CHAPTER SEVENTEEN #2
My life of solitude with the animals had become my new normal.
I lived like a hermit on the island, preferring to be alone.
However, as we stood there, each of us sipping our wine, our eyes crinkling at the corners as we watched each other and smiled, I had to ask whether I actually preferred being alone, or it was just easier being alone because sharing my heart with another person and losing them had nearly killed me.
But we couldn’t go through life like that. I couldn’t go through life like that anymore.
What was that old saying? It’s better to have loved and lost, than never love at all?
While I wasn’t in love with Danica—yet. She had awakened something inside of me that I didn’t just think was asleep, but entirely dead. And I had no desire to lay it to rest ever again.
We set our wineglasses down on the island at the same time. “So, tell me, what happened after you left the Pickford’s welcoming home?”
She snickered. “They called us back for tea tomorrow, of course.”
“Of course. Tea laced with cyanide, I am sure.”
“I’d expect nothing less.” She rolled her eyes and flicked her dark-blonde locks over her shoulders.
“No, Naomi and Raina did a hell of a job rallying the troops. Gabrielle also went home and wrote a very strongly worded letter to the district superintendent, which she says she’ll be following up on next week.
We have parents all over the island willing to write letters about how Otto Pickford has treated their children and the ongoing issues they’ve faced with him.
We’re not letting this slide. He needs to go. ”
I nodded. “How close to retirement is he?”
“No idea. But at this point, now knowing why he favors Clyde the way he does, I don’t think the man deserves the dignity of retiring on his own accord. He should be pushed out. Fired. Terminated. Dishonorably discharged.”
I grabbed the two plates I had ready and dished up the cannelloni. “I think that’s military, is it not?”
“Don’t care. Dishonorably discharge him from the education system.”
I liked this feisty side of her. “Tell me how you really feel.”
She reached for the wine decanter and topped us both up before following me over to the round dining room table that sat in front of the French doors.
“I’m sure you were—are—the same with your son. Wildly protective and willing to slay a dragon for him.”
“I’d slay a thousand.”
“Right.”
She went to pull out her chair, but I stepped sort of in front of her. “Allow me.”
Her eyes glittered, and she smiled.
I pulled out her chair; she sat down, and then I draped the cream-colored cloth napkin in her lap before scooting her seat in a little closer.
“You look beautiful tonight, by the way,” I said, taking my own seat. “I appreciate very much your accepting my offer of a date.”
She sipped her wine. “Well, I know you’re a good cook after that soup and those paninis. So I’d be a fool to say no.”
“You came for the food then?”
Poking her fork into a small piece of mozzarella from the caprese salad, she popped it into her mouth. “And maybe the company.”
I cleared my throat. “I spoke with the two lawyers Gabrielle referred me to today. Because Vincent showed up.”
She was still chewing, but stopped. “He came here?”
“Si. And he threatened to burn down the barn.”
Her fork clattered onto her plate. “Excuse me?”
“Another reason I have ordered cameras.”
“W-what did the lawyers recommend when you told them that?”
“To call the police. Which I did. Officers Bruce and Jacobson came over and took my statement. They’re going to give Vincent’s lawyer and Vincent a call, as well as alert the ferry terminal staff to keep an eye out for him.”
“Well, that’s good, I guess.”
I nodded. “The lawyers are going to file a petition against Vincent and his mother, and I have to send all the wills to the estate lawyer for him to check out. But because the laws of land transfer are weird on the island—must be passed down to family—they said Vincent’s lawyers might try to use that as a loophole. ”
Sipping her wine, she shook her head. “Oh, Tom. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with all of this. No wonder you applied for Bonn Remmen’s land.”
“I have lawyers now. I need to trust they’ll take care of it.”
Sympathy made the green of her eyes darken. “So what did the people who came here today want?”
“Apparently, Jolene Dandy—”
“Of course.”
My head bobbed. “Apparently, she ignored what I said and told the whole island that I have a new foal here, as well as many other animals, and that people are welcome to come visit. Or something. I never bothered to really listen. I just asked them to leave. But it had to be Jolene and those other women.”
“No doubt about it. She thinks because she’s on the Island Elders Council and part of the Sewing Circle, that she is untouchable.”
“I have also spoken with Cameron about getting me the materials to build a security gate at the top of the driveway.”
“The McEvoys had to do that last year for safety reasons. We’ve considered doing the same. It’s not a bad idea honestly.”
I finished my caprese salad, then moved on to the cannelloni. She did the same.
“May I play devil’s advocate for a moment?”
I nodded. “Si.”
“While I don’t agree with—holy god, this cannelloni is good.
” She closed her eyes as she chewed. I smiled and paused my own chewing so I could watch her without distraction.
Only after she swallowed did she open her eyes.
“Sorry, but I just had to give my undivided attention to that bite. This is probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten.
Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner. ”
“Prego. Now, you were going to be the devil’s friend?”
“Advocate,” she corrected. “And yeah, while I don’t agree with those people trespassing on your property today and just wandering around, I do think you should consider being a bit friendlier to the islanders.” Her eyes widened, and her words came out with a laugh. “Don’t glare at me like that.”
“Why should I be friendlier?”
“Because you want them on your side. While you have the money and now you have lawyers, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to also have the island on your side.
To have the community behind you. To have them fight against Vincent because they want you here, not him.
It’s a strange place with its own set of rules, and if you want to live peacefully here, you have to play by them—to a degree.
” Her shoulder lifted on one side, and she gave a crooked smile.
“That’s my two cents anyway. Now, back to the cannelloni.
” Then she took another bite, moaned, and closed her eyes again.
I watched her enjoy that second bite, but it wasn’t my sole focus this time.
She wasn’t wrong. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, didn’t want to welcome strangers onto my property, she had a point. The island was a wonderful place, but it had its own set of rules, and the Island Elders seemed to be sticklers for those rules.
“What do you suggest I do?” I asked, sipping my wine.
She continued to eat, but I could tell she was thinking. The cute little humming sound she made had every part of my body on high alert—particularly the part between my legs.
“You need to reach out to the Island Elders and tell them the situation. They’d know Erin’s parents, and possibly Erin. And have a greater insight into what her parents’ wishes might have been. They may even know Vincent’s mother.”
My head bobbed as I chewed. “You think that will help?”
“It won’t hurt. I also think—now hear me out—that maybe you should have some kind of community welcoming.
Perhaps put the gate further down the driveway and horse treats in a container at the top.
So people know they can’t come any further, but that if the horses choose to come to them, there is approved food they can feed them.
Then put up a sign that the animals aren’t to be fed anything besides the food you supply. ”
Also not a terrible idea.
“Do you foresee any genuine problems stemming from that?”
I gently tossed my head from side to side in thought for a moment. “Besides Pinata biting people? No.”
She giggled. “I kind of wish he did bite Clyde, not going to lie.”
“That can be arranged, you know? He could just ‘escape’ again. Tulips are cheap to get that kind of vengeance for Sam.”
“Let’s do things the legal way first. If that doesn’t work, you and Pinata can rain down all the terror on them, I promise.”
“Thank you again for coming over tonight, Danica,” I said. “It has been a long time since … since I wanted to spend time with someone else this way. Since I’ve wanted to share my comfort zones and these parts of myself with another person. You are beautiful, on the inside, and the outside.”
A sexy flush raced up from her collarbone and into her neck and cheeks. She broke eye contact with me and glanced toward Portia in her bed in front of the fire.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“I … you …” She met my gaze. “Are all Italians like this? Do you just say what’s on your mind? How you’re feeling?”
“Si. Many. Especially the handsome Italians.” I winked at her.
She smiled and rolled her eyes. “We don’t really talk like that in America. Just pour our hearts out and act so …”
“Passionate?”
“Yeah.”
“Italians are very passionate people. And I also believe that it is better to say how you feel, and how you feel about someone at the moment, because you never know if you’ll get the chance again.”
Her eyes turned sad. “I’m sorry about your wife.”
“So am I, but I am happy to be here with you.”
Genuine delight shone back at me from her expressive eyes. “I’m really happy to be here with you.” Then she glanced down at her cannelloni. “And I’m really happy about this cannelloni. Would you judge me if I asked for more?”
Chuckling, I rose from my seat and took her plate. “I would judge you more if you didn’t. There is tiramisu for dessert, so you know.”
“You might have to roll me to my car at the end of the night. But I’m game.”
I glanced over my shoulder at her. “I would be more than happy to carry you, bella. Always.”
Her eyes lit up, and another rush of color invaded her cheeks.
I turned back to the cannelloni on the counter, not sure if those sudden erratic butterflies in my stomach were of excitement at the notion of getting to carry her, or even just hold her, or if they were insects of nervousness and uncertainty.
Either way, they flew like bugs drunk on good San Camanez Island merlot inside my stomach, and I did my very best to ignore them as I brought her plate to the table.
She grinned up at me. “Thank you.”
“Prego.”
We exchanged smiles over the table as we ate, until both our plates were clean and we sat back at the exact same time, exhaling in satisfaction.
“Well, Signore Barone, if all first dates are like this, I’d definitely say yes to another one.”
I smiled at her over the rim of my wineglass. “Grazie, bella. I agree. I would love to have another date with you.”
“This one’s not over yet, though, right?”
I stood up to clear our plate. “Of course not. We still have dessert.”
The sexy little groan she made had those butterflies in my belly bobbing their tiny eyebrows at me. “You spoil me.”
“I aim to, bella. You deserve it.” And she really did. She deserved the world, and the more I got to know her, the more I wanted to be the man to give it to her.