Page 326 of Dark Love

The guilt and pressure this poor little girl must feel every day. “What a gift your mother got.”

“What? My mother died.”

“Too many people die from cancer every day. But your mother got the chance to leave a legacy. A little piece of her will remain in this world because of you. Not everyone gets that chance.”

“Really? Everyone always said mom wanted me more than anything. They would whisper that she had me so that my dad wouldn’t be alone.” Hope leans back heavily in her chair. “Are you sure you can’t fall in love with him?”

“Why me? Why do you want me to fall in love with your father?”

“Because you bake brownies and cookies from scratch. My father loves cookies. Nonna jokes that he could live on them. You put flowers in the windows. And you sing to yourself when you’re in your backyard. My dad needs someone that does all those things.”

Hope makes me sound like a pretty special person. But singing off key and planting stuff that dies every season is closer to reality. “Love doesn’t work that way. We don’t get to pick people based on the skills they possess.” Though, as my mom says, it helps sometimes. “Does your dad ever talk about your mom?”

“All the time.”

“Then maybe he’s not ready yet—” or he might not ever be ready “—to fall in love again.”

“Bisnonna fell in love again. She married Ethan years ago and they’re so happy together.”

“Everyone is different. Love is a strange and mysterious thing.”

“It really is. Maybe it’s a good thing that Dad won’t ever let me date anyone.” She wrinkles her nose.

“I doubt you’ll be saying that when you’re twenty.”

“Dad isn’t the one I need to worry about when it comes to boys.”

“Oh?”

“Do you know how many cousins I have? Because I’ve lost count and they’re just as protective as my dad.”

Poor girl is going to have a few challenges, but always be surrounded by love. “I get it. My brother is the worst. He warned off every guy in high school to the point I was a pariah.”

“Exactly.” She smiles over at me.

Before we get too far off-topic, I need to have the responsible adult part of this conversation. “You know, if you’re worried about your dad, you should talk to him about it. He seems like a pretty reasonable guy.”

“He is. But sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger. Someone that won’t worry so much about me.”

If only that were true, but now it seems I’ve adopted a little girl to worry about in my heart. And she isn’t even mine. “My door is open anytime.”

“Will you still help me write that book even if you won’t marry my dad?”

“Absolutely.”

“I need to go tell Fire!” She hops up and rushes away.

Kids are peculiar. The ones around here seem pretty happy, though.

“Thank you.”

I turn to find Massimo striding towards me. “You were listening to our conversation the entire time.”

He nods.

“Being a good dad seems like a hard job.”

He sinks down into the wrought-iron chair next to me. “The hardest job in the world.”

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