A Little Slice of Heaven (22 page)

Oh, to be five years old again. Why did life become so difficult when a person reached adulthood?

With a sigh, she stepped onto the curb and wrestled with the idea of walking straight past the pizzeria. Yup, past the pizzeria, the nail salon, the Chinese restaurant, and the liquor store, past the back parking lot, past the copse of pine trees and into the pond. If she kept going from there, well, she wouldn’t have to worry about saying something stupid to Kyle, would she?

The idea was so tempting. Not the bit about drowning. But definitely the part about walking by. No confrontation, no confession, no chance for Kyle to laugh in her face or give her a look of disgust. Or worst of all, confide he was already married, engaged, involved, whatever. She couldn’t take another rejection.

So sue me. Hayley was right. I am a jellyfish. Transparent and spineless. And this jellyfish just might ooze her tentacles to the water and forget about sharing her feelings with anyone.

Fate conspired against her.

Dad, wiping down the booth in front of the window, spotted her and tapped on the glass to gain her attention. He gestured for her to come inside, and then unlocked the front door. “So my Sleeping Beauty’s awake, eh?” He kissed her cheek. “Can I get you something to drink? Espresso or Sambuca?”

“
Sambuca? At ten o’clock in the morning, Dad?”

He fixed her with his dark eyes and wagged a finger. “Hair of the dog, sweetheart.”

She shook her head slowly, not wanting to wake the hairy dog sleeping in her skull. Something told her Fido would be a bit cranky if she did. “No Sambuca. Espresso sounds good. Hayley dragged me from the house before I could grab a cup of coffee.”

“
You sit.” He pointed to the booth he’d wiped down. “I’ll get your espresso.”

While he headed into the dining room, she slid across the orange bench and folded her hands on the tabletop. Morning sunshine streamed through the window, burning her retinas. Blinded, she fumbled out of the booth and headed for one as far away from the glass as possible.

When her father returned with the tiny cup and saucer, he looked from the booth near the window to the place where she sat now. “That bad, eh?”

She nodded as she picked up the thick lemon peel and stirred it in the aromatic black liquid. After returning the peel to the saucer, she lifted the cup to her lips. A little like battery acid in her empty stomach, but no denying the instantaneous jolt the pure caffeine gave her.

“
So how was the wedding last night?”

Over the rim of her cup, she tried to look blasé. “Good.”

“
That’s not what Kyle said.” He slid into the booth across from her.

Clink! The cup fell back on the saucer. Oh, God. Kyle had already talked to Mom and Dad. “Wh-what did he say?”

Her father leaned across the table to push a wisp of hair off her forehead. “He said you turned that place on its ear last night. And you were the prettiest girl there and made sure everyone knew.”

“
Was that all he said?” God, she hoped so!

“
No, there was one more thing.”

Heart pounding in her throat, she waited for her father to berate her trashy behavior.

“
He also said you made the bride look like a reject from a bad horror movie.”

Relief spilled into her stomach like liquid antacid. “I think he exaggerated a bit, Dad.”

“
And I think you probably underestimate your effect on people. You’ve always known how to shine.”

As much as her father’s compliment soothed her bruised ego, she didn’t wish to pursue this subject. Not while she continued to avoid the real reason for her early morning arrival. “How’s everything going here?”

“
Pretty good. That purple-headed girl—Bethany?—she applied for a job yesterday. Wants to work here nights and weekends. What do you think?”

Draining the last of the espresso from the cup, she shrugged. “She’s here all the time anyway. She might as well get paid for the privilege. And she seems responsible enough. She’s not a troublemaker, that’s for sure. I’d say go for it. Claudio probably won’t like your employing her though.”

“
Claudio’s retiring at the end of the month,” he confided. “That’s why I’m thinking of hiring Bethany.”

Her eyes blinked in rapid succession. “Claudio? Retiring?”

“
He’s sixty-two, sweetheart. He wants to stop working while he’s still young enough to do something with his days. Even if he just hangs around with the ROMEOs.”

“
But,” she argued. “You’re the same age.”

