Sunlight streamed through the window the next morning and Rosie stepped into the bath. She added a bottle of lavender bubble bath and inhaled the refreshing scent. She had gotten up early, thrown on her running shoes, and driven to Butterfly Beach before she was fully awake. Rosie ran the length of the beach, thinking about Colby’s offer. She knew she was crazy to hesitate. Colby was handing her a golden future.
Was this how Ben felt when the studio hired Mary Beth? His years of wrestling with unruly scripts and inexperienced actors would give way to being offered the hottest projects. A-list actors like Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson would line up to work with him. People would murmur, “It’s a Ben Ford film,” when the lights went down and the credits rolled on the screen.
Rosie didn’t have a dream of running a corporation, spending her days worrying about quality control and product placement. She loved the smell of fish sizzling on the stove at the taco store. She enjoyed chatting with Rachel on the sidewalk at the end of the day. The feeling of satisfaction when she opened the cash register and counted the piles of new bills.
But Oscar and Estelle led wonderful lives. Their house was filled with antique furniture and fine china, and the parties on the lawn were from another era. And there was such a sense of peace when you entered the gate. It would be heavenly to have the kind of money to surround yourself with people you loved and beautiful things.
Rosie stopped running and did long stretches, watching the surfers paddle past the break. If Ben had only talked to her about how he felt, things might have been different. They could have debated attaching Mary Beth as executive producer. Rosie could have stepped back and focused her energy on their home.
She squinted and looked for Josh in the line of surfers. If they had any chance as a couple, they had to make this decision together. But what if Josh didn’t want to see her? He was the one who said he wasn’t good at arguing. He was better at walking away.
* * *
There was a knock at the cottage door and Rosie groaned. She wasn’t prepared for a visit from Morris. She didn’t want to be force-fed peanut butter sandwiches or told she deserved this because she didn’t tell Josh how she felt about living together.
She waited for another knock, but there was silence. Maybe Morris thought she was asleep. She closed her eyes and submerged her body under the bubbles.
“Is there room for me in that bath?” a male voice asked.
Rosie flung her arms over her chest and opened her eyes. Josh sat on the edge of the bath. He was pale and he had a day’s stubble on his chin.
“You don’t have to cover yourself.” He smiled. “Unless you were expecting someone else.”
“I wasn’t expecting anyone.” Rosie pushed the bubbles from her cheeks.
“I owe you an apology.” Josh dipped his hand in the water. “My sister called me last night. I told her what happened and she said I overreacted. Once she was asked to be a bridesmaid six times in five months. She loved every minute of it, but when her best friend asked her to be maid of honor, she walked into her closet and tossed all six bridesmaids dresses in the garbage. She said weddings make women do crazy things: not just the bride, but the bridesmaids, the mother of the bride, even the wedding planner.”
“I like your sister.” Rosie laughed.
“She’s pretty smart.” Josh nodded. “I’d still like to know why you don’t want to go to Angelica’s wedding, but I’m not going to take it personally.”
“I can’t explain,” Rosie replied.
“You can tell me anything,” Josh said. “We have to be honest with each other, Rosie.”
“I’ll always be honest,” Rosie promised. She wanted to just keep looking at him. She felt as if she had conjured up his presence like a magician.
“I shouldn’t have stormed off,” Josh said seriously. “I don’t want you to think I’m going to run every time we have an argument.”
“I believe you.” Rosie nodded and suddenly wanted him so badly. She could taste his mouth, feel his chest on top of hers.
“Is there anything you want to talk about?” he asked.
Rosie thought about Colby’s offer. She remembered Estelle’s advice to tell Josh she didn’t want to move in with him. Morris had insisted that she tell Josh she wanted to get married because he couldn’t read her mind. But right now all she wanted was him to wrap his arms around her.
“There is something.” Rosie reached out of the water and kissed him. “It’s a little complicated.”
“Then why don’t we talk about it later.” Josh grinned and pulled her out of the bath. He put a towel around her and kissed her neck. “There’s something important I want to do first.”
“I guess it can wait,” she whispered, every nerve in her body tingling.
They moved to the bed and Josh tore off his clothes. His breath was sweet and his shoulders were broad and Rosie swelled with happiness. He entered her and she dug her fingernails into his back, the waves building inside her. She gasped and held him until his body slackened and he rolled onto his side.
