The Marriage Recipe by Michele Dunaway Page A

by.”
    We? Who was we? Unsettled, Rachel probed on a different front. “He didn’t have a crush on me. Remember? Prom? I told you, he didn’t ask me. I just heard him wrong. He went with someone else.”
    â€œI thought you turned him down. You know, you two really should discuss that,” Adrienne said. “Get it out in the open and put it behind you.”
    â€œIt is behind me,” Rachel argued, realizing that the moment she’d stepped foot in Morrisville her past had roared to life. In New York, Colin Morris had been her previous life. All women had some man who broke their hearts, intentionally or not. It was simply a rite of passage, a part of growing up. Now she was face-to-face with him, and the truth was, he hadn’t ever liked her as more than a friend, no matter how deep her feelings for him.
    That he might have fallen in love with her had been a wild fantasy of hers, and a terribly misguided one at that. She’d learned of her mistake the hard way. “Besides, whatever he might have felt, that was high school. Years ago. Way too long to worry about now. And remember Marco? I believed I was getting married. It’s not even been three weeks.”
    â€œColin’s never been serious about anyone,” Kim announced, ignoring the proclamation about Marco, whom she’d never liked in the first place, especially when he’d tried to talk to her about the Old Country the one time they’d met.
    â€œI was committed and I don’t want to get involved on the rebound. I have no intention of just finding some other man to keep my bed warm.”
    Her mother crossed herself and Rachel rolled her eyes. Her mother had been a virgin until she’d married. She also still went to church every Sunday and didn’t miss a holy day. Compared with her, Rachel was quite the heathen. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
    â€œOh, lighten up, Adrienne. You know how kids these days are,” Kim said. “Rachel’s a grown woman. You married at twenty. I’d be worried about her if she hadn’t, well…”
    â€œI just don’t want to hear the details,” Adrienne said. “Feel free to use the kitchen. We usually finish the next day’s prep work around five. It’s yours after that.”
    â€œThanks,” Rachel said. “The arrangement is only temporary, though. My goal has always been to open a place in New York and sell on the Internet from it. I love the vibes of the city. But I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate your support. I’m very lucky.”
    â€œSweetie, you’re family. This is what family does. We only wish you’d let us do more to help you,” Adrienne said.
    â€œWhat you’ve done is plenty,” Rachel insisted. She stood and hugged them. “I love you both dearly.”
    â€œUs, too,” Kim said.
    Another round of hugs followed, and then Rachel found herself alone again. She glanced at the clock. Kim and Adrienne opened the diner by 6:00 a.m. so they were usually in bed by eight. Since tomorrow Rachel’s shift didn’t start until eleven, she could sleep in a little if she wanted. Not that she was tired. She was still on edge from finding Colin Morris in his darkened bedroom, flashing code back at her.
    What had made her grab the flashlight and contact him when she’d seen the light go on in his bedroom? She’d instinctively known it was him, and no one else. She sprawled out on her back and stared up at the double bed’s lace canopy. She had to be the world’s biggest idiot. Not only had she not suspected Marco’s indiscretions, but she’d just acted like a middle-school girl with a crush—on a man who only wanted to help her with her legal issues.
    Which he was doing because she was a friend, or like his sister. Nothing more. She’d clear up any misconceptions tomorrow. If not, the people in this small town would get the wrong idea