“
And your mother’s always trying to get me to slow down, too. You know that.”

“
But you never do.”

Dad beamed brighter than the morning sunshine streaming through the storefront window. “I’ve been fortunate. I love the restaurant business. I can’t turn my back on
Villa Mare
. You have that same passion for teaching. Even after all you suffered with Frank and Rachel, could you turn your back on the little ones?” Giving her hand a quick, comforting squeeze, he answered for her. “No, you couldn’t. And that’s why your mother and I plan to refinance our mortgage to get you the money for your daycare center.”

Okay, where’s Rod Serling?
The theme from ‘The Twilight Zone’ echoed in her head. First Claudio’s retirement, now this.

She couldn’t allow her parents to mortgage their future for hers. Of all days to be placed in such a tenuous position, why today? Why did fate heap new portions on her overburdened plate? Especially when each one was less appetizing than the previous one.

“
No, Dad. I can’t ask you to do that. You shouldn’t have to take out a loan to finance my life. Besides, I’ve been thinking. I’m going to take a second job. I’ll have to put off the center for another couple of years but—”

The squeeze transformed into a series of pats on her wrist. “I’ve made up my mind, Gianna. Your mother and I talked about this at great length. You believe in this cause, and we believe in you. What better way to show how much we love you than to give you the opportunity to follow your dream?”

Slack-jawed, she pondered her next move. No point in continuing to argue. Only one person could talk Carlo Randazzo out of doing something—Lucia Randazzo. She’d have to speak to her mother. “Where is Mom anyway?”

His silver head jerked toward the storage room. “In the back with Kyle. She’s teaching him how to tally the receipts.” Leaning closer, he winked and whispered, “If you tell her I said so, she’ll deny it. But I think your mother has a crush on Kyle.”

Yeah, well, there’s a lot of that going around.
“Do you think she’d mind if I borrowed him for a while?”

Rising, Dad picked up the empty cup and saucer. “Only for a very short while. I’d bet my socks your mother’s got a dozen tasks her Kyle has to do before the lunch crowd arrives.”

“‘
Her Kyle?’”

“
Yup,” he replied, tossing a sly grin over his shoulder. “I told you she’s sweet on him.”

Almost as if summoned by their conversation, Gianna’s mother stepped out of the back room with Kyle behind her. The minute Gianna saw him, her heart ascended into her throat, and the espresso re-percolated in her stomach.

“
Who’s sweet on whom, Carlo?” her mother asked.

“
You on Tony Bennett,
cara
,” Dad replied smoothly.

“
Mmmm. He can leave his slippers under my bed anytime.”

Gianna lowered her head to the table, partly to hide her amusement at her parents’ nonsense, but also to shield her telltale face from Kyle’s scrutiny.

“
Good morning, Gianna.” Her mother leaned to kiss the top of her head. “What brings you here so early?”

Her gaze drilled into the orange Formica. “Kyle, actually.”

“
Oh?” The rise in his tone reflected open curiosity.

Gianna took the time to count to ten and recoup reserves. If she didn’t do this now, she’d never find the nerve again. Feigning a casual attitude far from the anxiety skittering like marbles in her veins, she turned her focus to him. “Yes. If you have a few minutes, maybe we could take a walk?”

Kyle’s face registered nothing. “Actually, I should stay here. Lucia, didn’t you want me to run those receipts one more time?”

Her mother giggled. In twenty-nine years, Gianna had never heard her mother giggle before. Dad was right; Mom had a crush. Big time. “The receipts can wait,
tesoro
. Go with Gianna.”

Tesoro
? Even her brother, Joey, only heard that term of endearment once a year. On his birthday.

Still wearing a blank expression, Kyle reshifted his attention to Gianna. “Sure. Why not?”

Why not? She could think of a thousand reasons why not, chief among them the fact she was about to make a first-class fool out of herself. But she bit her tongue. “Great! Let’s go.”

Chapter Sixteen

Contrary to his cool pretense, Kyle knew exactly why Gianna wanted him to “take a walk” with her. When she crossed the parking lot and headed for a side street running perpendicular to the strip mall, his brain cells squirmed.

