Second Chance Cafe (9 page)

“Proof?” he echoed.

Mandy nodded without further explanation. Isa’s mother passed Tony back to Mandy and Isa joined them at that moment, breathless with laughter. She sat down between Mandy and Ethan.

“What were you two talking about?” Isa whispered to Ethan.

He shrugged. “You.”

She smiled as though she didn’t mind.

“I want to remind you that you
did
say you were looking for more chaos in your life, remember?” Isa teased.

Ethan winked at her, leaning closer until Isa held her breath.

“I’m pretty sure I found the chaos I was looking for, Isabella.” He whispered the words so only she could hear them. He could see her weighing his words, unable to find her own. He enjoyed the blush rising in her cheeks.

“Did you just associate me with pandemonium, Ethan Carter?” she whispered back.

“You said it, Isabella Romano,” Ethan answered with a grin.

Chapter 11

E
than wiped the sweat from his brow. Five-fifteen in the morning and he was already stressed beyond belief. In just two hours, the Second Chance Café would open.
His
café would open. He’d spent the past week at the café day and night, preparing to open. Every day, his cooks had prepared a trial service in order for Ethan to ensure that the food was up to par. Bread was baking, the new menus were ready to be handed out, the casual, firefighter-style T-shirts for the waitstaff had arrived, the sign out front looked inviting and beautiful—all that was needed was paying customers.

It’s now or never.

Ethan pulled pans of bread from the ovens. He’d arrived to begin baking bread at 3:00 a.m., along with a second baker. The kitchen, drenched with the scent of fresh, hot homemade bread, smelled incredible. By 6:00 a.m., both cooks had arrived and they were prepping for a breakfast rush. The firefighters had helped spread the word for the past several weeks, passing out flyers all over the city in anticipation of the grand opening of the Second Chance Café. Blake’s college-aged son had created an amazing website for Ethan. With a few finishing touches, Rachel had the interior dining room ready and it was striking. The gas fireplace indeed made the dining room inviting and attractive.

Ethan could barely breathe from nervousness. He’d be cooking for strangers, people there to critique his culinary creations.

What if no one showed?

He felt sick.

Oh, God, I didn’t expect to feel so nervous. What if I fail? What if this whole enterprise was just plain crazy on my part? What if no one likes the food? What if I don’t make any money?

Ethan took a deep breath. He’d been trying to memorize Scripture ever since he’d accepted Christ—one of Caleb’s suggestions.

He stepped outside the kitchen into the dining room for a moment alone. He placed both hands on the coffee bar and bowed his head.

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
The Bible verse flooded his heart. It was a simple, short verse, and one of the first he’d memorized. He held on to it for dear life.

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

“Ethan?”

He opened his eyes to the sight of one of the waitresses studying him. “I checked the bathrooms—everything looks fine. I made sure all the silverware has been rolled up. The guys in the back said that the kitchen is prepped. We’re ready.”

He nodded at her, again wiping the sweat from his forehead. “It’s five till seven. I’m going to go ahead and open up.” Ethan unlocked the front doors. A smile crossed his face at the sight of the fire chief standing at the door.

“Chief Rawlins!”

“I wanted to be your first customer, Carter.”

Ethan swallowed the boulder in his throat and held the door open. “Welcome.” Ethan stepped aside as Jenny, his head waitress, led Chief Rawlins to the coffee bar and poured him a cup of coffee while he perused the menu. The front doors opened and a host of rowdy firefighters clambered inside. Ethan grinned as he disappeared into the kitchen to start working. The orders were steady. Ethan had expected a busy first day with the excitement of a new café, and he was not disappointed.

Jenny poked her head in the kitchen at about seven-thirty. “We’ve got a customer who wanted to compliment your
pain au chocolat.
”

Ethan couldn’t stop the smile from coming to his face.

“About five foot four? Dark hair and dark eyes?”

Jenny laughed as she went back to the dining room.

Ethan washed his hands and checked the status of all the orders before stepping out behind the coffee bar. There sat Isa at the bar, the most beautiful woman for miles. He waved as Mick and Kay walked through the door, holding up one finger for Isa to give him a moment. He walked over to the older couple.

“Mick! Kay! What do you think of our café?”

Mick patted him on the back proudly. “It’s all yours, Ethan. And we’re proud of you.”

“Oh, Ethan!” Miss Kay exclaimed. “It looks wonderful. Congratulations. We both wanted to be here to let you know we support you one hundred percent. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to see you take over this place. It was time for a new generation to step in.”

