Chapter 12
SEBASTIAN
W asn’t even a little surprised when Isabella went radio silent.
Honestly, that conversation lasted a good ten minutes longer than I thought it would.
We’ve texted a little here and there since I found her with that man at the bakery, but her responses were monosyllabic and mostly vague.
I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I think I’m making real progress in breaking down the walls Isabella erected years ago.
“When you asked me to meet you for lunch, I didn’t think you’d be texting my sister the whole fucking time,” Luca drawls, his arm slung over the back of the booth as he studies me with a smirk.
The entire Santo family knows I’ve had a thing for Isabella, and other than Mr. Santo growling at me from time to time, no one has given me any shit about it.
In fact, they all seem to have embraced it.
Nonna , the Santo matriarch, whispered in my ear that she hoped I could “loosen the stick” by “giving it to” Isabella. And she did this as she pinched my ass.
Nonna is as scrappy as my grandmother, and I wasn’t surprised to find that they have a monthly book club together, and regularly meet for lunch.
Small towns, man .
Even living well outside Eternity Springs town limits, we’re here enough that we’re considered to be residents. My mom and Mrs. Santo get together from time to time, swapping recipes, and my father helped out at Everlasting a few years ago when part of the hotel flooded after heavy rains.
Our two families have become a little intertwined, and I can only pray that things don’t go south with Isabella. I don’t know what might happen in that case.
“Sorry,” I tell Luca sheepishly, turning off my phone and pushing it to the edge of the booth. “She was actually talking to me. I had to take advantage.”
“She doesn’t talk to you?” he asks, a surprised look on his face. “I mean, I get it. Belle isn’t the chattiest person out there. Too many extroverted assholes in my family. Belle was content to quietly hang in the background.”
“Did you really just call your family a bunch of assholes?”
“Yeah, but I meant it with love,” he jokes. “You know how it is with siblings. You can say whatever you want about your sister, but if I were to say the same things —”
I cut him off. “I’d slice you off at your knees.”
“Exactly. That still stands for my sister, man. I’m in full support of you trying to be with her, but if you fuck with her, it won’t just be me coming after you. It’ll be all of us,” Luca says lowly, the smile dropping from his face.
“I know.”
“Do you, though?” he asks. “Do you really know what my brothers can do?”
I roll my eyes dramatically. “Are we really having the ‘we’ll bury you in the woods’ conversation, Luca?
I get it. You’ll all come after me. I’m not sure why you’re telling me this, because you and I both know I’ve been gone for her for years .
If anyone is walking away from this, it’s going to be her. ”
“You’re probably right,” he sighs. Our food arrives, and I gawk at the triple cheeseburger and fries he ordered.
“How can you eat like that?” I ask.
He smugly pats his stomach. “I’m a growing boy. Besides, I chase after high school kids on the ice every damn day. I could still play in the NHL if I wanted. I burn a shit-ton of calories every day, even at home.” His smile gets wicked. “Mostly at home.”
“Nice.”
He shrugs. “You’re just jealous you aren’t — fuck. Never mind. I can’t even finish that sentence because I’d be talking about my sister.”
Now it’s my turn to smile devilishly. “Well, just the other night, we —”
“Nope,” he yells, cutting me off as he drops his burger and sticks his index fingers in both ears. “Nope, nope, nope. Don’t you dare give me any details, man.”
I throw my head back with a loud bark of laughter.
I try to get his attention, but Luca’s eyes are tightly shut, and he’s quietly humming what I think is ESPN’s NHL theme song.
Reaching across the table, I grab his arm and yank it down.
“I won’t tell you any details. Hell, nothing may happen with her, so it’s moot. ”
“Oh, it’ll happen,” he says surely.
“Why do you say that?” I ask.
Shoving a fistful of fries in his mouth, he chews for a moment before swallowing. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you when she thinks no one is watching. She’s interested.”
I’m not sure how much I believe Luca, but I hope he’s right. “Can I ask you a question?”
“As long as it isn’t about anything to do with banging my sister, yes.”
I chuckle. “I get a vibe from Isabella that she doesn’t have a lot of self-confidence. Like she’s been beaten down time and time again, so she’s just given up.”
He nods. “That’s somewhat correct. She’s had a couple of boyfriends who were complete jackasses. You know that stupid superstition my family has about crossing the threshold at my parents’ house?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I was there when Alex dropped his first wife.”
