Chapter 39
CHAPTER
THIRTY-NINE
Pierre was headed back home.
Dean breathed a sigh of relief as he prepared Pierre for the short trip over to Kyle and Madison’s.
When Kyle’s text had come through this morning, he’d released a wild cry that had nearly made Jacqueline jump out of her skin before shouting, “They’re back together!
Madison misses Pierre and wants him returned pronto. ”
Sure, he would miss the little guy, but the fissure between Kyle and Madison had affected the poor parrot as much as the rest of them. He couldn’t rush Pierre over to their house fast enough.
“Mon ami,” he told Pierre, fitting him with a navy wool cape he’d bought him for winter. “The lovebirds are back together, a phrase your people inspired. The Michelin gods are coming down from Mount Olympus to Nanine’s. All is right in the world.”
“Merci le bon Dieu,” Pierre agreed with a squawk.
Dean fashioned the matching beret on Pierre’s head and stepped back to survey his outfit. “Très chic, Pierre.”
“Bien s?r,” the parrot smartly replied, making him laugh.
“If my father could see the outfits you have created for Pierre,” Jacqueline commented, leaning her head against his shoulder, “I am not sure whether he would find it appealing or gauche.”
Dean knew when to walk a tightrope. Pierre had cooked beside Jacqueline’s father for many years before he passed away. “All that matters, my love, is that Pierre likes them. Right, mon ami?”
“Oui,” he agreed, bobbing his head enthusiastically.
“You’d better grab your coat,” he told her with a soft kiss. “I told everyone to meet in front of their house in ten minutes.”
She cocked her brow. “Dean…what did you do?”
He flashed his most charming smile.
Everyone was coming. Even Thea, whom he’d already confirmed had sold out early again, a record going on every day since her opening.
“I called for a special family brunch.”
“We do not do brunch in Paris,” she told him, continuing her level stare.
“Oh, come on, Jacs. We need to celebrate!” He gently placed Pierre in his cage and covered him with the cloth.
“These are our friends. They’re back together.
Forever. No one is leaving Paris. The restaurant drama is over.
I can’t wait until Sunday dinner tomorrow to see everyone.
Neither can anyone else, because they all enthusiastically accepted the brunch invite I sent this morning after Kyle’s text. ”
She only shook her head as she laughed in that sexy way of hers. “And who is hosting?”
Her tone suggested she was onto him, but then again, that’s what made them destined for eternity. “Well, we’re having it at Kyle and Madison’s house, but I suggested everyone bring something.”
“And what are we bringing?”
“A fruit tray.” He wasn’t telling her about the item he’d been saving in the gift bag sitting next to Pierre’s cage. “I’m popping into the store on the way.”
“You’re the fruit,” she told him with another soft kiss, “but an adorable one.”
“Does this mean you’ve reconsidered using the leprechauns for our opening?” he asked with a forced gasp, because he knew the Lady Jacs would never stand beside a supernatural being dressed in a green suit while offering serious professional assessments of the wine and liquors.
She kissed him sweetly. “Keep dreaming, chéri.”
That was him. The dreamer. He’d come to Paris looking for his next big thing, and he’d found more than he’d bargained for in the love of his life and his parrot-friend Pierre, along with a new business that was going to set the beverage world on fire.
When they reached Kyle and Madison’s, he winced, seeing they were the last to arrive.
No matter how he planned it, they were always late.
Jean Luc had his arms wrapped around Thea while Axel towered over Brooke, looking very much like a Viking.
Sawyer and Phoebe were holding hands, talking animatedly, probably about some dead dude.
Brooke pointedly lifted her wrist, drumming her watch face like it was a Bongo set. “You’re late. Like usual. And after asking us to wait outside for you. I don’t usually mind, but it’s cold, and we’re freezing our butts off out here.”
The day did have a bite, even for March. Spring buds were popping up all over the tree branches, and here and there, he’d seen a few daffodils, but otherwise, summer still felt a long way away. “Sorry, guys. I do try, you know.”
“There is no try,” Phoebe told him with a dramatic roll of her eyes, “there is only do and do not.”
“Shakespeare?” he shot back. “Let’s go inside, shall we?”
“First, you should know, Kyle and Madison did not invite anyone for brunch,” Jacqueline told them. “Dean couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see them.”
Brooke swatted him. “I knew it! I told Axel there was no way they’d want company after the week they’d had.”