“How are the Alaska plans coming along?” Ethan asked.

“Change of plan. We’re heading to Kenya! We want to experience an African safari!” Miss Kay’s smile was ear to ear. Ethan thanked them both for coming and then headed back to the coffee bar as they were seated.

“Hi, Chef. Congratulations on your grand opening!” Isa said. She sipped a cappuccino. “Looks like a good turnout to me,” she commented, scanning the room filled with customers.

“Well, you know how it goes. It’s a novelty today. We’ll see how it looks tomorrow.”

She smiled. “I
do
know how it goes. Good food brings people back, Ethan. And you’ve got that. I just finished your blueberry pancakes with sausage and sunny-side up eggs. I can promise you I’ll be a repeat customer.”

“Thank you for that, Isa.”

“So did I just hear you say the blueberry pancakes are stellar?”

Isa turned around with a smile as Leo and Mandy joined her at the bar. Ethan blinked in surprise.

“Thanks so much for coming! Where’s Tony?” he asked.

Leo rolled his eyes. “My mother thinks that if she doesn’t get to watch him at least once a day, we’re depriving her.”

Isa laughed and hugged Mandy. “Yes, the blueberry pancakes are great. But I almost ordered the banana waffles with hashbrowns and bacon. You better check the menu, sis.”

“I need to get back to the kitchen,” Ethan said almost apologetically, still moved that Isa’s family had come to his grand opening. But Leo waved him away.

“Go. We understand, Ethan. Run your kitchen.”

* * *

The door swung behind Ethan as he left the dining room and Isa turned her attention back to her cappuccino.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming,” she said to Leo. He shrugged.

“We wanted to show up for your boyfriend’s big day, Isa. That shouldn’t surprise you.”

“He’s not my—”

“Isa,”
Leo and Mandy said together.

She chuckled. “Fine. Call him whatever you want.”

“How’s his back doing?” Mandy asked, exchanging a glance with Isa. She’d noticed it, too, then. Ethan’s tendency to move cautiously, the flinch he made at times, the signs that he was in pain.

“I’m not sure. He says therapy is going slowly. I know it’s been a difficult healing process.”

“I hope he’s not overdoing it with all this cooking. He’ll be on his feet for hours,” Leo noted. Isa didn’t answer. The same thought troubled her. “He probably doesn’t realize how all-consuming restaurant ownership is,” Leo continued.

Mandy poked his shoulder but Isa just swallowed hard, knowing Leo could be right. Her reservations about dating someone with a restaurant started to resurface.

“It’s a café, Isa. I think he’ll have more flexibility,” Mandy said.

I doubt it.

“It’s not just his flexibility, Isa. Don’t blame Ethan,” Leo said, inspecting the menu. “How’s your schedule at the moment?”

Isa just shook her head. “Don’t ask. Especially with Maggie’s absence at the E.R., I’m taking on more shifts. Then I’ve got Dad to think of. Plus, I keep trying to run up to the NICU to see Maggie and Bianca as often as possible. Then there’s Tony—”

“Don’t drag your nephew into this. He’s an infant!” Leo argued.

“
Puh-lease.
He adores me and I refuse to neglect my relationship with him.”

Mandy chuckled. “You do have a lot going on, Isa. Something’s got to give, sweetheart.”

Leo flipped over the menu to look at the lunch section. “Hey! Did you see this?”

Under Soups, Isa read the words
Isabella’s Cheddar Corn Chowder.
The corners of her mouth turned up inadvertently.

“Since when are you an expert on corn chowder?” Leo teased.

Isa swatted his hand. “I have skills you know not of. But really, I just made a few tweaks to his recipe. It needed cheese.”

“And he named it after you. That was sweet, Isa,” Mandy said.

It really was. He’s sweet. And gorgeous. And kind. And a dedicated believer. And a restaurant owner. And someone who wants more from me than I might be able to give. He’s someone who could break my heart.

What am I so afraid of?
Isa sighed, frustrated with her own mixed emotions.
Isn’t this what I’ve wanted? Some great guy to drop into my life and spin me on a whirlwind romance? Ethan is the kind of guy I’ve always looked for. Why would I hold back now?

Why do I feel like I’m still waiting for someone else?

* * *

Friday morning Isa pulled into the South Denver Neurology Center parking lot, quickly finding a spot and walking to the entrance, where Leo was waiting for her. He held out a Starbucks cup and she accepted it gratefully.

