Can't Fool Me Twice: Sweet Contemporary Romance: Belles in the City Book 1 (20 page)

Sunny felt her face flame as she watched him struggle, his face covered in anguish. Dante reached under the table, took her hand, squeezed it, and started to let go. But she grabbed his hand before he had a chance to pull away. He beamed.

"So do you forgive me?" Anthony's puppy-dog expression made her smile. "Both of you?"

"I'm glad you cleared things up." She hesitated. "And yes, you're forgiven."

"Now that I've told you all the bad stuff I did, do you promise to be good to my brother?"

"Hey, dude, you're walking in dangerous territory now." Dante issued his brother a warning look. "You've done your part. Leave the rest up to me."

Anthony stood. "Stay here as long as you want. I have some things to tend to, and Christina wants me to bring some cupcakes to Lisa's playgroup. I'll see you later."

Sunny remembered Miss Lucille's advice to pray about her relationships, so she squeezed her eyes shut and asked the Lord to be with her today. When she opened them, she saw that Dante's eyes were shut, and his head was bowed. The very sight of him praying touched her heart. All the feelings she'd been avoiding flooded her at that moment, and she knew she had to act on them, or risk that numbness Mama had mentioned.

When he opened his eyes, she smiled. "Maybe we should start over."

"Really?" His hopeful expression warmed her all over. "So you're saying I have a chance?"

"No, you don't have a chance."

He gasped. "But—"

Sunny leaned into him. "What I'm saying is that
we
have a chance, as long as we trust each other and don't forget what's really important."

"Speaking of what's really important, I need to tell you something that I'm sure will upset you."

She froze. "What?"

A look of consternation came over him as he chewed on his lip. "Your mother didn't want to tell you until after she got the results, but I let her and Ms. Chambray know that I can't keep this kind of secret."

"Tell me now."

"Your mother found another lump. She's at the doctor's office right now having it checked."

Sunny felt as though the earth had opened up beneath her and swallowed her alive. "I need to go to Mama now."

"She's at the doctor's office having it checked." He glanced at his watch. "I'm expecting a phone call any minute now."

"Can we go there?"

"Sunny …" Dante took both of her hands in his. "I think we should stay right here until my phone rings. If it's bad news, by all means, I'll take you directly to her."

Sunny took a deep breath and slowly let it out before nodding. "Okay. What time was her appointment?"

"Before work is all I know."

"Mama's still going to work?"

"I told her she didn't have to, but she insisted. She said it would help to get her mind off the lump."

"I don't want her being alone."

"She's not alone. I got one of the other cooks to take care of breakfast so Riley could go with her."

His phone rang. Sunny watched as he pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. "It's Ms. Chambray." Then he answered, muttered a few words, and smiled.

"Well?"

"The doctor is going to do a biopsy, but she's pretty sure it's benign."

"I still want to see Mama."

"Okay. She's on her way to the diner, so let's go there."

Sunny was glad to have Dante by her side for support, and she was thankful he'd refused to keep this from her. Later, after Mama got home from work, she'd have to have a talk with her about keeping secrets.

"Go easy on her," Dante said as they approached the diner. "She wanted to protect her little girl."

"That's part of the problem. I'm not a little girl anymore."

As soon as Sunny walked into the kitchen and saw Mama, she stopped. Riley was holding a spoon of something in front of Mama so she could taste it. They both glanced up at the same time. Mama gave Dante a questioning look and then rushed to Sunny.

"Oh, sweetie, I hate getting you all worked up. Dr. Simone is pretty sure I injured my breast when I jammed that box into my chest during the move. She told me that was what it looked like, but she's still not takin' any chances. I'll know something for sure in a few days."

Sunny shook her head. "Don't ever keep secrets like that from me again."

"Okay. So what are you and Dante plannin' for your day off?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Then get outta here so you can find out. I want a full report when you get home."

Sunny turned and smiled at Dante. Her emotions were still a jangled mess, but she was ready to be alone with him.

Dante draped his arm over her shoulder. "Let's go have ourselves a date."

"Sounds good to me."

"I really appreciate the fact that you told me about Mama." Sunny held Dante's gaze for a few seconds. "It makes me realize that you're serious about being open."

"That's how I should always be with you." He gave her a long look. "I'll never be able to change what I did in the past, but I can be better in the future." He paused. "And I will. I promise."

Sunny thought about her conversation with Bethann. "I don't expect you to be perfect, though, because I know I'm far from it."

"We both are. But just understand that I'll do my best to make you happy."

"Where are we going?"

"Times Square. I thought it would be fun to play tourist for a day, and that's always a great place to start."

The cab dropped them off in the heart of Manhattan, where they got out and walked around Times Square. He purchased matching I-Heart-NY T-shirts.

She giggled. "I don't think I've ever seen you wearing a T-shirt without a collar."

"Then it's about time you did. Let's go find a place to change into these so we can be real tourists." He pulled hers out of the bag and handed it to her. "I never thought I'd ever wear one of these, but I'll do anything for you."

