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“Okay, I’m ready. Shoot.” When he doesn’t speak immediately, a tiny drop of trepidation moves through me. “This talk you want to have is beginning to feel very formal. Kind of official. You’re making me nervous.”
He holds out his hands, just like last night, and I let my tiny hands slip into his masculine hands. “Everything’s fine, Marin. Please don’t stress. I’m not going to do to you what the blue man did. Okay? That’ll never happen.”
I nod. I’d rather not admit I’m insecure, but, newsflash, I’m insecure. “All right.” Whispering again. I really need to stop with the whispering. “Then, what is it?”
All at once, his features animate in a way I haven’t seen before. “I have an idea. I tossed and turned all night thinking about it. I know this is crazy, maybe even stupid, but it’s what I want to do. I can hardly think about anything else.” His entire body is humming with excitement.
“What is it? Spit it out already.” I smile with those words so I don’t sound rude.
“I want to go to Italy. I want to track down my father and tell him who I am. I want to meet him. I want to see him, get to know him, talk to him. Meet my family members. I want it all. Is that crazy?”
A little bit. “Do you think maybe it might be a good idea to write to him first? Find out where he lives now? Otherwise, it could turn into a wild goose chase across Italy. Once you find him, you could break the news gently, give him a little time to prepare himself for seeing you.”
Slade stares into space while he considers what I just said. “My mom said he lived in a home where his family has lived for generations. It’s highly doubtful the family home has been sold. Housing in Venice is expensive. Odds are, he’s still there. Or someone there knows where he is.” He lets out his breath. “I know you’re right, though. This isn’t the logical thing to do. I’m not a fan of rational right now. I wanna do something crazy. I want to take off for Italy and find him. I want to do it now. Tomorrow. I don’t want to waste another second. Life is too short. I feel this pressing need to find him immediately. And . . .” He looks me straight in the eyes. “I want you to come with me.”
I nearly fall off my chair. Good thing I was seated. He was right about that. “You want me to come with you to Italy?” I repeat, as though I don’t understand English.
“Yes,” he says in a tender tone. “I want you by my side as I meet my father for the first time. Will you do it? Will you come with me?”
Okay, I’m feeling majorly pursued. It feels incredible. I knew what my answer was going to be the moment he uttered the invitation. “Yes. Absolutely. I would love to go with you.”
Slade breaks into a wide smile. “I knew you’d say yes. I just knew it.”
“So…when are we going?”
“As soon as I can make all the arrangements. You have a passport?” The excitement’s back in his voice.
“I do. I was prepared to go to Cancun.”
“I’ve already spoken to Tate. He’s agreed to take care of Sheridan House. I spoke with a chef I know in town and arranged for him to take the breakfast shift for me. All I have to do is book our flight and we’re out of here. It won’t be a long trip, just a few days on the ground. I can’t be gone too long, but we’ll make a short vacation out of it. I still want you in vacation mode.”
“What about your bubble show?” I ask
“If I’m not here, it doesn’t happen. The world moves on, though. Not sure how.”
“The world needs more bubble shows.” Happiness warms me from head to toe. “I have one condition for the trip.”
“Name it. It’s yours.”
Slade Sheridan is the most wonderful man in the world. The end. “I want to take a romantic gondola ride with you.”
“Are you kidding? That’s a given. Bucket list item. Even better with you wrapped in my arms.” His entire face spreads into a smile.
“The rest of the trip is all about you and your father.”
Slade leans over the table and gives me a quick kiss. “Tell you what, we’ll take the first day for ourselves. That’s not saying a lot, since we’ll be jet lagged, but the first day will be just me and you. Sound good?”
“Sounds great. Does your mom know about this?” I ask.
“She does. I had a long talk with her this morning while you were in dreamland. She said she knew I would want to meet him. She figured this would happen. She even hoped for it. She’s actually excited over the whole idea.”
“Will she be okay while you’re gone?” My brows furrow with worry.
“Yes. I asked one of her friends to take care of her in my absence. She agreed. Mom was a little peeved with me because she thinks she can take care of herself, but there’s no way I’m leaving her unattended.” He gives my hands a squeeze. “There’s nothing holding us back from going. What do you think? Can I book the flight? Make the hotel arrangements? For as soon as possible?”
A bunch of thoughts roll through my mind. I trust Slade. He’s proven himself to me. But we’ve known each other for a whopping two seconds. I think I might be falling for him. Hard and fast. But…
“So, about the hotel arrangements…” I trail off, not sure how to broach the subject.
