Page 148 of Square Deal

Nonna marched in. She handed Chase the wine and the plastic bowl with strict instructions on how to warm up whatever it was she brought.

Luca grabbed four glasses and started pouring the wine. He went to fill the last one, but Nonna capped her hand over it.

“I brought my own,” she said, pulling a massive coffee mug out of her purse. It was at least twice the size of the wine glass. Luca humored her and filled it up.

She corralled the four of us around the long dining room table and served a bowl of pasta to each of us.

The carbs were heaven.

When we finished our late-night snack, Luca and Chase cleared the table.

Nonna was still sipping on her mug of wine. “Tell me, Isaac,” she began, patting the top of my hand. “Why does my Luca have me coming to Manhattan in the middle of the night to see you? I haven’t seen you since the wedding when you were chasing after that wedding planner.”

I looked down at the table and tried to hide my smile. I really gave Hannah hell that night. “I was in love with her, but I can’t marry her, Nonna. And that’s what she wants.”

Nonna nodded thoughtfully as if she saw through me with her old magic and was about to expound life-changing wisdom. “I see. You are…” She paused for a moment, turned her head toward Luca, and rambled in Italian so fast I wasn’t sure when one word stopped, and another began.

He smirked and said, “Chicken shit.”

“Ah,” Nonna nodded and turned back to me. “You are chicken shit.”

Steve cracked up laughing. I had a feeling he and Nonna would get along swimmingly.

“I’m not scared, Nonna,” I hissed through gritted teeth.Why the fuck was everyone so damn insistent on calling me a coward?

I was doing what was best for Hannah. Wasn’t that what love was? The whole,if you love her, set her freething?

She took a long drink from her mug. “Make me understand,bambino.”

I just shook my head. I wasn’t a fan of the guys listening in, but it was Nonna. I couldn’t say no to her. And, like Luca, I couldn’t lie to her.

“I didn’t get to grow up like Luca. He has two parents who are still together. He had you and his grandfather. His sisters are allmarried. He got to watch marriages work. He was taught how to make it work. I wasn’t. All I ever saw was my dad cheating on every woman he’s ever been with. Those women never minded because they were just in it for the money.”

It wasn’t that I enjoyed being a playboy or being noncommittal. It was just easier that way. No one got hurt. No one got used.

“I don’t know how to do it, Nonna,” I admitted.

“Sure you do, Isaac,” she said kindly. “Like you said, you watched Nonno and me. You watched Luca’s parents. You see Luca and Madeline. We’re your family just as much as your own blood.” She eyed Steve and added. “I’ve heard stories about this one,” she said, reaching out and squeezing his massive arm with arthritic fingers. “Did your love have the baby yet?”

Steve smiled. A little attention from Nonna, and he transformed from a werewolf into a puppy. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through thousands of photos of Aly.

And just like that, I was chopped liver.

By the time he finished showing off his baby girl, Nonna had sworn up and down that she was going to visit Maddie and Luca just so she could snuggle Aly and teach Erica how to make pasta.

Goodbyes were said, and Luca left to take Nonna back to Brooklyn. Chase stepped out to call some girl he had started seeing, which left me with the bearded beast.

“Be straight with me, Lawson,” he said as he sat down by the fireplace. He kicked a size fourteen shoe on top of his knee. Probably just to remind me that he’d use it to stomp my face in if needed. “You gonna go get your girl, or am I gonna have to beat some sense into you?”

“I can’t do it, man,” I said, scrubbing my face to rid my eyes of the tiredness.

“Take marriage off the table. Do you want her?”

“Yeah.”

“Exclusively?”

“Yeah.”

---