Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
After he selected the hot tea and a blueberry muffin, I took a cup for myself. Then I passed the other two coffees and the bag to Kit. His expression was still guarded, but there was curiosity there too as he studied me.
“We’re sorry about missing dinner tonight,” Devon said. “We’re probably going to stay in Baltimore for a few weeks, since it sounds like my mom is going to need help for a while. But right after that, we want to visit you in San Diego.”
“That’ll be great,” Arie said. “Wait until you see the diner. The remodel has really come together.”
I’d almost forgotten that his son-in-law had invested in the diner sometime in the last year or so. The two of them started a detailed discussion about kitchen equipment, but it came to an abrupt halt when Kit turned to me and asked, “Can I talk to you for a minute, in private?”
Arie frowned at that. “What don’t you want to say in front of me?”
Kit got up and told his dad, with a perfectly serious expression, “I’m going to threaten to maim Salvatore if he hurts you. I don’t want to make you mad, so I’m going to do it over by the coffee stand, where you won’t hear me.” He turned to me and asked, “Are you coming?”
I got up and tried not to grin. I had almost a foot and maybe a hundred pounds of muscle on this guy, so it felt like being threatened by a tiny, fluffy kitten.
Arie started to protest, but I said, “It’s fine. We’ll be right back.”
Kit led the way to the counter next to the coffee vendor, and as he added milk and two sugars to his cup, he said, “I really will hunt you down if you hurt my dad.”
“As you should.”
He knit his brows and scrutinized me as he stirred his drink. “I didn’t know what to think when my dad told me about you,” he said. “You came out of nowhere and swept him off his feet, but it seemed like he didn’t know the first thing about you. That raised some red flags. At the same time though, he’s been happier than I’ve ever seen him. And what you did a few minutes ago, taking care of him when he felt dizzy? That was awesome. I worry about him, because I know how he is. He’ll take care of everyone around him, but not himself.”
“Exactly. This morning his stomach was in knots because he was nervous about flying, so it’s understandable that he skipped breakfast. But he skipped dinner last night, too. He got busy at work and forgot to eat. He does that a lot, and it’s incredibly frustrating.”
“That always drove me crazy, too. How does someone forget to eat?”
“I’ve asked myself the same question.”
Kit paused before saying, “This is the first time in my life that he’s ever been serious about anyone. It’s not just that he’s never had a relationship. He’s barely even dated. It would be so easy to break his heart and totally devastate him, and that really scares me.”
“That’s the very last thing I want to do.” I looked across the concourse at Armando. There might as well have been a spotlight on him. Everything else, all the bustle and activity and people around him were just noise, a blur, but he was in perfect focus. I murmured, mostly to myself, “He’s everything to me. Absolutely everything.”
“Have you told him you’re in love with him?”
I turned to Kit and blurted, “What?”
“I’ll take that as a no. You should tell him how you feel, Salvatore.”
I was so flustered that I started rambling. “I can’t. It’s too soon. Isn’t it? He’ll think it’s too soon. And he probably doesn’t feel the same way. He might, someday. But if I say it before he’s ready to hear it, it could drive him away. So, I should wait. Shouldn’t I?”
Kit’s face lit up with a genuine smile. “Oh, man. You’re as new as he is to this whole relationship thing, aren’t you?”
I looked away and nodded. He watched me fidget awkwardly for a moment before saying, “You’re not what I was expecting.”
“No?”
“I was worried you might be a player, or worse. I judged you unfairly, and I’m sorry about that.”
“There’s no need to apologize. You love your dad, and you want what’s best for him. I think it’s great that you two are so close.”
“Are you and your dad close?”
“We were. I lost him and my mom when I was fifteen.”
Kit’s dark eyes filled with sympathy. “I’m so sorry, Salvatore. I can’t even imagine.”
I really didn’t want to think about that right now, so I said, “We should be talking about happier subjects, like what we’ll do when you and your husband come to visit. I’ve been wanting to take Arie to that big animal park in San Diego, because he’s never been. Maybe we can all go.”