“I didn’t want to wait to see them either,” Thea confessed, the little sweetheart. “I was planning on dropping by the restaurant with my breads earlier than usual today.”
“The only fair thing to do is let them decide on whether they want to let us in,” Sawyer announced in his philosophical way.
“Good idea!” Brooke agreed, taking Dean’s arm and lifting his hand to the call box even though they knew the code. “You ring them.”
Yeah, he’d kind of expected that. Smiling brightly, he pushed the button and waited, hoping Kyle would answer. Madison was trickier, and he feared her cleaver—both the industrial one and the stuffed one he’d given her.
“Yes?” Madison answered.
Great, just his luck. “Hey, it’s Dean. Did you guys change the code?”
The others simply gave him a look. He flashed a bigger smile.
“No. I’m buzzing you in.”
He mimed wiping his brow. “Terrific. See you in a sec.”
Turning to the others, he opened the door and gestured for them to precede him.
Brooke punched him lightly in the shoulder. “You were supposed to ask her about brunch.”
“Oops,” he said with a shrug.
“Dean, I swear, if I didn’t love you.” Brooke hit the button again.
“Dean!” Madison called out. “I punched the button. Open the damn door.”
“Madison, it’s Brooke. Dean had one of his brilliant ideas and invited everyone here for a potluck brunch.”
“I wanted us to celebrate your news!” he cried out, edging in next to Brooke.
“He did what?” Kyle’s voice hummed indistinctly in the background, and then Madison sighed. “Fine. Kyle says you might as well come in.”
The door buzzed again. They all filed down the walkway toward the house. Kyle was standing at the door with Spike wiggling excitedly in his arms. He looked years younger than he had the day before.
“So you pulled a fast one, Dean?” he called out as Spike let out excited puppy barks. “Madison is grabbing her cleaver as we speak.”
His balls shriveled just a little. He knew she’d never maim him, but she got a scary gleam in her eyes when she threatened him that never failed to freak him out.
“Come on! I thought we all needed to be together this morning and celebrate. A text wasn’t enough.
Besides, Thea was off this morning after another sell-out at the bakery.
I decided to capitalize on us all being free.
We haven’t hung out enough recently, and with you guys being back together, today seemed like a great time. ”
“He couldn’t wait for Sunday dinner,” Brooke informed him, taking charge and stepping toward the front door like she was leading their troops. “We’re glad you’re both all right.”
When Kyle leaned down and kissed both her cheeks, keeping Spike tightly against his chest, Dean caught the roll of emotion on his friend’s face.
He and Madison had been through the wringer all right.
Yeah, he still wished love could be all champagne and bonbons, but sometimes you had to hold on tightly to the one you loved and ride out the storm.
He took Lady Jacs’ hand and stepped up after his friends as they hugged Kyle and had their moment with him.
Everyone seemed still seemed a little raw, which was something he understood all too well. He’d gone on a long walk after the meeting yesterday, kicking random stones on the old path along the Seine, not knowing what to do to help.
Thank God that was over now.
When he reached Kyle, he gripped his shoulder, for once not knowing what to say.
In the past, he’d been a little jealous of how perfect Golden Boy and his life always seemed.
But over the last few months, he’d seen new sides of his friend and realized his upbringing hadn’t been as charmed as he’d once thought.
He’d come to realize they weren’t very different—only Kyle still had better hair, damn him.
“Yeah, I know,” Kyle finally said, taking Pierre from him and handing him Spike. “Here, play with the puppy. And Dean… I’m glad you called our family together.”
He was smiling as Spike started licking his face.
When he arrived in the kitchen, everyone was hugging Madison.
From the red flush on her face, she looked pretty riled up.
Kyle brought Pierre over to her, and Dean had to smile as she and the little dude greeted each other like long-lost friends, Pierre purring for all he was worth as she stroked his creamy white feathers.
He had to look away for a second because dammit, he’d been devasted to think about her and Pierre being torn apart. Then there’d been the worry that Madison would leave and not stay in touch. They hadn’t all kept in touch after leaving Paris the first time, which had always been one of his regrets.
After putting his gift bag down, he charged into the mêlée and found the courage to wrap Madison up in a rare hug, Spike doing his best to butt his head against both of them and share more of his puppy love.
For once, she let him linger. Then he felt a little pinch on his back and playfully staggered back with an exaggerated Ouch, causing Spike to bark loudly and Pierre to give a shriek.
“Don’t make me grab my cleaver, Dean,” Madison only warned, although her mouth was fighting a smile.