“About more than oneshenan?Of course.”
Her gaze turned shrewd.“I can’t tell if you’re joking, or … is it a language barrier thing, or …”
I held her eyes for a moment, then tilted my head.“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I mean … you know that ‘shenan’ isn’t a word, right?That it’s not ‘shenan-again.’You’re playing me.This is all one big, Italian-footballer ruse or something.”
My lips twitched as I continued just to watch her.“Wait, you mean to tell me ‘shenan’ is not a word?”
She narrowed her eyes even more; the brows joined in.“I …no!It’s not.”
I couldn’t contain my composure any longer and grinned at her.“Of course I know it’s not a word.I heard that phrase used before and thought it was very clever.I’ve always wanted to use it too.I just didn’t think I’d use it on a person who thinks I have such a limited understanding of English.”
“I don’t—”
I reached for my wine and took a sip, winking at her over the rim of the glass.
Even her growl was cute.She wagged her finger at me.“I don’t know about you, Tommaso Barone.This is a new side of you—a cheeky side—I’m not sure how I feel about it.”
I could tell by the way her eyes glittered under the pendant lighting over the island that she was thoroughly enjoying my more playful side and getting to know me better.
And I felt the exact same way about her.It’d been a long time since I had felt this comfortable with another person, and while it didn’t feelnormalyet, it also didn’t feel wrong.
My life of solitude with the animals had become my new normal.I lived like a hermit on the island, preferring to be alone.However, as we stood there, each of us sipping our wine, our eyes crinkling at the corners as we watched each other and smiled, I had to ask whether I actuallypreferredbeing alone, or it was just easier being alone because sharing my heart with another person and losing them had nearly killed me.
But we couldn’t go through life like that.Icouldn’t go through life like that anymore.
What was that old saying?It’s better to have loved and lost, than never love at all?
While I wasn’t in love with Danica—yet.She had awakened something inside of me that I didn’t just think was asleep, but entirely dead.And I had no desire to lay it to rest ever again.
We set our wineglasses down on the island at the same time.“So, tell me, what happened after you left the Pickford’s welcoming home?”
She snickered.“They called us back for tea tomorrow, of course.”
“Of course.Tea laced with cyanide, I am sure.”
“I’d expect nothing less.”She rolled her eyes and flicked her dark-blonde locks over her shoulders.“No, Naomi and Raina did a hell of a job rallying the troops.Gabrielle also went home and wrote averystrongly worded letter to the district superintendent, which she says she’ll be following up on next week.We have parents all over the island willing to write letters about how Otto Pickford has treated their children and the ongoing issues they’ve faced with him.We’re not letting this slide.He needs to go.”
I nodded.“How close to retirement is he?”
“No idea.But at this point, now knowingwhyhe favors Clyde the way he does, I don’t think the man deserves the dignity of retiring on his own accord.He should be pushed out.Fired.Terminated.Dishonorably discharged.”
I grabbed the two plates I had ready and dished up the cannelloni.“I think that’s military, is it not?”
“Don’t care.Dishonorably discharge him from the education system.”
I liked this feisty side of her.“Tell me how you really feel.”
She reached for the wine decanter and topped us both up before following me over to the round dining room table that sat in front of the French doors.
“I’m sure you were—are—the same with your son.Wildly protective and willing to slay a dragon for him.”
“I’d slay a thousand.”
“Right.”
She went to pull out her chair, but I stepped sort of in front of her.“Allow me.”
