Page 100 of Skin Deep

Her eyes narrowed and then relaxed, and she smiled. “That is because I have found myself,” she said. “I do not feel split anymore.” She took a bag and threw it at me.

I caught it with one hand and pulled out a box. Cologne.

“You needed a new bottle.” She shrugged.

My laughter seemed to echo around the casa. I held up a card that was tucked inside the bag with the bottle. “This is you.” The woman with the man in the ad was my wife. She was wearing a white bikini, her hair slicked back, the blue Mediterranean Sea behind her. The man, who looked a lot like Mac, was wearing a matching speedo.

She started laughing. “Sì!That is me. I did not think you would ever notice.”

I looked down at the card. Up at her. “You’re even more gorgeous in person—that’s why I didn’t recognize you.”

Our eyes met through the mirror again. Hers softened.

“You are a terrible liar. I know you do not keep up with things like that.” She waved a hand at the card. “Butgrazie,amore mio.”

Amore mio. My love.

I couldn’t stop staring at her. She couldn’t stop staring at me.

“If we do not leave now, we never will,” she whispered. “Mamma will come looking for us.”

My arm wrapped around her neck and her fingers intertwined with mine as we made our way toward Stella’s place. There was no special occasion, but I could hear laughter echoing from different areas of the property. A few kids ran past, Sicilian words flying from their mouths too fast for me to catch. Gus ran behind them, but only for a few seconds, then he turned around and walked with us again.

Stella’s casa was different from Georgina’s—hers was decorated like something out of an Italian magazine spread. Stella’s was more comfortable, homey, with sunflowers everywhere. All thecasehad places for outside dining. The area Stella had set up reflected the inside of her place. Or maybe the outside reflected the inside. A long wooden table was set next to a small sunflower field. The dining area was covered by a pergola wrapped in climbing plants, and garden lights dangled.

The table was already set, and I knew it was going to be a feast. We’d be sitting outside for hours, enjoying the food, the weather, and each other’s company. Maybe another family member would drop by. More lingering conversation. Sometimes with raised voices.

At first, I thought they were fighting, but I realized that even if they were, it was woven into the discussion as part of the tapestry. It didn’t stop or slow anything down. More food or drink was offered. Then a card game might be suggested. We wouldn’t get home until the middle of the night.

Stella was pouring glasses of lemonade when we walked up. Gus took off like a bullet toward the water bowl she left out for him. Georgina and I kissed her on the cheek.

She took Georgina by the shoulders and turned her toward the casa. “Start bringing the food out.” She slapped her on the ass.

“Ah!” Georgina grinned, moving. “Always putting me to work, mamma!”

Stella watched her disappear inside with a grin on her face. She turned toward me, and the grin faded.

“He is coming around again,” she said in a rush, planting her hands on her hips. She had a small smear of chocolate across her forehead. I’d learned that Stella and her sisters made Modica chocolate. They owned the store in town where I’d bought the candy bar when I first arrived.

I took my seat and narrowed my eyes. “Who?”

“Mick Jagger.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Miles, that’s who.”

I’d relaxed in my seat, but at this, I sat up. “When did this start?”

She shrugged. “About two weeks after the wedding. He must have found out.” She looked over her shoulder. “I did not want to say anything. She is the happiest I have ever seen her, and he is like a dark cloud over her life. This is what they do to my daughter. This is what they have always done.”

“You sent him away?”

“I told him from the gate to go away, that she was not here, or would ever be, but he keeps coming back.”

“Mac knows about this?” He seemed to know everything that went on, not only around here, but everywhere. He was always ten steps ahead.

“I do not want to get my nephew involved with this. It is too long of a story to involve him in. It would mean telling him—things G does not want him to know. I told Amadeo that he is just a lover scorned after her marriage to you. Which is a version of the truth. But I do not wanthimclose to her again. I do not trust him. After Elias tried to…” She shook her head. “I always had a feeling Miles was obsessed with her enough to do the same. Try to kill her if he could not have control over her.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

She nodded seriously. “He is here now. Beating on the gate. Eloisa told me. She wanted to shoot him with a rubber bullet gun.”

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