The Focaccia Fatality by J. M. Griffin Read Free Book Online Page A

business and they began their daily chat over local gossip. I left them to it and returned to clear away our breakfast debris.
    I’d no sooner swung through the double doors when I found Aidan Sinclair perched on a stool, leaning his cane against the stainless steel table with one hand and chewing a leftover brioche that he held with his other hand. I stopped mid-stride, astounded that he’d have the audacity to show up after I’d brushed him off the night before.
    His deep blue eyes raked me up and down before connecting with my glare. “Lass, you look like you’ve been up all night.”
    Oh yeah, every woman wants to hear how haggard she looks, whether it was true or not. I pressed my lips together to refrain from an acidic comment. Instead, I asked what he was doing here.
    “Here as in the U.S. or here in your bakery?” he asked with a slight grin.
    “Either or both, you’re choice,” I remarked.
    His face serious, he said, “There’s new and unfinished business to handle.”
    “And?”
    “You’re the unfinished part. We need to talk, Melina. I owe you an explanation for my absence.”
    I breezed into the office, tossed some papers about on the desk, and tried to hold my temper. I could feel his stare and finally slapped the sheaf of invoices onto the desktop and marched toward him.
    With my hands on my hips, I asked, “What do you think you can say that will matter to me?”
    His brows rose, his eyes flashed with a hint of anger, and he said, “I know I hurt you by not returning here as I’d promised. Believe me, I had no choice but to leave the country not long after we’d parted that evening.”
    “Really? Can I see your cell phone?” I asked.
    Surprised at the request, he fumbled in the inside pocket of his coat and handed the phone over. I scrolled through the numbers and found mine, before I handed the instrument back to him.
    “Let me get this straight, then,” I snapped. “You have my phone number, your cell phone has service, and yet months have gone by without so much as a word from you, other than a Christmas card that said nothing of value.”
    Taken aback at my cold attitude, at least I guessed that was what caused the look on his features to harden slightly, Aidan answered, “If you’d let me explain, lass, we can get this cleared away. It wasn’t my intention to let the situation go on so long. I was out of commission for quite some time and then there was this to deal with.” He pointed to his leg.
    Unwilling to listen, I put my hands up and said, “Stop, just stop. There’s no explanation good enough to excuse your behavior. If you didn’t want a relationship, Aidan, all you had to do was say so. Not hide in the highlands of Scotland and keep me waiting.” I’d begun pacing and now stopped two steps from him. “You should leave. I have work to do.” My voice must have grown louder with every word, for Sean pushed one of the doors open a crack and peaked in.
    “Is everything okay in here?” she murmured.
    “Fine, just fine, Sean. Aidan is leaving.”
    He leaned on his cane, limped toward the door, and turned to me. “Anger solves nothing, lass. I’ll be back.”
    “Don’t bother,” I answered sharply and left him at the door while I entered the shop, while Seanmhair sidled into the kitchen.

Chapter 5
    Whatever Seanmhair and Aidan said to one another was unintelligible. I was so angry, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what they said. Absentmindedly, I scanned the shelves and dashed away the few tears that filled my eyes. It occurred to me that Sean would appeal to me on Aidan’s behalf.
    Before I knew it, I’d walked out the front door, headed down the street and into the park. Disconsolate, I plunked onto the nearest bench and steadied my nerves as Aidan’s words sank in. Why did he use a cane? Why hadn’t he called me? Did he not care enough or was he unable to?
    In rapid succession, questions came, one after the other. Unfortunately, no answers followed. I