Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
As for Catalina, he’d offered to fund his friend’s entire telenovela retirement—one as luxurious as she wanted. Cruises across the oceans, travels around the world, as much gentle adventure as she could take. Because while he didn’t have the wealth of those millennia of age, he was a senior member of an archangel’s team—and he’d been working since the day they’d let him. He had more money than he could ever imagine spending.
“Ah, Illium,” Catalina had said with a poignant smile, “I don’t need to work. Lorenzo did our investments, made sure I’d be all right. I work inside this bakery because I loved Lorenzo here. He’s in the walls, in the recipes we created together, in the memories at that old table.”
Recollections untold in the brown of her eyes, her once dark hair now liberally laced with threads of silver. “Mi corazón, he’d call me while wrapping his arms around me from behind while I was trying to knead dough. I’d scold him for the interruption, but I never minded—and he knew. How could I leave him?”
Today, however, seeing that she was walking more stiffly than before he’d gone to China, Illium said, “You should rest.”
He pulled out a chair for her at the small table tucked into the far-left corner, then placed her tea in front of her, his coffee on the other side. “Lorenzo wouldn’t want you here only because you built this place with him.”
He understood the true extent of her tiredness when she didn’t immediately shake her head. “I saved you a box of treats,” she said instead. “I knew you’d come today. It’s in that top cupboard.”
After retrieving the box, he put it between them, then selected a cookie dotted with sugar crystals. “I’m serious. You and Lorenzo always planned to travel. He wouldn’t want you to give that up—I’m sure his ghost will follow you wherever you go, regardless. He was always possessive.”
Throwing back her head at his scowl, Catalina laughed that husky laugh that was of the sensual young woman she’d once been. Illium saw that in her still, this friend of his whose outer self had softened and become more rounded—but what did the outside matter? Unlike her family, he knew that well before she’d been their mamá or tía or abuela, she’d been Lorenzo’s Cat.
To Illium, she always would be.
“Oh, Illium, he was, wasn’t he?” she said, her laugh lingering in the curve of the lush lips Lorenzo had so loved, a dance of light in her eyes. “So good-natured, but that man could turn dark when a customer dared flirt with me.” A playful shake of her head. “Never with you, though—and you were the worst flirt of all!”
“Because he knew that I knew you were madly in love with him. You didn’t even notice my beautiful eyelashes.” As she snorted, Illium nudged the box toward her. “Eat the one with dark chocolate. That’s your favorite.”
“No, today all I want is pasta.”
“I’ll make it for you.” Thanks to her and Lorenzo’s liking for the dish, it was one of the few at which he wasn’t only serviceable but excellent. “Give me a few minutes to get the ingredients from Levi.” The grocer down the street had started his shop not long after Catalina and Lorenzo, was familiar with Illium.
When Catalina said, “Fresh tomatoes and garlic,” instead of waving away his offer, he knew she was having one of those days when she missed her husband and didn’t want to do so in the company of her daughter’s family, who lived just above her apartment and would be expecting her for dinner. They adored her, and she loved them in turn.
Tonight, however, she wanted to spend time with a friend who had known Lorenzo as a young man, who had drunk mead late into the night with him and Catalina while they played cards and laughed and were young together.
“Call Sofia,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “Tell her you’re having a date with me.”
Though her lips curved again, her eyes now held an old and worn grief.
Leaving her to inform her daughter that she wouldn’t be home for dinner, he ducked out to grab the supplies.
“Pasta today, huh?” the white-haired grocer said as he checked out the items. “I tell you what, I have fresh basil in my planter out back. I’ll give you a bit. Trust me, it’s delicious.”
While waiting for Levi to return, Illium reached out to Aodhan with his mind. I won’t be home for dinner, Adi—I’m eating with Catalina. She’s missing Lorenzo tonight. Will you look after Smoke?
Of course I will, Aodhan said at once. Ask her about the meal I cooked for her.
You never told me you cooked for her!
I decided to keep it a surprise.
It’s always the quiet ones, Illium said in a grim tone, but he was grinning. Are you staying in?