"Ah shit. I had to hear about that for weeks." Taylor rolled his eyes, pouring himself another glass.

Joey didn't laugh. He looked pissed. "He asked me, 'What means blackened?' Are you fucking kidding me? What third year culinary student has to ask that?"

"Joey, the poor guy's English was limited," Grace said taking another sip of her drink.

"Was he really German?" Sal asked.

Joey and Grace looked at each other then fell into one another laughing hysterically.

Taylor smirked, shaking his head. "Apparently the guy was short with a bad hair cut and a weird mustache, so these two decided he looked like Hitler. Hence, Herman the German, but he was as Mexican as they are. I hope you know you have a spoiled snob on your hands."

"I am not!" Grace protested.

"She has every right to be a snob!" Joey sat up straight. "She out cooked even the professors. God, I loved it when she showed them a thing or two and left them speechless. But spoiled? Never!" He put his arm around her. "My baby girl has worked so hard to get where she is."

Suddenly both Joey and Grace teared up. "All right that's enough Sangria for both of you," Taylor said.

Sal slipped his hand into Grace's and squeezed it. She pulled out of Joey's embrace and wiped her eyes. "We're so stupid," she said smiling.

"I know. I know." Joey stood up. "Taylor get that stuff away from me-you know what it does to me. And I haven't even finished showing off for Sal."

"You want some water too, Gracie?" Taylor smiled at her sweetly. "Because that's what Joey is getting for the next half hour or so, or at least until he has a full meal."

Gracie smirked at him then glanced back at Sal. "Yeah, I better."

Dinner was impressive-oven roasted sea bass with ginger and lime sauce. It was all very impressive and Joey had the presentation down to an art. Sal was also glad it wasn't anything heavy. After over-helping himself to the appetizers, he couldn't take anything too heavy and he knew Joey would be watching closely as he ate.

They ate in the front room with dinner served on the coffee table. When they were all done, Taylor cleared the table and Joey brought out the cards. Grace leaned against Sal. "I'm so stuffed," she whispered.

"Me too."

"Have you ever played hold 'em', Sal?" Joey asked as he shuffled the cards.

"I've played a little."

Taylor brought out a silver poker chip suitcase and started counting stacks of chips. "Don't get obnoxious, Joey," he warned, as he continued to count.

Joey stared at him while shuffling the cards with one hand. The cards moved through his fingers almost magically. "Whatever do you mean, Taylor?"

Gracie laughed. "You're such a show off."

As expected, Joey was the hands down star player, beating them all several times. Taylor had made another batch of Sangria and Grace was getting giggly again.

Joey passed out another round of cards. "Did Grace tell you about the time we went to Vegas?"

"No, Joey!" Grace laughed, holding her cards in front of her face.

"It's okay, honey." Joey peered over his cards. "Now we know. Never mix what Gracie drinks."

Gracie covered her face with the cards and groaned. "Don't tell him!"

"What?" Sal's curiosity had piqued.

"Let's just say." Joey added another three chips to the pot. "We know Gracie's talents are in the kitchen, not on stage singing Pat Benatar."

"Try screeching," Taylor laughed.

Grace fell back onto the sofa laughing. "You encouraged me!"

"I said sing a ballad, sweetie." Joey's eyebrows lifted. "Not 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot.'"

"No, it was 'See me if you're best off!" Taylor sang loudly. "You'd think she'd sing something she at least knew the words to the chorus."

Gracie buried her face in the cushions of the sofa, laughing uncontrollably. Sal had never seen her like this but it was nice to see a different side of her.

"In her defense, Sal." Joey patted Grace's leg. "At that point she wouldn't have known the words to Happy Birthday."

"So why'd you let me get up there?" Grace sat up, wiping tears of laughter away.

"Let you?" Joey stared at her like she was crazy. "I wasn't about to tackle you." He turned to Sal. "Gracie should come with a warning label. 'Alcohol may cause her to believe she can sing.'"

Grace fell into another fit of laughter. She threw her cards in. "I'm out! Joey, I can't believe you told him!" She wiped more tears away.

