“Thank you.” He looked down at the file. “That’s extremely helpful.”
“I’m glad I could be of assistance,” I said. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
I inched back, trying to make a quick escape. Even though I lived in the same house and shared a few meals a week with him, he made me nervous. It was a strange feeling. His authoritative demeanor and no-nonsense approach to most things took some getting used to, but at the same time, his strength and ability to command any situation could be comforting.
Maybe that was what it was like to have a capable head of the family who would stop at nothing to protect and provide for his family. I wouldn’t know. My own father was such a screw up, and I never had a father-figure to rely on. Nico took some getting used to, but he was kind to me. He welcomed me into his home and treated me with respect.
“How are things going for you here?” he asked before I could leave. “Do you find the car business captivating?”
“Very.” There was so much to learn about the dealership, but I did find high-end cars sexy, especially when Milo took me for test rides. “You have so many gorgeous cars.”
“Most of my clients agree with you.” He set his glasses on his desk. “And how do you find living at the house? I hope you don’t feel like a guest.”
“Not at all.” I fidgeted with the belt on my dress. “You’ve all been so welcoming. Thank you.”
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I want you to feel like you’re at home.”
“I do.” This was one of those moments when his father-figure personality came through and didn’t make me feel so anxious. “I heard from Chance last night.”
“I’m told he’s doing really well.”
“He loves Italy.”
“Who doesn’t?” he asked. “It’s a phenomenal country.”
“He said he's learning how to ride a horse too.” This is the shot Chance needed, and Nico was responsible for giving it to him. “Pretty impressive for a city kid.”
“I told my team at the vineyards to provide Chance with as many opportunities as possible to help him figure out who and what he wants to be.”
“I appreciate that.”
“The same goes for you too, Sable.” He leaned back in his chair and ran his hand along his jaw, giving me a vision of what Milo might look like in twenty years with a ruggedly handsome face that had more life experience and a few silver strands in his hair. “You don’t have to be tied down to being Milo’s assistant. We have many opportunities throughout the city for you to explore.”
“I think Milo finds peace when I’m here.”
“He does, but that doesn’t mean you have to be shackled to him all the time.” He grinned. “Right now, our current business climate is navigating some rough waters.”
“That’s a creative way of looking at it.”
“My line of work requires plenty of creativity.”
“I can see why.”
“I’ve been in this position for many years,” Nico said. “I promise it won’t be this way forever. Once we deal with Medina, our lives will settle down and Milo will go back to being that fun, carefree man who keeps us all on our toes while he fixes any complications that might arise.”
“You mean he won’t worry about me all the time?”
“I can’t promise that.” He gazed at a picture frame on his desk. I couldn’t see who was in the photo. My intuition would make me bet it was his wife. “If I’ve taught him anything, it’s that he should never let his guard down when it comes to the ones he loves.”
“You’ve taught him so much more than that.”
“I appreciate the grace you’re showing my son as he figures out how to balance what he does for a living and how to keep you in his life.”
“That was part of the curse you asked me about, but I now know I can do whatever it takes to help Milo understand that whatever happens to me isn’t all on him. I’m here because this is exactly where I want to be.”
“My son is a lucky man.”
“I’m the lucky one.” When I thought about where Chance and I were a year ago, compared to today, I believed dreams could come true. That was a theory I would never have comprehended before Milo. “You and Milo made sure of that.”
