Forbidden Serenade

Chapter Thirteen

Elijah picked up the phone, placing a meal order as I strolled over to the floor to ceiling windows. Opening the glass doors, I stepped out onto the oversized balcony. I stared out at the Mississippi River I had grown up alongside my entire life. I was born in this city, and I was certain I would die in it one day. Right now, carnival rides and food cluttered along the riverfront. It was a carnival held each year in town. My kids used to love the rides. We went every year as a family.

Until now.

Wrapping my hands around the railing, I drew in a breath as a breeze blew past. Life changed, and that was okay. I would survive. My hair fell into my face as I heard footsteps approach.

Elijah came up behind me. His pelvis pressed against my butt as his arms wrapped around my waist. His lips lowered to my neck, peppering it with kisses.

"I've lived here my whole life," I said, tilting my neck to the side to give him better access. "Where did you grow up?"

Lifting his lips from my neck, he shifted to lean against the railing beside me. "Tennessee."

I turned toward him, noticing his hat was now backwards. "Do your parents still live there?"

He shook his head. "No. My mom left when I was little, and my dad is dead."

My eyes widened in surprise at the complete lack of emotion in his voice. There was a deep story there, but, as he turned and rested his elbows on the railing, I got the impression it was one he didn't care to share.

"Mine are gone too," I said, mirroring his pose and staring out at the river and carnival again. "Six years ago. They got hit by a drunk driver coming home from dinner." He didn't say the usual I'm sorry that everyone else did. I was grateful for that, but it also left me questioning why. Was he happy his dad was dead? It was an absurd thought. Who could be happy if their parent died? I was aware home lives differed, and not everyone had a rosy childhood like me. "Do you have any siblings?"

He kept his gaze straight ahead. It took him a second to reply, and at first, I thought he hadn't heard my question. "No."

He didn't elaborate, and I wasn't one who soaked up the silence. So I filled it. "I have two brothers. They're twins. Leo is a chef. He's older by ten minutes and always makes sure everyone remembers that. Leo runs a restaurant on the outskirts of town. He's the one who knew Max, Sterling Youngworth's chef in the Hamptons. My other brother, Logan, runs the restaurant you met me in tonight. He's married to a sweet girl named Anna."

Elijah shifted his gaze toward me. Hair fell over half his face. "You bartend for your brother?"

Shame washed over me. I was eleven years older than Elijah, but he was miles ahead of me in success in life. I swallowed down my emotions, knowing he wasn't asking to be hurtful. "Yeah. At night. During the day I waitress at Leo's restaurant. After the divorce, they were so helpful in giving me jobs. I hadn't had one in years. That didn't fare well on résumés, as you might imagine. I stayed at home with my kids. Society doesn't exactly celebrate that. Especially men. They don't respect the work you do as a mother. If you tell people you're a stay-at-home mom, they think you're lazy. Being a parent is a full-time job. But if you work full-time, people judge your parenting because you're sending your kid to daycare. Moms can't win. And that's all I wanted to be. My friends had these huge dreams and aspirations growing up. I wanted to be a mom."

Elijah's features scrunched as though something I told him was puzzling. "There's nothing more important than raising the next generation. But why do you work two jobs?"

My eyes wandered out to the traffic along the riverfront. Various cars and motorcycles zoomed past at a steady pace. Perhaps I should be worried someone down there would see me standing here with Elijah. I just didn't care tonight. About being seen with him. About regretting this tomorrow.