Focus, Blake.

Proper. The marketing strategy. I spend the following thirty minutes studying over it intimately, and I’m impressed. Lucy doesn’t know all the precise enterprise lingo essentially, however her concepts are contemporary and actually good. Once I attain the tip, I have a look at her once more.

“Properly?” she asks.

“It’s bought actually good potential.”

She frowns. “You assume it’s horrible.”

“No, I don’t.” I chuckle and transfer a strand of her hair behind her ear. “It was a praise.”

“I’d hate to listen to your critique then,” Lucy teases. She pokes me within the aspect. “However I wish to make it higher. So hit me together with your concepts.”

We spend the following hour or so brainstorming methods to enhance her plan—issues like streamlining the menu to save cash, ordering provides on a weekly foundation as a substitute of month-to-month, utilizing her employees a bit in a different way, making use of social media to advertise and market, and updating the Robin’s web site to simply accept on-line to-go orders.

By the tip, she’s dealing with me cross-legged on the sofa, bouncing up and down. “Thanks, thanks! These are actually nice concepts, and all issues I’m positive Winona will go for.” Then she stills. “It’s no surprise you bought Dale to present you cash in your restaurant.”

Then that look comes over her once more—the one that claims she’s deep in thought.

I set the laptop computer on the espresso desk and switch to face her, putting my proper arm alongside the again of the sofa, my hand simply inside attain of Lucy. I play along with her earlobe. “Okay, what’s up? You’ve gone quiet.”

“Can’t a lady be quiet and mysterious now and again?” She smiles, but it surely doesn’t attain her eyes.

“Sunshine.”

“I’m sorry.” Her smile wobbles. “It’s simply…I assume I don’t like serious about your restaurant, as a result of it’s going to take you away from me. But additionally, it’s your dream, proper? So I needs to be completely satisfied for you. And I’m. However…” She bites her lip, and I wish to kiss away her fear. “I imply, I see how completely satisfied you might be cooking in your meals truck. And I do know I gave you a tough time about being right here at first, however you’ve match proper in.”

“It shocked me too. I solely got here right here at first to take time away to work and create extra recipes. And since Mare is right here, and I wished to make issues proper along with her.”

“Which you’ve carried out.”

“Fortunately she’s a really forgiving individual.” I’m quiet for a bit, considering. “However Hallmark Seashore was solely ever alleged to be a cease alongside the best way.”

Her breath shudders in. Out. “I do know that. However are you able to inform me…” Then she shakes her head. “By no means thoughts. I don’t wish to convey us down.”

“You by no means might try this, Sunshine.” I lean in and kiss her gentle on the mouth. “I wish to know all the things you’re considering and feeling. Even when it’s unhappy. That’s a part of you, and meaning it’s one thing I wish to know.”

“You’re form of unreal, you realize that, Blake?”

“Proper again at you.”

“Okay, so what’s it about opening your personal restaurant that satisfies the dream you could have in your life in a manner that your meals truck enterprise doesn’t? Is it simply the status that can go along with it? The accolades? The success?”

The questions squeeze my lungs. They’re so deep. And penetrating.

And but, so easy.

Then she follows them up with the final word intestine punch. “After what you advised me about New York, what your dad mentioned…I assume I’m questioning if the restaurant is absolutely your dream—or his.”

Oh, wow. Okay.

“It’s difficult.” I play with a free strand of her hair. It’s velvety and superb between my thumb and forefinger and soothes my frayed nerves. “For thus lengthy, it’s all I considered. The singular aim I deliberate my life round. Particularly after my dad and mom died. I’ve by no means even thought-about one other path. Not till…”

You.

Her fingers discover my knee and rub circles into the material of my pants. Ugh. If solely we had extra time collectively. Extra time to determine this out. Extra time to un-complicate the difficult…

“I do know that cooking makes you content. I see it everytime you’re in the midst of grilling up one thing or considering of a brand new recipe. You’re lighter, you realize? Like Mare when she’s baking. But it surely additionally sounds just like the restaurant enterprise is a tough one. You mentioned you barely had time for relationships, and also you weren’t even working your personal restaurant then. So whenever you return to L.A., effectively…the place does that depart us?”

Supply: www.seynovel.com