They slept with Rosie tucked against Josh’s chest. When they woke they were starving and Rosie made a picnic of items she found in the cottage’s fridge: a slab of Brie cheese, a bar of chocolate, a bowl of cherries.
“I feel like I’m raiding a hotel minibar,” Rosie sat cross-legged on the bed and ate cheese on a sourdough roll.
“Will you come to the Concours d’Elegance?” he asked. “I’ll have to work, but we can stroll through Carmel and drive along 17-Mile Drive. You’ve never seen views like it. The waves crash right on the rocks.”
“I’d love to.” Rosie nodded, thinking she should tell Josh about Colby’s offer. But she wasn’t quite ready to break the spell.
“I’ll book a bed-and-breakfast,” Josh said excitedly. “Carmel is a little like Montecito, except it’s always foggy.”
“Sounds romantic.” Rosie nibbled dark chocolate.
“We’ll get a room overlooking the ocean.” Josh popped a cherry in Rosie’s mouth. “It’ll have a king-sized bed and one of those funky TVs that only work if you hold the antenna. We’ll keep the window open so the fog blows in and I’ll have to keep you warm.”
They finished the picnic and Josh drifted off to sleep. Rosie watched his chest rise and fall and promised herself when he woke up she’d tell him everything.
* * *
Rosie opened her eyes and Josh’s side of the bed was empty. The sheets were pushed back and there was a note on his pillow. He had to work on Oscar’s cars, but he’d be back for dinner and dessert. He signed it with three x’s and a P.S. to keep the bed warm.
She wrapped a robe around her and stood by the window. She could lounge around until Josh came back and then share more food and sex. But tomorrow she’d have to return to work and Colby expected an answer by Wednesday. She had to talk about the offer with Josh now, without the distraction of bubble baths and down comforters and dark chocolate.
* * *
Rosie entered the garage and her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She wore her red dress and gold Manolos. Her hair was glossy and her wrists were spritzed with perfume.
“This is a surprise.” Josh looked up from the engine of a yellow Ferrari.
“I couldn’t wait till you came back.” Rosie smiled. “And I felt like dressing up.”
“What’s the occasion?” he asked, leaning against the car’s bumper.
“Being together,” Rosie replied. “Delicious food, great sex.”
“I’m in favor of all three things.” Josh kissed her. “I just have to fix this engine, and we can go back to being naked.”
“I do want to talk about something.” Rosie took a deep breath. “Colby and Ryan took me riding yesterday.”
“Riding?” Josh’s body tensed and the muscles on his neck twitched.
“At Circle Bar B Ranch. We rode to the top. The view was amazing, I could see all the way to San Diego.” She paused. “Colby had a business proposition. He wants to expand Rosie’s Fish Tacos to more states. He suggested a frozen food line and a line of guacamole sold at supermarkets and gourmet food stores.”
“You want to sell the taco shop?” he asked stiffly.
“We’d be partners,” she continued. “Colby and Ryan would provide the backing and I’d supply the recipes. He had some really good ideas: opening stores in states that don’t have many Mexican restaurants. He thinks we could make a lot of money.”
“We don’t need a lot of money.” Josh’s brow furrowed.
“We don’t need it,” Rosie agreed. “But wouldn’t it be lovely to own an estate like this. Our children could have a swimming pool, room to play, a couple of big dogs.”
“Children don’t need a big house. They just need parents who love them,” Josh countered. “What if it wasn’t a success? Celebrity restaurants are like hot-air balloons. If it fails, all that hard work would be for nothing.”
“Colby is only twenty and he has a fantastic track record. Ryan said he makes more money from his restaurants than recording and touring combined,” Rosie said defensively.
“I knew you’d get suckered back to Hollywood.” Josh paced around the car.
“Nothing would change,” Rosie answered. “I’d still run the taco shop.”
“Everything would change,” Josh cut in. “You’d have endless meetings with Colby and Ryan. You’d stay in LA during the week and come up to Montecito on the weekends.”
“I thought you wanted us to be financially stable.” Rosie was suddenly angry. “Why can’t you be happy that I have this opportunity?”
“Why do you want more, when we’re happy now?” Josh glared. “I want you and a couple of kids and a house near the beach. I don’t want to eat TV dinners because you’re at a store opening in Wisconsin. I don’t want to watch you and Colby chatting with Jimmy Fallon on late-night television.”
