Page 109 of Married With Malice

“These won’t even wilt,” he says as he hands them over.

They are wrapped in a newspaper cone. When I take a closer look, I realize the roses aren’t real but are made of paper. “Where did you get these from?”

“Sadie dug up some craft paper and I watched a video to learn how to make them. Took me a few dozen tries to get the technique down while my brother laughed his ass off. I have the paper cuts and the bruises on my dignity to prove it.”

The gesture is packed with so much thoughtful sweetness that words fail me. My fingertip lightly touches a folded rose petal and I finally manage to breathe out the words, “Thank you.”

He holds out his arm like a gentleman. “Shall we go?”

My roses are left behind on my pillow. I plan to keep them forever.

Since our rental car had to be towed off the mountain, Luca is borrowing Sadie’s old truck. He’s left it running out front so that the heater will have time to work before I climb in. Luca watches me fasten my seatbelt before shutting the passenger side door.

Sadie and Cale watch us from the window as we drive away. Sadie waves.

Luca adjusts the vents to make sure the heated air is being directed my way. Little things like that leave me breathless and ready to swoon.

The options in Sleepy Rock are few. Luca suggests going to a diner that Cale mentioned. Frankly, I would have said yes to anything. It doesn’t matter to me what we do tonight. We’re bouncing along on an icy country road in an ancient pickup truck and yet I’ve never felt more like a queen.

The diner recommended by Cale sits on the edge of town, conveniently visible from the highway. The interior smells like deep fried corndogs. We’re seated at the last remaining empty booth and handed long laminated menus with a film of stickiness.

Luca scans the menu. “I can’t choose between the cheeseburger and the bacon cheeseburger and the double bacon cheeseburger deluxe.”

“Whatever you decide, be sure to pair it with the bacon-topped cheese fries.”

“You think they use real cheese?”

“Not a chance. Go with it anyway.”

“Maybe I should just get a salad.”

I start laughing. “You don’t eat salad.”

Luca pretends to be offended. “Of course I eat salad. I’ve just been keeping my health food preferences a secret. I must have sensed your disapproval.”

I’m still laughing. “What else don’t I know about you?”

He leans back against the cracked vinyl seat and studies me. “I nearly quit law school in my second year.”

“Why?”

“I was having a rough semester. Wasn’t sure if I even liked the law. Cale convinced me to stick it out and finish what I’d started. And I’m glad I did.”

“What would you be doing if you weren’t working for your uncle?”

His brows pinch together. I really hope the question doesn’t bother him. Now that we’re really talking, there are so many things I’m just aching to know.

He drums his fingers on the tabletop. He wears his wedding ring but I’ve noticed he’s been leaving his pinky ring off since we got to Sleepy Rock. At first I assumed it was because he didn’t want Cale to see it. Now I think Luca doesn’t want to be reminded of it either.

“I used to expect I’d end up in some Manhattan high rise, billing a hundred hours a week, playing cutthroat office politics to claw my way to partner status. Now this sounds about as appealing as an ice bath in January.”

He pauses and takes a look around the diner. The other customers are a mix of young families, raucous teens wearing high school varsity jackets and some loners hanging out at the counter. This isn’t a big town. I wonder how many of them know Sadie and Cale.

“I think I’d like to be my own boss,” he says. “Maybe practice family law, something where I can really connect with people instead of being a cold corporate suit among the midtown hordes.”

“No midtown hordes in sight right now.”

“Good. Hordes have bad manners.”

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