“Good morning, Mr. Borelli,” Tessa said.
“It’s Harry,” he said as he reached for a mug and filled it with tea from the carafe. “Mint tea.” He handed the mug to her.
“Thank you,” Tessa said, bringing the tea to her lips and blowing across the steaming liquid. She welcomed a tension reliever because her insides felt unusually jittery. When she sipped, she didn’t feel the usual rush of relaxation. She held the mug closer to her nose and inhaled. No calming nerves. No loosening of her tangled thoughts. Hadn’t the mint tea so far caused her to feeldifferent? “Is this—is this perhaps a new recipe?”
Cecilia huffed. “Notmymint,” she said. “Paul didn’t know any better. When Harry asked him to make tea, Paul grabbed the extra mint I use for backup from the cooler. He didn’t even think to take it from my garden.”
Tessa’s heart thumped wildly. She pressed one hand against her breastbone.That land around the diner is special. You, of all people, should know that. Tell me what happened to you tonight after you drank the tea. Crazy Kate’s voice swelled in Tessa’s head like a swarm of bees. She shook her head, and the voice faded. Tessa placed the mug on a shelf beside her.
Paul sprinkled two different kinds of cheese onto the omelet, followed by mushrooms, tomatoes, and green onions. Harry slid the golden, crispy hash browns from a large spatula onto a plate. Then he reached for Paul’s omelet and folded it as he shimmied it from the pan onto the plate.
“I’ll take over,” Harry said. “You need to meet one of our favorite customers.”
Paul wiped his hands on a kitchen towel. His blue shirt matched the color of his eyes, and Tessa wondered if he’d worn it on purpose, if he knew how heart-stopping the effect was on women—onher. Paul stepped closer to her and reached out his hand.
Cecilia said, “This is my oldest son, Paul. He’s just flown in from Germany. He’s going to stay with us for a while.”
Tessa slipped her hand into Paul’s. It was calloused and warm, and his grip was solid and strong.
He cut his eyes at Cecilia. “For a couple of days.”
Cecilia waved her hands in the air dismissively. “I haven’t seen you in years. I don’t think it’s too much to ask to see my son for more than a day.”
“Mom—”
Tessa felt the beginnings of an argument brewing, so she said, “Nice to see you again. Thank you for breakfast.”
Cecilia slid two plates into the kitchen pass-through, and Laney swooped by and grabbed them. “Again?” Cecilia asked.
Tessa glanced from her to Paul, and Paul’s heavy sigh ruffled Tessa’s blouse. Tessa caught the scent of cloves. Harry returned to the kitchen and grabbed two empty plates. He sat them beside the griddle.
“Here we go,” Paul said. He looked at Tessa, and his blue eyes darkened. “I omitted a few facts.”
Tessa’s eyebrows lifted. “You mean the fact that I met you last night?”
Cecilia fisted her hands on her hips, and Harry cracked two eggs onto the griddle. “What were you doing at the hotel last night?” Harry asked, looking over at Tessa.
“What hotel?” Tessa asked.
Cecilia looked at Paul. “Didn’t you stay at a hotel?”
Tessa shook her head. “He stayed with me.” But when Cecilia’s mouth dropped open and her brown eyes widened to the size of Oreos, Tessa blurted, “We didn’t sleep together.” Then she slapped a hand over her mouth and blushed so hard that the heat nearly burned the skin on her fingers.
Paul leaned his head back and laughed. “Not for a lack of trying.”
Tessa’s throat tightened. “What?” she squeaked. “I wouldnever—”
“I’m kidding,” Paul said. “Relax a bit, or you’re going to overheat.” He reached for a plastic menu and fanned Tessa from where he stood. Tessa snatched the menu from his hands and glared at him.
Then he looked at Cecilia. “It was late. I had no idea there was someone staying in the apartment. But Tessa was there. We had a nice chat, she gave me a sleeping potion, and I fell asleep in less than fifteen minutes. I didn’t call you to tell you I was in town because it waslate, and I was exhausted. I wanted to surprise you this morning.”
Confusion filled Cecilia’s expression. “A sleeping potion?”
Tessa shook her head. “I hardly think chamomile tea is a sleeping potion.”Although I did add way more chamomile than the recipe called for.
Guilt rippled over Cecilia’s features. “I never would have guessed Paul would come to town. I’m sorry if it inconvenienced you. Paul, you’ll need to check into the hotel. I’ve already given the apartment to Tessa while she repairs her condo.”
Paul frowned. “Mom, I stay in hotels everywhere I go. I don’t want to come here and stay in one too. I’ll stay with you and Dad.”
