Recipe for Love (7 page)

Just when Richard thought Maddy could not amaze him further, she invited his mother and his sister to his restaurant to celebrate one particularly good review he’d gotten. His relationship with his mother had always been complex, but Maddy asked him to put that aside long enough to enjoy a meal with her. She asked him to put the past behind him for the sake of his sister. It wasn’t until he and his family sat, laughing over old stories long after the restaurant closed, that Richard saw Maddy’s a true genius.

She loved completely, unconditionally, and with an almost childlike belief that if a person gave love a chance, it would always prevail. When Richard was with her, his own natural pessimism fell away. He wanted—no, needed—to see the world through her eyes.

Only one thing weighed on him. In all the months that Maddy had lived with him, she hadn’t spoken of her family. In fact, it was the only topic that was off limits with them. He’d been beside her when they’d called and heard her come up with excuse after excuse why she was too busy to talk to them. He didn’t like to eavesdrop on her conversations, but he’d done so accidentally one or twice and what he’d heard concerned him. She didn’t want to go home for a visit. She didn’t want her family to visit her.

Richard had gone out and bought an engagement ring for Maddy. It was a single, brilliant solitaire that reminded him of her brilliant smile. He carried it with him, more than ready to propose.

But he held back.

He knew there was something he needed to do first.

***

Maddy stood beside Alyson’s car and gave Richard’s sister a kiss on either cheek. She gathered her bags from the trunk of her car and smiled with satisfaction. They’d spent the day, as they had many times before, hunting down vintage clothing to sell in Alyson’s store. The two had laughed their way through trying on many of the outfits and, as usual, Maddy had found a few pieces for herself. She and Alyson had an easy friendship that sometimes made her miss her mother, but she would push those feelings aside—determined to live in and enjoy only the present.

Not a big problem, since the present was pretty damn amazing.

Alyson leaned back against the passenger side of her car. “So, Maman is coming this weekend. She wants to know if you’d like to meet her newest boyfriend.”

Maddy wrinkled her nose. “Didn’t we already meet him? He took us on his yacht in the Riviera? Remember, he had that onboard chef who argued with Richard about how long a soufflé should bake?”

Kicking a rock delicately aside, Alyson said, “That one? He’s long gone. This one owns very expensive racehorses. I told her I’d go if you did.”

Well, that cements it.
“If you want me there, Alyson, I’m in. I can’t promise not to accidentally call him the wrong name, but I’ll try to keep up.”

“Richard will come if you do. Thank you for that.”

Maddy smiled. “It’s wonderful to see all of you together—regardless of who your mother brings along.”

“Family is important,
non?
” Alyson asked. “I look forward to seeing yours again when they come. Will they spend the holidays here again? Or will you go home this time?”

Maddy shrugged and adjusted the weight of her bags in her hands. “Well, these are heavy, so I’m going to head in. I’ll have Richard call you about this weekend.”

Alyson looked like she wanted to say more but didn’t. She nodded and waved good-bye. Maddy didn’t want to talk about family—not hers, anyway.

Gino rushed forward as if appearing from out of thin air and took the bags from Maddy’s hands. He studied her face for a moment, then said, “You look tired, Maddy. Are you unwell? Would you like me to run to the pharmacy for you?”

Maddy sighed. “Gino, you don’t have to carry my bags, and if I’m sick I’ll take care of myself. Don’t hover over me. You’re driving me crazy.”
And you’re a constant reminder of what I’m trying to forget.

Gino’s expression tightened. “I told your father I would take care of you. I may not have been able to hold you to your promises to him, but I will keep you safe.”

“I’m old enough to decide for myself where I will live and who I will live with, Gino,” Maddy stormed.

“Which is why Richard’s legs are not broken,” Gino said blandly. “Still, I don’t like that you haven’t been honest with your parents. I am loyal to you, Maddy, but you put me in an uncomfortable position by forcing me to also lie. When are you going to tell your family the truth?”

Feeling cornered, Maddy snarled, “They don’t deserve the truth. I’ll be honest with them when I see them being honest with each other. Don’t talk to me about this again, Gino.”

Gino’s eyebrows rose, but he nodded with offended deference.

Maddy instantly felt awful for snapping at someone who had spent so many years caring for her. “I’m sorry, Gino. Maybe I don’t feel well today. I have a headache and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“Should I call Richard? You shouldn’t be alone if you’re ill.”

“It’s nothing, Gino. Probably too much wine with lunch. I’ll have something to eat, then go lie down.”

Gino walked her into the house, did his normal sweep to make sure the house was secure, then said he would be nearby if she needed him. Maddy was tempted to tell him once more that he didn’t need to worry about her, but it would be like telling the wind not to blow. Gino was the type who would probably stay with her even if her parents never paid him a dollar more for his service. He didn’t deserve her impatience.

I’m sorry, Gino.

Maddy stepped out of her suede boots and bent down to pick up the cat that was twirling around her legs. She looked him straight in the eye. “Well, it’s me and you until Richard gets home. What do you want to do? Practice verb conjugations with me? I have a test on Friday.”

The cat meowed loudly.

Maddy made a
tsk-tsk
sound at him. “Don’t judge my language ability, Minet. I don’t see you doing any better with it.” The cat struggled to get down and Maddy let him go. “See, if you judge others they tend to toss it right back at you. There is a life lesson in there for you.”

Thirty minutes later, Maddy was carrying a bowl of soup and a baguette to the kitchen table when she heard the door to the house open. She put the food down, and when she recognized Richard’s footsteps, she rushed to him. A passionate romp with him was exactly what she needed to clear her head. She threw her arms around his neck and welcomed him home with a kiss that normally would have had him stripping her clothing off.

