Page 106 of Always: A Legacy Novel

Now, her day was almost perfect.

Someone else would make it perfect, soon.

“Thank you, Daddy,” Catherine said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her father’s cheek. “Can I drive it, now?”

“In a minute,” Dante replied. “We have rules to go through first.”

“What rules?”

“I pay for the car; I can take it away.”

“Okay,” Catherine said.

“Not that we worry about your grades much, but I expect them to stay where they are. If not, the car’s new home becomes the garage until the grades get better.”

“Got it.”

Catherine was a straight-A student. Grades were a joke.

“You need to always have a licensed driver—someone over twenty-one—in the car with you, so don’t get bright ideas about friends with licenses,” Dante said.

“I know, Daddy.”

“You’re to keep up on your driving hours; an instructor will start with you next week, no complaints.”

Catherine bounced on her heels. “Yep. Can I drive it now?”

Dante sighed. “I know you’ll probably want to take it to school and show it off, but you won’t be able to unless someone older is with you in the passenger seat.”

“Well, what about Cross?”

“That boy is not twenty-one.” Catherine swore she heard her father add very quietly, “Thank God.”

“No,” Catherine said, “I mean, couldn’t he drive my car? He has his license, and school hours are within the proper times, not to mention it’s for classes. So, he could take it with me sometimes, right?”

Dante’s gaze narrowed as he stared down the long Marcello driveway. He still didn’t speak.

“He could, couldn’t he?” Catherine pressed.

“I suppose,” Dante said clipped and short.

It sounded like the very last thing he wanted to do.

“You let me go with him in his Rover,” Catherine pointed out, “so you must not think he’s a bad driver.”

Dante scowled. “Let’s move back to your car.”

“Yes, let’s do that right now by driving it.”

Catherine was already heading toward the Lexus after snatching the car keys from her father’s outstretched hand.

“You’re always two steps ahead of me now, dolcezza. Slow down a bit, and let me enjoy this day with you. I won’t have this type of thing with you for much longer.”

Catherine turned in the driveway, ignoring the slight chill to the April wind. “What do you mean?”

“I turned around one day, and you were not so little anymore.” Dante shrugged, still smiling at her, though she thought his gaze was also sad. “I didn’t even get the chance to blink, Catherine. I’ve been told that’s what we do with children; we raise them to watch them go. It’s supposed to be rewarding. A gift to show us we’ve raised decent human beings who can handle the world. Maybe that’s true, if someone finds reward in heartache. I personally don’t.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Daddy. I’m just driving.”