“He’s making a huge effort.” Tonya waved for Rex to join them.
He shook his head.
Roman spoke to him, but Rex didn’t seem even the remotest bit interested in socializing with Sadie.
She got it, she did.
“You know I never stopped loving him,” Tonya continued, but she didn’t need to continue. Sadie got the point. The tightening in her chest was simply direction. Nothing more. As soon as she followed the arrow, it’d loosen up.
“We had a huge talk, and he loves me, too. Roman helped him see some of the things I needed in our marriage. A lot of what was missing.”
Someone seemed to have pushed pause on reality.
“Roger is already perking up now that Rex is back full time.”
“Okay.” It took every ounce of personal willpower for Sadie to keep her voice even. “If this is what you want, I support you.”
She did. Of course, she did.
“I don’t think your husband is interested in dining with your divorce attorney, so I’m going to excuse myself. If you ever need me, give me a call.” Sadie forced a smile to show in her voice. “You should enjoy your dinner and go see the show.”
Sadie’s feet remained planted as Tonya walked back to her husband.
A waiter in the standard black-and-white Eats Grille ensemble moved around a nearby table, refilling the water glasses.
“Is Eli here?” Sadie asked him.
“Chef’s in the kitchen tonight,” the waiter said. “Can I give him a message?”
“No, thank you.” Sadie did not go to Roman and Tonya and Rex. Instead, she hurried through the busy restaurant, down the hallway leading to the kitchen, and past Eli’s office until the sounds of a commercial kitchen and her brother barking orders took over.
Eli had a bandana tied around his hair and his chef jacket on. He was vigorously stirring the contents of a bowl in front of him.
“Eli?” she asked.
He glanced up, clearly surprised to see his little sister in his kitchen.
“Sadie,” Roman said from behind. “I didn’t know who they were.”
Eli looked between the two of them and then passed the bowl to one of the sous-chefs. He gave some direction before striding toward Sadie.
“What’s going on, sis?” he asked.
“I…”
Roman and Eli both waited.
Sadie started again. “We came for dinner…”
“Dinner is good. We serve that here.” Eli was the kind of guy who didn’t say much, but he was intuitive as all heck.
“She was your client.” Roman said what Sadie already knew. “I didn’t know that when I asked you to come meet them.”
That wasn’t the part that Sadie was struggling with. “You convinced Rex and Tonya to stay together?”
“Who are Rex and Tonya?” Eli asked.
“My client and her was-going-to-be ex.”