Instead, he broke off the kiss and held her back so he could look her over. “Gino said you weren’t feeling well.”

Maddy started unbuttoning Richard’s shirt. “Gino worries too much.” She couldn’t understand why Richard was still talking when they could be getting naked and enjoying something that involved little to no words.

“He cares about you.”

“Forget Gino. Forget everything except this.” Maddy kissed Richard’s neck and heard him suck in a harsh breath. She didn’t want to believe it, but it felt as if he was about to tell her stop. Usually it took nothing more than a look from Maddy for Richard to get so excited he couldn’t think of anything besides having her. She told herself she was being paranoid and reached for the clasp of his trousers.

Richard stilled her hands with his. “Maddy, we need to talk.”

A wave of embarrassment flooded over Maddy. She’d never been sexually open with anyone, and his words hit her like a rejection. She released his pants angrily. “Talk? Seriously? Right now?” Panic set in. He took a step back from her and frowned. She’d never seen that expression on his face before, and every awful possible reason for it ran through her head. “Oh, my God, what is it? Are
you
sick?”

He shook his head.

“Are you losing your restaurant?”

“Of course not.”

“Oh, my God, you’re married.”

Richard pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a moment before answering. He opened his eyes and said, “This is not about my health, my work, or another woman. This is about us.”

Maddy’s eyes rounded. “If you don’t say it, I may throw up on your feet. That’s not a threat, it’s a real possibility. Not because I’m sick, but because you’re scaring me.”

He raised a hand and caressed her cheek. “Please don’t, these are new shoes.”

She didn’t laugh at his joke. The air was pregnant with the promise of bad news. “Just say it. Whatever it is, just get it out there.”

He tipped her head up and ran his thumb over her lips. “I love you, Madison Andrade, more than I ever imagined I could love anyone.”

“This is how you finally tell me you love me?” She slumped at his words. “That is the worst delivery of those three beautiful words I’ve ever heard of.” She pushed his hand away from her face.

“ ‘Love’ is a word I don’t use easily,” Richard said, but his tone held a sadness Maddy couldn’t understand. “I didn’t want to say it until I knew you were the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”

Maddy covered her eyes with her hands and took a deep breath. Her emotions were in a tangled mess. “I’m going to need a minute to absorb this.” Although she heard his words, she couldn’t ignore what she’d seen in his eyes. She looked up at him, confused. “If this is a proposal, why does it feel like a good-bye?”

Richard didn’t deny it, and Maddy’s stomach lurched again. “You’re not going to like what I’m going to tell you, but please hear me out.”

Maddy turned away. “I don’t want to hear whatever you’re leading up to. Listen, maybe I should spend the night in town. Maybe you’re upset that Gino ended your night at work early. I don’t know, but I can guarantee that you should rethink whatever you’re about to say.”

Richard walked up behind her and laid a hand on her lower back, talking softly into her ear. “There you go, Maddy, running away from what you don’t want to see.”

She spun on him angrily. “Hey, I’m not the one who just delivered a marriage proposal that sounded like a eulogy.”

Richard held her eyes. “I didn’t ask you to marry me.”

Maddy’s chest tightened painfully. “I can see this conversation isn’t taking a turn for better.”

Richard took both of her arms in his hands and held her before him. “Do you love me, Maddy?”

Angry tears filled Maddy’s eyes. “How can you ask that after all this time we’ve been together? Do you think I would be here if I didn’t?”

His hands tightened on her arms. “I don’t want to lose you, but you can’t stay here with me anymore, Maddy. You need to go home to your family. It’s time.”

Maddy’s knees buckled in shock beneath her. “What are you saying? I don’t understand.”

He held her against his chest and tucked her beneath his chin. Maddy heard his heart thudding loudly in his chest as he said, “I want you with me because you love me and you don’t want to be anywhere else. I don’t want you to be here because you don’t want to be there. You need to go home, Maddy, and sort things out with your family.”

Maddy tore free from his embrace. “Wait, let me get this straight, you love me so much that you’re telling me to leave?”

He nodded sadly.

“Will you come with me?” she demanded.

“Non,”
he said, his expression unreadable. “I would distract you from what you need to address—the reason you came here in the first place.”

“I came here because I was sick and tired of the lies. I thought you understood that. But I don’t care about them anymore.”

“You do. And they stop you . . .”

“What is it that I haven’t done, Richard? I thought what we had was perfect. I get along with your family, your friends. I’m learning your damn language. Tell me, which part of this are you not happy with?”

Richard tucked a wild hair behind Maddy’s ear. “I am happy. You’re not. And you won’t be as long as you hide here with me. Go home, Maddy. Face whatever drove you here. And then, if you still want to be here, come back to me.”

“Wow, no wonder they say the French are smooth. You make breaking up with me sound like the screenplay for a B-rated chick flick. Let me give you the American version of what you’re saying.
It’s not you; it’s me. I’m not ready for something as wonderful as you.
Only in your speech, you’re ending it because
I’m
not ready for
you
.”

“Maddy—”

He reached for her and she smacked his hand away. “No, don’t touch me. You want me to leave. I’ll leave.”

She raced toward the door and opened it. She was halfway down the stairs when Richard caught up to her, swinging her around by the arm. “We’re not done with this conversation.”

Gino appeared beside them. Ever present. Ever protective. Maddy had never been so happy to see him. “Tell him to let go of my arm, Gino.”

Gino stood directly beside them and said, “Richard, I don’t want to hurt you.”

Richard didn’t let go. “I respect you, Gino, but this is between Madison and me.”

Gino put his hand over Richard’s in warning. “I’m sorry, Richard.”

Richard looked from Maddy to Gino’s hand and released her. “Maddy, hate me if you want, but I’m right, and I do love you. I hope someday you understand that.”