Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
“You’ve been in town for twenty-four hours and you’re already ruining everything.” Jaylyn threw her arms in the air, a move that accidentally flagged the sommelier. She didn’t miss a beat, sitting back in her chair so that the man could refill her wine glass.
After he’d gone, Dante replied to his sister. “I’m not ruining anything. I simply said I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying in town.”
“They’re getting married.” Jaylyn gestured to Reagan and Brody who were sitting to her right.
“When?” He glanced at Reagan who shrugged. Brody was smirking. “I can’t stay indefinitely, J, I have a—”
“The foundation. I know, I know.” Jaylyn rolled her eyes as she took a hearty sip of red wine.
“Reagan, say the word. I’m on the next flight here to attend your wedding.” Brody’s fiancée chuckled when he added, “Whenever it is.”
“You bet your ass you will,” Brody said before he finished off his last bite of steak. “You’re the best man.”
“We will give you ample warning,” Reagan patted her pregnant belly. “We’re the ones doing everything backwards.”
“Yeah, we weren’t even dating when we moved in together,” Brody shared with a crooked smile.
“Whatever works,” Dante said. He was happy for them. It was rare to find someone to love. Rarer to re-find them. His mind delivered up an image of Honesty and he shoved it away.
“At first I thought J was referring to the photos from the Four Seasons event,” Chloe said. “The ones with you and the Cinderella with both shoes.”
Dante nearly choked on his food. He reached for his water, which unfortunately gave her time to say more.
“But that wouldn’t make sense because those photos haven’t ruined anything. Isa said Eli was excited about the extra press. She called you a genius.” Eli’s wife, Isa, and Chloe worked together, which meant she’d heard it from the source.
“All press is good press,” he said generically.
“What are you two talking about?” Jaylyn reached for her phone that was facedown on the table. She tapped the screen while asking, “What woman?”
“Cinderella,” Zander answered, joining the conversation.
“The article mentioned ‘a nutrition specialist for elite Chicagoans,’” Chloe told J.
“Honesty?” Jaylyn aimed that question and her phone at Dante. “Your Cinderella is your college girlfriend, Honesty?”
“Once again I misunderstood and thought J was saying honestly,” Reagan said to Brody as she scooped up a bite of twice-baked potato. “I’ll get it right someday.”
“That was a one-time thing. There will be no need to get it right,” Dante said with a tight smile. Whatever the press wanted to speculate about was fine by him as long as it drew attention to the charity, but he’d take a pass on answering to his siblings.
“I thought she hated you.” Brody reached for a slice of bread.
Dante set down his fork and knife and then wiped his mouth with the napkin from his lap. Evidently he’d have to address the photos his assistant had alerted him of this morning.
“Honesty was giving the keynote about her brother who had worked with Refurbs for Vets before he passed away last year. She is starting a non-profit for military men and women in his honor. I introduced her around.” He picked up his utensils and sliced into his remaining steak. “You’re all worse than the press.”
“Her brother passed away?” Brody shook his head.
“How sad. I’m so sorry for her.” That was Jaylyn, taking a brief respite from giving Dante shit.
“It is sad. They were close.” Dante inhaled deeply before shoving his plate aside. He’d hated that wounded look in Honesty’s eyes when she’d talked about him last night. He’d have done anything to shoulder some of her pain, but that wasn’t his place. Not anymore. “Is anyone having dessert?”
Every pair of eyes at the table was locked on him, their faces broadcasting a mix of apology and curiosity.
“How’d it go with her?” Reagan, ignoring his question, asked. “Was she friendly?”
“Were you?” Zander quipped.
“We’re both adults. It was cordial. It was…fine.”
“You forget the convo last year at Brody’s birthday party where we all divulged our virginity secrets, Dante. We know yours.” Jaylyn circled her fork in his direction like she was casting a spell on him. He wouldn’t say no to an amnesia one.
“‘Cordial’ and ‘fine,’” Zander said, quoting Dante. “I believe that says it all.”
“It was nice of you to introduce her around,” Reagan said. She was the newest almost-addition to the Cranes, so she was more amenable than the others.
“Have I told you that you are my favorite person at this table?” he asked her.
She sat straighter. “Yay! What do I win? Dessert?”
Brody didn’t let him off the hook as easily. “Sure there’s nothing between you two?”
“A pleasant evening with an old friend. Nothing else.” After the way things had ended between them, a pleasant evening was as much as he’d dared to hope for. “And yes, Reagan, you win dessert.”
“What about me?” Jaylyn piped up.
“And me?” Chloe asked.
“Dessert for everyone. I’ll take the check.”
“Do drinks count as dessert?” Brody hoisted one eyebrow.
“Only if we have them in the cigar lounge,” Zander said.
“Go, go.” Chloe shooed Zander away.
Reagan accepted a kiss from Brody.
