Page 13 of Cannon

Now it’s his turn to look startled. As he opens his mouth to speak, she silences him. “Ah, ah, ah. Do as Allegra tells you. You know you cannot win with me. Go, go, go.” I love her accent and the way she pronounces some of her English.

Holding his hands up in defeat, he gives me a ‘sorry’ kinda look and then leaves us.

“Why are you here?” There’s no messing with this woman.

“I didn’t know I was coming here. I told Cannon he had to buy me lunch, coming here was his decision. I just sat on the back of the bike and enjoyed the ride.”

“He brought you here of his own free will?” She squints at me and it’s quite scary.

“Well, yeah. I didn’t put a gun to his head if that’s what you mean.”

“And you came on the back of his bike? You didn’t follow him here or meet him here?” She’s still squinting at me, and it is quite unnerving.

“Yes, on his bike, and no, I didn’t follow him. Is that so unusual?”

“For most, no, but for him, very. He has never been here with a woman all the time I have known him. He eats here occasionally and always alone. You must be special for him to bring you here, I think.”

“He told me about your brother, Romeo.” She looks at me as though I just gave her the secret of life, or something.

“FOCK! He told you about Romeo? Fock! He never speaks of Romeo, not even to me. He carries guilt for Romeo that is not his to bear. It was Romeo’s time, that was it. You cannot change these things. One day I will get him to accept it, or perhaps that will become your task now, eh?” Tilting her head, she looks at me differently than she has so far. Perhaps I am now accepted? “If you hurt him, I will hunt you down and cut out your heart with a rusty spoon. This I can do, you understand?”

“Okaaay. Maybe you could be my maid of honor at the wedding? Is that also something you can do?” I ask her as sarcastically as I know how.

“Yes, that is something I can do too. Very good. I will bring you both your food shortly.” She smiles such an enthusiastic smile I don’t know if I’m in reality right now or some alternate one.

“We haven’t ordered yet. You still have the menus.”

“You don’t need a menu. He has the same thing every time he comes. I’ll get two of them.” As she walks away, she almost skips into the kitchen.

Cannon must have been somewhere he could see us, because as soon as Allegra leaves, he reappears.

“Everything okay?” He asks me this with a smile.

“Fine, everything is fine. Apparently, she’s going to be my maid of honor at our wedding, though she may cut my heart out with a rusty spoon if we ever get divorced.” I say this as if I’m in a trance, which I may well be. I just don’t know.

“Excellent. That’s all good then. If she didn’t like you, she would have done it already. Is she bringing the food?”

What…the…fuck!

Chapter 8

*~* Barbara *~*

Having lunch with Cannon has been an eye opener to say the least. I’ve never talked about myself so much with a man, one who has listened, anyway. He’s been very attentive and must have been listening, not just hearing, as he’s asked some insightful questions.

I’ve tried to delve into Cannon’s past, but it’s difficult when he’s spent so much time in the military. I don’t want to ask questions that drag up bad memories or that may cause PTSD to flare up, if he even has it.

I did ask if he knew where Allegra’s protectiveness stemmed from which caused a smile before he answered.

“When we first met Romeo and I were on leave, she was young and impressionable. I never gave her any cause to think I was interested in her other than as my friend's sister, but she had designs on me right from the beginning. Romeo and I thought it was funny at first but we soon realized that she was deadly serious.” He pauses to take a drink of his water, and I take a sip of the red wine that came with lunch.

“I didn’t know how to handle it, so Romeo had to step in. Apparently, she told him in no uncertain terms that she was going to have me or no one else, ever. He should tell me that, too. Now she was a young woman and not a child. She was extremely attractive and had boys knocking at her door all the time. She refused all of them, and eventually, I had to tell her that I had deep feelings for her, but not in that way. Well, she grabbed me and kissed me thoroughly. When she let me go, she shook her head and simply said, ‘That is a shame. You kiss like a gay friend.’ I didn’t know what to say to that, but it was the end of her infatuation with me.” He certainly looks crestfallen after that admission.

I laugh so hard at that, I almost pee myself. “Well, I hope when we kiss you don’t feel like a gay friend.” It’s out before I can stop myself.

“We’re going to kiss, are we? I look forward to that.” He raises his glass of water in a mock toast.

Deciding to brazen it out, I raise my wine in return. The rest of lunch we talk about everyday stuff, and I think we both steer clear of past relationships, good or bad. It’s not until Allegra walks up to us and asks if we’ll be staying for the evening menu that I glance at my watch. Holy…It’s three o’clock.