“Money isn’t a bad thing,” Rosie protested. “Oscar and Estelle are the happiest couple I know. Money can buy things for people you love; it means you can give your children everything they need.”
“I want my children to have two parents who want the same thing,” Josh said. “It’s impossible when one parent is a celebrity.”
“I wouldn’t be a celebrity,” Rosie fumed. “I’d just be partners with Colby, no one would know who I am.”
“Stop trying to hold Rosie back!” a woman’s voice interjected.
Rosie turned around and Angelica stepped out of the Aston Martin Spider. She wore a silk robe tied with a yellow belt. Her hair cascaded down her back and her diamond ring glinted on her finger.
“What are you doing here?” Rosie gasped.
“If you must know, Dirk and I had sex in the Spider.” Angelica flushed. “I used to bring boyfriends here when I was in high school. Making love in the backseat of a car is so sexy. I lost an earring and I came to find it.”
“You were eavesdropping?” Rosie asked, horrified.
“I couldn’t just jump up and leave once you two started fighting,” Angelica explained.
“Please leave now,” Josh said. He clutched a cloth and his mouth was set in a firm line.
“Just because you live your whole life in a ten-mile radius, doesn’t mean that Rosie wants to,” Angelica said to Josh. “Colby is a huge star, he could make Rosie a millionaire.”
“This has nothing to do with you.” Josh gritted his teeth.
“You’re just afraid that Rosie will realize she can do better,” Angelica countered. “She’s already discovered that. She told my mother she didn’t want to move in with you.”
Rosie froze. She inhaled sharply but the air wouldn’t go into her lungs. Her knees buckled and she turned from Angelica to Josh.
“What did you say?” Josh’s mouth quivered.
“Dirk and I had just arrived. I was standing outside and I overheard Rosie asking my mother for advice.” Angelica patted her hair. “You asked Rosie to move in with you, and she didn’t know how to tell you she didn’t want to.”
“Did you say that?” Josh turned to Rosie. His eyes were flat. His body was tense, ready for flight.
“It’s not what I meant,” Rosie pleaded. “That’s what I wanted to discuss in the bath.”
“Angelica heard you say it to Estelle,” Josh repeated.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Rosie said desperately.
“But you said it,” Josh said slowly. “And you said you’d always be honest. I’ve got things to do. I’ll see you later.”
“It’s not how it sounds.” Rosie’s eyes filled with tears. “I can explain.”
Josh reached the door and turned the handle. “That’s not necessary. Angelica made it perfectly clear.”
“Josh, wait.” She followed him onto the driveway. “I was going to talk about it, we just haven’t had time. It’s more complicated than that.”
“We’ve had time to make love and eat chocolate.” His eyes were dark. “There was plenty of time to talk about not wanting to live together.”
“You don’t understand,” she begged. “Angelica twisted my words.”
“Angelica would never intentionally hurt her best friend.” Josh glared at her. “You’re the one who is twisting things. You told Estelle you didn’t want to live with me and now you can’t think of any easy way to let me down. I’ve got to go, I’m late for work.”
* * *
Rosie trudged across the lawn to the cottage and opened the door. Angelica sat on the sofa, leafing through a magazine.
“I hope you don’t mind me coming in.” She looked up. “The door was unlocked and I wanted to apologize.”
“It’s a little late for that,” Rosie said tightly. “Josh doesn’t want to talk to me.”
“I’m sorry it came out that way,” Angelica offered. “But I did you a favor. Josh would just hold you back.”
“Hold me back!” Rosie retorted. “Is that what Ben’s friends said about me? ‘You should dump Rosie, she’s holding you back.’ If you love someone, they’re not holding you back, they’re part of the journey.”
“But I heard you say you didn’t want to move in with Josh,” Angelica persisted.
“I didn’t want to move in with him because I don’t believe in living together. Either person can leave whenever they want to: just pack a suitcase and go.” Rosie crumpled onto the floor. “I wanted to marry Josh, but I didn’t know how to tell him.”
“Oh.” Angelica sat next to Rosie. “I didn’t know.”
“That’s why I got flustered when you asked me to be your maid of honor. It’s not that I didn’t want to be at your wedding. It was because I saw Dirk’s face when he looked at you and I wanted Josh to look at me like that.” Rosie gulped and tears streamed down her cheeks. “I know it’s silly. Plenty of couples live together forever, but I wanted a ring and a poufy white dress.”
