The tail between the legs comment was exactly how she felt but never wanted someone to throw it in her face.

  That she couldn’t handle what was happening in her life and got herself in debt trying to be a nice person.

  She was walked all over before and it seemed like it was happening again.

  “I think your information is messed up,” she said. She wasn’t going to give Beth the pleasure of seeing her pain even if it hurt more to hide it.

  “Guess it doesn’t matter,” Beth said. “People say what they think. It’s my truth.”

  She laughed. What an absurd statement. “Your truth? Got to love that saying. That means it’s your opinion and no one can tell you you’re wrong, but that doesn’t mean it’s the actual truth. You should get your facts straight before you say any more.”

  “Nothing you can do about it,” Beth said.

  “Actually, as the manager of Southside, there is a lot I can do about it. And if you’re to be believed, fucking the boss gives me some more power.”

  She heard laughter behind her. Deep male laughter.

  She didn’t need to turn to know that her lover was behind her laughing his ass off over what she’d just said.

  Embarrassment was riding high over her language with an employee more than anything.

  “Beth,” Duke said. “In my office now.”

  Hadley turned to look at Duke. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  He was smiling though and winked at her. “But funny as hell. I’ll be back to talk to you in a minute.”

  Crap. This was going to be awkward, but it had to be done. Just not the way it was. Poor business practices on her part and she’d have to apologize.

  Since the desserts had been made already, there wasn’t much for her to do other than go look at the ingredients and see if she had what she needed for tomorrow.

  “We can talk now if you want,” Duke said a few minutes later.

  She’d been in the walk-in fridge and all but jumped out of her skin as she’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t realized he’d opened the door and come in.

  “Did you fire her?”

  “She resigned,” he said. “Smart decision on her part.”

  She wondered if Beth was given a choice of resigning or being terminated. She wanted to ask but figured Duke would tell her if he wanted her to know.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

  “No,” he said. “You totally should have. You need to stand your ground. As a manager you can’t let people walk all over you.”

  She nodded. “I know that. But I could have been more professional.”

  “It’s not the first time Beth has said that word. Might be the first time you have though.”

  His eyes were laughing at her. She wasn’t sure if she should be happy or annoyed over it.

  “I’ve said it silently before,” she said. “And never in that context.”

  “You got your point across.”

  “Why are you here?” she asked.

  “To let you know that I knew you might be approached about our relationship. I just got off the phone with Zeke. He called and felt I should get a heads up.”

  “That was nice of him. He could have called me,” she said. “I don’t need you to save me.” This just went back to people not coming to her as the boss now.

  “I can see that,” he said. “And I wasn’t coming to save you but to tell you and hope that if anyone said anything, they’d see we’re together.”

  “I don’t know that anyone would have thought it was a lie. But now that Beth is gone, what is to stop her from telling people she left because of me? Or that you fired her because I was jealous of her or something? Who knows what will come out of her mouth? She lies about a lot of things.”

  “You know about that?”

  “I know she lies. I’ve heard it and seen it. I’m sure she’s said things to you about me without knowing we were in a relationship. She talks about everyone.”

  Her arms were crossed now. She didn’t want to be annoyed, but now that it seemed this situation was going to blow over, she was getting worked up for another reason.

  There was part of her that was just so excited that she’d been able to take care of this situation by herself and now it was going to turn into Duke had to do it for her.

  “She does,” he said. “She knows I know that too. I don’t need to call her out on it. She’s been cold since I showed up one day to work here and put her in her place. I’m sure most of her anger toward you was jealousy.”

  “Why would she be jealous of me?” she asked.

  He pulled her close to him and dropped his arm around her shoulder, then leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Because you’re fucking me. Maybe you can talk dirty to me too. I liked it.”

  It felt as if the gas stove lit up and she was standing in front of it with all burners on high and scorching her face.

  “I don’t know if I can do that.”

  He laughed even harder. “I’m learning you can do just about anything you want.”

  “Does that bother you?” she asked.

  “No. It’s been very rewarding to watch your growth on many levels.”

  She turned and put her arms around his waist. “Thank you for that.”

  “Wow. You just made the first step to showing me some affection. There are people coming in any minute.”

  She turned and looked to realize that some were already in the building. “I guess it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”

  “It never did to me. I wanted you to do it when it felt comfortable for you.”

  She nodded her head against his chest and then stepped back. “I’m sorry you are down a line cook now. I’ll start making some calls.”

  “It’s fine,” he said. “Zeke will be here soon. I’ve got it covered. I’ll slide in with Zeke and we’ll get it figured out. If you want to see if Michele can come in earlier that will work. If not, we’ll be okay. It’s not as busy this time of year.”

  She knew that. Things were slowing down after Labor Day but still busier than it was when her parents ran it.

  “I’ll do that. Before I do, did you come here to save me?”

