No Funny Business (The Lennox Brothers Romantic Comedy)

leaned right into the cabinet to clean the furthest corner, not bothering to answer. I was certain he hadn’t.
“You and Kade still have chemistry,” she said.
I snorted. “Have you seen the women he dates now? There’s no way he’s still attracted to me.”
“Are you kidding? He couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
My heart sped up at the suggestion, but I gave my head a firm shake, for my own benefit as much as hers. “That’s just how he is. He’s good at making people feel special. Especially women.”
“That’s not what I saw. When he looked at you, there were definitely sparks.” She cocked her head, her eyes curious. “What would you do if he wanted to give your relationship another go?”
“He wouldn’t.” Though I made my voice flat and certain, the thought made me feel fluttery inside. “Even if something actually happened between us, I wouldn’t read anything into it.”
But could Carlotta be right? Was Kade still interested in me? If I went into it knowing his limitations, could I enjoy what he did have to offer?
Giving my head another shake, I told myself not to be foolish. That ship had sailed.
Besides, she had to be wrong. Kade had his pick of women. After everything that had happened between us, why would he want to fool around with me?
“Don’t you think you’re giving up on him too easily?” Carlotta asked.
“Kade’s too much like Dad.” I laughed a little and wrinkled my nose, because that sounded all kinds of wrong. “I mean, because Dad’s larger than life as well. He was so passionate about the café, Mom got stuck working here because she wanted to please him.”
I once asked Mom why she’d stayed working at Mack’s Place for such a long time when she disliked it so much, and the regret I saw in her eyes had made me feel terribly sad for her.
But all she’d said was, “I made my choices. Now it’s up to you to make different ones.” Then she’d smiled and hugged me. “I’m so glad I’ll get to see you grab hold of your dreams, honey,” she’d whispered in my ear. “Remember to be brave. Be yourself. Don’t let anything hold you back.”
The memory hurt my heart.
Mom hadn’t gotten to see me grab hold of my dreams, because I’d had to give up my amazing job at the Chicago Tribune and come back to San Dante to help in the café just before Dad lost his foot. And Mom had died suddenly, in her sleep, not long after that.
Two years later, I was still working in the café. Trapped like Mom had been, while I tried my best to sell the café Dad loved so much.
And just to add to my angst, another great job had recently opened up at the Tribune. It would be the ideal opportunity to get my neglected career back on track. But being stuck here meant I’d miss out on it.
Dipping the rag back into the bucket, I slopped it roughly on the counter, splattering drops of soapy water everywhere. Then I lifted my chin and firmed my voice.
“As soon as I sell the café, I’m going back to Chicago. Nothing’s going to stop me.”
“Good for you!” Carlotta grinned. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t sleep with Kade in the meantime, right?”
I groaned. She was relentless. Luckily, I knew of a sure way to distract her.
“How’s Mason?” I asked.
Her face lit up, as I knew it would. “So great. I have a backless hospital gown and the other night we were playing doctor and patient, and he—”
“Wait. Stop. Is this a dirty story?”
“No!” She tilted her head to consider it, a smile playing over her lips. “Okay, yeah. It’s a little dirty.”
“Got any stories that aren’t?”
“Well, a few days ago we were at the theater and I… No, wait. That one gets filthy too.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you have any clean stories?” Carlotta had no filter, and if I didn’t draw the line she’d happily fill me in on every embarrassing detail.
One thing I didn’t need was to spend any more time thinking about sex. Since the moment Kade had walked in, it seemed like I’d hardly thought about anything else.
Carlotta tapped her chin, seemingly needing to think hard. “Well, Mason did do something sweet the other night.”
“That sounds safer. Keep going.”
She told me about the nice things Mason had done for her while we both kept cleaning. I was pretty sure she’d be able to gush about Mason a while, giving me a break from talking about Kade, and she didn’t disappoint.
Finally, we ran out of things to clean and Carlotta put away her rag and said goodbye.
“I’ll come back tomorrow morning to help out,” she promised.
I hugged her, thanked her, and locked the door behind her. Then I called my old boss at the Tribune.
“I really want the job that’s on offer,” I told him. “And there’s a buyer interested in the café, so maybe I can get out of here soon.”
“That’s great, Natalie, but you know I can’t hold the job open for you. We’re already interviewing.”
My boss was a nice guy, gruff on the outside, but sweet underneath. I was incredibly grateful to him for hiring me in the first place, and when I’d had to leave to take care of the café, I’d promised to only be away a few months. He’d been understanding, and said he’d do what he could when I was ready to come back. After two years, I couldn’t blame him for losing his patience.
And those dreams Mom had told me to follow? I could hear the door slamming shut on them.
“I’d be there tomorrow if I could,” I told him. “It’s just hard.”
“Way I see it, it’s easy. Are you a journalist, or do you run a café?”
“I’d really like to be a journalist,” I said weakly. “But I’m also a daughter.”
“Natalie, you’re a good writer, and I’d like you to come back, but I can’t keep offering you jobs.