Rosie cried harder, rocking back and forth. Angelica let her rest her head on her shoulder. She waited till the sobs became hiccups and Rosie was finally still.
“You’d look terrible in a poufy dress,” Angelica suggested. “You should wear something sleek, like an Alexander McQueen sheath.”
“If you make me wear a satin bow as your maid of honor, I’ll cut it off.” Rosie hiccupped.
“I already designed your dress: lime green with white polka dots.”
“Like Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses,” Rosie giggled.
“You’d look wonderful in green.” Angelica smiled. “It matches your eyes.”
Rosie started sobbing again, tears falling on her gold Manolos. “I’m sorry I didn’t agree to be your maid of honor right away.”
“I’m sorry I chased Josh away,” Angelica offered. “I had no idea you wanted to marry him.”
“You and Josh might not get along, but he’s everything I want,” Rosie said. “He’s handsome and funny and sweet. He’s completely honest; I would never doubt him.”
“He’ll come back,” Angelica insisted.
“He said he doesn’t know how to fight, he just walks away,” Rosie moaned. “What am I going to do?”
“I just played that scene in The Philadelphia Story. Katharine Hepburn jumps in the car and drives after Cary Grant. She tells him she loves him and they make up and live happily ever after.”
Rosie stood up and smoothed her dress. “Josh is proud and he was so hurt. I doubt anything I say will make it better.”
“There’s nothing a beautiful girl in a red dress can’t fix,” Angelica said confidently. “It works every time in the movies.”
* * *
The minute Angelica left the cottage, Rosie doubted Angelica’s advice. Angelica was drop-dead gorgeous like Angelina Jolie or Jessica Biel. No man could resist her. But Ben had walked away from Rosie, and Josh could do the same. Rosie needed to talk to someone who didn’t live on a movie set. She walked up to the house and looked for Estelle.
Estelle was perched on an armchair in the living room. An Irish setter nestled at her feet, and she flipped through Town & Country.
“Hi, Rosie.” Estelle put the magazine down. “I was reading about Vita Sackville-West’s garden at Sissinghurst. When we’re in Monaco we must take a quick trip across the Channel to England. I would love to see Sissinghurst in person.”
“It sounds lovely,” Rosie replied glumly.
“Are you all right? You have been going through a lot and I can understand if Angelica’s announcement upset you.” Estelle took off her reading glasses. “You look like you’ve been crying.”
“It’s not that exactly. I’m thrilled for Angelica and Dirk.” Rosie dropped into a floral armchair. “It’s Josh.”
“Did you tell him you didn’t want to move in with him?”
“Angelica did.” Rosie sighed. “And she left out the part that I wanted to marry him.”
“Angelica!” Estelle exclaimed. “I thought she and Dirk left this afternoon.”
“They had some business to finish up.” Rosie waved her hand. “Josh and I got in a fight and Angelica decided she would fix it.”
“You’re not making sense,” Estelle responded. “Start at the beginning.”
Rosie told Estelle about Colby’s offer and Josh’s insistence that she turn it down. She told her about Angelica stepping out of the Aston Martin and accusing Josh of holding her back.
“Then Angelica told Josh she overheard me telling you I don’t want to move in with him,” Rosie finished miserably. “He didn’t give me a chance to explain; he just walked out.”
“Oh dear,” Estelle murmured. “We both need a brandy.” She walked over to the bar and filled two shot glasses.
“I haven’t eaten anything,” Rosie protested.
“It’s medicine.” Estelle downed her shot. “I love my daughter, but she can be quite heartless. Sometimes I wonder if I spoiled her as a child.”
“Angelica thought she was doing the right thing,” Rosie defended her friend. “She didn’t know I wanted to marry Josh.”
“What are you going to do?” Estelle inquired.
“I was hoping you’d tell me what to do,” Rosie said. “You and Oscar are the happiest couple I know.”
“We are happy,” Estelle agreed. “But we give each other lots of room to be quarrelsome. It’s the benefit of having a big house; you can walk away without leaving the grounds.”
“Angelica thinks I should find Josh and tell him I want to marry him,” Rosie replied.
“You can’t do that until you decide what to do about Rosie’s Fish Tacos.” Estelle rubbed the rim of her shot glass.
“But we need to decide that together, as a couple,” Rosie insisted.
