Page 14 of Adventures in Spring

“Yes, she has two kids. No. She’s not married.”

“That’s not what I heard,” she says as she walks away.

“Was that Sabrina?” Emiko asks.

“How’d you guess?” I sigh.

I wrap my arms around her and kiss her.

“She still wants you. I don’t blame her.”

“Yeah, well, I only want you,” I say, kissing her again.

“That’s good. Because I’m not giving you up without a fight.”

We hear someone clear their throat.

“You think we can get some help over here?”

I turn and start laughing.

“Sebastiano. What the fuck are you doing here?”

I jump over the counter to give him a hug, then I hug his wife, Schuyler.

“Where are the kids?” I ask.

“They’re back in Lake Renegade, my grandparents are visiting from Italy and Ireland. We were going to bring everyone. But they decided to stay back for now and said to leave the kids with them. So we could have a mini vacation,” Sebastiano explains.

“This is Emiko. Emiko, this is Sebastiano and his wife Schuyler.”

“We brought a bunch of us. Felicity sent a text saying she needed chefs and bakers. Well we only have one chef in the family. But we have a few bakers, so we brought Robin and Simone. Of course they won’t come without their men, so now you have all of us.” Sebastiano laughs.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about or why Felicity would ask. But let’s find her and figure it out.”

Sebastiano wasn’t kidding when he said he brought a bunch of them. The Mancinis and the Bastianinis are two big-ass families. Then you add in the other two families that live in Lake Renegade with them and it’s a huge party.

Earlier this year when Lukas had problems, they all came to help us. We’ve become family since then. We all take turns visiting each other. I knew Felicity was up to something. But I still don’t get why she called them.

Emiko

The guys that showed up at the store are huge. Rhett is a big guy at six foot three, but they make him look small. And I’ve heard of Sebastiano Mancini. He’s the twin brother of Domenico Mancini. Domenico is the goalie for the Chicago Redhawks. I’ve been a fan of the Redhawks my entire life.

“Dom and some of the MC brothers will be here later tonight,” Sebastiano says to Rhett. “They have two weeks off so he said he wanted to join us this time.”

Holy shit. Domenico Mancini is coming to Wintervale. And my Rhett knows him?

“I didn’t know you knew Redhawks players,” I whisper to him.

Rhett smiles. “We know all of them, but Domenico, Declan and Cillian are family. You’re a Redhawks fan?”

I nod. “You can’t live in Illinois and not be a Redhawks fan.”

“That’s true.” Schuyler laughs coming over to me and giving me a hug.

“I’ve heard about you and how you’ve made Rhett so happy. I’m really glad he has you.”

I smile at her. “I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one. I have a lot of baggage, yet he still wants to be with me.”

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