Page 21 of His Willing Wife

Luca was more than happy for him to keeptalking, because he was right, it wasn’t exactly helping his cause,and he had nothing more to say. All he had to do was wait.

“I know there is a lot more to life thanearning money. Fuck!” David threw his arms up in the air. “I quit.I just … I like to think of myself as the good big brother. The onethat always looks out for his sister. I have donethat my whole life. I was theone who told her years ago to tell Dad about the whole beautypageants thing.”

“Beauty pageants?”

David waved his hand in the air as if itwasn’t too much of a concern. “You don’t need to worry about it.Tillie hated it, and it kind of put Mom and Tillie’s relationship on a bad note, butshe got to stop going. Hasn’t she told you?”

They hadn’t exactly gotten around totalking much about their pasts, but that had beendiscussed. It was a small snippet into Tillie, and Luca hadappreciated it, especially when Tillie had been the one to tellhim. Luca didn’t say a word, he just looked at David andwaited.

The other man seemed to get nervous quiteeasily, or at least hedid in his company. Luca had watched him at work, and when the manwas focused, nothing could sway him, not even beautifulwomen.

When he first took over this company, hethought David would be his weakest link and he’d have to cut him out of it. In fact,David had proven to be one of the strongest, and his dedication tothe company was exemplary. They all had a burning respect for theirgrandfather, like Tillie, but for different reasons.

Their grandfather helped bring thiscompany into what it’sknown as today, or at least the good and admired aspects of thecompany. Something Uncle Ed had gone out of his way to destroy, andLuca hadn’t understood why, considering it was hislivelihood.

David got to his feet and shoved his handsinto his pockets. “I didn’t come here to insult you. I came here tooffer friendship, not because you’ve helped bail out the companyand kept me on.”

“You talk a lot, don’t you?”

Luca watched as he burst out laughing.

David pressed a hand to his stomach,almost as if what Lucahad just said was the most hilarious thing in the world. He wasn’tentertained.

“I’m sorry. Believe it or not, I’mconsidered the quiet one of the family. My mom is the talker. Tillie and I, we’re kind ofon equal footing in the whole not-talking department. Hopefully,you won’t get mad with her for me putting my foot in it?” Davidasked.

“If you’re implying that I’m going to hurtTillie, then I have to warn you I don’t like being threatened twice in the sameday.”

“You’ve been threatened?” David asked.

Once again, Luca didn’t say a word, but hereached behind him and grabbed the small file with the note thathad been left for him this morning. He figured it was the PA’sparting gift, and she did it for Uncle Ed. Just a simple letter,written in red pen,stating that he was going to kill him.

“Fuck, man, did you call the police?”

“There is no need. It’s merely an idlethreat.” Luca snapped the file closed.

“Do you know who sent it?”

“Your Uncle Ed.”

“Uncle Ed? What the fuck?”

“I had no idea you cursed a lot.”

David put a hand over his mouth. “Yeah,ugh, if my grandfather were to hear me, he’d give me a clip around the back of thehead and tell me real businessmen talk the talk without dirtywords.”

Luca saw a wave of sadness pass over David’sface. “You’re sad.”

“Yeah, sorry, I just … you ever have those moments whensomething happens, and you don’t think too much about it untilafter you don’t get it anymore?”

“I have no idea what you’re talkingabout.”

“In a nutshell, I’d give anything right nowfor my grandfather to be here, clipping me around the back of thehead. I never cared too much for it when he was alive, but he was agood man. I miss him.”

“Tillie misses him as well.”

“She would. After things with the wholebeauty pageant went sour, Mom and Tillie’s relationship did aswell. She spent a lot of time with them growing up. Probably morethan I did. Even when she was a teenager. I was out being cool, and Tillie lovedhanging out with our grandparents.” David sighed and then reachedout his hand. “Believe it or not, I came here to also extendfriendship. I know it doesn’t seem like much, and trust me, withhow this meeting went down, I can understand if you don’t want tobe friends, but that’s what I offer.”

Luca looked at the hand. A friend. He’dnot had a friend in his life, and the temptation to tell this manso was strong, but he ignored it. Instead, he reached out andgripped the other man’s hand.

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