AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is it sad to have that in common?” he asked again after a protracted silence. It was easy to see that he’d been thinking and that the curiosity was back in his eyes.
“I wouldn’t say sad. I’d say it’s the universe showing us that there are others out there that know what we’re going through. That we’re not alone because someone out there understands that you don’t heal from their loss. You just learn how to live with it.”
“That’s a great way of looking at it.”
“It took a lot of therapy for me to get there.”
“It’s going to take a lot of therapy for me to accept the fact that my dad is thinking of getting remarried again.” His easy tone suddenly went harsh, like sandpaper scraped over raw skin. “They met in a bereaved spouses support group two weeks after Mom passed. Two weeks later, they’d moved in together and just yesterday he shot a text off to my brother and me asking what kind of ring did we think that Diane would like to have.”
OUCH.
I grimaced.
“I’m so sorry for that too. I can’t even imagine my dad remarrying after only six months. To his credit, he waited for three years before he introduced me to my stepmom, Marjorie. They were married ten years ago. Marj is like my second mom. Whatever milestones come up, she always finds a special way to include my mom so that way she can be there in some way.”
“Your stepmother sounds like an amazing woman. I wish I could say the same about Diane.” He scoffed and blew out a harsh breath. “Diane ‘joined’ the group after her fifth husband died after he suffered a widow-maker—no pun intended—out on the seventh hole. My brother and I can’t stand her. That was why we went behind Dad’s back and had her investigated. Apparently every man she’s married has been well-to-do and has died of a heart attack. It seems too close for comfort that those are the two things that they all had in common. It also scares the shit out of me that she might try to hurt my dad.”
In an instant, I saw his pain, his fear, and the helplessness that he felt. The fact that his devastating smile was now overshadowed by such a despondent frown left me aching to comfort a man that I didn’t know.
Seeing that the crowd was growing exponentially, I offered a proposition. One that I hoped he wouldn’t turn down.
“Instead of standing here all day under this blazing sun, why don’t we go get a coffee or a gelato and continue this talk.” I made my offer.
A thrill rippled up my spine seeing the flash in his eyes and how quickly his smile returned.
“I’d like that…” His voice trailed off as he realized that I knew his name but he had yet to learn mine.
“Ariel,” I answered. “And before you say anything, it’s not from The Little Mermaid. It’s actually Ariella, which means ‘lion of God’. My mother named me after her best friend who died in childbirth a few years before I was born.”
“Well then, Ariella, Lion of God and not the Disney princess,” he said cheekily with a waggle of his eyebrows. “I accept your offer. Sitting under a canopy sounds delicious right now. It is getting hot and I’m starting to feel like a sardine with all these people moving in. How about we get a gelato and then get a coffee while we continue this conversation?”
“Sounds great. However, I have one stipulation.”
“What’s that?”
“You tell me your name.”
My companion tossed his head back with a hearty laugh.
“My name is Lucas Reynolds.”
“And I’m Ariel Grainger.” We shook hands. I didn’t miss how he held onto mine longer than he should. Feeling his warm skin against mine sent tingles shooting through me as the first licks of desire wrapped around my spine.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ariel.”
“Likewise, Lucas,” I sighed happily. “Now let’s go get us some gelato.”
After gorging on the smooth, creamy Italian ice cream—him chocolate, me strawberry—Lucas and I spent the afternoon chatting. Taking our coffees to go, we strolled along the streets and talked about everything and anything that came to our minds. Just as we approached the fountain again, Lucas suddenly announced that he was hungry.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s time for dinner, Ariel. We’ve been walking for hours and I’m near starved.” Lucas motioned towards the sky, pointing out how the vibrant Italian yellow sun was on its way to bed and its light had turned to the soft, translucent indigo of early evening. A light breeze blew against us as I gazed up at him. “And your tummy’s been rumbling for the past half-hour,” he finished with a light-hearted chuckle.
“It has not!” I feigned indignation, but he saw right through me. “It has, hasn’t it?”
Lucas’s mouth spread into a wide, humored smile as he nodded.
“It has. And loudly.” He emphasized the last word by flaring his eyes wide. “I’m thinking we need to tame that beast before it decides to eat us alive.”