They darted into the Marriott lobby, found the restrooms, and changed. When Sunny came out, he grinned and opened his arms wide. She didn't care about the fact that heads turned in the lobby. All she cared about was the fact that Dante was doing all of this for her.

"Let's go do something else." He took her by the hand and pulled her back out to the sidewalk where he hailed a cab.

Their next stop was Central Park, where they went straight to the place where horse drawn carriages were lined up. "This is something I've always wanted to do but never got around to it." He helped her into the carriage before getting in. "And we're doing it together."

Sunny shivered, so he pulled her closer. She'd never been so happy in her entire life.

Every few minutes, he dropped brief kisses on her nose, her cheek, and eventually her lips. She couldn't think of anything more romantic.

"I was planning to have a picnic, but it's a little too cold. How about we find a deli and share a sandwich?"

She nodded. "Sounds good." It didn't matter to her whether they ate on a blanket in the heart of Central park or standing up in a busy deli. All she cared about was how she was finally able to give in to this feeling she had for Dante.

Afterward, he took her to 5
th
Avenue. "I thought it might be fun to have a little shopping spree. Maybe we can find something nice to wear for dinner."

"Sounds good." Living rent-free with Miss Lucille had enabled her to save money, so she had enough to afford even some of the most expensive stores in New York.

After trying on several things and showing Dante, he helped her pick one. By the time she came out of the fitting room, he'd already paid for it.

"You don't have to buy my clothes."

He lifted the bag off the counter. "But I want to. It makes me happy."

She lifted both hands. "Then who am I to deny your happiness?"

They walked around some more, until the sun finally set. "Hungry?" he said.

She hadn't thought about food since lunch, but since he'd brought it up, she nodded. "A little."

"Let's go to my office and get dressed up for dinner."

An hour later, she stepped out of the conference room wearing her new dress, and he joined her in his new suit that he'd paid extra for the tailor to alter that day. As they looked into each other's eyes, Sunny knew that Dante was her destiny. She momentarily closed her eyes and said a prayer.
Thank you, Lord, for removing my stubbornness and opening my heart.

When she opened her eyes, he had his closed, clearly saying a prayer of his own. She sighed.

The rest of the evening completed her Cinderella fantasy date. Dante was attentive throughout the romantic meal, and afterward, he brought her back home. As he kissed her goodnight on the steps of Miss Lucille's house, her heart pounded and her legs went all rubbery.

"I'll see you soon, sweet Sunny." He stroked her cheek before turning and getting back into the cab.

*

The next day, Sunny nearly floated into the diner. Dante had sent a cab over to pick Mama up and bring her to the Harlem location, so she went into the original Bubba's Diner alone.

Riley grinned at her as she walked back to the kitchen. "How was your day off?"

She shrugged and gave him a jaunty look. "Not bad."

"So I heard. I don't think I've ever seen Dante so happy." Riley turned his back, picked up a skillet, and set it on the burner without saying another word.

On her way out to the dining room, she passed Estelle. "I have to pick up this order, but as soon as I deliver it, I want details."

Obviously everyone had been in on the plan for her and Dante to have a day together, so she figured she might as well fill them in a little bit. But some of it was too wonderful to put into words.

Sunny helped with some of the beverage prep between breakfast and lunch, answered Estelle's questions when they had a couple of minutes to chat, and waited on tables when they got slammed. By the time the dinner crowd lined up, she didn't think there was anything about her date that Estelle didn't know … except the fact that she was so in love with Dante she didn't know what to do.

And then he walked into the diner. She wasn't even looking in his direction, but she knew he was there based on Estelle's expression and Riley's reaction. She slowly turned around and found herself face-to-face with the man who'd stolen her heart.

"Busy day?" he asked.

She opened her mouth, but Estelle spoke up before she had a chance to say anything. "She has worked her tail off. As soon as we get everyone seated and their orders taken, you need to take her home. The rest of us can finish up here."

Sunny blinked. Estelle was starting to sound like Miss Lucille. "No, that's okay. I'm fine."

"Yes, you are mighty fine." Dante's eyes twinkled, and his lips twitched. "But I'm going to take Estelle up on her offer and take you home."

"You're the boss." Sunny walked toward the dining area. "But in the meantime, back to work, everyone."

The next half hour was busy enough to keep everyone hopping, including Dante who seated people and manned the register while Sunny, Estelle, and one of the younger servers waited on customers. As the crowd died down, Dante told Sunny they'd leave in about fifteen minutes.

Her pulse instantly quickened as she thought about the fact that she'd be alone with Dante during the ride home. Their relationship sure had changed since his brother talked to her.

"Ready to go now?" Dante said. "The crowd is manageable, and Estelle told me I'm starting to get in the way." He laughed. "She doesn't mind telling you what she thinks, does she?"

"A lot of southern women are like that."

