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“Oh no,” I blurted as the same time Franc said yes.
“I mean yes,” I said as Franc shook his head and said no.
Oh boy. We needed to work this out before we made this worse. “I’m Gio’s nanny,” I said. “So as far as being here for food, yes, we’re together. For the food.”
“That’s what I meant,” Maria said, her eyes narrowing and head tilting slightly.
“Gio!” Franc yelled out. “Excuse me.” He jogged off toward Gio, who was spinning out of control on the swing, leaving me to clean up my word vomit.
Maria leaned out of the window and watched Franc. “That man looks good coming and going.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” I said in hopes of making my position very clear.
“You’d have to be dead not to notice.”
“He’s my boss. Kind of.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate a fine specimen of a man. Besides, Franc hasn’t dated anyone since his wife left.”
“Oh, I didn’t know. I didn’t ask.”
“Lucky for you, I know all the details. Small town. Everyone knows everything.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. It’s really none of my business.”
“Then you moved to the wrong town. Either you’re with the gossip or you’re an outlier.”
After everything that happened back home, I really hated to talk about someone behind their back. But I’d been dying to know his background and too embarrassed to ask myself. “Okay, before he gets back, fill me in.”
I kept my eye on Franc, who took one of Gio’s legs to his gut as he tried to stop the spinning. He let out anugh,and his jaw tensed. He looked sexy as hell, even in pain. I shook the thought from my head.
“So his ex was a real piece of work,” Maria said, pulling my attention. “It was always about her. I don’t even know why Franc got mixed up with her in the first place. She must have been able to suck a tennis ball through a hose, if you catch my drift.”
I did, but I did not want to even think about it.
“We were all shocked when they got engaged. Most of the town had bets when he would come to his senses and call it off. He never did. They married, had Gio, and then the bitch left.”
“She left her son?” It was one thing to leave a husband, but another to leave your own flesh and blood. Then again, I had personal experience with that. My biological father left Mom and me, and we never heard from him again. Sometimes I think about looking him up, but then I come to my senses. He wanted nothing to do with me, and I wasn’t going to waste my time on someone who I meant nothing to.
“Yup. Just up and left and he hasn’t heard a word from her since. She never sends a card for Gio’s birthday. Last I heard, she was in California, but that was over a year ago. Who knows where she is now? She never stays in one place too long.”
A father walking out is one thing, but a mother who carried a child for nine months? How did she walk away? How did she not feel like a piece of her was missing?
“Oh, here he comes.” Maria nodded toward Franc, who had a tight grip on Gio’s hand. “You want the usual?” she asked me, as if she didn’t just spill the tea.
“Yes, that would be great.” Even though I’d been there the day before, I was surprised she remembered my order.
“Franc, you want your usual, too?” she called out to him.
Franc gave a thumbs up while then scooped Gio into his arms. Gio fought against him, and Franc spun him upside down. A string of giggles fell from Gio as he dangled from Franc’s grip. Franc swung him back and forth like a pendulum, and Gio laughed even harder.
By the time they got to the truck, Franc turned Gio right side up and placed him on his feet.
“Do it again!” Gio exclaimed.
“Maybe later. Why don’t you go grab us a picnic table?”
Gio kicked his foot in the air like a ninja and took off toward a table under a tall birch tree.
