Worth the Risk_ A Contemporary - Megan Hart Page 0,167

she wanted to be.

She would tell him that, too, and hope she was not too late. She would apologize for not trusting him. She would make things right.

Feeling suddenly empowered, Lila plucked a wrench from her toolbox and headed for the basement. Making things right with Tom was important, yes, but first she had to do something else, something for herself. It was time for her to fix that blasted furnace.

Chapter 11

Tom couldn’t believe the week had flown by so fast. The grand opening of The Gallery on Second was tomorrow night. Not only did he not have a costume prepared, he had no idea of how he was going to prove to Lila he really loved her.

He wished he could use his lack of interest in work as proof of his change in priorities, but that hardly seemed enough. Tonight was the third night this week he’d left the restaurant early, something he rarely did even though Frank Philips was a top-notch manager. Tom liked to mingle with the customers. He had worked hard to make The Foxfire the success it had become, and nothing gave him more satisfaction than finishing the night knowing all had gone well. Since the blowup with Lila, however, he found he couldn’t care less whether the new appetizers were well-received, or anything else. Only about Lila.

Now he was sitting at the bar in Malley’s Pub, sucking down a pint of warm beer and waiting to hear Mick’s band play. The Roving Ramblers had gone through one set already, their lively mix of traditional Celtic music and Cajun Zydeco surprisingly well-blended. They had taken a break, amid groans of protest from the people in the packed bar. The Ramblers were a huge draw for Malley’s, and ordinarily Tom would have considered hitting Mick up to play a night or two at The Foxfire. Tonight, though, he just didn’t feel like talking shop. He only wanted to think about Lila.

His suggestions about a skywriter and an ad in the newspaper didn’t seem so crazy now. They seemed easier than the alternative, which was to talk to her face-to-face. Tom hadn’t wanted to admit it to Emma, but the thought of confronting Lila scared him. Emma had been right about him never having to work for anything before. Women had always flocked around him like seagulls fighting over a French fry. He’d never had to face rejection. Then again, he’d never cared so much about anyone before.

"Our next set’s up in five, Tom." Pint of Guinness in hand, Mick appeared beside him at the bar. Rivka’s husband winked and clapped Tom on the shoulder. "Next round’s on me. Sure and you look like you be needin’ it. I’ve seen happier faces on a flea-bit dog."

Tom smiled half-heartedly. "Can’t you talk some sense into your sister-in-law?"

"Ah, and if I could sing the birdies down from the trees, would you be after havin’ me do that as well?" Clearly Mick had no illusions about his ability to affect Lila. "'Tis my Rivka you need to be talkin’ to."

Tom tossed back the last half of his pint. "She won’t talk to me. Says it’s not her place."

"Now that would be a first." Mick shook his head and grinned. "When my Rivka leaves her pretty nose out of her sister’s business—"

"What about my nose?" Rivka appeared suddenly beside him. Mick smiled shamefacedly and kissed her. "The rest of the boys are waiting for you, Mickey."

Mick took the pointed hint and tipped an imaginary hat toward Tom. Rivka watched her black-haired husband weave his way through the crowd to the small stage area and sighed. She turned and signaled to the bartender.

"I’ll have a white wine." She pointed to Tom. "He’s paying."

Obligingly, Tom pulled out his wallet and paid for her drink. They sat in mutual silence for a few minutes. From behind them, The Roving Ramblers began their next set. Mick had forsaken his guitar for a set of uillean pipes, and the haunting melody seemed to squeeze Tom’s throat until he could hardly breathe.

"This is one of my favorites," Rivka remarked off-handedly. "It’s so sad, though. Don’t you just feel like crying?"

Tom looked at her sternly. "Don’t play games with me, Rivka. You said you weren’t going to talk to me about Lila, so I haven’t said anything. Yes, I’m upset about losing her, but what can I do? I’ve wracked my brains to think of a way to prove I love her, and I just can’t come up