Chew and swallow, Sierra commanded herself. Her filet mignon was so tender she could cut it with her fork. Too bad she was too keyed up to appreciate it. She placed a forkful of fluffy baked potato in her mouth, then washed it down with water. Candlelight flickered off Parker’s handsome face as he flashed a dazzling smile that captured light from the jewels on the chandelier above. He was the picture of perfection in his tailored sports-coat and white-collar shirt. No wonder he’d been named one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.

“Are you okay? You seem a little edgy tonight,” Parker said, frowning.

A rubbery smile wormed over Sierra’s lips. “I’m good.” She looked around, her gaze taking in the splendor surrounding them. “This restaurant is incredible.”

“I’m glad you like it,” he beamed. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“Oh.” She was taken back by his comment, jealousy stabbing through her. Parker had never taken her here before. She wondered who he’d come here with.

“I bring clients here for lunch,” he explained, as if reading her mind.

Relief splattered over her as she smiled, feeling foolish. “Makes sense.”

They ate in companionable silence until the meal was finished. All the while, Sierra kept thinking how everything was building to the grand finale, which was coming soon … she hoped. Anticipation tingled through her as she took a long sip of water, trying to appear poised on the outside, even though her nerves were jumping like a horde of rambunctious kids, hopped up on sugar.

Parker placed his napkin beside his plate, signaling the end of the meal. Then he leaned back in his seat. “You’re probably wondering why I brought you here tonight.”

Her heart did a somersault. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice even. “The thought has crossed my mind,” she said lightly, placing her napkin on the table.

He reached for her hand, his dark eyes radiating admiration. “I hope you know how much I appreciate you.”

“Thanks,” she croaked. “I appreciate you too.”

“I still can’t believe you landed the Pristine Pizza account.”

“I had a lot of help from the team.”

He nodded. “True. But you’re the primary reason Ross gave us the account. He told me that.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

Ross Snyder owned the fast-growing pizza chain. Wicked smart with business, Ross was a country boy from Alabama who’d grown up hunting and fishing. After moving to Portland, Oregon he started his first restaurant. When he learned Sierra was from South Carolina, an instant friendship was forged. At the end of the negotiations, Ross practically begged Henley Communications to handle his account, with the condition that Sierra oversee it.

“I’m proud of you, Sierra.”

The tenderness in Parker’s eyes melted Sierra’s heart. “Thanks,” she murmured.

“I’m officially promoting you to a senior account manager.”

Her eyes widened. “That’s great.” She certainly hadn’t expected that. Parker ran a tight ship, only putting the best-of-the-best in managerial positions at his advertising agency. It was flattering to think she was in that category. Also, a raise would be nice.

“That’s part of the reason I wanted to bring you here tonight.”

Her stomach twisted. Had she totally misinterpreted Parker’s intent? Maybe this meeting was solely business. That was the downside to dating her boss—the lines were often blurred between business and personal. She went hot all over, then clammy cold.

Parker released her hand. “And to give you this.” He pulled a small rectangular box from his pocket and handed it to her.

Tears glistened in her eyes as her breath caught. Her spirits rebounded instantly. She looked across the table, feeling a rush of adoration for the perfect man sitting across from her. “Is this what I think it is?”

He grinned. “Open it and see.”

Happiness poured over Sierra like the morning sun kissing a field of clover. She couldn’t stop the broad smile filling her face as she opened the box. A cry wrenched her throat, and she had the feeling of being sucker punched. “Earrings,” she mumbled, her heart plummeting. Her chest constricted, making it hard to get a good breath.

“You don’t like them,” Parker said flatly.

“No … I mean, yes. They’re beautiful.” She hesitated, trying to figure out how to respond. Her eyes connected with Parker. What did she feel right now? Anger? Hurt? At this point, it was mostly shock. “It’s just not what I expected,” she uttered, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. Disappointment rolled over her like a tidal wave, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

The whites of Parker’s eyes popped as realization dawned. “You thought I was going to propose.”

Her cheeks went hot. “Well, yeah.” She felt like a total moron. A tear escaped the corner of her eye and dribbled down her cheek. Hastily, she swiped it away. Her phone rang. She fumbled in her purse, which was hanging on the back of the chair. It was Bennie. She hit the side button to silence it and shoved it back in her purse.

Parker rubbed a hand across his jaw. “I had no idea that’s what you were thinking.” He chuckled. “This is awkward.”

Anger spiked through her, making her feel nauseated. She glared at him. “What else was I supposed to think? Rossini’s is one of the most popular restaurants in Manhattan for marriage proposals.”

He spread his hands. “Or to celebrate a promotion, or simply being together.” He paused, giving her an apologetic look. “I didn’t mean to throw you off. I do want to marry you … someday.”

A harsh laugh scratched through her throat. “When I’m eighty?”

His face drained. “No, in a couple of years.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “A couple of years?”

“Yeah, we agreed to take things slow.”

“We have been.” Her voice rose, catching the attention of the couple at the table beside them. Sierra drew in a breath, trying to calm down. “We’ve been together two years,” she said, lowering her voice.

“I know. And it has been wonderful. Two years from now, we’ll know for sure if we want to be together for the rest of our lives.”

She had to fight the urge to laugh in his face. As far as Sierra was concerned, they had been taking it slow—painfully slow. Now Parker planned to cool his heels for two more years, saying maybe they’d consider marriage. The whole thing was unbelievable!

Sierra’s phone rang again. This time, she ignored it. Her heart was pumping so furiously, she felt like it would fly out of her chest.

“You can get that.”

