Page 85 of Bound to You

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about earlier,” Isla says.

“What are we talking about?” I ask, confused. “What’s wrong with Nora?”

“The owners of her studio are selling,” Vanessa says.

My heart sinks at the thought of Nora’s studio being sold out from under her, she loves that place.

“We need to do something, and I actually have an idea.” Isla’s meal is quickly abandoned as she starts explaining. “Nora doesn’t have the money to buy the studio herself, so I was thinking we could host a fundraiser event. I’m sure the town would rally around to help Nora, we could do an auction or something,” she looks around the table as she rambles. “I’m sure the women of Ruby Cove would pay a hefty price for a date with Leo or Rafael? Or a basket of your goodies, Vanessa?”

My heart warms seeing how much she wants to put in to saving the studio, maybe she’s truly starting to see this place as her own.

I place a hand on her knee under the table. “We’ll do it.”

Her eyes shine and she smiles wide. “Really?”

I nod. “We’ll have to be quick though. Will you help me put it together?”

She places her hand over mine. “Please.”

“I’m in,” Marina says. “But you’re gonna have to get those puppy dog eyes on for the boys to agree to auctioning themselves off.”

She smiles mischievously. “I think I can manage that.”

chapter thirty-five

ISLA

Laughter fillsthe cozy living room as stories of Caio and Marina are shared over a glass of wine.

We migrated to the leather couches after filling our guts with Vanessa’s lemon panna cotta. I need to get that recipe from her one way or another. Not that I’d be able to replicate it anyway, but I could try.

I adore learning things about Caio that he’s never told me. Like how he used to scare the life out of Vanessa when he would leave the house in the middle of the night to go for a swim in the ocean when he couldn’t sleep, reminding me of the night we met at the pool, he did the same thing.

I did the same thing.

It’s something we have in common, I guess. I wonder if he feels the same way that I do when the water touches my skin? Like everything else washes away and it’s just me and the waves.

She used to think that someone was trying to break in when he’d come home and open the back door. They would often meet in the hallway with Vanessa holding a wooden spoon. Which apparently is no less intimidating than being met with a baseball bat according to Caio.

Apparently, Vanessa could do lethal damage with any utensil, and I don’t doubt that for a second. The woman is fiercely protective of her loved ones. I could only imagine how she’d act in the face of any threat to their happiness or safety.

I learnt about how Caio used to walk with Vanessa to open the bakery every morning for a couple of weeks at four in the morning just so he could get a free breakfast cornetto.

Or how when Marina went for a year to Sorrento to earn her bartending license and Caio had already opened the hotel, he would come and have dinner with the D’Angelo’s every single night, so they’d have company.

I don’t know if that worked out better for them or for Caio, considering he’d get delicious dinners made for him every night. Maybe that’s why his only specialty is takeaways from Antonio’s pizza parlor.

Stories come out about Marina too. About how she used to sneak boys in through her window when she was sixteen and she thought her ma had no idea. “You knew? The entire time?”

“Mmhm,” Vanessa nods.

“You never said anything! I swore if you ever found out,I’dget a visit from the wooden spoon,” she laughs into her glass.

“We got enough enjoyment watching those poor boys fall from your window and scurry off into the night.” Luca nudges his elbow into his wife’s side and they both chuckle, their eyes reminiscent.

It’s been a perfect night. No one has asked any scary questions about Caio and me. It’s just been…natural.

Effortless.

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