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“Your sister seems pretty amazing.”
He lowered his chin, his mouth curving slightly. “Yeah, she is.”
“Your brother-in-law, though…” I rolled my lips over my teeth, and Luca’s shoulders vibrated with silent laughter.
“Yeah, he is.”
I was sifting through Luca’s pile of take-out menus he kept in one of his kitchen drawers. It seemed, like me, he was a fan of holding a menu in his hands rather than scrolling through them on his phone.
I was thinking we’d have burgers for dinner. I had no idea if Luca even liked hamburgers, but he’d left me in charge, so he’d have to live with whatever I decided.
A knock on the front door interrupted my rumination. Before I could even hop up to answer it, I heard the sound of the dead bolt clicking, followed by two voices.
“Luca?” A woman.
“He’s not home yet. I told you that.” A man.
Oh shit. What was I supposed to do? I was in the kitchen, so I had my choice of weapons, but maybe hiding was the best plan. Thieves didn’t typically steal from pantries, did they?
My feet were still glued to the floor in panic when the intruders rounded the corner into the kitchen. The three of us stared at each other for a long, tension-filled moment.
As I took them in, it became crystal clear they weren’t thieves. The woman looked to be a well-kept sixty, with a thick, creamy blonde bob and elegant understated makeup. There was nothing understated about the rock on her finger or the gleam of rubies in her ears.
The man was of a similar age. Dressed in tailored trousers and a starched button-down, he towered over the petite women by his side. His salt-and-pepper hair and the subtle wrinkles on his angular face did nothing to take away from the stark resemblance to his son.
There was no question these were Luca’s parents.
I raised my trembling hand. “Hi. I’m Saoirse. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Rossi.”
His mother covered her mouth with one hand and clutched her husband’s arm with the other. Mr. Rossi’s reaction was more subtle, rocking back on his heels as he took me in.
“We thought Luca was playing a prank on us.” He cleared his throat. “It appears his news is legitimate. You’re married to my son.”
I nodded once. “I am. And believe me when I say I wish you hadn’t found out this way.”
Mrs. Rossi sucked in a breath, and I braced myself.
It was a good thing I did because the next thing she did was rush at me.
Chapter Sixteen
Luca
Imadeithomeby seven thirty. Later than planned, but Saoirse would still be awake, and we could get this hashed out.
The scene I walked in on was not the one I expected.
The first sign something was off was the laughter coming from the kitchen. Then there were the scents of cooking and the pop of oil in a pan.
Kicking off my shoes and dropping my bag, I rounded the corner to be greeted by the sight of my mother and Saoirse standing side by side at the stove while my father leaned against the counter, watching over them.
He was the first to see me. Instead of the frown of admonishment I’d expected, he grinned at me.
It was a punch to the gut. His smiles had been few and far between since his heart attack. He wasn’t adjusting well to all the changes in his life. Yet here he was, standing in my kitchen, looking as happy as I’d seen him in ages.
“Luca’s home,” he announced.
My mother and Saoirse whirled around at the same time. I walked over, pecking my mother’s cheek before moving on to my wife.
