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Authors: Dakota Cassidy
Tags: General Fiction
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enough that Carmella now knew her bra size.
Taking the steaming cup from her, I smiled warmly and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Have I told you you’re the best lately and that I positively adore you?”
She tweaked my cheeks with chubby fingers and grinned. “Just the other day when I brought you some stuffed manicotti, I think. You were talking all sorts of gobbledygook. Lifelong commitments, moving in together. Now go be with your mother. I’ll make sure everything else is handled with Petula and crew, capisce ?” she asked in her New York accent.
I blew out a breath in relief. “Marry me, Carmella. Leave Enzo and let’s just do it,” I teased.
Her chuckle, warm and hearty, rang in my ears as she made her way out of the kitchen.
“You look beautiful tonight, Carmella! Tell Enzo I said so!” I yelled after her, smiling as I brought the tea to my mother.
Forrest looked to me, his eyes full of genuine concern, because that’s just who Forrest was. A good guy. “Should I leave?”
My mother’s hand snaked out and grabbed his wrist. “No man as handsome as you should ever ask that question.” Then she chuckled, tinkling and airy as she smoothed her hand over her hair and batted her eyelashes.
Uh-huh. I give you the real Dita.
I grabbed Forrest’s hand, too, and motioned him to sit next to me. “It’s fine. Stay, please.” I could use the support.
Then I looked into my mother’s eyes—eyes so like mine. “So what happened, Mom? Was Bart in a bad space?”
She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her eyes, letting tears fill them. “He was fine, Stevie. Everything was fine. I don’t understand…”
“Understand what? Do you think he would harm himself? Do you think he’d…” I couldn’t say it out loud.
My mother shook her head. “I don’t know. As far as I knew, he was very happy.”
That statement worried me. As far as she knew? The trouble was, she never looked deeply enough or past her own needs and emotions to know if anyone else was suffering, ever.
So I patted her hand and encouraged her to drink her tea by pushing it toward her. “Have some tea, Mom. It’ll warm you.”
But my mother flapped a hand and wrinkled her pert nose. “Forget the tea. I just told that woman I liked it because don’t all mothers my age drink tea? The best way to make friends is to be just like them. Find me some whiskey, Stephania, honey. That’ll warm me up just fine while I hunt for Bart’s insurance policy.”
Yep.
Heeere’s Dita.
Chapter 5
A s the last staff member cleared the kitchen, I let Forrest take my hand and lead me to the front door and back out onto the porch.
The lights still glowed everywhere, leaving a dreamy ambiance that, had a death not occurred here tonight, would leave me feeling warm and fuzzy.
Bart’s body had been removed and taken to the morgue while my mother sobbed, something I wasn’t sure was real or for show. All the guests in their fancy clothes had gone, too. The questioning was over for the time being. There was nothing left to do but be alone with my mother. And I hated that I dreaded it.
“You gonna be okay?” Forrest asked, pulling me close.
I let my cheek rest on his chest and nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
He pressed his chin to the top of my head. “Good to know. So lunch this week if you can break away? Bring your mother if you’d like.”
“You don’t really want me to do that, but you’re a standup guy for asking anyway.”
His deep chuckle rumbled in my ears. “She’s quite a card, your mother.”
“Um, yeah. She something all right.” Leaning back in his arms, I smiled up at him, his warm eyes comforting me. “Thanks for sticking around during this mess.”
“I wouldn’t have missed tonight for the world. I’m sorry it ended so badly.”
“Me too. So lunch later this week it is. I’d better get back inside before my mother breaks the Internet trying to figure out Bart’s passwords.”
“I was a little surprised she
Taking the steaming cup from her, I smiled warmly and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Have I told you you’re the best lately and that I positively adore you?”
She tweaked my cheeks with chubby fingers and grinned. “Just the other day when I brought you some stuffed manicotti, I think. You were talking all sorts of gobbledygook. Lifelong commitments, moving in together. Now go be with your mother. I’ll make sure everything else is handled with Petula and crew, capisce ?” she asked in her New York accent.
I blew out a breath in relief. “Marry me, Carmella. Leave Enzo and let’s just do it,” I teased.
Her chuckle, warm and hearty, rang in my ears as she made her way out of the kitchen.
“You look beautiful tonight, Carmella! Tell Enzo I said so!” I yelled after her, smiling as I brought the tea to my mother.
Forrest looked to me, his eyes full of genuine concern, because that’s just who Forrest was. A good guy. “Should I leave?”
My mother’s hand snaked out and grabbed his wrist. “No man as handsome as you should ever ask that question.” Then she chuckled, tinkling and airy as she smoothed her hand over her hair and batted her eyelashes.
Uh-huh. I give you the real Dita.
I grabbed Forrest’s hand, too, and motioned him to sit next to me. “It’s fine. Stay, please.” I could use the support.
Then I looked into my mother’s eyes—eyes so like mine. “So what happened, Mom? Was Bart in a bad space?”
She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her eyes, letting tears fill them. “He was fine, Stevie. Everything was fine. I don’t understand…”
“Understand what? Do you think he would harm himself? Do you think he’d…” I couldn’t say it out loud.
My mother shook her head. “I don’t know. As far as I knew, he was very happy.”
That statement worried me. As far as she knew? The trouble was, she never looked deeply enough or past her own needs and emotions to know if anyone else was suffering, ever.
So I patted her hand and encouraged her to drink her tea by pushing it toward her. “Have some tea, Mom. It’ll warm you.”
But my mother flapped a hand and wrinkled her pert nose. “Forget the tea. I just told that woman I liked it because don’t all mothers my age drink tea? The best way to make friends is to be just like them. Find me some whiskey, Stephania, honey. That’ll warm me up just fine while I hunt for Bart’s insurance policy.”
Yep.
Heeere’s Dita.
Chapter 5
A s the last staff member cleared the kitchen, I let Forrest take my hand and lead me to the front door and back out onto the porch.
The lights still glowed everywhere, leaving a dreamy ambiance that, had a death not occurred here tonight, would leave me feeling warm and fuzzy.
Bart’s body had been removed and taken to the morgue while my mother sobbed, something I wasn’t sure was real or for show. All the guests in their fancy clothes had gone, too. The questioning was over for the time being. There was nothing left to do but be alone with my mother. And I hated that I dreaded it.
“You gonna be okay?” Forrest asked, pulling me close.
I let my cheek rest on his chest and nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
He pressed his chin to the top of my head. “Good to know. So lunch this week if you can break away? Bring your mother if you’d like.”
“You don’t really want me to do that, but you’re a standup guy for asking anyway.”
His deep chuckle rumbled in my ears. “She’s quite a card, your mother.”
“Um, yeah. She something all right.” Leaning back in his arms, I smiled up at him, his warm eyes comforting me. “Thanks for sticking around during this mess.”
“I wouldn’t have missed tonight for the world. I’m sorry it ended so badly.”
“Me too. So lunch later this week it is. I’d better get back inside before my mother breaks the Internet trying to figure out Bart’s passwords.”
“I was a little surprised she
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