By the time the night was over, Sal was convinced these two were nothing more than true friends who cared deeply for not only Grace, but Rose as well. He understood now why Grace was so close to them. They were fun to be around and there was no doubt how sincere their feelings for her were.

Joey and Taylor walked them all the way out to Sal's car. "Sal, I have to say something to you," Joey declared once at his car.

"Joey, don't start," Taylor warned.

Joey lifted an eyebrow. "Taylorrow "Here we go," Taylor said, putting his arm around Joey's shoulder.

Grace brought her hand to her mouth. Sal pulled her to him and hugged her.

"I just wanna say," Joey continued, "she means everything to us and we're so glad she's found someone that obviously makes her so happy. Please don't ever hurt my baby girl."

Sal took a deep breath, feeling a jolt of guilt in the pit of his stomach. "She means everything to me, too, Joe." He kissed the top of Grace's head. "I'll do my best to do right by her."

Grace dozed off on the ride home. Sal glanced in the mirror. "You mind spending the night at my place, Rose? There's a bed in one of the extra bedrooms."

"Yeah, that's fine," she smiled.

"This way Grace doesn't have to deal with stairs tonight."

Rose giggled. "Good idea."

Sal smiled and touched Grace's cheek. More memories of his night in Vegas had come to him. The only thing he'd learned from them was that Melissa had been the one that walked him out of the bar. He still hadn't heard a peep from her since she showed up at his place. He could only pray now things stayed that way.

Graduating from a small culinary school was nothing like doing so from a big college. The graduating class was less than fifty, but all Grace cared about was that she was finally done.

Sal filmed the entire ceremony, while her mother didn't even try to hide her boredom, yawning obnoxiously several times then shaking her head as if it was near impossible to stay awake. Grace was a little surprised she'd actually showed up, but after the ceremony she found out why.

Sal drove them to the Marina where he surprised Grace with a dinner cruise exclusively for her and their friends and family. Everyone was there including Joey and Taylor. Grace was surprised even Sal's parents made it. It was overwhelming.

Her mother was never one to pass up a free meal or in this case a very elegant dinner cruise. Grace knew Sal had paid for it all. She knew for sure her mother hadn't. She was even more glad her step-dad hadn't been in town for it.

Joey made a heartfelt toast that nearly had Grace in tears, to which she responded with her own toast for him. He had after all graduated also. When they finished dinner and everyone got up to enjoy their drinks and the view of the sunset, Grace stood on the deck of the yacht with Sal. He stood behind her, his hands on the rail caging her in. He kissed her neck softly. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered.

She smiled for the first time proud of herself also. "I'm just so glad I'm done."

"The fun starts now, baby."

iv the f Grace turned around to face him. "Really? I thought it'd already started."

"Nope. You ain't seen nothing yet." He kissed her softly.

That excited her. "What does that mean?"

"Means I have big plans for you. You'll see. The future looks bright, Grace. And everything in my future, includes you now."

Grace was in heaven. She never thought she could ever be this happy. Leaning her head against his chest, she took a deep breath. She could hardly wait for her future to begin.

CHAPTER 27.

Grace had picked up such a rhythm now at the restaurant. Being at work reminded her of being in her grandmother's restaurant's kitchen. It felt like her second home and she'd come to love it.

Sal was meeting with the investors to inform them about the decision he and his family had come to. They would take on another restaurant but only one at a time until they felt they could do more without being overwhelmed.

She glanced up to see a smiling Alex walk out of the office and toward the kitchen. Then he turned to the dining room and something wiped the smile right off. He turned and walked in that direction instead. Curious, Grace walked over to peek. Immediately she knew why Alex had such a change in expression. Melissa stood in the front dining room, talking to him with her hand on her hip.

Grace wiped her hands and threw the towel down. She was done putting up with this bitche's shit. She didn't want to make a scene in the restaurant but she wanted to make sure Melissa knew she wasn't backing down no matter how much she persisted.

As soon as she walked out into the dining area, Melissa smirked. Alex backed up immediately making himself a barrier between her and Melissa.

"Oh I'm sorry if my presence upsets you." Melissa glared at her. "But if I wasn't carrying his baby I wouldn't be here."

