “not buying it”. “I can show you my credentials if you like.”
“Credentials can be manufactured and people can say anything to make it sound like the truth.” He crossed his arms over his chest, the left side of his jaw twitching. “Why are you really here?”
Talk about suspicious. “I’m here to learn about the Heart Sent and find out why someone like you would move here. I also understand others have done it, and that makes me very curious. What’s the missing piece here?” Sure, the town appeared quaint, at least what she’d seen so far. And she guessed once this place accepted a person, they’d do anything for them. But to move here? Why?
The dark look said “not happy”. “Mimi knows we like our privacy. I can’t imagine she’d send you here.”
Hope wasn’t used to having her integrity questioned, and she didn’t like it. “Maybe she trusts me to respect your privacy.”
The jaw twitching started up again and then “You don’t mind if I check with Mimi, do you? Just so we’re on the same page. I’ve lived a lot of years avoiding people who aren’t who they say they are.”
Wow, talk about protective. “Of course, please call Mimi.” Hope was telling the truth, and once Mimi vouched for her, maybe he’d open up and introduce his wife. He gave her one last cold stare before he turned and headed toward the kitchen. Hope sipped her wine, waited for him to return. She hadn’t taken three sips of wine before the kitchen door opened and a dark-haired woman appeared, followed by Nick Borado carrying a tray of food. The woman was beautiful, stunning—Hope’s gaze slid to her belly—pregnant.
When the woman reached Hope, she smiled, extended a hand. “I’m Delilah Borado. I understand you’d like to chat with us.”
Her husband appeared behind her, his features more relaxed than they’d been a short time ago. He set the tray on the table, removed the plate of wings and hummus. “Here you go. There’s extra hot sauce on the side.” His voice turned apologetic. “Sorry for the confusion earlier. Mimi vouched for you, so if she says you’re good, that’s all I need. The late afternoon rush won’t start for another hour, so if you want to chat now, that would work.” He placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Plus, it will give Delilah a chance to get off her feet.”
The woman’s eyeroll said her husband was much too protective, but the smile said she appreciated it. “Yes, sir. We’ll sit down and chat and you can keep an eye on the kitchen.”
“Can I get you something to drink?” Nick Borado’s voice dipped. “Fix you a chicken slider?”
Laughter spilled from her full lips as she shook her head. “I had lunch and I’ve already snacked, so no thank you. I would like a glass of water if you don’t mind.” Delilah slid into the booth across from Hope, gestured to the food. “Please, eat. Nick’s waiting to see if you can stand the heat. My guess is you’ll do just fine.” She placed her hands on the table, leaned forward, and lowered her voice. “He’s become super protective since we’ve found out about the baby. Super protective.”
Who would have thought Nicholas Borado would find a wife, work in a bar, and look so darn happy about all of it—including the baby?