Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
~CARMINE~
I haven’t seen her yet.
But I know she’s here.
“Can I get you another glass, sir?”
The waiter smiles, gesturing at the glass of wine I’ve been sipping for over an hour. I shake my head.
“No, thank you.”
“Dessert, then? We have a delightful lemon cream cake with strawberry compote, or the house tiramisu, which is always a favorite.”
I haven’t had a good tiramisu since I was in Italy last year. My sweet tooth wants to beg for a slice.
But I have a job to do, and indulging in sugar isn’t part of it.
“I’ll just take the check, thanks.”
“Of course, sir.” He pulls a leather folder out of his pocket and lays it discreetly on the tablecloth. “Whenever you’re ready.”
He walks away from the table, and I sip what’s left of my wine. I know Elena’s here. I can feel it in my bones.
But I haven’t seen her yet.
It’s only a matter of time.
A text pings through on my phone.
Shane: Any luck?
Me: Not yet. With no name to go by, it’s not easy to ask around. I’ll give it one more night, and then I’ll start showing her photo around town, see if that turns anything up.
Shane: She might not be there. This could be a waste of time.
Me: She’s here.
Shane: How do you know?
Me: Call it a hunch. I’ll be in touch tomorrow.
I slip enough cash for the bill and a substantial tip in with the check and slide it away from me. I take one last sip of my wine and stand to go back to the hotel for the night when a woman with dark hair and the right height walks into the restaurant. I can’t see her face because she’s walking away from me, but I’d swear it’s Elena.
Same shape. Same hair. Even the gait of her walk is the same.
My blood hammers through my veins as I walk toward her. She’s with a man, about the same height as my six feet, his hand resting on the small of her back as he escorts her to their table.
The host seats them, her back still to me, of course, and then passes them menus. I wait for him to leave and approach, catching the man’s eye.
I ignore him and look down into blue eyes.
Not green and brown.
Blue.
“Can we help you?” the man asks.
“My apologies,” I say, shaking my head as I glance down at the woman who is most definitely not my cousin. “I thought you were someone I know. Enjoy your evening.”
Fuck .
I walk out of the restaurant and turn toward the hotel. The town is so small, there’s no need to drive anywhere. I thought finding Elena would be easy in such a tiny community. But after two days of looking, that’s proving to be false.
And every minute that I don’t find her only irritates me more.
It’s past time for my cousin to come home and claim her rightful place with the family.
Whether she wants to or not.