wasn’t sure where this could be going either. He really didn’t want to hurt either of them. He pushed his hand through his hair. What was he doing then? His questions and doubts began creeping back into his mind. He wanted to be with her, but casual sex with her didn’t seem like a great idea. She’d said it could be simple, but it wasn’t.
She kissed his cheek and hugged him. “You’re a good man, Joe D’Angelo.”
His chest expanded and he held her to him, gazing at her. “You’re beautiful.” All of her—she glowed.
She ducked her head. “I better get to my room.”
“Want company?” He rubbed his thumb on her palm.
“Better not.” She met his gaze again. “Please, Joe, for now, let’s not say anything.”
“Sure. But—” Flickers of doubt stole closer, like flashlights scoping out the shadows.
“I promise we’ll talk tonight. I’ll ask Marcella to sit with Layla once she’s asleep.”
“Sounds good. If you need anything…”
“Thank you. See you soon.” She squeezed his hand before she walked out.
He watched her for a moment. Then he pulled on the rest of his clothes and walked through the room, making sure everything was shut off. He paused outside the shower room. Being with Ariella was real, and he wanted to make it happen again, and again. Because his memories weren’t misremembered—Ariella made him feel more alive, more excited, than any other woman. And she seemed to feel something like that for him. But his feelings back then, thinking he loved her—that was teenage stuff. They were adults now, she had a little girl, and his family considered her one of their own. He didn’t know how to negotiate around those roadblocks. Vincente and Lorenzo had managed it, but not without causing a lot of family drama in the process.
He strode out and into the hall. The kitchen door opened and Pete walked out.
“Hey, where’s everyone?” It was good he and Ariella had parted when they had, or there would be awkward explanations now.
“Grandpop and Becca are outside with Layla. He told me to check in with Marcella to make sure things are ready for dinner.”
Joey pulled out his phone. It was later than he’d thought. His moments with Ariella had defied time.
Marcella walked out from the dining room at the end of the hall.
Pete waved. “Everything set?”
“ Sí , of course. Congratulations, Pietro. You’re next, yes, Joseph?” She bustled off toward her and Rudy’s quarters without waiting for a reply. Like Grandpop, she was sure she knew, so her question wasn’t really asking.
Pete chuckled. “You won’t escape this time.”
Joey shrugged. At the moment, he didn’t want to escape. He wanted to be with Ariella. He wouldn’t let her go.
***
“Joey, did you hear me?” Mom asked as they sat with the family at Grandpop’s dining room table.
“Sorry, no.” He’d been too busy watching Ariella, who sat across from him.
Mom’s gaze cut to Ariella then she frowned. “I said I met a lovely young woman at church, new in town. Wouldn’t it be fun for you, Pete, and Becca to take her with you to the New Year’s Eve party?”
“I’m not sure I’m going. But Gianni would put her on the guest list.” His cousin Gianni had recently opened a club, and he liked to pack the place with pretty women.
The lines around Mom’s mouth deepened. “She’s not Gianni’s type.”
“Does he have one?” A woman was a woman to Gianni; though he did prefer leggy blondes, he didn’t limit himself. Joey smirked.
Mom shifted and glanced to the ceiling, probably praying for patience.
“Just kidding, Mom.” He touched her arm. “What happened to ‘It’s Christmas, no unpleasantness’?”
Her frown eased. “You’re right. But, if you change your mind about the party…”
“I’ll let you know. But I think I’ll have other plans.” He forced himself not to look at Ariella.
Mom did instead. Her brow creased for a moment.
“Something bothering you, Mom?” he
She kissed his cheek and hugged him. “You’re a good man, Joe D’Angelo.”
His chest expanded and he held her to him, gazing at her. “You’re beautiful.” All of her—she glowed.
She ducked her head. “I better get to my room.”
“Want company?” He rubbed his thumb on her palm.
“Better not.” She met his gaze again. “Please, Joe, for now, let’s not say anything.”
“Sure. But—” Flickers of doubt stole closer, like flashlights scoping out the shadows.
“I promise we’ll talk tonight. I’ll ask Marcella to sit with Layla once she’s asleep.”
“Sounds good. If you need anything…”
“Thank you. See you soon.” She squeezed his hand before she walked out.
He watched her for a moment. Then he pulled on the rest of his clothes and walked through the room, making sure everything was shut off. He paused outside the shower room. Being with Ariella was real, and he wanted to make it happen again, and again. Because his memories weren’t misremembered—Ariella made him feel more alive, more excited, than any other woman. And she seemed to feel something like that for him. But his feelings back then, thinking he loved her—that was teenage stuff. They were adults now, she had a little girl, and his family considered her one of their own. He didn’t know how to negotiate around those roadblocks. Vincente and Lorenzo had managed it, but not without causing a lot of family drama in the process.
He strode out and into the hall. The kitchen door opened and Pete walked out.
“Hey, where’s everyone?” It was good he and Ariella had parted when they had, or there would be awkward explanations now.
“Grandpop and Becca are outside with Layla. He told me to check in with Marcella to make sure things are ready for dinner.”
Joey pulled out his phone. It was later than he’d thought. His moments with Ariella had defied time.
Marcella walked out from the dining room at the end of the hall.
Pete waved. “Everything set?”
“ Sí , of course. Congratulations, Pietro. You’re next, yes, Joseph?” She bustled off toward her and Rudy’s quarters without waiting for a reply. Like Grandpop, she was sure she knew, so her question wasn’t really asking.
Pete chuckled. “You won’t escape this time.”
Joey shrugged. At the moment, he didn’t want to escape. He wanted to be with Ariella. He wouldn’t let her go.
***
“Joey, did you hear me?” Mom asked as they sat with the family at Grandpop’s dining room table.
“Sorry, no.” He’d been too busy watching Ariella, who sat across from him.
Mom’s gaze cut to Ariella then she frowned. “I said I met a lovely young woman at church, new in town. Wouldn’t it be fun for you, Pete, and Becca to take her with you to the New Year’s Eve party?”
“I’m not sure I’m going. But Gianni would put her on the guest list.” His cousin Gianni had recently opened a club, and he liked to pack the place with pretty women.
The lines around Mom’s mouth deepened. “She’s not Gianni’s type.”
“Does he have one?” A woman was a woman to Gianni; though he did prefer leggy blondes, he didn’t limit himself. Joey smirked.
Mom shifted and glanced to the ceiling, probably praying for patience.
“Just kidding, Mom.” He touched her arm. “What happened to ‘It’s Christmas, no unpleasantness’?”
Her frown eased. “You’re right. But, if you change your mind about the party…”
“I’ll let you know. But I think I’ll have other plans.” He forced himself not to look at Ariella.
Mom did instead. Her brow creased for a moment.
“Something bothering you, Mom?” he
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