Dammit, why now? He only had thirteen days left. Thirteen days and this farce would be over. Thirteen days and he’d go home. Thirteen days and he’d get his life back, keeping Aurora in the process. Thirteen days and he’d be free. Thirteen days and he’d leave this place, forgetting everyone and everything he’d come in contact with over the last two months.

As if debating his silent argument, the autumn wind rustled. A flurry of leaves whirled on a familiar powdery scent. No, the wind reminded him, that last statement wasn’t entirely true. He’d never forget Gianna. How could he? The scent of her skin, the sound of her voice, the innocence sparkling in her eyes. Her gentle, unobtrusive manner, her generous spirit…

“
Have you seen the beach here yet?” she asked, staring at him over her shoulder.

He shook his head, and she smiled. A chilly fog of guilt crept into his bones. If only the expression of joy on her face could last. She deserved nothing less than to be happy for the rest of her life. Without Gianna finding him, he never would have survived the last month. And yet, without Gianna, he wouldn’t have to face this excruciating moment.

“
Setquott Beach is one of the only beaches on Long Island where the sun actually sets in the water,” she said. “Legend says Native American tribes celebrated marriages at dusk on this shore. The union of earth, sky, and water in one fine line represented the joining of families. The shifting tides indicated the give and take needed by the wedding couple, and the sinking sun symbolized the ending of unmarried lives and the beginning of their future together as one.”

Well, she’d left no doubt where this conversation was headed. But he said nothing as they walked on, content to let silence reign as long as possible. When they finally reached the shoreline, he had to admit the view was as breathtaking as at some of the finest beaches in Europe. At mid-morning height, the sun glinted off blue-gray water in shimmering diamonds. Rocks, vivid hues of red, gray, pink, and every shade of cream imaginable, crunched under his shoes like a noisy bowl of breakfast cereal.

An echoic honk sounded as a V of Canada geese, wings spread across the white-streaked sky, flew overhead. Salt air, always discernible in the town itself, now infused every breath he took, stinging his nostrils with a sharp tang, leaving an indelible flavor on his tongue.

“
Isn’t the view magnificent?” She linked an arm through his. “I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl, and the beauty never ceases to call to me. I think the Native Americans were right. This is the perfect place for two people to begin a relationship. Don’t you think so?”

To slice through the thick tension building in his gut, he forced a cheery voice. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“
Better, thanks to several aspirins and Dad’s espresso,” she replied. This time her gaze remained fixed straight ahead. “I guess I had a little too much to drink last night.”

“
It happens.”

“
Not to me.” She picked up a handful of stones, and plucked a smooth pink one from the pile to skip across the water. “I’ve never done that before. I guess having to face Frank and Rachel…” She stopped, staring at him with wide, shining eyes.

Trusting eyes.

“
Did I tell you how grateful I was for your company last night?”

Had she intentionally chosen the heart-shaped stone to toss into the sea? Pins and needles prickled his flesh. “About a thousand times.”

A charming rush of color bloomed in her cheeks, raising a moral dilemma in his conscience. She wanted something permanent. And he couldn’t give her that. In the end, he’d be forced to leave her behind. His world was miles from hers. He was a bird, she was a fish. Neither could survive in the other’s environment.

“
Kyle, I know you think I was too drunk last night to know what I wanted, but the truth is I like you very much.”

“
Gianna, I—”

She quickly pushed a fingertip against his lips.

The contact sent a flame straight to his mouth, making him burn to kiss her once again.

“
No, let me finish. I have to get this out while I still have the nerve. Last night, when I said I wasn’t ready to say goodnight, I meant what I said. I didn’t ask to come home with you because I drank too much champagne or because I was high on some power trip. Last night I realized how much you mean to me. I think...I think I may be falling for you.” Her hands settled on his shoulders, and she tilted her head, poised for a kiss. “And I was sort of hoping you felt the same way about me.”

The pins and needles embedded in his lungs, making breathing nigh on impossible. With reluctance, he removed her hands and stepped back. “No, Gianna. I mean, I do like you. But I can’t do this.”