She shakes her head as if it’s nothing. “Nonsense, amore mio, enough of this. You’re my son. I’ll do anything for you. Don’t even think about it.”
But it’s more than just that. I want her to have her own life, not to be pulled into mine and Aura’s mess. I don’t want to ask her to do it.
But my mom’s got that look on her face. The look that tells me she’d do it in a heartbeat, no questions asked. It hits me then—I understand, because I would have done the same thing for Aura.
Before I can protest more, she grabs her coffee from the drink carrier and takes a sip. “Who is Millie, amore mio?” she asks, a teasing smirk on her face.
I furrow my brow. “What are you talking about?”
She walks over and shoves the coffee cup in my face, and I see the bold
XOXO Millie printed on the side.
I groan. “She’s just the girl from the cafe in town,” I mutter, trying to wave it off.
My mom raises an eyebrow. “Oh, I see. So, a little café romance, huh?”
I can’t help but roll my eyes. “It’s not like that, Ma. Just leave it.”
But I can’t shake the way her voice sounded when she said, “What can I get you?” It echoes in my head, subtle and sharp at the same time. Like she wasn’t asking about the drinks. Like she was putting on armor she didn’t have time to polish.
Maybe I should go back. Not to flirt. Not to do anything. Just to…I don’t know. Say sorry.
But that would mean opening a door I’m not sure I want to walk through.
For now, though, my focus is on Aura. That’s what matters. That’s all that matters.
1. Buongiorno- Good Morning
2. Buongiorno, Mio Bellissimo Figlio- Good Morning, my handsome son
3. Amore Mio- My love
Steam, Sass, and a Secret Baby
MILLIE
Harlow bursts outfrom the back room, dramatically fanning her face with her hand as though she’s just witnessed a fire.
“My oh my, babes, that man was HOT! I was waiting to dial Asher down at the fire department to put out a smoke show. It was that hot.”
I roll my eyes because I already know where this is headed. “That man was irritating, is what he was,” I respond flatly, my voice carrying a touch more sarcasm than I intended.
Sure, I’ll admit it—he was tall, dark, and undeniably handsome, but the way he carried himself with that gruff attitude made me want to pull my hair out. And don’t even get me started on how he called me “Bumper” like I was some kind of joke. But Harlow, being Harlow, sees things only through the rose-colored lens of her romance novel fantasies.
“Yeah, irritatingly tall, dark and handsome! So what if he’s a grouch? He has all the best qualities of the men in romance novels.” She says with a wink. I can practically see the heart-shaped bubbles forming in her eyes as she fantasizes about him.
I can feel a sigh bubbling up in my chest. “Fine, but we haven’t finished talking about this. I’m calling Melanie and settingup a girl’s night tonight.” Harlow declares, already heading towards the phone.
Ugh, girl’s night. As if I don’t already have enough on my mind. I know exactly what’s going to happen tonight—Harlow’s going to dissect every little detail of the encounter, turning it into some over-the-top love story, and Melanie will probably encourage her.
Great.
It’s not like I’m emotionally available for some random, grumpy guy anyway. I have my hands full with the café, my dreams, and, well, life.
I don’t need someone who seems like a ticking time bomb of brooding intensity, ready to explode.
“I’ll call you later, Mills. Get your mind right, because tonight’s all about the girl talk!” Harlow’s voice fades as she heads out the door, and I’m left standing in the quiet aftermath of our conversation.
