“Well… I was thinking… your Nonna’s recipes are incredible. What if you did a cookbook and called itNonna’s Tastes of Ortigia. You can write stories about each recipe. People love the background behind family recipes.”
Angelo caught her waist in his gloved hands, pulling her close as he considered her idea seriously.
“I would need a ghostwriter, I can tell a story but I wouldn’t know how to make it pretty.” A sudden idea struck him. “What if you write them? We could do it together.”
She started to shake her head, and he knew she was still too cautious to consider what he was saying seriously. He needed her to see that the fantasy he was offering could be a reality. But how to do that?
“You’re a beautiful writer, Kara. I’ve read a few of your poems.”
Her eyebrows drew together. “You think so? I’ve always wanted to write but it’s just has been silly poems so far.”
“Your poems aren’t silly. I think you telling my Nonna’s stories would be perfect. Will you think about it?”
He held his breath, knowing this was such a risk, to propose a future idea when any talk of the future would scare her, but he was determined to win this war over her fear.
“You have time, Kara, just think it over.”
“Your family’s waving at us.” Kara brushed her red hair away from her face as the cold breeze tugged strands across her cheeks.
He glanced over her shoulder to see his mother and father who’d left the ring. They were waving to call him and Kara over to them. It must be time to leave.
“We’d better go.” Angelo pulled her along with him as they skated the rest of the way toward his family.
Kara stepped off the ice and the back of her neck suddenly tightened with that tingle of foreboding sense that she was beingwatched. She didn’t alert Angelo or Asher who was casually leaning on the rink wall a dozen feet away. Angelo’s family seemed completely unaware of Asher’s presence. That was a good thing. She didn’t want Angelo’s family knowing or being afraid because Asher was there. She swept her gaze over the crowds, looking for a familiar face, a familiar voice or even clothing she recognized. She only saw smiling children, loving parents, besotted romantic couples.
Long ago she convinced herself to always trust herself and never doubt her instincts. But right then… shehaddoubts. Was she imagining this because she was looking for an excuse to run? It was not out of the realm of possibilities. Things with Angelo had escalated so quickly that her mind heart was still spinning from how tightly connected she felt to him and his world. It was logical that her subconscious might try to fake wanting to give a reason to leave.
Her left ring finger felt the weight of Angelo’s grandmother’s ring. It was hidden beneath her glove, but she touched it. It tethered her to the ground when she felt she might get blown away with panic.
“Oh Kara, what a wonderful day this has been,” Francesca hugged her and then Matteo did the same.
“It has,” she agreed as she and Alessia shared a smile.
Once she’d hugged every one of Angelo’s family goodbye. They headed toward their car with Asher trailing them at a discreet distance. Out of the corner of eye, she saw a man staring right at her. He suddenly waved at her. Her heart leapt in her throat, but a second later she realized a woman walking behind her was heading toward the waving man.
I’m losing it.She wasn’t in danger here. She had to just ignore the feeling for what it was. A false alarm.
Asher casually passed them and got to the car. He made a show of kicking his snowy boots against the tires, briefly thencrouching down to check the car for tracking devices. Angelo’s face held only a hint of tightness as he saw Asher doing this.
The ride home was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Angelo put an arm around her shoulders, and he and Asher spoke occasionally, mainly about some minor league hockey team that had recently drafted a woman and the drama around that. Kara tried to listen, but her brain held a bee-like buzz as she tried to forget what she’d felt at the rink.
When they got home, Asher disappeared into the garage where he’d set up a workstation at an old wood working table.
“I have a surprise for you.” Angelo led Kara to his bedroom. He blocked her view by using his large body to hide something on the far side of the room.
Her heart was beating fast. What kind of surprise did he have planned? Completely unprepared for surprises, she did the only thing she could think of and tried flirting with him.
“Does it involve getting you naked? Because I’m all for that.”
He laughed. “Just close your eyes.” He grasp her hands in his. She narrowed her eyes at him instead.
“I really don’t like surprises,” she said, this time going with honesty.
“Please?” he asked and damn she couldn’t say no to that.
“Okay.” She said the word in a long drawn out sigh before she shut her eyes.
Angelo used her hands to guide her toward the direction he wanted her to go.