  He let out a sigh. “That’s a strong word. How about I came to offer support,” he said.

  “That’s better. I suppose that is a nice thing you were doing. Now you are going to have to work.”

  “But I’ll be here with you and that makes up for it.”

  It was those sweet things that she never heard much of in her life.

  “Now you’re buttering me up,” she said. She got up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. If that didn’t seal the deal for everyone, nothing would.

  He laughed at her again and she walked away waiting for someone else to say something to her.

  No one did though. Not for the rest of the time Duke was working or even after he left.

  She knew there was whispering but let it go. She couldn’t control those things and wasn’t going to try to.

  She’d been talked about before and just had to push through it.

  She left at six for the day and when she got home and was showered and changed, her mother knocked on her door and opened it with a cup of coffee in her hand. “Are you busy?”

  “No,” she said. “I could use the company.”

  “Everything okay?” her mother asked.

  She told her mother what had happened and what she’d said and was shocked to see her mother smiling. “Why are you smiling? That was totally unprofessional of me to say that and then to hug and kiss Duke in front of everyone.”

  “Hadley. Stop being so prim and proper and worrying about what people think about you. I know your father and I were nervous about you dating Duke, but we are finally seeing the strong person you can be.”

  “Thank you for that. It’s still wrong though.”

  “No,” her mother said. “It’s never wrong to stand up for yourself or the man you love. Remember that.”

  “You’re right. I won’t forget it again.”

  “Don’t. The right man can make a world of difference in your life. If you’re lucky enough to find him. Do you think you did?”

  “I think I might have,” she said.

  But she wouldn’t say that she feared she might lose him by not being enough. She was trying to change and she had to ask herself if she was doing it for her or because other people were so happy she was.

  35

  Too Risky

  Almost two weeks later on a Sunday morning, Duke and Hadley were sitting in his living room talking about promotions.

  It’d started to become their time together. She’d get out of work on Saturday, come to his house and wait for him and they’d have the night together to just be...a couple.

  Breakfast the next morning that he cooked, even though she always offered.

  Actually this morning, she’d beaten him waking up and then made a baked French toast casserole. It was so good that he’d told her that he wanted it on their next brunch menu.

  Which was going to start in October and be once a month on the last Sunday of the month. He loved her idea. It just meant that she’d be working during it because she’d said she wanted to be there to see how it went.

  When her phone rang, she got up to get it out of her purse and frowned.

  “What’s going on?” he asked

  She hesitated as if she wasn’t sure if she should answer. “It’s Eddie’s sister.”

  “Are you going to answer it?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I should.” She hit the button. “Hello.”

  He heard screaming on the other line and saw Hadley pull the phone back from her ear. He got up to move closer to her, then heard, “It’s my money. I want it.”

  “What are you talking about, Cheryl?” she asked. “I didn’t get anything from Eddie and I should have since I gave him almost twenty thousand dollars.”

  His jaw dropped. That was the first he’d heard the amount. There was no way the guy’s living expenses were that much for that short period of time. He had to have been getting some money while he was out of work.

  Duke tried not to ask too many questions, but it was information that came up in pieces.

  There was more screaming and he finally said, “Hang up on her or give me the phone. There is no reason you need to take that shit.”

  Hadley turned and looked at him, gave him a glare, and he almost stepped back. He was getting ready to take the phone from her when she finally disconnected the call.

  “I don’t need you always fighting my battles,” she said.

  “I wasn’t trying to.”

  “Please,” she said with her hands on her hips. There was part of him that was thrilled she’d found the strength to finally not get walked all over in her life. The other part was now they were going to fight and he was annoyed she didn’t want his help. “That is all you ever do. I’ve heard it from Kelsey and your parents. You are all about being a savior to people. It comes off as mentoring in your work. But in your personal life I’m trying to figure out what the heck it is.”

  He didn’t like being called out on this. “I love you. I don’t like seeing you upset.”

  “Fine. I’ll accept that answer, but this isn’t the first time you’ve done it. I’ve spilled a lot of my guts to you over the past few months and yet I don’t hear much from you.”

  “There isn’t much to say. I work all the time.”

  “That’s right,” she said. “I think that is the problem. You are always working and then feel guilty that you might not be able to give attention to someone else in your life. Your way to make up for it is to take care of them.”

  “There isn’t anything wrong with that,” he argued.

  “So I’m right?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I never thought much of it. I’ve dated and you know it. But I never have the time they want or need. Maybe I’ve never wanted to put in as much, and with you, that is what I’m trying to do.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out. “That might be one of the more honest things you’ve said to me.”

  He wanted to snarl. “I’m always honest with you.”

  “You are. But you only tell me so much. I don’t feel like I get enough out of you considering what I give you.”

