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So why was she so tempted to accept it?
* * *
“Well, it’s settled, then,” his meddlesome cousin-in-law stated with finality before Maya had even had a chance to respond. “Let’s celebrate with some gelato in the square, shall we?” Lynetta continued. “Vito, as usual, you’ll be buying.”
He let the two women walk ahead once more but stopped Leo before he could move. “What the hell has your wife just done?”
Leo actually laughed. Why was Vito surprised? Why had he even expected some hint of sympathy from the other man?
“Why, I believe she’s just done you a favor. And now you can thank her with some chocolate gelato.”
Vito tilted his head back and took a deep breath to calm down. “Is that really how you see this disastrous development?”
Leo squinted at him. “Why not? You’re actually out with her right now. You two have clearly just enjoyed some kind of date. Taking her to Nonna’s would simply be an extension, wouldn’t it?”
“We weren’t on any kind of date, Leo.”
Leo eyed Vito’s pressed tuxedo pants and the white silk shirt he wore adorned with gold cufflinks. “You could have fooled me.”
“She had reservations on a galleon dinner cruise. She was clearly not relishing the thought of attending it alone. I didn’t want her to have to miss out on the joy of something like that because of her worthless ex-fiancé’s actions.”
Leo studied him a beat. “And?”
“And that’s the only reason we were out together.”
“Right. So you asked her out on a date. You just lucked out that it was already paid for. Got it.”
That was it. Vito gave up. Why was he even trying? He followed Leo to where the women stood ordering gelatos.
Vito understood that both Lynetta and Leo had good intentions. They wanted him to move on with his life. They wanted for him what they themselves had: a strong union , beautiful children, a happy homelife. For an insane moment, he let himself indulge in just such a fantasy as he watched Maya walking ahead of him. He pictured the two of them putting a couple of rambunctious toddlers to sleep then slipping out to spend some alone time together.
Then he made himself shake the images away. Things like family and a home full of children simply weren’t in the cards for him. Marina had told him repeatedly that he didn’t have the capability to fully love someone. That he was too consumed with his art, his craft. To the detriment of everything else that was important. He’d denied it right up until the point when he’d proven her right.
When he reached her side, Maya gave him a hesitant look. If things had been awkward between them before, they were downright uncomfortable now.
Maybe she would find a way to wriggle out of the invitation to visit Nonna. It wasn’t like she’d have to face Lynetta if she blew them all off. Once she left Venice, she’d never see either of his cousins again.
He wasn’t the slightest bit surprised that the notion of her bailing on them sent a bolt of disappointment through his chest.
“Maya mentioned you two had already had tiramisu,” Lynette informed them. “So we only got the two cones. We can all share.”
Right. Somehow he was supposed to watch Maya lick an ice cream cone then share that same cone with her. His body tightened in response to the image.
“She’s...uh...something else,” Maya said on a near whisper, handing him the cone.
“It’s all yours. And, yes, my cousin’s wife is certainly one of a kind.”
“Great. Even more calories.” He had to look away when she took the first lick. How the hell was he supposed to spend a whole day with her in Verona?
“There’ll be more tomorrow. There’s never a shortage of food at Nonna’s place, even under normal circumstances. Let alone any kind of celebratory event like a birthday.”
Maya swallowed the bit of gelato. “So it’s real, then? I’ll be going to Verona with you.”
“That’s totally up to you, cara. You might have to deal with Lynetta’s displeasure, however, if you back out.”
She gave an exaggerated shudder. “Why does that prospect frighten me so?” She glanced to where the other couple stood taking turns with their own cone. “They both care deeply for you.”
