Page 20 of His to Keep
“Yes. My dad let us all have a glass on special occasions, and I had some whenever Jason took me to his business meetings. I guess he thought it would make me more docile.”
“And did it?”
“I was careful not to put a foot wrong around him, so I don’t know how much more docile he thought I could be.”
“You never sassed him, never lost your temper?”
Eilidh rubs her arms in a self-soothing gesture. “I quickly learned not to. Even when I behaved, Tommy McCain…” She doesn’t finish the sentence. “Anyway, are you having a glass?”
I scan the drinks list for an Italian wine, but there isn’t one. Most are from the New World, but there are a couple of Spanish options. “The Tempranillo might be palatable.”
Eilidh throws back her head and laughs. “You’re a wine snob, too.”
“I prefer to think of myself as discerning.”
A middle-aged redhead comes over to take our order. Letting me do the talking, Eilidh runs her fingers through her hair and then looks out of the window. There’s nothing to see now that we’ve left the city behind and moved into the darkness of the countryside.
“I think I should take the top bunk,” Eilidh says suddenly. “It’ll be too difficult for you to get up there.”
I could probably manage, as I’m more agile than she seems to think, but I appreciate the gesture, so I just nod. The server returns to the table with our wine, and I raise my glass in a toast.
“To my future bride.”
Eilidh smiles weakly and gulps down a mouthful of wine.
“Tell me about your cousins’ place in Italy,” she says. “What’s it like?”
“I’ve only been there once.” My siblings have spent more time there than me. Most recently, Matteo and Olivia have stayed at the villa. “I remember it being quite secluded and very beautiful.”
“And what are your cousins like? Are they in the same line of work as your brothers?”
That’s a subtle way of asking if they’re Mafia.
“Yes, Damiano’s in the hospitality industry. He’s kind of bossy. Lorenzo has a vineyard. You’ll like him. He knows how to charm the ladies.”
“Can’t wait,” Eilidh says drily.
“And Gabriele oversees their imports and exports, but you won’t meet him.”
“Why not?”
“He spends all his time in Rome.”
My cousin has become a recluse in recent years. Since I was shot, I understand why a person might wish to shut themselves away. Like me, Gabriele was badly injured in an ambush, but we’ve chosen different ways of handling it. While he retreats from the world, I’m trying to spread my wings and discover more of it. I guess coming that close to death gave me a renewed vigor for life.
“So, it’s just Damiano and Lorenzo we’ll be staying with?” Eilidh asks.
“No, they don’t live at the villa. They let family stay there from time to time.”
“I see.” Eilidh sips her wine. “So, it will just be us there?”
“Most of the time.” I can’t help grinning. “We can enjoy our honeymoon in peace.”
Eilidh’s eyebrows shoot skyward. “Honeymoon?”
“Of course. We’re getting married as soon as possible after we arrive in Florence. We need to take some time for ourselves.”
“Gio, I…”