“Mom and Dad are already inside. They’ll begin the tests in about twenty minutes. I’m glad you could make it,” Leo said, pushing the door open for her. Isa stifled a yawn.

“Of course. How are Mandy and the baby?”

Leo didn’t even try to stifle his yawn. “We’re all exhausted. Tony was up every hour last night.”

Isa squeezed her brother’s side sympathetically. They joined their parents in the examination room for the consultation. After myriad tests, it now appeared that the deep brain stimulation surgery was a practical option for Isabella’s father. They listened to the instructions on the necessary preparations prior to surgery and agreed that they would all return the following Thursday for her father’s operation.

Isa clasped her hands together as she sat next to Leo.

Oh, God. I hope this is the best thing for Dad. Please let this help him.

Leo left to go to his office at the Franklin Street restaurant after the meeting, and Isa shooed him off, knowing he had payroll to take care of and that he was scheduled to cook for the Fifteenth Street location that evening. She drove her parents home, where she helped get her father settled and spent time processing the upcoming surgery with both of them. Talking about it seemed to help them with their decision, so Isa gladly sat and talked through everything she could with both of them. But by one o’clock she could barely keep her eyes open. Instead of driving home, she just fell onto the bed in her parents’ guest room and shut her eyes.

She woke up after seven, stiff and unhappy at the thought that she’d have to go to work soon. She rolled over and looked out the window, light still streaming in. She loved the longer days of summer. It was the long nights that felt as though they were killing her. She pushed work out of her mind; going to the hospital was the last thing she wanted to do.

Isa wondered about Ethan. Other than texting back and forth during the past few days, she hadn’t seen him or talked to him since the café’s grand opening. She knew he was glued to the restaurant right now, and she truly understood. He needed the café to be a success. And in reality, she didn’t have any more free time than he did. She couldn’t fault him for being so busy. She did, however, worry about whether he was overdoing it with his injuries.

She sighed and decided to call him. He answered by the second ring.

“Isa! I’ve missed you.” His warm, immediate greeting filled her heart.

He’s so open. He’s so willing.

“How’s the café?”

“It’s been a really good first week. I think I’m gaining some regulars. And not just the guys next door.”

“I hope you’re not doing all the cooking, Ethan. You can’t be on your feet that much while you’re doing therapy. Your body needs rest.”

“I know. I’m trying to delegate. But I’m cooking as much as I can. I love it, Isa.”

Her chest tightened at the honesty in that statement. He sounded so happy. How in the world had she ended up interested in a guy who owned a restaurant? Hadn’t she said a million times that she’d never get involved with someone in the restaurant business? Yet here she was, dating a fireman who doubled as a chef.

“The corn chowder seems to be a favorite,” he told her.

Isa smiled. “Excellent.” She gave him a quick rundown of her dad’s doctor visit and explained that he’d be having surgery within the next couple of weeks.

“Can I help in any way? Really, Isa, I’m here for you. Anything. All you have to do is ask.”

“I know,” she answered. “Thanks, I’ll let you know. But I know you’re busy right now.”

“I’m not too busy for you.” His voice was so firm he sounded bothered.

“It’s okay that you’ve got a full schedule, Ethan. So do I,” Isa said, matching his firm tone. “You can’t act like you’ve got all the free time in the world when you just started your own business.”

“I’m not—I’m just…” She could hear Ethan inhale. “I’m just saying that I have time for you. I’ll make time for you.”

Isa didn’t answer. The fact that he was already trying to reassure her that he could fit her into his life amid his restaurant duties rubbed her the wrong way. For as long as she could remember, her father and brother had done the same thing. She tried to shake off the annoyance. She knew Ethan was trying.

“I know you will. But we can only do so much with our schedules. I’ve got a lot going on right now, too.”

“I know. But there’s got to be a way for us to do this. Lots of people lead busy lives and still have time for a relationship.”

There’s that optimism of his,
Isa thought. She mustered the ability to end on a mostly positive note before hanging up. She’d sensed they were on the verge of an argument and she just didn’t have the energy for it. She needed to take herself home to get ready for work.

She walked through the nearly empty E.R. that night knowing that she was really too tired to be on the schedule. Her exhaustion resulted in her being snippy and easily frustrated with her colleagues. During her break, she ran up to the NICU to check on Bianca, hoping some time with the precious baby might help steady her temper. Maggie had told Isa that Bianca would be released from the hospital soon. Isa relaxed and spent a few moments rocking Bianca, who’d just had a feeding.