Rena sat pensively waiting on the impending doom – surely Courtney must have heard about the kiss.  Her feet tapped the floor nervously.  She was shocked to hear a perky response.

"I'm so glad that you followed up with me.  You must be wondering why I'm calling.  I asked Ian for your number yesterday because I got a call from Blake saying that you couldn't do the wedding planning."  A wave of relief washed over Rena.  "I'd like you to reconsider."

"I've got an awful lot going on right now and I just won't be able to do it."

"Well, I'm in a bind right now because I'm in Atlanta on a very important business deal.  It came up unexpectedly and I just can't bear the thought of postponing the wedding again."

Rena sat up straight as a pencil.  "Your wedding was postponed?  What happened before?"

"I hate to say it, but it's the same thing.  Our schedules are crazy and with all that we've done trying to help Clarissa, we don't have time to plan it or to get someone else to help us plan it.  So when you volunteered I thought you needed to stay busy to keep your mind off Clarissa's illness and that we'd found our answer."

Rena sat on the edge of the bed shaking her head.  If Blake and Courtney postponed the wedding again, everybody in town would think that she was responsible for it.  She wanted to kick herself for opening that door.  The last thing she wanted was tongues wagging.  Ian had created enough of that already and yesterday's open blow-up didn't help matters any.  Rena was silent on the phone for a long time, thinking.   

Courtney finally spoke up.  "Just a small wedding... I saw some wonderful things about you on the Internet.  I know you could make it great.  You can call me if you need anything.  From what I've seen of your work, you'd be perfect."

"Yes, Courtney, I'll find a way to work it in.  You're right, it will take my mind off Clarissa."  I'm going to kill Ian for giving her my phone number.

***

Blake was pleased when he walked in the restaurant around noon and saw Mrs. Madison sitting at one of the tables observing Ian.  Avery was making her rounds about the dining area and Ian was serving orders to the customers.  When he saw Blake, he glared. 

Blake chuckled and went to talk with Mrs. Madison.  "So, how's our hostile worker?"

"He was here at 5:45. He's been grumbling all day but he's doing well.  Clarissa was shocked to see him doing so much work.  Don't think he didn't try to get her to undo the situation.  She just laughed and said, 'Follow Blake's directive.'"

"If he gives you any trouble, just pick up the phone."

"I'm going to keep him so busy he won't have time to make any trouble."

"That's just what I like to hear.  So, where's Clarissa?"

"She's in the office.  When the staff didn't let her in the kitchen this morning, she was hotter than steam on a southern street. 

"Did the staff do what I asked them to do?"

"It was marvelous.  I wish you'd been here.  They all said at one time, 'Calling Eldred - (912) 873-5587.'  She was red in the face, but she left the kitchen and has been sitting in the office ever since.  I'll be praying for you to come out alive."

Blake laughed.  This was good.  After his confrontation with Clarissa, he knew he only had one more rebellious Blackshear to deal with today.  He might as well get this done. 

He walked into the office and there she was, looking quite lethal.  "So you just expect me to twiddle my thumbs all day?"

"Nope.  That's not what I had in mind at all.  You can greet customers.  You can walk around and chat with them about the weather, books and babies.  You can work the cash register and you can review the accounting and payroll.  You just can't go in the kitchen and you can't work anybody's shift like you did yesterday."

"You gave them all Eldred's phone number.  That was low down, Blake."

"And highly effective, I might add.  I spoke to Eldred and he's all for it.  We're going to keep you with us a long time."

Clarissa rolled her eyes at Blake.  "How long do you intend to keep me blocked out of nearly everything on the computer?"

"Until I know for sure that Ian can handle things without having to ask you a single question."

"But you've even got me blocked out of the menu planning.  You know how much I enjoy creating the monthly menus."

"And I also know how stressful that can be since it's tied into ordering.  So you won't have that loophole.  Avery will handle it.  Now, be a big girl and go out and greet your guests."

Clarissa walked from behind the desk, reached up and pinched Blake on the cheek. "You know I hate you, but I love you for it."

As soon as Clarissa left the office he dialed Rena. Just as he expected, no answer.  He showed up on Ian's doorstep thirty minutes later.

***

Rena went to the door and looked out to see who was ringing the bell. This can't be happening to me.   "Come in, Blake."

Rena took one look at that handsome man standing in front of her and started to melt.  He was in her head and her lips still tingled at the thought of yesterday.  By the way he was gazing at her she felt the undeniable heat. 

"Rena, we need to talk.  I didn't get any sleep last night and it was wrong for you not to return any of my calls."

She threw up her hands and went and sat on the sofa.  "What was I supposed to say, Blake?  I've been trying to forget you since I left here.  Every time I look at you it makes me remember the way things used to be before my life got torn apart.  Why did you kiss me yesterday and complicate things even more?"

"Your life is not the only life that was torn apart.  Have you ever, for one moment, thought about me?  While you were off trying to forget me so that you wouldn't be in pain, I was longing for you to forgive your mother so that you would come back to me.  You know I did everything that I could to get you to talk to Clarissa."

Rena got upset and walked towards Blake.  "I don't want to hear anything more about me not forgiving my mother and you fully know the reason why."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not going to deny that by not forgiving my mother I hurt us.  Do you remember what happened when my father died?"  Rena saw the awareness ripple across his face.  "He was all I had and I was all alone.  I asked you to come back to New York with me.  No, I begged you to come back and what did you say to me, Blake?"

She felt the brim of tears spiraling down her face and saw the devastating look in his eyes.  That was a day that neither of them wanted to remember.  That was the day the thin chord holding what was left of their relationship together had snapped.  Rena was an emotional blur pivoting between passionate fire and icy indifference. 

"You said, 'No,' Blake.  You wouldn't come.  Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

He leaned his head against her forehead and drew her to him.  She tried to push him away but he held her fast.  To think that Blake would leave her in New York alone had gnawed on her heart for years.  It was a cut in her heart that never seemed to form a scab.  He couldn't find any words to respond because she clearly misunderstood and that couldn't happen twice.  One warm tear after another pooled on his shirt.  He just held her until he could form words.

He kissed her face.  "I'm sorry.  I did a terrible job trying to express myself that day.  All I ever wanted was for you to be whole again.  You will never be whole until you face Clarissa.  I didn't say 'No,' Rena."  He cupped her face in his hands.  "I said I couldn't come.  If I had gone to New York, you wouldn't be standing here right now.  I would have been enough for you and you never would've addressed your bitterness."

"Oh, Blake – after all these years. Oh, God."

"That's why I waited."  He brushed his lips across hers and she could barely stand it. "I didn't want our relationship poisoned by the past.  No matter how I tried, I just couldn't seem to get that through to you.  When you wouldn't come home for your mother, as sick as she was, three years ago I thought you were beyond redemption.  That's when I let go.  It broke my heart."

Rena remembered well the conversation between her and Blake three years ago.  It was ugly.  No matter what he said or what anyone else said, Rena Blackshear was not coming back to Savannah. 

"I'm so sorry, Blake.  Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to be forgiven.  I'm glad to finally understand why we drifted so far."

"We're in a mess." 

"Yes, we are and we'll deal with it some other time, not today."  He kissed her breathless, deepening it until their souls connected.  She gave in to his fervor, wrapping her arms around his neck.  Heat coursed through her veins.  His deep passion swept her to a place where she felt loved and wanted again, if only it was to last for a moment.