Wrapped Up in You by Kate Meader

Author:Kate Meader
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kate Meader LLC

* * *

The front door to the restaurant was open.

That was not good.

Dante closed the door behind him and flipped the dead bolt. Maybe one of the prep chefs was here early to get a head start now that his father was out of commission for a couple of weeks. Allie had asked Dante to stop by to pick up olive oil—apparently only one brand would do.

He called out, “Hello?”

Only the ghosts of silent memories answered back.

Walking through the restaurant, he noted subtle changes here and there. Nicer furniture, reupholstered booths, a new cherry wood bar. He’d seen photos online—Allie kept Lorenzo’s website updated—so it wasn’t completely unexpected. What got him deep in his bones was something no online presence could emulate: the smell. Lemon furniture polish and hints of rosemary. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled the past.

He hadn’t enjoyed his part-time work here, not when the ice’s siren call held his heart and his father’s disapproval held him back. But it was where he’d had his first proper kiss, the one that gave him hope he wasn’t such a freak after all.

A noise startled him. He walked toward it and poked his head into the back office. His mother sat at the desk.

“Mama, what are you doing here?”

Last night he’d sent her home with Sofia while he and Allie took the watch at the hospital. Rather, Allie waited with their father. Dante knew better than to be in the same room as Lorenzo, but he’d happily be present for his mom and sisters.

His mother looked up, seeming unsurprised to see him, as if the last thirteen years had never happened. “Oh, it’s you, Dante. I just wanted to take care of some bills.”

“You left the front door open. You’re not in the right head space for this.”

“Il nonsenso. The world must keep turning.”

This was true, but surely she could let it spin without her for a while. He leaned against the door jamb. Nothing had changed. The same battered file cabinet, the same shelf over the desk that looked like it might crash at any second. The computer wasn’t the two-ton box of yore but it still had to be at least five years old.

“He’s going to be okay,” he said.

She nodded, her blue-tinted gaze trained on an invoice. “Did you go in to see him?”

“And give him another heart attack?”

“It wasn’t a heart attack. Chest pains.”

Sure, merely an artery blockage that could have killed him.

“You should visit,” she continued. “Properly.”

That tone of recrimination cut deep. Why was it up to Dante to kick start the reconciliation show?

“I’ll see him before I leave.”

Her eyes flashed, meeting him head-on for the first time. “You’re leaving? Already?”

“This was only supposed to be a flying visit. I need to get back to work.” He’d miss tonight’s game in Philly but he’d be back in time for the next home game in Chicago.

But it wasn’t the game that was calling, it was Cade. His heart and body ached without him near.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.