“No,” she barked. “It can go to voicemail.”

Parker reached for her hand. She tried to pull away, but he held it tight. He peered into her eyes. “I love you.”

Tears surfaced. “I love you too.”

“I want to marry you. I do. But you know how hard this is for me. Especially considering what happened to my parents.”

“Just because your parents got divorced doesn’t mean we will,” she muttered. Parker’s parents had spent several years in a nasty legal battle, fighting over their assets and custody of Parker.

“I know that, but I think we owe it to ourselves to give our relationship plenty of time to mature.”

Parker liked to consider all the angles before moving forward. He was that way in business and in his personal life. Sierra knew this about him, so she probably shouldn’t be taking this so hard. Still, they’d been together two years. Wasn’t that long enough to know if you loved someone? She removed her hand. She needed to get out of here for a few minutes to clear her head and avoid saying something she’d regret. Her phone rang again. She stood, reaching for her purse and slinging the strap over her shoulder. Parker also stood.

“You don’t have to get up. I’ve got to go to the restroom. I’ll be right back,” Sierra mumbled, walking away.

She held back the tears long enough to get out of the main body of the restaurant. As she walked toward the restrooms, her phone rang again. She cursed, reaching into her purse. It was probably Bennie. Whenever Bennie couldn’t reach her, she made a point of calling repeatedly until Sierra answered. However, she was surprised to see that it wasn’t Bennie. It was a number she didn’t recognize with a South Carolina area code.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Sierra, this is Nadine Thompson.”

“Oh, hi.” Nadine lived across the street from Bennie. In her younger years, Sierra thought of Nadine as a close friend and mentor. But they’d drifted apart, as Sierra had done with all the people back home in Sugar Pines. This was the first time Nadine had ever called Sierra. She was surprised Nadine even had her number. “Is everything okay?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

Sierra tensed, her throat tightening. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Bennie. She’s had an accident.”

Somehow Sierra managed to find her voice. “What happened?”

“She hurt her knee.”

Sierra felt a mixture of alarm and relief. For a second there, she thought something terrible had happened to Bennie. An injured knee was bad, but there were lots of other things that were much worse. “Is she doing all right?”

“She’s hanging tough.”

“How did it happen?”

“She was on a ladder adjusting the stage lights and fell.”

Of all the stupid things to do! “She should’ve known better than to get up on a ladder,” she huffed.

“Yeah, you’re right. But you know your aunt.”

“Yes, I do,” she shot back.

Nadine let out a long sigh. “I’m afraid there’s more.”

Sierra’s heart jumped into her throat as she braced herself.

“Bennie’s in over her head financially. She was counting on using the proceeds from Macbeth to get caught up on her house loan, but now that she’s incapacitated …” Her voice trailed off.

“What’re you talking about?” Sierra’s voice was near yelling. A woman walking past gave Sierra a funny look, but she only scowled and turned her back to the woman. “Bennie doesn’t have a loan. The mansion is paid for.”

Nadine let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, I thought you knew.”

“Knew what?” she barked.

“Bennie borrowed against the mansion to fund her outdoor theater.”

Heat poured over Sierra as she began pacing—two steps forward, two steps back—in the hall beside the restroom. “How could Bennie be so stupid?” she fumed.

“I’m sorry to put you in a hard position, but it’s bad. I can’t help but feel responsible because Bennie came to me. I helped her get the loan through The First Federal Bank where I work. I’ve spoken to the president Leo Farnsworth, and he’s willing to give Bennie a thirty-day extension. But if she doesn’t get caught up on her payments, the bank will foreclose.”

“How far behind is she?”

“She hasn’t made a payment in ten months.”

She sucked in air. “How much are the payments?”

“Twenty-two hundred dollars.”

A headache pounded across the bridge of Sierra’s nose. Everything was falling apart faster than she could put it back together. “I can’t believe Bennie didn’t tell me about the loan. I just spoke with her this morning.” Sierra didn’t have enough money saved to cover the past-due payments. She’d managed to tuck away a little each month, but it cost a fortune to live in New York. Even with her raise, there would be no hope of amassing the amount of money needed to cover the payments.

“Bennie’s too embarrassed to tell you.”

Sierra’s brows darted together. “Does Bennie know you’re talking to me?”

“Heavens, no. You know how much pride Bennie has. She’d let the bank take the mansion a hundred times over before she burdened anyone with her problems. Which is why I had to step in and let you know what’s going on.”

“I appreciate that. Is Bennie home?”

“Yes, the ambulance came and took her to the hospital. But she was released a few hours later.”

Alarm trickled over Sierra. “It was serious enough for an ambulance?”

“I’m afraid so. She did a doozy on her knee. It’s swollen up the size of a grapefruit. The doctors say she might need surgery.”

“Who’s with Bennie now?”

“I went over and spent a few hours, but had to come home and make dinner for Hal. I’ll go back over and check on her tomorrow morning.”

“She’s there? By herself?” The thought of her aged aunt alone with an injured knee in that big house was nearly too much to take. Her own knees went weak. Sierra leaned back against the wall for support.

“Yes, but I’m right across the street. Bennie can call if she needs anything.”

“Does she even have anything to eat?”

“I took over a plate of food.”

Sierra put a hand to her chest. “Oh, good. Thank you.”

“I’m happy to do it. Bennie’s like a sister to me.”

“I appreciate everything you’re doing for her. Thanks for calling and letting me know.” She ended the call, her mind on fire. As she stumbled to the restroom, she could only see one option.

She had to go back to South Carolina to sort this thing out. Bennie couldn’t lose her house.