“Having a big house doesn’t make you happy necessarily, and neither does marrying the man you love. You have to be happy with yourself first,” Estelle counseled. “When we were young, Oscar traveled all the time. Angelica and Sam were small and they fought like cats and dogs. If I didn’t have my roses, I would have been miserable. You have to do what you love and throw the rule book out the window.”
“I know.” Rosie smiled. “I stole your line.”
“Then apply it to yourself. Do you want to have fish taco shops all over the country?”
“It sounds exciting when Colby and Ryan describe it.” Rosie wavered.
“Be certain that’s your passion,” Estelle instructed. “Then tell Josh your decision. It’s up to him to see if it fits with his goals.”
“What if he doesn’t want to be with me if I accept the offer?” Rosie wondered.
“Then you weren’t right for each other,” Estelle said matter-of-factly. “I have to talk to Angelica. She mustn’t interfere with people’s lives; she could do some real damage.”
“I think she already has.” Rosie slumped in the armchair.
“If you love each other, you can fix it.” Estelle patted Rosie’s hand. “Take your time and think about what you want to do. Josh isn’t going anywhere.”
Rosie imagined Josh sitting in his kitchen, eating a turkey sandwich. She could almost smell the onions and the thick crusty bread. She wished she’d never heard from Colby and Ryan. She wished she were sitting beside Josh, asking him to pass the mayonnaise. They’d pile the dishes in the sink and go into the bedroom and make love on his lumpy mattress.
* * *
It was late afternoon and Rosie couldn’t remember how long she had been sitting in the Pullmans’ kitchen staring at an uneaten peanut butter sandwich. The brandy had made her nauseous and she needed to put something in her stomach. But the peanut butter stuck in her throat and the crusts seemed impossible to chew. She put the sandwich on the plate and rested her head on the table.
“I thought you’d be here,” Morris said from the door. “I ran into Mrs. Pullman. She told me the whole story.”
“I’ve messed everything up,” Rosie groaned. “I chased Josh away.”
“It sounds like Angelica had a hand in that.” Morris set a basket of shirts on the table. “If Angelica was younger, Mrs. Pullman would have grounded her.”
“You were right, Josh isn’t a mind reader.” Rosie lifted her head. “I should have told him how I felt in the beginning.”
“Let me tell you a story. I first met Ryan when he came to one of Oscar’s parties two years ago. He walked into the living room and I knew he was the one. We had a few nice conversations, but nothing was said.” Morris paused. “At the end of the weekend, he packed his suitcase. I knew if I didn’t say something he’d just drive away.”
“What happened?” Rosie asked.
“Let’s just say it took him a lot longer to pack,” Morris said mischievously. “Tell Josh how you feel.”
“Estelle said I can’t do that until I decide what to do about Colby’s offer,” Rosie replied.
“It sounds like a fabulous opportunity.” Morris nodded.
“I don’t know if it’s right for me.” Rosie sighed. “I pushed numbers around at the studio and spent my days meeting with investors. I love having my own shop. The feeling of satisfaction of giving customers something they love. I even love being so tired at the end of the day I can barely drag myself into the bath. I feel like I’ve accomplished something.”
“But Rosie’s Fish Tacos would still be yours, only bigger.”
“I know,” Rosie agreed. “It all spins round and round in my head like a carousel.”
“You need to go someplace quiet where you can think,” Morris suggested. “If it was me, I’d take my basket of shirts to the laundry room and stand in front of a nice hot iron.”
Rosie sat up straight and looked at Morris. She glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped up.
“You’re brilliant!” She kissed Morris on the cheek and ran out of the kitchen.
* * *
Rosie entered the fish taco shop and found Patrick’s sister, Mary, wiping the counter. Four teenagers sat on stools, eating tacos and drinking orange sodas. A family clutched bags of tacos and whispered at the signed picture of Colby hanging on the wall.
“You’re supposed to take the whole day off,” Mary said. “I’m sorry the place is a mess, I’ve been swamped.”
“It looks great.” Rosie glanced at the white-and-red floor, the gleaming counter, the stove piled with saucepans and skillets. “I’d like to close up, so you can go home early.”
“Really?” Mary asked. “I’m supposed to meet two friends at the movies.”
“Go on.” Rosie nodded.
“You had a lot of happy customers.” Mary peeled off her apron. “And three requests for your autograph.”
