Mariano stopped me and helped me back into my thong sandals. “The more forested areas of the island are more rugged, in terms of what lay beneath,” he said, securing the second one. “Could have thorns, or small pieces of rock or wood.”
I nodded at him, reveling in the shade. The trees rose far above our heads, the small spaces in between branches allowing the sun to touch us in spots, but mostly, it provided an emerald canopy of shelter. It became almost silent between us, and whenI looked back down, Mariano was watching me. It was a quiet…look, almost as if he was absorbing me.
I grinned at him. “What?” I breathed.
“Just taking pleasure in my wife.” His voice was rough.
“I, ah…” I did not know what to say to that, so I said nothing, giving him his moment. Then I cleared my throat, pointing up. “Are those theboo-bee birds?”
He laughed quietly. “No, Annie, those aren’t the boobies.”
“Boo—what?” I turned my ear closer to him, tucking my hand behind it, folding it in almost.
“Fuck me sideways,” he said. “My wife’s sense of humor is developing into something else entirely.”
For some reason, this tickled me, and I could not stop laughing. A grin seemed stuck to his face. When I could get myself under control, I asked him more about the birds, hoping he knew. His eyes seemed to light up, and he began to tell me about them.
“They have blue beaks and blue feet,” he said. “Almost the same color as the water, so you’ll know them as soon as you see them. They’re distinctive. When my parents first came to the island, they were just starting to breed here.”
“A family,” I said.
“Yeah, I guess you could call them that. A colony.”
I squeezed his hand. “The same time your parents were, ah?”
“Around,” he said. “Mamma had lost a baby not long before their first trip here.”
I stopped walking. “I am so sorry,” I breathed out. “For you, your sister and brothers—for your mamma and your papà.”
“ProzioTito named him Matteo.” He pulled me along.
“The same as your older brother.”
He nodded. “To honor the first Matteo.” He cleared his throat, changing the subject. He gave me more facts about the boobies.
“You know so much about them.” I narrowed my eyes as he bent over toward a shrub full of vibrant flowers.
He picked a hot pink one for me. I thought he was going to hand it to me, but he set it behind my left ear.
“Left side means you’re my wife.” He made sure it was perfect. “Yeah, my mamma taught us a lot about the places we’ve been over the years. Felt it was important we knew our history and obscure facts about the places we visited or lived. Said it was not only about respect of the culture, but it would keep us excited about the places our feet stepped on, for the long haul or even for a time.”
“I like this very much. I…love your mamma, and your papà as well. Your sister and brothers. Your nephews and niece. Your entire family.”
“The entire Fausti family.” He glanced at me, a touch of fire in his eyes.
“The ones closely related to you,” I amended. I had a feeling he was thinking of Remo, but I was even anxious about thinking his name. My husband might kill him for it. He had taken a man’s eye for winking at me. This train of thought brought back Clint Herndon.
Did Mariano see the way he had grabbed me at the banquet? If so…I did not want to think about him going around with one eye and one hand.
“I’m sure you’ve encountered a lot of us over the years,” he said, capturing my attention.
“This is true.” I sighed. I was about to expand, but he pointed up ahead.
“Right there. That’s the surprise.”
I rose on my toes, tilting to the left and to the right. “I do not see anything.” It seemed as if a clump of trees, their branches lowered to the ground, shielded what lie beyond, almost makingan entrance to a portal. Perhaps to another world. The thought frightened me before it thrilled me.
Perhaps my curiosity was too eager. I almost started to pull him. He stilled me by keeping a firm grip on me. He grinned at first, and then his face fell.