Luca winces. “I fucking forgot about that. Then he sailed right through with Natalie. Actually, all of us have done it, except for Belle and Leo. In Leo’s defense, he hasn’t tried.
His high school girlfriend wouldn’t let him, afraid of failing it.
And every time they reconnected since, it’s been hush-hush, so she hasn’t been to the house again.
But Belle has tried. And failed both times. ”
“Seriously? She tried twice?” I find myself suddenly irrationally angry that she thought she found love with two men that are clearly not me, and that they failed getting her over the threshold. How fucking hard can it be? “You just pick her up and walk across, right?”
“Not entirely correct. The first time, the guy tried to carry Isabella over, and he dropped her —”
I cut him off. “Give me his fucking name right the fuck now.”
Luca laughs. “He’s a non-issue.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Really. He got caught in a string of armed robberies. He’s in prison down in Canon City for a twenty year sentence.”
“Oh.” I feel sheepish. “Continue.”
“So after that, Alex had an epiphany, and realized the reason it didn’t work was because the Santo kid should be carrying his or her beloved across the threshold. So, Isabella has to carry you , not the other way around.”
“Damn. So Arianna carried Stone across?” I ask.
“Yup. They both just closed their eyes and charged through the doorway. Pretty sure Hannah closed her eyes when we did it too. She almost hyperventilated with fear over us not making it. ”
“So the second guy that Isabella dated, she tried to carry him across but couldn’t?”
“No, he didn’t even let her try. The fucker misunderstood, spouted off about her weight, and hightailed it right outta there. Isabella was completely crushed,” Luca says angrily.
“Can I have his name, then?” I ask hopefully, making Luca laugh.
“No need. We took care of him,” he says proudly.
“Oh? How so? Hypothetically, of course.”
“Well, hypothetically speaking, there may have been a man who showed up at a Denver police precinct with half his head shaved, the other half bleached, his nipples pierced, and a tattoo that says ‘I eat ass’ as a tramp stamp. Oh, and the men who took him may have each taken a couple shots to his face and dick. Hypothetically.”
“Jesus. You Santo kids are creative, I’ll give you that.”
“And that’s why I said you better not fuck over my sister.
That fucker only dated her for less than a year.
You’ve been trying to date Isabella for well over five years.
Close to ten, right? So this better not be some scheme just to get in her pants.
If that happens, there’s no telling what my brothers will come up with as a punishment for you.
” Luca’s expression is deadly, but he brightens immediately as he looks behind me toward the door. “Pixie!”
Turning my head, I see Luca’s tiny wife walk in, holding a toddler, and dragging her daughter behind her. Not even looking at me, she thrusts the kid toward me. “Here. Take this. I need a minute.”
I stare into her son’s eyes, and he grins at me, a gummy grin as drool drips over the finger he’s chewing on. A grin identical to his dad’s across the table, as he scoots over and lets Hannah sit down.
“What’s his name again?” I murmur. I know his name, but I can’t get over how cute Melanie is when she proudly tells people her brother’s name.
“Cay-web,” the girl answers, making me grin.
She drags a hand over her forehead, attempting to push her dark brown hair away.
With Luca’s hair color, matching skin tone, and Hannah’s bright blue eyes, Melanie is an absolutely adorable child, and I have no doubt she’ll grow up to be quite beautiful.
Those Santo genes are remarkable. I haven’t met a Santo yet that isn’t attractive.
“Caleb,” I say softly as the youngster reaches out to grab my cheeks. I vaguely hear Hannah telling Luca about how Melanie accidentally knocked over the entire display of apples at the grocery store, then something about opened containers of animal crackers, but I zone out as I look at Caleb.
In this moment, I realize how badly I want more children.
I love Camila. I adore being her dad. I’m in no way suggesting that she’s not enough. But I want her to experience having a brother or sister, and I want to experience a full pregnancy with a woman that I love, then us being an entire family together.
I want that with Isabella, and I have no idea if she even wants kids.
I’ve seen her with her nieces and nephews, and she’s amazing with them.
Hell, she’s great with Camila too. Watching her with my daughter as they cooked dinner together was exquisite.
It was like I had a brief glimpse into what my future could be.
Caleb rubs his eyes, and I naturally snuggle him against my shoulder. He lays his head down, and I get a whiff of that wonderful baby powder scent that all babies have.