Rosie tied an apron over her dress and stood behind the counter. She put a spoon in the guacamole and tasted it tentatively. She added a pinch of Hawaiian sea salt and stirred the bowl.
“Hi.” A girl of about ten approached the counter. “I came in earlier but you weren’t here.”
“I remember you.” Rosie smiled. “You were my first customer.”
“You’re really famous now,” the girl replied. “I read you’re going to marry Colby Young.”
“Hardly.” Rosie laughed. “Rumor has it he’s taken, and I’m too old.”
“I told my parents what you said about them having me in common.” The girl rested her elbows on the counter. “We started playing a game of naming all the things they had in common. They stopped fighting and they’re in Tahiti on their second honeymoon.”
“That’s wonderful.” Rosie beamed.
“I’m here with my aunt and uncle,” the girl continued. “They’ve been fighting too. I think they need some fish tacos.”
“How many would you like?” Rosie spread out tortillas.
“Two for them and two for me,” the girl said proudly. “I’ve grown two inches this summer. I eat all day long.”
Rosie prepared the girl’s tacos and slipped them in a bag with an extra side of guacamole. The girl skipped down the street and clutched the bag as if it was a present. Rosie chopped and sliced and rang up orders until the last customer left. She turned the sign to CLOSED and felt the delicious quiet after the hum of activity.
The store smelled of olive oil and onions and she realized she was starving. She spread lettuce and tomatoes on a tortilla and added grated cheese, grilled cod, and spoonfuls of guacamole. She scooped up the taco and bit into it, tomatoes and lettuce dribbling onto the counter.
Rosie had forgotten how good her fish tacos tasted. The guacamole was light and fluffy, the cod was seasoned just right. She made herself another taco, piling on shredded lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and adding a squeeze of lime.
She suddenly pictured the kitchen in their house in Santa Monica. She remembered sharing sandwiches with Ben: arranging layers of turkey, Swiss cheese, and Bermuda onions on French bread. For the first time, she didn’t flinch when she thought about Ben. She pictured his expression when he told her about Mary Beth, and she wasn’t heartbroken or angry.
Rosie collected taco baskets, realizing Ben was right to let her walk away. She didn’t want the fast-paced life of a movie executive. She didn’t want to wear well-cut suits and straighten her hair so she could flick it over her shoulders. Or sit in meetings and kiss up to producers and take lunches with drunken investors.
She wanted to stand in her own store, making delicious fish tacos. She wanted to count the money in the cash register and separate the bills with thick rubber bands. She wanted to go home to Josh and get up and do the same thing tomorrow.
Rosie grabbed her purse and locked the door. She would drive to Josh’s house and tell him she was refusing Colby’s offer. Her heart pounded and she walked quickly to her car. She would explain what she meant about not wanting to move in with him. Josh would wrap his arms around her and ask her to marry him.
“Rosie!” Rachel poked her head out of a shop door. “I have to show you something.”
“Can it wait a little,” Rosie asked. “I want to see but I’m in a hurry.”
“Please, it will just take a minute.” Rachel stepped onto the sidewalk. She wore a blue dress and a white leather belt. Her dark hair was curled and she wore her silver locket around her neck.
“You look very fancy.” Rosie eyed her outfit.
“I’ve been to see the inquisition.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Come in the shop, I have to talk to you.”
Rosie followed Rachel into the chocolate shop, breathing in the smell of cocoa and cinnamon. There were rows of pink marzipan, and orange-and-black chocolate pumpkins. A round table was devoted to a chocolate train with orange nougat cabooses.
“I can’t believe I’m putting out Halloween displays already,” Rachel groaned. “But tourists want to buy their Halloween candy before they go home.”
“It all looks delicious.” Rosie eyed a tray of dark chocolate truffles.
“Patrick proposed,” Rachel announced.
“Congratulations, that’s amazing news.” Rosie gave her a hug. “Tell me everything. When, where, what did he say?”
“It was a complete surprise,” Rachel gushed. “I was helping him make sandwiches at the delicatessen. He said wouldn’t it be great to have a cafe attached to the deli: just a few tables where people could sit and eat. He took my hand and led me to the shop next door. It used to be a wine bar but the owner moved to San Francisco. He showed me where he could break through the wall and make it one big space. Then he handed me a blue velvet box.” Rachel paused. “I opened it and I almost started crying. Inside was a key.”
