Page 59 of To Have and To Hold

Relief flooded my nervous system as I grinned. “You’re amazing. And the idea of eating them after your ass smashed them…” I wiggled my eyebrows.

A faint pink hue filled her cheeks. “I’m not the one who went after a shooter. Did you…? I didn’t hear a gunshot.”

I shook my head. “He’s alive. He was a kid, probably not even fifteen. Someone paid him to rob us. I sent a strong message back with him to his boss.”

She leaned her head back against the seat. “Maybe I should leave this part out of the tour when I talk to Mia.”

“Do you want to go back to her house or to Imperial Beach?”

“My tour isn’t over yet.” Her smile grew and glistened in her eyes.

“Then onto the sunset.”

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Isabella

Despite what had just happened, Em seemed calm as we headed south from Little Italy. He reached over and splayed his long fingers over my thigh. “I’m sorry if that scared you.”

“I think I was too unsure of what was happening to be scared.” I looked down at the white bag from the bakery. “The cannoli though…they’re smashed.”

Em smiled. “They’ll still taste great.”

“Why would some young kid try to rob you?”

“According to him, it wasn’t his idea. Someone offered him a hundred dollars.”

“It seems like the price should have been higher.”

He scoffed. “Much higher. That means one of two things. One, it was some kind of initiation, and they had no idea who I am, or two, if they offered more, the kid would figure I was someone important and push for even more.”

I shook my head and stared out the wide windshield. The sky had already begun its transformation. Colors changed. Blues faded into red and orange. The vibrant hues radiated under the few clouds such as flames searing their underside.

My thoughts went back to earlier. Em said he’d askedel Patr?nfor my hand. Does that mean we’re engaged, or do we have to wait for Dario’s approval?

Em found a parking space not far from the large sign reading Imperial Beach. Hand in hand, we hurried toward the pier. I stopped near the sandy beach as waves crashed against the tall pilings holding the wooden pier. “Is that safe?”

He squeezed my hand. “I’m not sure how long it’s been here. But I know it’s popular for walking, fishing, and sunsets.” His lips curled in a smile. “Come on. The view is stunning.”

Our shoes clipped over the wood planks. Even though he’d told me the length, the pier was much longer than I imagined. As the sun continued to lower, the water began to glow. Tall lampposts on the right of the pier were illuminated, creating small circles of light. Up ahead I saw the silhouette of a building. “What’s up there?”

“That’s the Tin Fish. It’s a little restaurant. They have picnic tables and live music. During the day, this place is filled with fishermen.”

The walkway swayed with the incoming waves. And the evening air felt suddenly chillier.

Em let go of my hand to wrap his arm behind my back and around my waist.

I nestled against his side. His warmth shielded me from the cool breeze.

We reached the end of the pier as the sun kissed the horizon. The people present watched in awe at Mother Nature’s beautiful exhibition. Even the music we’d heard as we approached stopped, everyone paying reverence to the spectacular display. As the orange ball disappeared, the horizon glowed with crimson hues.

Em leaned down. As I turned to him, his lips met mine.

I wrapped my arms around his torso as his arms encircled me.

This was more than I dared to hope for—ever.

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