Page 96 of Vow

“You up for a visit to see John soon?” Andino asked Siena the second he figured her brother was out of earshot.

It was only them, and Ginevra left in the tasting room.

“Next week?” Siena asked back.

Andino shrugged. “Maybe, or the one after. Depends on how much running I have to do for this fucking nonsense.”

Siena gave him a look. “Be nice.”

“Where was the lie, though?”

“Yeah, well …” Siena glanced at her half-sister, and then back at him. “Just because it is doesn’t mean you have to point it out. That seems cruel.”

Andino dipped his head in Ginevra’s direction. “She knows what this is, girl. God knows, she probably feels the same way. Right, Ginny?”

Ginevra glanced between Siena and Andino with a furrowed brow. Yeah, he bet that was some kind of crazy shit for her to now realize he communicated with Siena beyond this wedding nonsense. They were actually friends.

And allies.

Ginevra would learn that soon enough.

“It does seem pointless,” Ginevra finally said, still looking entirely too confused. “They’re going to pick whatever in the hell they want, anyway. What does it matter?”

Siena sighed. “Yeah, I know. Where’s Snaps? Didn’t you bring him?”

Andino made a face. “Outside with my man.”

“Why?”

“For one, because they likely would have had a fit if I tried to bring him inside. And for another reason—”

“Because he doesn’t like me,” Ginevra muttered.

Andino made a noise under his breath. “Yeah, and that.”

Siena’s brow dipped. “Really? Snaps seems to like … well, mostly everyone. Women more than men.”

Wasn’t that the fucking truth?

His dog was just in a mood lately. A lot like Andino, really. He knew exactly why that was, too. Snaps was quite aware that Haven was not around, and hadn’t been for a while. About as long as the time his dog had been in this goddamn mood of his.

He was snappy—appropriate, for his name … or fucking ironic—but especially toward Ginevra. Which was just strange considering she never tried to do anything but pet him.

“He’s got some issues,” Andino said as though he were talking about a child and not an animal. “I’m handling it.”

“It’s because I’m not her, isn’t it?” Ginevra asked. “That … Haven woman.”

Silence drifted down the table with a heavy hand. Andino wished he could lie and say that wasn’t it, but he was getting really tired of lying all the time. It was a lot of work, and Ginevra basically said it anyway.

What difference did it make if he confirmed it?

“Yeah,” he murmured, “that’s a lot of the problem.”

She only nodded.

Ginevra was not stupid.

Quiet, yes.