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He reached for her. It was easy now. If she was in a room, he wanted to be close to her. If she wasn’t in the room, he was thinking of her. All roads led right to her.
She eased into his arms. “Good evening, Chef.” She smiled at Eric. “And Chef. We’re almost ready to open the doors, but I was wondering if I could steal Sebastian for a moment.”
She could steal him any time.
“Is our guest here?” Eric asked.
Tiffany nodded. “Yes. I’d like to introduce him.”
“I would love to meet your guest.” He frowned. The soft open was for friends and family, a way to ensure that the staff was truly ready. “Did your sister come over from France?”
Not that he didn’t love her family. Her father had stayed with them for a few days and Sebastian found the man delightful. Even her wanna-be supermodel sister was bubbly and bright, but he was a little afraid of the other one.
Tiffany started to lead him toward the front of the restaurant. “Nope. She’s not coming in until the holidays, but she’s decided to protest you for not handling my stalker in a nonviolent fashion. Don’t worry. She’s also going to honor your military service with song. So it won’t be weird or anything. No, this is another sister of mine. Or she will be one day.”
Sebastian stopped.
Ramona stood in the lobby, her husband beside her. There was a young child in Johnny’s arms. His nephew. He had a nephew.
His childhood came back in a wash of love. All the years… they hadn’t been bad. They’d been wonderful and he was through with holding it all in.
“Ramona?”
She looked up and ran toward him, tears pouring from her eyes. “Bas. Bas, please forgive me. I was angry and lost and I’m so sorry.”
He opened his arms to the only other person in the world who remembered what it meant to be loved by his parents. Ramona hugged him tight. “It’s all right. We all made mistakes.”
Ramona sniffled and stepped back. “You look so good.”
If he looked good, it was only because he had a gorgeous woman on his arm. “So do you.”
Johnny stepped up and held out a hand. “Sebastian, I can’t tell you how good it is to see you. This is Ethan, your nephew. Ethan, this is your Uncle Sebastian. I told you about him.”
“He’s a hero,” Ethan said quietly, his eyes wide.
Ramona nodded. “Yes, he’s a hero.”
Sebastian held out his hands and Ethan eagerly came into his arms. “I don’t know about that, but I do know that I’m happy to meet you. This lady is going to be your Aunt Tiffany.”
Tiffany smiled. “I will be once your uncle properly asks me. I’m getting at least one amazing proposal out of him.”
Oh, she was. She was getting one tonight. He was never letting that woman go. He would ask her to be his forever during dessert, while they were surrounded by their friends and family.
By his family.
“Let me show you around,” Sebastian offered. “Ethan, this is the best restaurant in the south. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, but once your grandparents ran the best one.”
He started talking about his father and mother for the first time in years with nothing but love. There was no place for anything else. He was too full.
Later that evening he would propose. He’d already picked the perfect champagne. Light and sweet, but with great substance. Like his future wife.
It was the best. That was what she deserved.
* * *
