“I, um …” She stuttered, looking back at the small family. “We’ll see you across the street once you’refinished.”
“Sounds great,” Frankiesaid.
Harper rubbed her palms together. “I can’twait.”
Anthony straightened up as—without so much as another word—Kira strode toward him. The corner of her full lips quirked up on one side. “I know you,” she breathed, her eyes narrowing inconcentration.
His heart sputtered and clanked. “Youdo?”
“Don’t you remember me?” She draped a slender arm along the bar. “I’m Angelo’s granddaughter,Kira.”
Anthony shook his head. “No. I mean, yes. Of course I remember. I just wasn’t sureyouwould.”
She nodded slowly as the smile widened and then leaned toward him, her shoulders hunching as she neared. “You were my first kiss,” she said in a hush. “How could Iforget?”
It felt like Anthony had just pulled the lid off a stockpot. Heat filled his face. Perhaps his brain was simmering somewhere in the stock, because he couldn’t exactly find it in the moment ofshock.
“Sorry,” Kira said, looking anything but. “Did I embarrassyou?”
Anthony grabbed a handful of apron and shirt at his chest, gave it a few tugs to get some air. “No,” he lied. “I don’t … are you kiddin’? Takes a lot to embarrassthisguy.”
She giggled, and he’d be danged if he didn’t feel it all the way to his toes. Her eyes shot to his hand, the left hand resting on the counter, before looking back to him. “You know my grandpa passed,right?”
“Of course. I was at hisfuneral.”
Kira ducked her head, her persona shifting in a blink. “Uh, so you heard me rambling up there like an idiot?” She glanced over her shoulder to where Harper and her family finished their brunch, then dragged a stool out and climbed up. “I really shouldn’t do stuff likethat.”
“Like what?” Anthony asked. “Lighten things up? Tell folks what he was like fromyourperspective—which happens to be similar tomine.”
Kira’s gaze shot from her folded hands to hisface.
“You were perfect,” he said with a nod. “Trust me.” He studied her face, watched as she shed at least of few of the insecurities that had creptin.
“Thanks.”
It wasn’t an uncommon word by any means. Heck, Anthony probably heard and said it himself more times than he could count in a day. But there was something about the sincerity in her deep brown eyes that set itapart.
He shot her a wink. “Anytime,kid.”
Kira grinned. “Kid, huh? Well, thiskidhas a special favor to askyou.”
Anything.“Oh yeah? And what’sthat?”
“I need a model. I’m a little rusty where studio pictures are concerned, and I need to test out my camera and light settings. Find the best way to adjust them for different backgrounds. All thatjazz.”
Enlightenment pooled in as Anthony suddenly processed what she was saying. “Did your granddad leave you the studio?” he asked,stunned.
There was that beautiful smile again. “Yeah, he did. Can you believeit?”
No,he couldn’t believe it. Nothing this lucky ever happened to him. Anthony shook his head. “Wow,” he managed. “That’s good news.” He wasn’t kidding either. It was the best news he’d heard in a long time. Kira Moretti was moving into town and opening shop right across the street fromhim.
“So is that a yes?” she prompted, snatching a sugar packet from a container nearby. “You’ll let me take some test shots ofyou?”
Everything about the idea made him nervous. There was nothing worse than posing for the camera while the photographer zoomed in who knew how close. Still, he was no dummy. When a woman asks for help, you give her help. And spending a little time withthiswoman … well, the pleasure would be allhis.