Grace's heart nearly stopped and she glanced at Alex who looked as stunned as she felt.

"We had a lot of fun in Vegas, but now he needs to own up to his responsibilities. I'm having his kid." A slow sardonic smiliv thd se spread across Melissa's face.

Grace felt ready to pass out. She held it in, but barely. "You're lying." She tried taking a step forward, feeling something squeeze her windpipe. But Alex stood firmly between them.

"No I'm not. That's why I'm here to let him know. He won't answer my calls." She turned to Alex who looked ready to pass out himself. "It's not something I want to leave in a voicemail or text you know? But I've been patient long enough. I'm sure you'll let him know how wonderful it feels to be a daddy."

"I don't believe you," Grace said, but she could barely hear her own words over the hum that had begun in her ears.

"He never told you? That surprises me. I always thought Sal would be the come-clean type of guy. Especially since he did insist on sending those texts to you that night, practically spelling out what we were doing. You know, just to unload his conscience a little. "

Grace wanted nothing more than to slap the smirk off Melissa's face. The rage she'd felt when she first walked out there ready to take Melissa head on, was now replaced with something that rendered it impossible for her to speak. She swallowed hard, angry at the hot tears that blurred her vision, satisfying Melissa. She'd accomplished what she obviously come here to do.

"I'll let Sal know you were here and why," Alex said. His voice sounded almost robotic to Grace, as if he too were having a hard time getting the words out. "You'll hear from him for sure. But for now I think you should go."

Grace turned around and hurried to the back room. She refused to fall apart in front of Melissa. She wouldn't give her the pleasure but she could barely breathe by the time she closed the door behind her. Within seconds, the door opened and she spun around, feeling ready to hyperventilate. "Do you think it's true?" She wiped the tears away but they kept coming.

"I don't know, sweetheart." His phone was already in his hand and he dialed.

"Don't call me that!" She was furious. Furious that she'd been taken in by the entire family and their charm and now she felt her heart ripping apart.

"Sal," Alex said, looking into her eyes as she waited, taking trembling breaths. "Melissa was just here. She said she's pregnant-and she told Gracie it happened in Vegas."

"Is it true? Ask him if it's true!" Grace was beginning to feel hysterical. She'd trusted him completely. Believed every word he said when he explained about the texts that night. When he said he hadn't spent time with her the day she showed up at his place. "Ask him!"

Alex handed her the phone. "He wants to talk to you."

She took the phone. "Tell me it's not true. Tell me you didn't sleep with her." The memory of her begging her grandmother to tell her it wasn't true that her dad was dead assaulted her and she gasped.

"Grace, I'm on my way to the restaurant now. I'll explain-"

"Did you?" A sob escaped her. "Just tell me!"

There was silence then, "Yes, but-"

S wicaped he shoved the phone at Alex, nearly dropping it. She couldn't breathe; she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Are you okay, Grace?" Alex put his hand on her shoulder.

Finally, she felt a slow trickle of air enter her lungs as if it were coming in through a straw. But the pain she felt in her heart was brutal. Not even the deaths of her father and grandmother compared to this. Their losses, while devastating, weren't a betrayal. They hadn't knowingly done something that they knew would tear her heart out.

She grabbed her things out of the cabinet. Alex was talking but she couldn't hear him-didn't want to. All she could think of was running far, far away from the Morenos. All of them. She wanted nothing to do with any of this anymore. Her head was spinning. Somehow, she knew it all along. It was just too good to be true. Things like this just didn't happen to girls like her and here was the agonizing proof. Grace didn't even bother trying to wipe the tears that streamed down her face. It was useless; they wouldn't stop now.

"Where are you going?" Alex asked, still holding the phone to his ear.

"I quit." She threw the keys to the Jetta on the desk as she stalked by him.

"Grace, wait. How are you getting home?"

She didn't answer just walked right by a stunned looking Melanie. "What's wrong?"

Grace pulled her phone out, ignoring everyone that asked the same question as she rushed through the restaurant. Alex ran after her and caught her just outside. "Gracie, please let me take you home."

She tried walking around him. "No, Alex. I just want to get away from here."