Second Chance Cafe Read Online Free

management… Ethan wondered if maybe he really could breathe life into this little place. He could make it his own. Owning a restaurant was a dream he’d given up.
    Maybe it was time to take it back.

Chapter 3
    T he kitchen at the Franklin Street Romano’s location buzzed with activity. Isabella walked through the back door, sidestepping waiters, dishwashers and cooks. The smells of marinara, Alfredo sauce and garlic inundated her senses as she quickly navigated through the kitchen maze to make her way to her brother’s office. She tapped three times on the door before opening it.
    “Leo?”
    Her brother looked up in surprise. “Hey, sis. Are you on the schedule for tonight?” he joked. She sat down in the chair across from his desk.
    “Very funny.”
    “So what’s up?”
    “How’s Mandy?” Isabella asked, wondering about her very pregnant sister-in-law and hoping to put off the questions about why she’d dropped by.
    “She’s okay. Uncomfortable, but it won’t be for much longer.”
    “Two more weeks, right?”
    “Yeah. She thinks the baby will come early.”
    “It’s her first. He will probably come late.”
    “That’s what I keep telling her.”
    “She’s a pregnant woman, Leonardo. Don’t argue with her right now.”
    Leo grinned. “ Now you tell me.”
    Isabella picked at a stray string on the chair she was sitting in and didn’t say anything.
    “Like I said, Isa, what’s up? You never stop by unless you want me to feed you or you need to talk.”
    Isabella glanced up sheepishly. “I know.”
    “So which is it?”
    “Both. Can I get an order of spinach lasagna to take with me?”
    “You know you can. Now tell me what’s going on with you.”
    Isabella sighed. “I had breakfast with a firefighter today.”
    Leo’s eyebrows rose. “So, you’ve come to me with your boy problems?”
    “Leonardo,” Isabella warned, and Leo held up both hands.
    “Sorry, sorry. I’m all ears. When can I meet him?”
    “I don’t know. It’s not serious or anything. It was the first time we’ve hung out together in person. We chat online sometimes.”
    “But you like him,” Leo said after a moment, studying her. “Why?”
    Isabella crossed her arms. “I don’t know. He just had a really bad back injury and yet he still tries to stay positive. He’s persistent, which I like. I can’t stand measly guys who won’t go after what they want. But he’s not forceful. He’s laid-back, but he’s capable. And he likes me, which I like.”
    “And which tells me he has good taste.”
    Isabella gave her brother a grateful look.
    “He’s a Christian,” she finally said. Leo nodded, then stood up and moved to sit in the chair next to her.
    “That’s a good thing,” he said.
    “I know,” Isabella agreed.
    After a moment of silence—Leo knew her well enough to know not to press her—Isabella laid her head back in the chair.
    “Do you ever feel like you’ve been going through the motions for so long that you don’t know what’s real anymore?”
    A knock at the door interrupted them. Their cousin Angelina poked her head in the office. “Leo, did you want to see me?”
    “I did, but it has to wait, Angie. Talk to me after your shift.”
    “Got it. See you later, Isa.” The door closed and Leo looked back at her.
    “Have you seen Dad today?” he asked.
    Isabella nodded. “Of course. I stopped by right before I came here.”
    Leo didn’t say anything, but she knew what he was thinking. That her lack of faith had to do with their father’s debilitating illness.
    “You don’t have to go over there every day, Isa. They have a trained nurse.”
    “I’m a trained nurse.”
    “I know you are,” Leo said. “And you’re an amazing nurse. But I think going over to Mom and Dad’s so much is starting to drain you.”
    “I want to go. If something happens, it’s important to me to be there for him.”
    “I can understand that because I feel the same way. But you need to have time for a