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“What about the kid?”
I couldn’t make sense out of it. Dominic was so good with his little niece. If he’d had a child of his own, then surely he would be a part of her life. I thought I understood Dominic well enough to know at least that much.
The sudden feel of a strong hand on the small of my back was familiar. I whirled around. Dominic was standing just on the other side of the bench. He looked even better up close than he had from across the room, except for the fact that I could see the sadness in his eyes much more clearly.
Jason reached over and clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder, squeezed briefly, and then let go. “I was just telling Melanie over here about how lucky I was to be Donna Esposito’s charity case. I think your grandmother fed me more meals than my own mother did.”
Dominic moved his hand gently across my back. I thought he would pull me closer, but he didn’t.
“You were never a charity case, Jay,” he said to his friend. “You’ve always been family. Right from the first day you wandered over and demanded I accompany you on a beer run.”
Jason looked touched. “Thanks for saying that. You Esposito people have been my tribe for the last ten years.”
Dominic nodded soberly and glanced at the casket. “Well, the tribe just got a little smaller, my friend.”
“I know,” Jason said. “I’ll miss her.”
Jason scanned the room. It was less crowded now. Gio and Tara were talking to a pair of elderly gentlemen.
“Hey, Dom,” Jason said in a casual voice, “when you get a moment, I need to talk to you.”
“Is it about our little project?” Dominic asked cryptically, dropping his hand from my back.
Jason nodded. “Yup.”
Dominic nodded with approval. “Good. Will I see you over at Sonoran Acres after the burial?”
“I’ll be there,” Jason promised. He looked over at me. “Listen, I haven’t talked to Gio yet, so I’m just going to go torment him and his lovely wife with my presence for a few minutes. I’ll see you later, Melanie. Thanks for letting me cry on your shoulder for a little while.”
“Bye, Jason.”
Dominic peered down at me. “He cried on your shoulder?”
“Yes. I ought to send him a dry-cleaning bill for the tear stains.”
He flashed a small smile, then turned serious. “Thanks for coming. Means a lot to me.”
I was swimming in his dark eyes. If I wasn’t careful, I’d drown. I cleared my throat.
“Dom, I just want to say again how sorry I am. I know how much you loved your grandmother.”
He swallowed and started to draw his arm around my waist, “Mel,” he sighed, but he never got a chance to finish the thought because a bulky guy in an ill-fitting beige suit interrupted things.
“Dominic, I was sad to hear about Donna,” the man said as he shook Dominic’s hand. “She was a nice lady. She would come in all the time when you were working and would always make sure to ask after Elle and the kids.” The man perspired and wheezed a lot, like he had asthma or maybe emphysema.
“Thanks, Bill,” Dominic said warmly. The he gestured to me. “This is Melanie Cruz. She helps manage both restaurants. Don’t know what we’d do without her.”
Bill extended a meaty hand. It was sweaty. “Pleased to meet you,” he said cheerfully. “Bill Toro, owner of Toro’s Pizza, up in Scottsdale. I’ve known your boss here since he was a teenager. He and his brother both worked for me for a while.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” I said politely, but on the inside I was a little flustered. Dominic hadn’t introduced me as his girlfriend or anything even vaguely close. As far as Bill Toro knew, I was just a regular everyday employee. That shouldn’t bother me right now, but it did.
Bill Toro didn’t stay and chat long. He made Dominic promise that they would find time to catch up soon and then he wheezed and waddled his way to the door.
“Dominic!” Gio called from across the room. He beckoned his brother.
Dominic waved and then held up one finger.
“I think we’re going to the cemetery now,” Dominic said. “It’ll be real quick and then we’ll head over to Sonoran Acres for a little while.”
