When I Fall in Love(111)
“Agreed; that was a bad idea. But . . . I am not ignorant of my brother’s mistakes, believe me. I am on your side. I would have listened. Where did you go? I was so worried.”
Raina looked away, out the window. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have taken off. I know you needed me.”
“It’s okay. But . . . are you okay?”
“Maybe I should just . . . leave.”
“Raina, you don’t have to leave. You’re not alone—”
“But I am, see? Aunt Liza will be furious with me, and besides her, I have no one. I certainly can’t ask your family for help—”
“What are you talking about? Of course you can! You’re a part of our family now.”
Raina shook her head. “No, I’m not . . .”
“Yes, Raina, you are. With or without Casper—or Owen, for that matter.” Grace couldn’t stop herself from reaching out, pulling Raina to her in a tight hug.
Raina surrendered with a shudder.
“It’s going to be okay.” Grace smoothed her hair. “We’ll figure it out.” She put Raina away from her, met her eyes. “God is going to do something good, something more with this, I promise.”
Raina tried a smile, but it fell.
“Are you still up to catering? Because I fear they’re falling apart in there.”
“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I thought I saw smoke coming out through the double doors earlier.”
Grace didn’t wait for Raina to get out of the car.
“Perfect—191.3.” Max pulled the thermometer out of the pig’s hindquarters. The skin had roasted to crimson, the scent of the pork enough to reduce him to caveman. He could nearly taste the meat, juicy and succulent, dripping off the bone.
“Let’s get it onto the platter and cover it with foil until the party gets here.”
The sauce simmered on the stove. Max went into the kitchen, lifted the lid. The juices had soaked into the carrot and onion, the smell a mix of spice and sweetness. He stuck in a wooden spoon, tasted it. Tangy and sweet, but it lacked something. The flavors seemed too different, too unique to meld together.
He put the top on. Stared at the mess he’d created.
“Max?”
He turned, and for a second, his heart stopped. Grace stood in the doorway, her hair in waves, tied up with flowers and ribbon, beautiful strands cascading around her face. She wore a blue dress, short, V-necked, and from her fingers dangled a pair of gold high-heeled sandals.
“You look . . . beautiful.”
She came into the kitchen. “What are you making? Did something burn in here?”
He stopped her with his hands on her shoulders. “Listen. I got this. I know I was gone, but I’m back now—”
“Gone. Max . . .” She shook her head. “You left me.”
True. “I’m so sorry—I wanted to call, but my phone died and—”
“Shh.” She held up her hand. “It’s okay. I don’t care.”
She didn’t?
He stood there like an idiot, hoping she couldn’t hear his heart drumming in his chest. “Grace, I have to talk to you—”
The sauce bubbled over, out of the pan.
“Oh!” He turned and took off the lid while she cut the flame.
“What is that?”
“It’s a red onion, carrot, and citrus glaze.”
“For the . . . ?”
“Pork.”
“What happened to the gingered-mango sauce?”
“It burned. And then we ran out of mangoes.”
She stared at him, undone.
“But we found oranges and carrots and onions, and Max put it all together . . . ,” Ty said.
Grace looked at Ty, and he slunk back into silence.
Raina appeared at the door, her face red, puffy.
Max wanted to ask but decided to keep his question to himself as Grace picked up a wooden spoon.
She tasted the sauce. Rolled it around her mouth. “It’s good, Max.”
He wanted to drop with relief.
“It just needs to be . . . hmm . . .” She turned to Raina. “Don’t we have a blender somewhere?”
Raina fetched it from one of the racks, brought it to her, and plugged it in.
Grace ladled in some of the sizzling mixture from the pan. She put the top on. Glanced at Max with a smile. “Look at you, living dangerously, making mistakes.”
“Nothing’s a mistake with you, Grace.” Oh, he wasn’t sure what desperation drove him to say that, but he let his words hang there. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”
“I forgive you,” she said quietly. Then she hit Blend.
The sauce whirred together, the onions and carrots juicing into the mixture. She kept it going until it was blended. Then she turned it off and removed the top. Took a spoon and tasted it.