“Whatever you like, ladies. It’s on me.” Dante pushed in his chair and then followed his brothers across the restaurant toward the open-air lounge. It was outfitted with heaters for the cool night.
Dante opted for a scotch, but skipped the cigar. He turned his attention from the surrounding tall downtown buildings to Zander. “When are you and Chloe getting married?”
“After he does.” Zander pointed to Brody. “Chloe has never been married. She wants a big wedding. So, a big wedding she shall have.”
“Really? She has played that way down,” Brody said.
“Chloe needs convincing to take what she wants. What she deserves. I’m good at spoiling her.” Zander offered the knowing smile of a man in love.
Love. That word caused a ripple of discomfort in Dante. He didn’t like to think about love or lost love. He preferred to focus on what he was good at, which was work, though it hadn’t started that way.
It’d been curiosity that had him applying for Northwestern.
He’d wanted to know if he had what it took to be accepted.
Plus, he’d been tired of bouncing around the globe.
Of taking remote classes for high school.
Their father had brought Dante and Jaylyn with him to Chicago for three weeks one summer, and Dante had been determined to stay put.
Jaylyn still hadn’t forgiven Dante for staying behind when O packed up and left again with her in tow.
Dante realized now that what he’d been chasing was stability. Meaning.
He’d found both at Northwestern. He’d also found love. It had blindsided him. Honesty had loved him so much, Dante had developed a deeper love for himself. With her, he had been less guarded, more open. With her, there’d been no obligation. No expectation. He’d been able to just…be.
He’d never experienced anything like it until her.
“How long are you in town, brother?” Brody took the cigar out of his mouth to ask.
“Two weeks. Or until you’ve all driven me insane.”
“Heading out tomorrow, then?” Zander grinned. “Jaylyn means well. She has been up our asses to have dinner at every possible occasion.”
“J needs a job.” Dante grunted to himself. She spent her time creating, but wasn’t one for commerce. A family trait that must have skipped over the lone Crane daughter.
“She made us wear matching pajamas for Christmas photos last year,” Brody groused.
“How’d the event last night really go?” Zander asked, changing the subject.
Brody leaned forward, clearly interested.
Rather than be glib, Dante told the truth. “She was easy to compliment. Hard to make small talk with. And it was an honor to support her charitable mission.”
“Were you trying to make up for something?” Brody asked.
“I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t part of it,” Dante admitted. “I don’t know if I ever told you this, but back then I asked her to move with me to LA.”
“You definitely never told me that.” Brody’s mustache twitched.
“So, she broke up with you instead?” Zander asked.
“It was mutual.” Dante hadn’t known how to handle what had been swirling around him at the time.
His grandfather’s passing, his mother’s grief, or being named CEO of a foundation when he hadn’t the faintest clue how to run one.
“Her family is here. She’s always been a Chicago girl. LA is not Chicago.”
“You were young. Figuring life out.” Zander set his cigar aside and reached for his scotch.
“Yeah,” Dante said, but at the time he’d worried he was more like his father than he would have liked to admit.
That he’d started something only to not finish it.
He’d turned tail and run in the middle rather than seeing it through to the end.
The realization had cemented his commitment to the Moretti Foundation.
That, and his mother reminding him that there was “no one better equipped for the job.”
“Eli didn’t tell you she’d be speaking at the event last night?” Brody asked.
“Why would he? He didn’t know we dated.” And Dante hadn’t asked for an itinerary.
He’d been to enough dinners to know the basic structure.
Plus, he had his own five rules to lean on.
“I found out that her brother died when she announced it into a microphone to three hundred people.” He scratched his cheek.
“If I’d have known I could have… I don’t know. ”
“Grief is a solo sport,” Zander said with a tight nod. If anyone knew, he did.
“Keeping in touch usually doesn’t work out for the best,” Brody offered. “It’s easier if you have a clean break.”
“And easier when your ex doesn’t work on the same soap opera as your mom?” Dante teased him.
“Yeah,” Brody said through a laugh. “Much easier. Where are you staying while you’re in town?”
“Crane Hotel.”
“Nicest place in town,” Zander said. “At least that’s what Reese says.”
Their cousin was CEO of Crane Hotels. Dante expected nothing less than a promise of “perfect” regarding the modern glass shrine overlooking the city.
Dante slugged back the rest of his scotch. “I should get going.”
“It’s only nine-thirty. Some vacation guy you are.” Brody put the cigar in his mouth, looking like he had nowhere to be. Hell, he was an author who set his own hours. He probably didn’t have anywhere to be.
“Let him go. He’s had a big first day back.” Zander crossed his leg ankle-to-knee. “Tell Honesty we said hello.”
“It’s not like that,” Dante said. “Goodnight.”
But as he turned to leave the restaurant, he ran through a long list of reasons he’d like to see her again.
Professionally, of course.