41- Don't even think about it

Mr. Lee thought of her display of pride and knew Tony wasright. “Not
money,but I do think she is going to come to you for a job. In fact, I think she is
going to tell you that she wants to move back here and work with you.”
“She came here yesterday and said precisely that.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That she would be welcome, but that she should think about it. Obviously,
you think the decision is as impetuous as I do. You think she made the offer not
because it is what she truly wants, but because she thinks it is her only option.”
Mr. Lee admired the man’s quick thinking, as well as his understanding of
Hazel.“Yes, that is exactly what I think. She’s giving up, Tony. I think a lot of
things have been piling up the last few weeks, including the death of her
friend’s husband, and she’s throwing in the towel, taking the easy way out.
She’s convinced herself that she has an obligation to stay here for her friend’s
sake. I admire that, and in the short term it makes sense. But a permanent
move?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I just thought you ought to know
that, so you don’t take what she says too seriously. Tony’s hands stilled. “You want me to turn her down, even if she comes back
and says she is certain it is what she wants?”
“No, of course not. Just don’t count on her staying forever. She lovesthat
restaurant in New York. She’ll regret it if she gives up on it. She just needs a
breather until her fighting spirit comes back.”
Tony’s gaze narrowed. “Is this some ploy to get her back in New York where
you can drag her into court?”
“Absolutely not,” Mr. Lee said, offended, even though on some level he could
understand the man’s suspicion. He had not come here with good intentions
toward Hazel. Only in recent days had that changed.
“Then what makes you think you know what is best for our Hazel? Do you
care for her?”
Mr. Lee debated lying, but Tony’s knowing eyes would see straight through
him. “More than I have any right to, given my role in all of this,” he finally
admitted.
The back door opened just then and Hazel stepped inside, a look of grim
determination on her face. When she caught sight of Mr. Lee, she frowned.
“What are you doing here?” she asked suspiciously.
“He islearning how to make pasta from a master,” Tony said, giving Mr. Lee
awink.
“I had no idea you were interested in the finer points of making your own
noodles,” Hazel said, her gaze locked with Mr. Lee’s.
“It’s a recent interest,” he said easily.

“I see.”
“What brings you by, Hazel mia?” Tony
asked.“Do I need a reason to visit?”
“Never, but you usually have one. It has not been long enough for you to
have given careful thought to what we discussed yesterday.”
Once again she regarded Mr. Lee with suspicion, but then she turned to Tony.
“Istill want a job.”
“You have a job,” he replied. “In fact, it seemsto me you have been away
from it too long, all things considered.”
Color bloomed in her cheeks and she whirled on Mr. Lee. “What have you
beentelling him?”
Tony interceded. “I do not need anyone to tell me things where your best
interests are concerned. This business of yours does not run itself. Mine certainly
does not and yours is more demanding, yes? Especially now.”
“Are you saying you don’t want me here?” she asked, a hitch in her voice
revealing just how close to tears she was. “I thought you just wanted me to think
it over. Are you saying now that you don’t want me at all?”
“Never!” Tony said. “You have a place here always. I just don’t want you to
use my kitchen to hide out from your troubles. I want you to face them like the
brave woman you are.”
Her gaze flew from Tony to Mr. Lee and back again. “Isthat what the two
ofyou think, that I’m running away, that I’m hiding out?”
“Aren’t you?” Mr. Lee asked quietly. “That call from Bobby yesterday
morningwas the final blow, wasn’t it?”
“No, the final blow was finding you in here conspiring with a man I’d
alwaysthought was my friend,” she retorted angrily, then ran for the door,
slamming it behind her as she left.
Tony started after her, but Mr. Lee stopped him. “I’ll go. It’s me she’sfurious
with.”
Tony nodded. “The job is hersif she doesn’t change her mind. You
understand that, don’t you?”
“Of course,” he said, then went to try to undo some of the damage he’d
caused, not this morning, but over the past few weeks.
Hazel ran until she was out of breath and had a blister forming on her heel.
She was cursing Mr. Lee O’Donnell every step of the way, with a couple of
healthyepithets reserved for Tony, as well.
She waslimping and winded when Mr. Lee caught up with her. She noticed
that he was driving, not running, which meant he’d taken his own sweet time about
pursuing her. He’d probably hoped that a little time and exercise would help her
to work off some steam. It hadn’t. If anything, she was angrier and more hurt
than ever.
“Want a lift?” he asked.
