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She looks away, and I can see the desire in her eyes.
Antonio re-enters the dining room. "Sorry, but I have to leave."
Cassidy rushes to him. "Is it Nina?"
"No," he hugs her. "I have to head back to Boston early for a meeting."
"Everything okay with the business?" I ask.
He nods. "It will be. I have a fire to put out."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" I offer.
Cassidy says, "We can end the vacation early. I'll go home with you."
"No," he leads Cassidy back to the table, "you and Ivan will stay and enjoy the beautiful weather. I insist."
When Antonio makes up his mind, it’s hard to change it. Cassidy and I will be alone for the rest of the day, and I can't imagine a better way to end the vacation.
9
Room for Dessert
Cassidy
"Cassidy,"Dadsaysaswe get into the car. "I'm so happy you and Ivan enjoyed exploring the island."
He's holding a travel mug and wearing a button-up top and slacks.
I force a smile. "Yeah, it was fun."
He has a wistful look in his eyes as I back out of the driveway. "Your mom loved it there."
I smile. "I miss her too."
"One in a million." He rolls down the window letting in the warm air. "After your mother died, I wanted to quit the business. Antonio stepped up when no other investor would." He pats my shoulder. "I wish you had met him earlier, but the timing never worked out. It's so generous of him to let you stay in the penthouse. I really owe that guy a lot."
I nod quietly as I start the drive to drop off Dad so that he can head back home.
The sun is shining brightly, and the wind is blowing through my hair, carrying the salty scent of the ocean with it. The sky is a clear blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds. The sound of waves smashing against the shore is calming as we leave our neighborhood. I can feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. Even in this idyllic scene, there's an underlying tension that my father is unaware of.
I don't know how I will survive the rest of the day with Ivan, let alone live with him in New York.
"He's my best friend, and you're my favorite daughter. I want the two of you to get along," he chuckles.
I laugh. "I'm your only daughter."
"Still my favorite," Dad smiles.
I turn onto the main street and head to the ferry. Dad's bags are in the back, and he's leaving me with the car, so I can easily get to the ferry and then the Boston brownstone. We drive for a few minutes in companionable silence.
"Did you meet any guys while you were out?" he asks.
"No."
He holds up his hands. "I'm not prying. I just want you to be happy. After what happened with Brendan, I thought I’d try and take a more active role in your personal life."
"I'm good. You don't have to worry about me."