He nodded. "I know, and you're one of them … at least you used to be. I'm afraid I might have dampened your spunk."

"Dampened my spunk?" She bobbed her head. "Not in this lifetime. Let's get outta here."

His eyes crinkled as he pointed to her apron. "Take that thing off, or people will think we're going to a costume party."

"Or they might think we just got off work at a restaurant." She shrugged out of the apron. "But I have pride, and this doesn't really do a thing for me."

As soon as they settled in the cab, Dante placed his arm around Sunny's shoulders. It felt good to be nestled up next to him, so she let out a deep breath.

"Ms. Chambray and your mother won't be there when we get back. They went to a Broadway show."

"This late?"

He grinned. "I think they wanted us to have the house to ourselves."

"Okay. What do you want to do?"

"We can play a board game or watch TV or …" He shot her a playful grin. "Or smooch."

She laughed. "Let's watch something on TV. I like the channel that shows different ways to decorate your house."

"Okay, sounds good. We can watch TV."

"And smooch." She gently nudged him in the ribs.

*

Over the next couple of weeks, Dante spent most of his time working on the new Harlem diner and the rest of his waking hours with Sunny. Their relationship was deepening very quickly, and it felt good to finally have her fears and reluctance in the past.

That feeling was shattered when he glanced up at his office door and spotted Ms. Chambray glaring at him. This could only mean one thing: He was doing something wrong.

"Come on in." He stood and pulled out a chair to make it easy for her to sit. "What brings you here?"

"I'm the one asking questions today." She pointed to the other chair that wasn't behind the desk. "Sit."

He did as he was told. "What kind of questions do you have?"

"What is taking you so all-fired long?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know." She inhaled deeply and let it out as she slowly shook her head. "You love Sunny. She loves you. Now what are you gonna do about it?"

He had a pretty good idea of where she was going now. "I'm just waiting for the right time."

"That's just downright silly. You have to make the time."

"But what if—?"

"Don't start giving me
what-ifs
, Bubba Dante. Just do it." She twisted her mouth as she tilted her head forward and continued glaring at him from beneath her sculpted eyebrows. "In case you're missing my point, I think she'd say yes if you proposed right this minute."

"I don't want to take any chances."

"You're kidding, right?" Ms. Chambray looked around the office. "You're a successful New York businessman, and you're telling me you don't want to take chances? I don't buy that."

"I plan to ask her in the not-too-distant future, but I want to make sure the timing is right."

As quickly as she arrived, she stood. "You're hopeless. I'm going home now." And she was gone.

Anthony walked into Dante's office a few minutes later. "What was that all about?"

"Did you hear what she said?"

Anthony nodded. "Not that I was eavesdropping or …" He made a goofy face. "Okay, so I was eavesdropping. Are you really planning to propose to Sunny again?"

"Of course. But it'll be a while. I want to make sure she's ready."

"When will you see her again?"

"I'm taking her to dinner tomorrow night."

"Why not then?"

Dante shook his head. "It's still a little soon. I think she has some things to work through."

*

The next day, Sunny was nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs. She had a plan, and in her heart she was pretty sure it would work out, but there was that one little sliver of doubt that kept tugging at her head.

"What is wrong with you, girl?" Miss Lucille took a sip of her coffee and set her mug back down on the table. "I've never seen you this clumsy before."

"I know, right?" Sunny wiped up the coffee she'd just spilled on the countertop. "It's just that—" She stopped as she thought about what she had planned for the night.

The last person she needed to tell was Miss Lucille, or she'd get involved just to make sure everything worked out. This was something Sunny needed to do on her own.

"Maybe you just need to take a long bubble bath to settle your nerves."

Sunny nodded and smiled. "Great idea. I think I'll do just that."

She regretted taking a day off because it dragged by so slowly. All she could think about was being with Dante and the ways her plan could go awry. But she forced herself to stay on task, or she'd wind up wimping out later.

Finally, the time arrived. She heard the doorbell ring as she finished applying her lipstick—a coral shade that Dante had once admired. She took one last look in the mirror before taking a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, and mumbling, "Show time."

The genuine joy on his face gave her tummy a thrill and her heart a jolt. This was the man she'd fallen in love with—the one she'd almost let get away.

Once they stepped out onto the landing, he tilted his head and gave her an odd look. "Something is different about you."

"Oh yeah?" She pretended to be coy. "Different good or different bad?"

"I'm not sure."

She exaggerated a frown. "Not sure, huh?"

He feigned fear. "Oh, definitely good."

"Much better."

They walked down the steps, and he started to hold his hand up for a cab when she tugged at his arm. She'd planned to wait, but there was no way she could last another minute. It had to be now.

"Um, Dante, can you wait just a minute? I have to ask you something." A lump formed deep in her throat. "This is important."

Now he looked worried. "Are you okay?"

She pulled her lips between her teeth and hesitated before nodding. "I just need to do this, or I'll lose my nerve."