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“No. But I need to know something.”
“Sure, what is it?”
I hated doing this. It felt like a dick-move. In my heart, I knew she would never cheat, but then again, I didn’t really know Gabi Mandola or really anything about her past.
“Is Gabi seeing another man besides me?”
Her face dropped. The shocked look on her face turned to anger. “How could you even think that! I haven’t seen her date but one other guy in the four years I’ve known her. Besides, she would never cheat. That’s not who she is.”
I nodded.
She shook her head. “Nic, where is this coming from?”
I swallowed hard. Did I tell her? I had to. Maybe if I said the name, it would spark something. “I’m asking you to do the same thing you asked me. If I tell you, please don’t say anything to her.”
Wringing her hands together, she reached for her glass and took a drink.
“Okay, I promise I won’t say a word to her.”
“I overheard her talking on the phone about her trip to Italy. She told some guy by the name of Antonio she couldn’t wait to see him and that she loved him.”
Charity gasped and covered her mouth. Then she dropped her hand. “Wait. She has family over there, Nic. Don’t you think she might have been talking to a cousin or something?”
“She said something else. That she told me and you she had extended family in Italy.”
“Huh? So does she not have family over there or does she?”
I rubbed the back of my neck as I processed her conversation again.
“Yeah, I’m not sure. I get the feeling she does, but she made it seem like there was a different reason she was going over there. Maybe to see this Antonio guy.”
She shook her head. “No. It has to be family. I cannot for one minute see Gabi cheating. She loves you, Nic.”
Deep down I knew that was true, but she was still hiding something and I was no longer able to keep pushing it aside. I was determined to find out what she was hiding.
I smiled. “You’re right. I’m over reacting.”
“Yes. I think you are.”
The door opened and Gabi walked in. The second she saw me, she smiled.
Charity stood and shot me a quick look. I leaned over to her and said, “Forget we even had that conversation.”
She nodded. “I will.”
I made my way over to Gabi. She threw herself into my arms.
“I hadn’t heard from you. I was worried,” she said softly.
What a dick. I meant to text her when I got to her place, but then the whole thing happened with hearing her on the phone and it slipped my mind.
“I’m so sorry, prinkipissa. I was so tired and I came here but you were down at the bakery and I crashed in your bed.”
Her eyes turned dark. “Well damn, had I known that I’d have taken a long lunch break.”
Smiling, I pulled her to me and cupped her face in my hands. “Gabi,” I whispered.
Searching my face with her beautiful eyes, she grinned bigger while holding onto my forearms. “Nic.”
My lips pressed against hers as we exchanged a slow sweet kiss. When I pulled back, she winked. “I better go get ready if we want to be at your parents’ place on time.”
I let go of her and watched her walk to her room. Turning back to Charity, I took in her sad eyes. “Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded and inhaled a deep breath. “I think so. Thank you for being there for me, Nic. It really means a lot.”
“Listen, I know Cole. I’ve been working alongside him a number of years. I have a feeling this evening is going to turn out very different from what you expect.”
Her eyes filled with tears again, but she quickly got her emotions in check. “I hope you’re right. Have fun tonight.”
Walking up to me, she reached up and kissed me on the cheek then patted me on the chest. “I’m going to go check on Gabi and make sure she isn’t freaking out with the whole meeting the parents and family thing.”
Laughing, I replied, “Good idea.”
As I watched Charity walk away, I couldn’t help but smile. No matter what Cole said about loving his bachelor ways, he was going to be over the moon with Charity’s news. I didn’t know Charity well enough to know how she was feeling . . . but the sadness in her eyes told me enough.
MY EYES WERE fixed on the string at the bottom of my skirt. I kept staring at it. Do I pull it? Leave it? Ask Nic for scissors?
Holy crap’ole. Why in the hell am I worried about a string?
The truck came to an abrupt stop as Nic said, “What in the fuck?”
Snapping my head up, I looked around. “What? What’s wrong?”
