“You mean Oscar?” I asked, taking a tin of cookies from her.
“Oscar,” she repeated, tapping at her chin. “It’ll come to me.”
“A hint?” I smiled. “What has four wheels and flies?” I said in the Oscar-iest voice I could come up with.
“Stop.” Mom held a hand up. “My stomach hurts so bad from laughing already.”
“You might not be ready for this. Ready? A…garbage truck!” Mari had taught me that one.
Mom’s face went blank for a second and then she exploded with laughter. “I get it! I didn’t at first, but I get it! But what does Oscar the—” She stopped mid-sentence and looked in the rearview mirror again. “Oh!Hehehehe.They could be twins.”
“You should see his father,” I said, as Rocco stepped out of his villa, looking as gorgeous as the day. His skin was the color of an olive that had been ripened by the sun, his eyes the green water of the Mediterranean, and his hair jet black like the night sky.
“That man,” mom breathed. She made a noise with her mouth that no doubt meant…I approve. “He’sfine.”
“He looks just like my father-in-law,” I said. “But with green eyes.”
“I know, and…variety is the spice.” She whistled low.
My smile was kind of shy, especially after the way I’d treated Rocco. He wasn’t too chatty with me—he wasn’t chatty, period, it seemed—but…he was always welcoming and nice to me. I really felt bad for him. It couldn’t have been easy having your wife have a totally different opinion about who your son should marry, especially if it was true love. Scarlett had told me Chloe and Massimo had an instant connection when they’d met in Paris.
Rocco nodded at me, and I waved with my free hand.
Niccolo, Matteo’s great uncle, Luca’s youngest brother, came up behind Rocco, and when he noticed us, he stepped outside and took the other tin of cookies from my mom. I went to open my mouth to say that those were meant for Scarlett and the women meeting up at her house, but when Niccolo offered hisarm to my mom and she took it, my mouth snapped shut on its own. They went in ahead of us, and Rocco came out to meet me, taking the cookies.
I looked up at him. “Those are for you,” I whispered. “A ‘I come in peace’ offering.”
He nodded. His eyes were serious.
“I’m sorry,ZioRocco,” I said. “I shouldn’t have said what I did when we were in Natchitoches.”
He cocked his head to the side, like he was truly seeing me for the first time. “It is the truth. About the boil.”
“Maybe,” I said. “But it’s none of my business. I’m sorry. That was during a real low point for me.”
“You have your mamma back.”
“I do.” I smiled. “I feel more like…myself now.”
He tucked the tin underneath his arm and touched my chin. “You are a star,” he said.
“Does that mean you forgive me?” I asked.
“Your man took the punishment for it. All forgiven.”
“I know, but it wasmewho said the words.”
“It was not your feet that stepped up and challenged me.”
Oh.It was because Matteo had stepped in front of him, like he might have said something to me, and he was going to stop it before fists were involved.
“I know you have your rules, and that’s between you and the men, but I still want to make peace between us. I like you.”
He opened the tin and took a bite of the cookie, eating it so properly, he didn’t even spill a crumb on his suit shirt. “All forgiven,” he said. “These are delicious. Just as good as your mamma-in-law makes.”
Maybe I beamed, because he smiled at me.
Damn.
