Dani was happy for him. Walker was a hell of a guy and he was doing a great job. She never actually wanted to run the business, she'd just wanted to have a chance to prove herself running one of the restaurants. While Gloria had put her in charge of Burger Heaven, she hadn't let her move up at all. After years of trying to please a woman who actually seemed to hate her, Dani had been told the truth. In blunt terms, Gloria had explained that Dani wasn't a real Buchanan. That her mother had had an affair and Dani was the result.
With Gloria as the matriarch of the family, Dani wasn't related to her at all. As Gloria had only ever been critical and distant, Dani should have been relieved.
But she wasn't. "Despite their lack of blood connection, Dani knew Gloria would always be her grandmother-at least in Dani's heart. Gloria's past behavior meant being close was unlikely.
Dani told herself she didn't care. At least there was a bright side.
Now that she knew Mark Canfield could be her real father, she had a whole new family to bond with. The downside was she'd spent her whole life as a Buchanan and she didn't want to be anyone else.
Walker released her. "How are things going?"
"Great. I love it. Bernie's the best and the kitchen staff is only terrorizing me a little. That means I'm starting to win them over. Of course if they weren't terrorizing me at all it would mean that they hate me, so it's a delicate balance. What are you doing here? Looking for a decent meal for a change?"
The slam made him grin. "You think pasta with red sauce can compete with anything Penny can come up with?"
Penny had married their oldest brother, Cal. She was an extraordinary chef and worked at The Waterfront, the seafood restaurant in the Buchanan stable.
"If you're going to put it like that," Dani grumbled, knowing Penny was a genius. "But we have a lot of great stuff you don't offer. Now that I think about it, we need to open an Italian place. It's very popular and the profit margin is fantastic."
Walker stared at her. "I'm not here to talk business."
"But an Italian restaurant is a great idea."
"An excellent one, if you want to ignore the fact that you're trying to talk me into competing with your current boss."
Oops. Dani glanced around to see if anyone had overheard her. Damn. When was she going to remember that she wasn't a Buchanan anymore? That she didn't owe them any loyalty and that she should be putting all her energies into Bella Roma?
"Okay" she muttered. "Point taken. So if you're not here for the garlic bread, what's up?"
"It's Elissa," he said.
Dani grabbed his arm. "Is she okay? Did something happen?"
"She's fine. We're moving forward with the wedding plans. She wants to have a fairy-tale wedding with lots of flowers and twinkle lights. I want her to be happy."
Until this minute, Dani would have had a hard time imagining her big, tough brother talking about twinkle lights with a straight face. She would have bet he didn't even know what they were. But since falling for Elissa, he was a different man. More open, more connected, more aware of twinkle lights.
"I’m sure the wedding will be beautiful," she said.
"She wants you to be in it. She's not going to have a maid of honor. Apparently it's too complicated. So she'll have a lot of attendants and she would like you to be one. But she didn't want to pressure you, so she asked me to ask you so you'd be more comfortable saying no."
Dani smiled. "Really? She wants me in the wedding?"
"Of course she does. She likes you. Plus, you're family, and don't say you're not. I'm tired of that conversation. You're as much a Buchanan as any of us. You're my sister. You could be an alien dropped off by the mother ship and you'd still be my sister"
His fierceness might have worried someone who didn't know him, but Dani recognized it as his way of saying he really, really cared. She might not be sure of her place in the universe or her last name, but she was clear on how much she mattered to her brothers.
"You're not getting rid of me," she said. "Don't worry."
"I have to worry. I'm older. It's in the job description. So do you want to be in the wedding or not?"
"So smooth," she told him. "So persuasive. So elegant in your communication."
He scowled. "Was that a yes?"
"It was a yes. I would love to be one of Elissa's attendants."
"Good. How was your meeting with the senator?"
She led him to a table and sat down. "It was interesting. Strange. I didn't feel a connection or anything."
She told him about how Mark had been willing to accept her story.
"Alex is insisting on a DNA test, which I think is a good idea. Then we'll both be sure."
"Alex is his son?"
"Adopted, but yes."
"Is he a problem?"
Dani grinned. "You offering to take him out if he is?"
"I'll run interference."
She liked the gesture, even if she couldn't take him up on it. "I can handle Alex." She thought about the determination in his eyes. "Or at least make a good run at it. Besides, I don't want you beating him up just yet. He's kind of hot."
Walker winced. "I don't want to know"
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen. I've learned my lesson. No more relationships for me. Still, he got my attention. Not that it matters. He thought I was a bug. An inconvenient bug who could screw up his father's presidential campaign."
"What do you think?"
"That he's making too big a deal out of things. I just want to know if Mark Canfleld is my father or not. If he is, I'd like to get to know him. That's where it ends… although Mark did invite me over to dinner tonight to meet his wife."
"What is she going to think about you?"
Dani winced. "I have no idea, but I doubt it will be good."
Katherine Canfield walked into her house through the garage, with her former daughter-in-law on her heels. As always, Fiona was beautifully dressed in a suit that flattered her slender figure and perfect red hair. Katherine glanced down at her own designer suit. Despite an aggressive exercise routine and constantly watching what she ate, her body had begun to change. She'd never minded the thought of getting old, but when faced with the reality of a thickening waist and the unpleasant realization that gravity was not her friend, she thought longingly of the easy resilience of youth.
"I have the guest list prepared," Fiona said efficiently. "All but three of the designers have confirmed and I'm going to keep pressuring the last three until they cave. I'm determined we top last year's proceeds by at least twenty-five percent."
"Both the hospital and I appreciate your enthusiasm," Katherine said as she stepped out of her shoes. She'd been presenting their plans for the fashion show fund-raiser, then had worked the subsequent late-afternoon tea. She'd been on her feet for hours and they were letting her know about it- another sign of getting older. When she'd been Fiona's age, she would have been able to do that and then go dancing all night.
"We should just send a check," Katherine said as she poured herself a glass of water, then offered one to Fiona. "Much less work."
Fiona smiled. "You always say that, but you don't mean it."
"You're right." While Katherine's charity work filled much of her days, she loved knowing the money raised would make a difference.
The sound of someone running caused her to turn. Anticipating the greeting, Katherine set her glass on the counter, crouched down and held out her arms.
Seconds later Sasha burst into the room and flew across the hardwood floors.
"Mommy, Mommy, you're back. I missed you so much. Yvette read to me and Bailey and I watched princess videos and I had mac and cheese for lunch, then Ian read us a story and did the voices."
Katherine straightened, hugging the little girl close. "You had a good day."
"I did." Sasha smiled.