  “What do you want me to say? That I’ve messed up a lot over the years? I have. I’ve put my career and restaurant and reputation first more than I should. I’ve missed out on family gatherings and celebrations and told myself I can’t do that anymore.”

  “All these weddings in the past few years with your cousins. Have you missed any of them?”

  “No,” he said. “But I missed bachelor parties or other things. I miss holidays at times if the restaurant is open too. My family is okay with it. They understand. I try to be there for some of it but never get to fully relax completely and enjoy it.”

  “No one is saying you can’t. Those are your decisions to make. It sounds to me like Duke’s is running like a well-oiled machine. I’m trying to get Southside there.”

  “I know,” he said. “It’s taken me years to get Duke’s like that, but things happen. It’s my business. My responsibility. I employ a lot of people and their jobs rely on me being able to keep it afloat.”

  Not that he had much to worry about, but shit could happen.

  Did he have the means to cover any losses before drastic steps could be taken? He did. But he’d never wanted to dip into family money if he failed.

  He was determined to not fail.

  His sister was the steady one. Or at least career wise. His mother too.

  He was more like his father and maybe took risks.

  But they were paying off more times than not.

  “You know you are going to be successful with anything you do. I don’t think anyone doubts it,” she said. “It’s in your blood.”

  “Maybe,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to prove it to everyone else.”

  “I think you need to prove it to yourself more than anything.”

  “Damn,” he said. “Who are you and what did you do with the Hadley I met months ago?”

  She laughed at him. “You know. Not that long ago I started to wonder if I was turning into this person because other people were pushing me to do it or I was doing it for me.”

  “Don’t do anything for anyone else,” he said. Now he felt like shit he might have been pushing her to be someone she wasn’t. Or that she thought he wanted her to be someone else. Hadn’t that been the issue with Eddie?

  “I’ve heard that a lot in my life. But I still did it. Then I got into this mess and here I am back on the island. I was ready to go on with my dismal life and put it back together and continue on as is. But I met you and you made me see there was more to me than I was letting others see.”

  “It’s always been in you,” he said.

  “I guess you’re right. And now that it’s out, I like it. I’m still a work in progress and am going to shrink back when I’m attacked until I decide the best way to handle something.”

  He snorted. She wasn’t shrinking back with him now. “Everyone does that,” he said.

  “They do. Just like I think you push people because you want to be able to say you helped them. It makes you feel good. Like another ego boost.”

  He frowned. He’d never realized that or thought of it before. “Could be,” he said. “Is that such a bad thing?”

  “No,” she said. “Tell me about this Jell-O comment.”

  “What?” he asked. “What does that mean?”

  “You said something about jiggling and I laughed and said it made me think of Jell-O. You mentioned your sister and said it was a long story. I want to hear it.”

  He wasn’t sure how her being verbally attacked on the phone by her ex’s sister turned into this. “It’s nothing major. Just a buildup over the years. Kelsey always says I’m Jell-O. I’m all hard and tough on the outside, but my insides are Jell-O. They jiggle all the time with emotions. She’s said a lot of things.”

  “She’s right. She’d know. She shared a womb with you.”

  “Very funny,” he said.

  “I’m not trying to be funny,” she said. “I think she’s right. We all put fronts on in our life. Yours is the hard guy on the outside, but you’re very caring to those that mean something. Or those you want to help. But you only do it for those that deserve it. I’ve seen that. You don’t hand it out to everyone.”

  “That’s not true. I give everyone a chance until they blow it.”

  “Like Beth,” she said. “You gave her a chance. You put her in a training role for someone new. You wanted her to feel valued and see if she had the skills to do it.”

  “And she took advantage of that. She took it to a level that isn’t acceptable and then she behaved in a way that isn’t allowable to continue employment.”

  As pissed as he was about Beth saying what she had about Hadley, it wasn’t the only reason Beth was gone. It was her attitude to everyone else around her. The lies she told and the power and manipulation she tried to wield over people.

  He didn’t play those games and he didn’t like to be around others that did.

  “That is right. And then you made sure she didn’t have the opportunity to do it again. But before that, you were Jell-O, right?”

  He let out a sigh. There was no getting over this. “Beth resigned,” he said.

  “If you say so,” she said.

  He didn’t talk to Hadley about it again. Beth came into his office and asked if she was going to be terminated. He asked her if she wanted that on her record and she said no. He asked her what her choice was going to be then and she said she quit and walked out the door. He didn’t have much more to say.

  He wouldn’t have had any problem firing her but gave her the choice. Was she badmouthing him on the island? Yep, she was. But his reputation stood up to it and he couldn’t care less.

  “Hadley, what do you want me to say? I’m not sure how we went from that call you just got to where we are now. I want to know about that.”

  “I’ll tell you in a minute. But first I want you to stop trying to save me. I want to tell you to stop trying to help me too, but I know you’re going to keep doing it.”