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Hal couldn’t stop the grin that suddenly split his face. “Baby, you got yourself a deal.”
“This isn’t a restaurant,” Valentina stated the obvious.
“Nope.”
Hal volleyed over the closed car door, then he sprinted around and pulled Valentina out with enthusiasm.
She stood by Hal’s side and admired the bucolic lake setting.
“Where are we? It’s beautiful.” Valentina felt an immediate peace surround her. When she looked up at the home’s gleaming windows they seemed to wink her a welcome.
“It’s home.” Hal was pleased with Valentina’s reaction. Then he considered the irony of what he had just said. “Never thought about it before, but it’s actually kind of a strange thing that this is the place I landed—that this is the place that gave me my life back.”
“Why is that?” Valentina followed Hal as he led her across the lawn to the house.
“Because I almost died here,” he told her.
“Really? How?”
“It’s a long story, but what it boils down to is that back when I was in the Marines, they sent me on an extended and complicated mission that made communication impossible for a while. When I came stateside, naturally, the first thing I wanted to do was to track down family. Circumstances being what they were at the time, the intel that I had on my sister made me worry. I didn’t know a lot, but I knew she was holed up in some remote location, and that the property was owned by the president of the Hells Saints MC. Not really something a guy wants to hear about his sister. So, I came out here to see what the fuck. Like any good Marine, I did some recon first. Checked out the perimeter, looked in the windows—shit like that. Before I knew it, that big fucker, Jules, had a nine-millimeter cocked to the back of my head.”
“Jules? The guy that just married your sister?” Valentina’s eyes were wide.
“One in the same.” Hal grinned. “We came real close to killing each other that night.”
“What stopped you?” Valentina asked.
“Glory.” He let out a short laugh at the memory. “My sister put herself right between me and about a dozen hand guns. She told them I was her brother and to back the hell off.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Can’t make that shit up, Tia.” He grinned and shook his head. Then he grabbed her hand and led her inside.
The interior of the house was as pretty as the land it sat on. The hardwood floors gleamed a waxy shine, and the rooms were filled with furnishings that were deep cushioned and well worn. The style was eclectic and welcoming. As Valentina walked deeper into the lake house, she realized that the home had a surprising secret—two, actually. One was the unexpected state-of-the-art kitchen in a home that was this quaint and rustic. The cooking range alone must have cost a small fortune. The counter tops were heavy with rich granite, and except for a whimsical, old ice cream bucket, all the appliances, both small and large, were top of the line.
I could make a lot of bread in this kitchen—the idea of it made her smile. She realized with a start that she had been doing that a lot today—smiling.
Valentina could not help but let out a gasp of admiration when Hal led her to the next surprise. The space was filled with every kind of workout apparatus known to the free world. The room addition jutted out over pilings that sat right at the edge of the lake. Its back wall was filled with windows, and the equipment well-placed. No matter where you stood in the room, the view was nothing but blue skies and soft lapping waves.
It must feel like working out on the deck of a yacht. Valentina felt a pang of guilt for taking Hal away from all of this. Her father’s home was lovely, that was for sure. But it was beautiful in a traditional, old-world way—with its carved oak staircases, gilded panels, and crystal chandeliers—the Abruzzi mansion boasted wealth, prestige, and luxury.
But the lake house oozed comfort, serenity, and tranquility.
“Glory did the kitchen remodel when she was flush with money from her catering business. That happened before I moved here,” Hal explained to Valentina. His chest puffed a little with pride when he added, “But the gym room? The guys in the club put that in for me so I could work my rehab. Nicest damn thing that anyone ever did for me.” Hal paused then added with a smirk, “Unless you count Glory. She’s been great, but a whole lot of pain in the ass comes with her. Hey, I’m fucking starving. There’s all kinds of fresh veggies in the fridge. Claire and Reno have a huge garden, and they’re always dropping stuff off. There’s fresh basil in the window box and olive oil in the cabinet. How about you make us a tomato salad and whatever else you want. I’m gonna grill us up a couple of steaks. Sound good?”
“Sounds great.” Valentina smiled at him. It was the most he had ever said to her in one sitting. Hal was at ease here, relaxed in a way she didn’t think he was capable of. It was nice to see him this way.
They spent the next half hour moving around each other in the kitchen. Valentina wasn’t sure if Hal was justthatbig, or if he purposefully planted himself next to her every chance he got. Between the leaning and the reaching and the pressing the length of his big body against hers as he showed her wherethis was or that was,she felt deliciously manhandled by the time the meal was served.
The steaks were superb—cooked to perfection and paired perfectly with mozzarella and tomato basil salad. Valentina sipped on a glass of red wine while Hal tossed back a couple of beers. The two of them sat together and enjoyed the simple pleasures of a delicious meal, blue skies, calm breezes, and friendly conversation.
Valentina and Hal chose their words carefully and found their way around to the safe topics. They each stayed with subjects that would steer the afternoon into being something that they both wanted and needed— comfortable and easy. Valentina talked about her family, and the more humorous aspects of growing up in La Familia. She entertained Hal with some of the gutsy and hilarious stunts that she and Gia had pulled off as kids, and the not so hilarious consequences. On Hal’s part, he recounted the more comical and complete version of the night that Hal and Jules first met and how they almost killed each other.
While Hal wiped down the grill, Valentina cleared off the table. On her way back from the kitchen, she paused at the small alcove that was set back in an archway and flanked by built-in shelves. Those shelves were filled with faded boxes of board games, books, and age-old mementos. An antique chess board was laid out on a table. The pieces were beautiful; each one had small inlays of moonstone and recessed mother-of-pearl. The board itself was checkered with lapis and onyx. Valentina couldn’t help but stop and admire it.
“Do you play?” Hal was beside her.
“Me? Play chess? No. But some of my students played. The Haitian Chess Federation organized annual inter-school tournaments,” Valentina answered before she could stop herself. She was surprised at how easily those words had left her mouth. She never talked about thebeforewith anyone. Valentina realized with sudden clarity that the crux of her recovery had been focused on the terrible ordeal she had survived, rather than all the wonderful things she had loved about Haiti. The thought made her sad.
