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‘Pfft, yeah, for the worse.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Jessie will hate me, and I wouldn’t blame her in the slightest.’
‘Yes, she’ll be upset at first.’ He raised a hand and rested it on Annie’s arm. ‘But I know, in time, she’ll forgive you.’
Annie faltered, but only briefly. ‘How can you be so sure about that, huh?’
‘We both know she’s a kind-hearted person.’ And Jess was, to her own detriment at times.
‘You’re right, Jessie does have that, but even the tender-hearted have a breaking point, wouldn’t you agree?’
He knew she was referring to his rebellious ways after Jess had skipped town, but he wasn’t about to rise to the bait. ‘Can you just think about it a bit more, Annie, please?’
‘I have thought about it, Morgan, and I’m not going to change my mind, so just drop it, please, because this conversation is getting mighty old.’
‘Annie, hey, sis.’ Jess’s voice carried along with her racing footfalls. ‘You’re here!’
‘Jessie!’ Annie circled around him and met Jess with open arms. ‘It’s so good to see you!’
Morgan watched the pair embrace tightly, his heart squeezing tighter still as Jess wiped tears from her eyes. If only she knew …
Jess threw a glance in his direction. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to join us for my famous ragu tonight, Morgan?’
‘No, but thanks.’ He forced a beaming smile. ‘You two enjoy your catch-up.’
‘Oh, we most certainly will.’ Wrapping her arm over Jess’s shoulder, Annie all but dragged her away before he could say any more or change his mind about the offer of dinner.
All he could do was offer a wave as he watched them walk away. Annie wasn’t out of the woods yet, because he wasn’t giving up. One way or another, Jess was going to learn the truth.
CHAPTER
6
Bending, Jess popped her teaspoon into the dishwasher as she enthusiastically listened to Chiara’s sweet voice.
‘Nonno let me do his make-up, and he looks really funny, Mum. I wish you could see him.’ Chiara’s cackling laughter carried through the phone, as did her nonno’s echoing chuckles, and both softly landed in Jess’s heart.
‘I wish I could, too, love, sorry the video on my phone doesn’t seem to be working.’ She wandered into the lounge room with her warm cup of Milo, and carefully sank down on the couch. ‘Make sure you take a photo of him and send it to me, won’t you.’
‘I will as soon as we hang up,’ Chiara said with unbridled enthusiasm. ‘I told him he could wash it off when I was finished, but he said I did such a great job he didn’t want to.’
‘He’s a funny one, our Nonno.’ Pressing the phone to her ear, Jess had to use every bit of strength not to burst into inconsolable tears. ‘I miss you both heaps, sweetie.’
‘We miss you, too, Mum, soooo much.’
Jess could picture Chiara, arms and eyes wide as she proclaimed just how much she was missed. ‘Only twelve sleeps, and I’ll be back home with you.’
‘Yay!’ Chiara’s squeal echoed. ‘Then we can make my chocolate birthday cake!’
Smiling into the phone, Jess nodded as she imagined Chiara turning double digits. ‘Yes, we sure can, and then we’ll eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.’
‘Oh my gosh, really?’ Chiara sucked in a breath. ‘Do you really promise?’
‘Yes, it’s your tenth birthday, so Ireallypromise.’ And she meant it. ‘I should let you go so you can go and have your dinner before it gets cold, sweetie.’
‘Okay, please give Uncle Roberto and Aunty Shanti a big hug from me.’
‘I will.’ Jess gritted her teeth against a sob. ‘And make sure you do the same from me to Nonno and get him to give you a hug back from me.’
‘But who’s going to hug you from me, Mum?’
