“I haven’t been there in eight years,” she confessed. “I love that place. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to be a chef.”
All the locals loved The Oyster Club. He was glad he’d chosen it. He somehow knew she would appreciate the casual and quaint atmosphere, along with the local fair that boasted New England’s best seafood. “Really? The food is great though. But why that place? How did it inspire your desire to be a chef?” He loved learning new things about her every time they spent time together.
“Well, I love seafood. It’s my favorite. My parents took me there on my eighth birthday. We got all dressed up, and I felt so grown up. They told me that night they were having the twins. Triple diamonds they called us. We brought them luck.” She recalled the special memory. She had wanted a baby brother or sister for so long, and the news that she was getting two had thrilled her.
Joseph watched her from the side, seeing her reminisce about her past made him cherish getting to know her even more. She was all about her family. He loved that about her. “What else made you want to become a chef?”
“Ah, that’s easy. My dad. He loved to cook. He started teaching me when mom was pregnant. We’d make her favorite things. Then, after the boys were born it got a tad crazy. I’d always help him while mom took care of the twins. It was special, just the two of us cooking in the kitchen, telling him about my day. He was a cook, too. And when I told him I was going to culinary school because of him, he was so proud. He took me to The Oyster Club again for my high school graduation, and then again when I graduated from culinary school. That was the last time I was there.” Her voice had gotten softer as she explained the motivations behind her becoming a chef. It made him glad he’d picked the place even more. Tonight, they would make their own special memory to share there.
He gave her another moment to recover before asking his next question. “You were close with your father?”
Jewel looked at Joseph. She heard just a hint of envy in his voice. She wondered about that. How he had done it, grown up with just the love of his mother. Jewel nodded, “I was.”
She kept her answer short. She had a feeling Joseph didn’t like talking about his father, whom he didn’t remember meeting. It’s probably why he was so involved at the youth center. He’d hinted at that on several occasions.
He cleared his voice before speaking, and then asked yet another question. An important one. To him. “Do you want a family of your own someday, Jewel? Kids? Lantern Hill?” His gaze cut across the car.
She knew her answer was important. Her heart stilled for just a beat as she thought about settling down someday. With this man. Having his children. Her breath hitched. With him the answer was a resounding yes. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted. My people. My roots are here. And I want my kids to have that.” She met his questioning look, and when he smiled at her that way it sent a flurry of flutters that burst into a frenzy in her stomach. He was her dream come true. She would love to have his children someday.
She was his dream come true. His dream. The evening was brighter already.
Chapter 15
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When they arrived at The Oyster Club, Jewel and Joseph were seated immediately. They had eight o’clock dinner reservations. It wasn’t a fancy restaurant, but very popular so the reservations were necessary. And the place closed at ten. They had a seat in the second level. It was known as the tree house, and in fact had a large tree in the middle of the restaurant. The owners had built the extension thirty years ago around the majestic elm tree that was estimated to be over four hundred years old. The view from the tree house provided an amazing vista of the river. And this time of year with the snow from the mountains still melting, the river was moving fast providing the perfect backdrop.
Both Jewel and Joseph thoroughly enjoyed the locally caught fish and oysters, and they lingered over drinks before leaving. It was just such an amazing atmosphere, both were reluctant to leave although Joseph knew the rest of the night was full of promise as well. “Shall we take a walk along the river,” Joseph suggested. It was cool but mild.
“That sounds wonderful.” Jewel was thoroughly enjoying herself. Their easy banter over dinner had put her even more at ease with Joseph. The more time she spent with him, the more she got to know him, she knew she was falling in love with the man. She hoped he was feeling the same way, but it was still too soon to express those feelings.
Taking her hand in his, they walked slowly along the old ancient paths made by his people hundreds of years before Europeans arrived in the new world. “Our people were one then,” he reflected referring to the Pequot nation before they became divided into two distinct tribes. “United. Now, not so much.”