Chapter 25
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
Madison was late.
Where was she?
The puppy twitched in his arms, his brown eyes popping open. He was off Kyle’s lap the moment the front door opened. Kyle followed. Madison’s face looked haggard as she sent him a strained smile before petting an excited Spike pawing at her feet.
“Sorry. I got caught up. Let me put Pierre to bed.”
“I’ll take him if you’d like,” he said, kissing her softly even though all he wanted to do was pull her to his chest and soothe them both.
“Thanks.” She held out the cage before bending down and letting Spike pepper her face with kisses. “Yeah, I know you missed me.”
When he returned, she was hugging the dog to her chest with her eyes closed. Sadness colored her face despite the pure show of love. He was going to change that look. He had to. This was not their life together.
He wrapped his arms around her and the puppy, holding them in the silence as more love than he’d ever known he was capable of filled his heart. God, she’d been spot-on about Operation Kyle. He hadn’t even known what he was missing; she’d known.
Now he needed to do his part for Operation Madison. Her goal had been a Michelin star. He had to find a way to get it for her.
“I have great news,” he began, drawing out the sentence.
“Yours would be the first I’ve heard today,” she muttered.
As he’d thought. “Would you be happy to hear that three of your favorite Latin singers are coming to Nanine’s next week when our upstairs VIP suites open?”
She drew back, her eyes wide with anything but sadness now. “You’re kidding!”
“Nope.”
He’d decided she needed someone she admired to be one of their VIP guests.
She needed something to charge her fire up.
So he’d reached out to their agents and asked if they wanted the most coveted restaurant reservation in the world.
He didn’t care that Rico and Chef Marcel were downers about him changing Dassault’s influence.
There were so enmeshed in the system they couldn’t see a way out of the maze.
He planned to. Even if that meant hacking his way out with Madison’s cleaver.
When he named the singers, her mouth transformed into a grin. She shook him, making Spike start wildly barking. “You’re absolutely incredible! Did you know that?”
“Thank you.” He kissed her softly. “That put some color in your face. Brooke is working a few more angles. Phoebe has the Big Apple’s top food critic coming.”
“What?”
“Dean spilled the beans, but the result is positive. We’re talking Thomas Malba.”
“Big fish.” She blew out a heavy breath. “And I thought William Silver was my critic for the century.”
“I’ve also finally hired a first-rate publicist as of today and made a competitive offer to a new social media manager for PRG. You might kill me for having him film you and your staff in the kitchen and the front of the house, but he’s going to tell the public a great story about Nanine’s.”
“Good thing I have my new hairdo,” she said with an eye roll.
“We’re also going to have a celebrity guestbook online. Mad, we are going to be so in-your-face, the Michelin people won’t be able to hold their heads up if they don’t show up at Nanine’s and give us a star.”
She traced the hard line of his jaw. “And if it doesn’t work? Kyle, you can’t shame these people. Today I realized they’re not so different than gang leaders back in my old neighborhood.”
Rico had mostly said the same, but he wasn’t giving up. “You let me take care of that.” He kissed her softly. “Now, how about some ice cream and you and me time? Or do you want to go dancing for a little while?”
“Our Dirty Dancing Club might be too much for me tonight.” She patted Spike on the head, biting her lip. “Kyle…”
He knew that tone. “What?”
“Nanine found out from Chef Louis Champion,” she said softly. “We talked. I need to tell you some things.”
By the time she was finishing telling him just how deep the vendetta went, he was sick to his stomach. “Poor Nanine—I want to feel bad for Adrienne too, but she made destructive choices as an adult. There’s no excuse for that.”
Her mouth tightened. “No, there isn’t—but I have a better understanding of what we’re facing.”
There was obviously more to her and Nanine’s conversation, things she didn’t want to tell him right now.
His pulse started to race. He told himself not to take this personally, but his emotions were flying faster than baseballs in a batting cage.
“You’ve both given up. You don’t believe I can win this. ”
She searched his face, her worry tearing him apart. “I want to, but I’m worried about you. You’re working yourself into the ground. I don’t want you to be crushed if you can’t change the outcome.”
Of course they’d be concerned for him, even as Madison’s dream hung in the balance. He told himself that was all right. When you loved someone, of course you’d feel that way. Relieved, he tapped her chin. “You let me handle myself. Should I talk to her?”
Shrugging, she winced when Spike gave a high-pitched bark. “Not unless you want to. She’s upset. That isn’t going to change.”
No, the only way that would change was for him to prove his plan would work. Nanine’s would win its star.
The announcement would be made in a little over three weeks. Spending time discussing the situation wasn’t productive. Neither was dredging up unpleasant emotions, especially with Nanine’s heart condition.
Madison rolled her shoulders. “Hey! Why don’t you settle this little guy down while I shower?”
He kissed her, realizing he could smell a thread of onions. So she’d stayed and chopped. Well, she had her coping mechanisms. So did he. “I’ll grab the ice cream on my way up.”
“Good.” She kissed him again hard on the mouth. “Don’t be long.”
Right. Because she would miss him. He watched as she walked up the steps through their Romance Shrine, something he’d continued to refresh for them.
Even though he had to keep telling Spike to stay away from the candles.
Even when his spirits were flagging and he was exhausted by the events of the day.
Because she was worth it.
They were worth it.