“Well, yes, that is me. I am, after all, a shopkeeper in town. I have to keep up with the kids.”
I stretched my back.
The door opened and Bampa leaned his head around it. “This thing is perfect, Fiona. It’s just gorgeous. I’m so glad we had it in the basement.”
Nana turned and stared at him by the door. “You’ve done such a marvelous job.”
“Thank you. Anything for my girl. And don’t you worry, we’re going to find out who sabotaged Gloria’s subpar pie.” His eyes twinkled. “Your lotion probably made it taste better than it did before.”
“I think you’re right,” Nana said primly.
I barely kept from rolling my eyes.
He smiled. “Do you mind if I run down and have coffee with the fellas? I want to make sure Bernard doesn’t tell everybody about my secret fishin’ hole up Breyer’s Crick.”
I seriously doubted there was anybody in town who didn’t know where to fish around there, but I didn’t say so.
“Of course,” Nana said. “Say hi to everybody for me.”
He tugged on his green flannel. “You know I will, and I’ll ask around. We’ll figure out what’s going on, a stórín. I promise.”
“You’re the best, Connor.”
He winked. “No, baby. You’re the best.”
Oh my God. My grandpa just called my grandma baby. I fought the twin urges to smile and gag. Even worse, she blushed.
“Oh, Connor,” she murmured.
He winked again and shut the door.
“I’m telling you, those Irish men,” she said. “They’re charmers.”
“I’m well aware,” I said dryly.
She clapped her hands together. “You are. I’m so thrilled that you’re dating an Irishman. I can’t wait till you get married.”
“That’s probably a ways down the road,” I said lamely. “But Tessa is getting married this summer. You have to be excited about that.”
“Of course I am,” Nana said. “She is marrying an Italian, not an Irishman, but I have to admit Nick Basanelli is a good match for her.”
Since he would soon be my brother-in-law, I figured to help him out a bit. “I think there’s some Irish in his lineage,” I murmured.
Nana brightened. “I thought the same thing.”
Well, good. That was one less thing to worry about. I cleared my throat. I’d been dancing around how to ask her, how to question her about the odd meeting with Nonna, all morning.
A knock came at the door. I paused and looked at it. That was odd. We had tons of family outside cleaning up debris from the fire, and nobody would knock. “Come in.” I angled my body between Nana and the door, just in case.
“Hello there.” Henry Johnston walked inside.
“Henry?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”
He smiled, tugged on his gray tie, and looked me up and down from my toes to my head and back. “You’re looking good, Anna Albertini.”
“Gee, thanks.” I also had a boyfriend who could bend Henry in two with minimal effort.
He looked odd in an ill-fitting brown suit with a tie. His blond hair had been slicked back from his face, and he was good-looking in the kind of way that showed he wouldn’t be for long if he didn’t take care of himself.