“A key to what?” Rosie wondered aloud.
“Patrick had already leased the space. He said he wanted a bigger income because he wanted to marry me and have at least four children. Then he got down on one knee and pulled this ring out of his pocket.” Rachel displayed a round diamond in a platinum setting.
“It’s gorgeous!” Rosie held it up to the light.
“I thought it would be some ancient ring belonging to his grandmother,” Rachel continued. “But Patrick said when he called my father and asked for my hand, Dad insisted Patrick see a jeweler he knows in LA.”
“Patrick called your father?” Rosie asked.
“It was the scariest thing he’d ever done.” Rachel nodded. “But he said if the only thing stopping him from spending the rest of his life with me was a man who ate lox and bagels, he better learn to love lox. He overnighted my father a case of gefilte fish and they’ve been friends ever since.”
“I’m so happy for you.” Rosie smiled.
“We just came from his grandmother’s.” Rachel shuddered. “I thought she was going to put a curse on me. She held my hands so tightly they turned blue, and then she hugged me and started crying. She had been praying she’d live long enough to see a great-grandchild. She made me promise if it’s a girl I’d call her Edna after her mother.”
“I hope you kept your fingers crossed behind your back.” Rosie laughed.
“I sort of like Edna,” Rachel mused. “Now we have to find a rabbi and a priest who’ll marry us, and whittle the guest list down from four hundred. The whole Gold clan is coming from New Jersey, and Patrick has twenty-three cousins.”
“You’ll be the most beautiful bride in Montecito,” Rosie insisted.
“We can have a double engagement party,” Rachel suggested. “You and Josh should join us.”
“I’m not sure we’re still together.” Rosie flinched.
“Josh adores you. What happened?”
Rosie told Rachel about Colby’s offer and Angelica’s surprise appearance in the garage.
“I heard a rumor you were expanding Rosie’s Fish Tacos,” Rachel said. “Are you going to accept it?”
“I considered it. But I came to work this afternoon and realized I just want to stand in my own shop and sell tacos.”
“I’m exactly the same. I never wanted to own department stores in five cities,” Rachel agreed. “That’s a recipe for headaches.”
“Now I have to tell Josh.” Rosie took a deep breath. “I’m afraid he won’t see me.”
“If I could face Patrick’s grandmother, you can tell the man who adores you that you love him.” Rachel unwrapped a toffee and popped it in her mouth.
“I have to try.” Rosie nodded.
Rachel grabbed a box of fudge wrapped in gold tissue. “Take this to celebrate when you make up.”
* * *
Rosie drove to Josh’s house and felt a surge of adrenaline. If Angelica and Rachel could have happy endings, she could make it work with Josh. She pictured walking arm in arm on the beach, watching the waves roll in. She pressed her foot on the accelerator and drove faster. She had to reach Josh before he closed himself off, before the wounds became too big to heal.
Rosie punched Colby’s number into her phone. She told him her decision, hoping she wouldn’t hurt his feelings.
“You can’t turn it down,” Colby urged. “It’s like turning down Santa Claus.”
“It’s a wonderful offer,” Rosie assured him. “It’s just not right for me. I don’t want more. I just want what I have.”
“Everyone wants more, Rosie,” Colby argued. “It’s as natural as breathing.”
“I found what I want,” Rosie said. “And it’s all here in Montecito.”
“If you change your mind, call me,” Colby answered. “They’re the best fish tacos I ever tasted.”
Rosie parked across the street from Josh’s house. Josh’s car wasn’t out front, and she debated driving to the beach to see if he was surfing. But she didn’t want their reunion to be in front of other people.
She turned off the engine and suddenly felt light and happy. She was doing everything that Estelle and Morris suggested. She smoothed her dress and checked her makeup in the mirror. She rubbed on lip gloss and ran her fingers through her hair.
Josh’s hatchback pulled into the driveway. Rosie opened her door to run and greet him but a young woman stepped out of the driver’s seat. She was petite with an upturned nose and full red lips. Her long black hair fell down her back, and she wore platform shoes and a mini skirt with a sequined silver top.
Rosie froze and waited for Josh to open the passenger door. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might explode. The woman took a bag of groceries out of the trunk. She opened the passenger door and scooped up a fluffy white dog. She walked to the front door, put a key in the lock, and disappeared inside.