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I would have walked him out, but my knees weren’t quite working after he’d melted my bones, so I sank into my chair and watched him go. When he was out of sight, I picked up the cookie box. I’d never been sentimental, and it was silly of me to have saved this. Before I could talk myself out of it, I broke a piece off and slipped it into my mouth.
Vanilla. Of course it was delicious.
I ate it slowly, taking little bites between replying to emails. A quarter of it was gone when Luca arrived, sauntering into my office with a smirk.
“Is there something you want to tell me, my dear sister?”
With a sigh, I rested my elbows on my desk. “Jake and I are dating.”
He folded himself in the chair across from me. “I gathered that. I caught the vibe at dinner last week.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “Looking back, there was a vibe at our first meeting too, if I’m not mistaken.”
“There was a vibe,” I confirmed. “I like him.”
The explanation I’d wanted to drum up fell away. In its place, I chose simplicity.
“He seems like a good guy. I can’t say I’m not surprised at the pairing. For one, I thought you were content leading the nun life. For another, Jakey is younger than both of us. Never thought you’d rob the cradle.”
I shot him a murderous glare. “Never, ever say anything like that again, or I’ll steal Clementine and give her to Nellie.”
That made him laugh and hold up his hands. “No, no, don’t take my cat. I’m only kidding. I don’t care about your age gap. It’s no big deal. Not like you’re some withered prune. You’ve got a few years yet.”
I flipped him off. “You have the same genes I do.”
“True. And they’re damn fine genes at that.” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Seriously, I’m happy you’re getting out there. You deserve to have someone take care of you, you know.”
Jake’s promise echoed in my head, and I smiled. “Thank you. I’m happy too. Cautiously so, but still.”
“No one would blame you for being cautious.” He tapped the edge of my desk. “Did you tell Jake we’re moving forward with Motor Zone?”
“No. I thought about it, but I’d rather not have our business dealings overlap our personal relationship. He’ll find out through his lawyers or brother.”
“That makes sense. It’s a good idea to keep it separate. Hopefully it will remain possible.”
Moving forward didn’t mean the deal was signed. That was still months away. Next would be the SWOT analysis, then our lawyers would meet with their lawyers to draw up terms, and we’d sign a memo of understanding once we agreed. Anything could happen in the following months. Deals fell through all the time. Luca’s meaning rang loud and clear. If something happened and we couldn’t seal the deal with Jake’s company, I could only hope it wouldn’t affect our personal relationship.
“One of the many reasons I’m cautiously optimistic,” I returned.
“You always were the smart one in the family.” His gaze fell on the pink box on my desk. “Aren’t you going to offer your brother a bite?”
On instinct, my hand shot out to pull it closer to me. “No.”
“Rude.” He reached for it, and I swatted him away, making him laugh. “Come on, Clara. You’re seriously not going to give me any? It’s a huge cookie. What does it say on it?”
With a sigh, I turned it toward him. I’d eaten around the words, leaving them there.
“Number one champion…of what?” he asked.
“Bowling. Jake had this made for me after I beat him,” I rushed out, hoping he’d leave me alone now that he had an answer.
Something about Luca loosened, and the corners of his mouth curled into a soft smile he usually reserved for his wife and my daughter. It was…tender. Sweet, even.
“I think I like this guy.” He stopped trying to steal my cookie and met my gaze. “Remember, Saoirse and I are happy to babysit and keep Nellie overnight. All you have to do is name the date. All right?”
I nodded, a wad of emotion lodged in my throat. Without Luca’s support, I wouldn’t have survived my divorce and becoming a new mother. I was on my own two feet now, but he was still there for me, never allowing me to feel like I didn’t have backup.
“I remember.”
It was only later, when I was replaying our lunch in my mind, I realized Jake hadn’t mentioned my ex at all. I didn’t believe there was any way he hadn’t gone home and looked him up.