“No.”
“Don’t be stubborn. Get in the car.”
“No,” she repeated, though the thought of all that air-conditioned comfort
was way too tempting. “Go away. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“If you don’t get in, I’ll just be forced to park and walk with you. Then two
of us will be miserable and courting sunstroke.”
He would do it, too. She could see the determination in the grim set of his
jaw. “Okay, fine,” she said, grudgingly walking around the car to get in.
Mr. Lee gave her a quick sideways glance. “Going anyplace in particular?”
“Away from you.”
Hislipstwitched. “Now that you know that’s out of the question, any other
destination you’d care to try?”
“Home,” she said finally, then added hopefully, “alone.”
He shook his head. “Not an option. You don’t need to be alone, Hazel. You
need to talk this out with someone who knows all the facts, someone who’s a
good listener.”
“Someone who wantsto put me in jail?” she added wryly.
“Not you. Bobby Rinaldi,” he corrected.
She sighed and let that pass. She wasn’t convinced about that yet. Catching
Mr. Lee with Tony had shaken her. She had been counting on Tony to be the
one person totally on her side, the one person who would give her a fresh start,
no questions asked. His refusal to do so was Mr. Lee’s doing and she wasn’t
entirely sure of Mr. Lee’s motives. Until she was, she wasn’t discussing anything
about CaféTuscany with him.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy his company, at least for an afternoon.
Whatever else he was, Mr. Lee O’Donnell was definitely a sexy distraction, a
far cry from most of the men she’d crossed paths with lately. He was certainly
an improvement over Bobby.
“Pull over,” she commanded.
He regarded her with a startled expression, but he actually did as she’d
asked. Pleased, she grinned. “That was easier than I’d expected.”
“Care to explain what we’re doing on the side of the road?” he inquired
lightly as an occasional car whizzed past.
“Here’sthe deal. If you promise that you will not say another word about the restaurant or about my decision to stay in Winding River, I will go to Laramie
with you.”
He didn’t immediately seize the offer the way she’d anticipated. Instead, his
expression grew thoughtful.
“Why Laramie?” he asked.
She ticked off the reasons. “Because it is not Winding River, because we can
go to a movie there, because I heard about a restaurant I’d like to try.”
“Aha,” he said, grinning at her. “That’s the real reason, isn’t it? You can’t
help it. Even when you’re on some kind of break, you can’t resist checking out
the competition.”
Hazel frowned. “It’s not competitiveness. I just happen to like food.”
“Oh, really? When wasthe last time you actually ate a meal. I’ve been with
you on several occasionslately, and though you talk a lot about food, you barely
touch anything that’s put in front of you.”
“I haven’t been that hungry,” she said defensively. “Do you want to go to
Laramie or not? Last chance. I can always drive myself.”
“Okay. Okay. Just point me the right way,” he said.
Hazel gave him directions, then sat back, and for the first time since she’d
talked to Bobby the day before, she began to relax as the miles flew by. Mr. Lee
flipped on the car radio and found a soothing oldies station that concentrated on
ballads. By the time they reached the outskirts of Laramie, she was actually
feeling pretty mellow.
“Lunch first?” he asked as he drove into downtown.
“Yes,” she agreed, suddenly starved. The restaurant she’d heard about was
actually a coffee house with an interesting menu of salads, some of which she
thought she might be able to incorporate into the Café Tuscany luncheon
selections. Even asthe prospect crossed her mind, she realized the incongruity of
it. One minute she was ready to shut the place down, the next she couldn’t help
planning for its future. Maybe she wasn’t as committed to giving up as she’d
made herself believe. Funny how both Tony and, more important, Mr. Lee had
seen that when she hadn’t.
Hazel studied the menu and found two or three different saladsthat sounded
intriguing. She regarded Mr. Lee hopefully. “Do you know what you want?”
“I wasthinking about a burger,” he said.
She regarded him with undisguised regret, which he immediately picked up
on. “What’s wrong with a burger?” he asked.
“Nothing, but would you mind getting a salad with it?”
“Why?”
“Because I want to sample three of these, and I’ll feel like an idiot if I have to order all of them myself. Not that it would be the first time. I once ordered
half a dozen appetizers at a restaurant in Paris because I knew I’d never get back
there. The waiter brought them all without a single comment, but the next thing I
knew the entire wait staff and the chef were standing at the door of the kitchen
staring at me as if I’d sprouted two heads