“Yo!”Naomi called out.“Tom’s here too.”She removed her shoes, which I was relieved to see, and I followed suit.Then I trailed behind her a short way through the foyer and into a wide, open-concept kitchen and living room with a very sophisticated but welcoming feel.All the adults were there, standing and sitting at the enormous kitchen island, each with a glass of wine in front of them.
Danica’s eyes lit up again when she saw me, and she immediately got off her barstool and came over.It was awkward at first.Were we at a point where we could kiss hello?Hug?
“Hi,” she said, looking just as beautiful as she had earlier that day, soaked to the bone from bathing a water-loving Mouse.The timid mare showed us an entirely new side of her personality the moment she got a bath and a good scrub.It was like all she needed was a makeover.However, she stole the hose from Danica at one point and, in doing so, directed the spray nozzle at Danica, completely drenching her.We both just laughed as she tried to wrestle the hose away from Mouse.
“Buonasera bella,” I said softly, wrapping my hand around her waist and pressing a chaste kiss to her temple.
That small bit of affection was not lost on her cousins, and they all smiled wide at us as my body grew hot.Danica’s cheeks turned the same shade as the pomegranate sitting in the fruit bowl.
While most of these people were at the community center a couple of weeks ago, I wasn’t paying attention towhothey were.So I was grateful, if not a little overwhelmed, when everyone started introducing themselves.
What I wasn’t prepared for was just how young Maverick, the retired hockey player, was.The man looked to be the same age as my son.However, as wrinkle-free as his face might be, there was calm maturity about him, a confidence—not arrogance—that instantly helped me understand why he so easily fit in with the people around him.And the way he so casually wrapped an arm around Gabrielle’s waist and stared down at her with so much love told me all I needed to know about this young man.
“Heard you’ve had a bit of an exciting week,” Jagger said, using the island counter to hold himself up a little as he extended his other hand to shake mine.“Jolene Dandy and her accoutrements are enough to exhaust anyone.”
I huffed a laugh and nodded at the bearded gentle giant.“I wasn’t expecting the surprises, that is for sure.”
“She and her gaggle of Sewing Circle ladies have a standing reservation at our pubevery day.Except in the spring and summer when they go bug Kari Cousins at Let it Rise.”He shook his head.“Nice bunch, but the break iswellneeded.”
Speaking of bakeries and baked goods, I grabbed the loaf of Italian bread from where I’d set it on the island in a paper bag, and held it out toward Gabrielle.“I never arrive anywhere empty-handed,” I said.“I hope it is okay that I contribute to dinner this way.Danica said food and feeding people is yourthing, but bringing wine didn’t seem to make sense.”
Gabrielle stepped out of Maverick’s embrace and grabbed the bread from me.“Did you make this?”
Danica’s arm around my waist tightened.“Si.”
“Well, I didn’t make Italian because cooking Italian for the Italian seemed like an idiot move, but that doesn’t matter.This smells amazing.”She took a big inhale, her nose just hovering over the end of the loaf.Then her gaze met Danica’s.“Have you tried his bread before?”
“No, but everything else he’s cooked that I’ve tried has been delicious.”
Heat filled my cheeks, but luckily, she just tightened her grip on me a little more, keeping me grounded.
“How do you suggest I serve this, Tom?”Gabrielle asked, grabbing a wooden cutting board and a big bread knife from elsewhere in the kitchen.“I’ve made a vegetarian Moroccan tagine, but they’re both on the Mediterranean so it’s not blasphemy, right?”
A few people chuckled.“I’m sure they will go together fine,” Danica said.
“Um, you could put out olive oil mixed with herbs and balsamic,” I suggested, hating the way my voice shook a little.“Or bruschetta.I should have brought bruschetta toppings.My apologies.I was not thinking.”
“Hey,” Danica whispered, pulling my attention down to her.“It’s all good.Your company is enough.The bread is more than enough.”She blinked up at me.“You okay?”
I nodded, feeling everyone’s eyes on me.“Si.Just … overwhelmed.”
“Beer?Wine?”Maverick said, pulling our attention.“Jag brought beer, and there’s no shortage of wine here.What’s your poison, Tom?”
“Um … I enjoyed that merlot that Danica brought over to my house last night.”
Danica and her cousins all glanced at each other and smiled.
“We heard you’re quite the wine snob,” Naomi said, a cheeky tinkle to her voice.“That until last night, nothing but Italian wine has touched your lips and been swallowed.”
“You make a very nice merlot,” I said, accepting and thanking Maverick for the stemless glass he handed me.
Jagger had a beer, and so did Maverick.While I didn’thatebeer, it was never my go-to.I would drink it if there were no wine.Just like I would enjoy a dram of whiskey if there were no wine.But if there was wine—good wine—there was no other choice for me.
“Shall we go sit in the living room?”Gabrielle asked, having quickly sliced the bread while Raina quietly puttered behind her and put together a bowl of olive oil, Italian herbs, and balsamic.
Everyone made their way to the blue, white, and tan colored farmhouse-style living room.It was bright with the warm-white walls—somewhat minimalist with very few knickknacks, but it still felt very homey.Put together, but not cold.A total contrast to my own home, however, which I allowed Guiseppe to decorate, and he did so in darker browns, greens, and tans.I liked both.
What did the inside of Danica’s house look like?
