She inched closer, amazed at how her body responded to him. Her courage rising, she lifted her lashes and said, “Your surprise is inside.”
His eyes widened. “You’ve been in there?”
She winced a little bit. “Yes?”
“No, that’s great. I just didn’t know. Okay, well, should we go see it?” He reached for his door handle.
They made their way up the front steps. His was an end unit with a view of the mountains behind and the expansive golf course in front. She liked everything about his place. It was perfect for a single guy. Or a woman. Once she’d seen it, she had actually considered moving into the same complex.
He pushed open the door and breathed out in relief. “At least it’s clean. I couldn’t remember if the cleaning service had come or not.”
Summer smiled. She and his mother had cleaned it up together. He was not particularly messy, and she’d enjoyed seeing how he lived. Cocoa Krispies on the counter. Socks next to the couch. That kind of thing. But she couldn’t believe the audacity of his mother to invite her in. It made her wonder about privacy in their family. Rocco didn’t seem to have much.
But neither did she. Her father had jumped right in the first time Rocco had tried to ask her out.
They made their way through the kitchen and into the dining room, where she’d set up everything for dinner. Two tall candles and a small bunch of pine decorated the middle of the table. Placemats, plates, nice napkins, the whole formal dinner treatment waited for him.
“Wow! What’s this?”
“Dinner. For us.” She rocked back and forth on her toes. “If you want. But it can also be dinner for one if you’re just needing to rest, you know, from your weekend.”
He stepped closer and brought her hand up to his lips. “This is just right. For two. Thank you.”
Her heart expanded in relief. “Okay, great. ’Cause I wanted to have some. It’s gonna be yummy. If you want to go wash up or rest or whatever, I’ll just get this warmed up, and we’ll be ready to eat in thirty minutes.”
“I’ll come down in five and help.” He moved to the shelf and clicked a few buttons. The lights turned on, the gas fireplace lit up, and soft music started playing. “What do you like to listen to while you cook?”
She grinned. “Asked like the son of a restaurant family.”
“Maybe, it’s a thing at our house. Ma likes the soft stuff. But Dad, he gets rocking. Poison. AC/DC. Def Leppard.”
“What! That’s awesome. I’d love to see it some time.”
His eyes held hers. “And I’d love for you to be there.”
The moment lingered. And Summer didn’t dare move or hardly breathe for fear it would end. Then she nodded. “Thank you.”
He ran upstairs, and she checked the oven timer. She’d made lasagna. His mother’s recipe. She didn’t even try to find something unique. Mrs. De Luca said it was his favorite.
Summer started adding things to her favorite salad and made sure the cake was out of the freezer so it could rest at room temperature.
When he came down, she smiled at his wet hair, and her eyes drank in his thick sweatshirt, jeans, and bright white socks. Her favorite look on a guy. “Okay.” Her voice sounded breathless, and she didn’t even care.
One of her favorite love songs came on, and he stepped forward. “This is the song.” He pulled her into his arms and started dancing.
“What?” She spun with him and tingled everywhere he touched.
“This song. When we were dancing on the ice at your house, I imagined this song.”
She closed her eyes, remembering. “Can we do that again?”
“Absolutely.” The intensity of his voice opened her eyes. He pulled her closer, and they swayed. “This week was hard.”
“Yeah.”
“But talking to you made everything better.” He looked down into her face. “I know this is all just beginning, and I don’t want to scare you away or anything, but mmm.”
“Mmm?”
“Yeah, mmm. That’s all I got so far.”
She laughed. “Well, I’m not sure what to do with that, but I’ll take it.”
He grinned. “As you should. I don’t say mmm to every girl, you know.”
She dropped her forehead onto his chest. Wow, she liked this man.
The oven beeped.
“Okay. Let’s get that out and wait for it to cool.”
“My nose tells me that my mother was involved in this surprise.”
“Oh, yes. She gave me your key.”
He nodded, following her over.
“And told me what to cook.”
“She would.”
“But I’m happy she did.”
He pulled her back and placed his lips on her forehead. The softness of his full mouth sent a shiver of pleasure through her, followed by a longing for more. “I’m happy she did too.” He stepped away, tugging her hand. “And I’m happy you get along with my mom.”
“Me too. She’s the first De Luca I met, and I thought for sure she would be my favorite.”
“Oh, a favorite De Luca. I like this conversation. So have you added another to the ranks?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “That has yet to be seen.”
“Ho ho!” He stood taller. “No, it’s okay. Mom is everyone’s favorite De Luca.” His eyes took on a new intensity. “Especially my dad’s. He always says that when he married her, he knew she was going to be the best part of the De Luca family. All my uncles and my grandpa had been against it, but he held firm, and he was right.” He leaned back against the counter. “I’m trying to do the same.”
The power of his words hung in the air around them. Summer swallowed. And then the moment passed. “So, let’s eat the salad and then dish up the lasagna.”
At the table, he moved his setting so that he sat beside her. Summer wasn’t sure the day could get any better, but she was relieved that her surprise so far had been a success.
13
Rocco watched Summer move about his space in such a comfortable way it gave him an unexpected moment of pride. She went straight to his utensils and pulled out the spatula to serve up lasagna, which she’d made exactly the way his mom cooked it. She used the filter faucet at his sink to refill their glasses. She’d let her hair down, and he longed to know what it felt like sliding through his fingers. Her hips invited his hands, right where her jeans met her waist. She was stunning. And an easy, soft presence in his home.
“You know, I almost lost it after that one game when Coach was laying into me in the locker room.”
“When he was getting after you for losing the puck?”
“Yeah. But the next day, when he yelled at me for every lap, I handled it just fine.”
“That’s great.” Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, though. Will he get over it?”
“The coach? Sure. But you wanna know the difference?”
She nodded.
“You.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, after talking to you about it all, and Trane too, actually—we went out to dinner that night. After talking to you guys, nothing that Coach said could rattle me. I just went into a happy zone, and I was good.”
“A happy zone.” She smiled. “That’s what I do when I skate too.”
He nodded. “You look like you do that.”
“Yeah?”
“Your face does this serene thing. And you hold your arms…” He held his arms out to his sides. “I don’t know. I can tell skating makes you happy.”
They cleaned up, and Summer gathered her things.
He stopped her. “Is it crazy that I wish you could just stay?”
“No. I want to stay. But…”
“But it’s crazy.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think it’s crazy, but it does seem like maybe you should have a minute to yourself?”
He took her bag off her shoulder and rested it on the floor, and then he put his hands on her hips. “Do you want to know what’s even more craz
y?”
“Hmm?”
“That this whole time, I’ve been watching you eat my favorite meal, and I’ve been watching how your mouth puckers up when you’re thinking and how this one dimple comes out when you smile. And this top part, right above your lip, dips in like that.” His finger ran along her top lip.
She parted her lips, and he moved his face closer, inches from her own. “And your bottom lip. It’s always full, like a pretty pout, though I know you’re not doing it on purpose. It just sits there, but nothing says ‘kiss me’ like that bottom lip.”
She lifted her eyes to his. “Wow, all that?”
“And this whole time, I haven’t done a thing about it.”
“Crazy,” she breathed.
“Mmm.” He pressed his mouth to hers, once, softly. And then he mumbled against her lips, “Thank you for dinner.”
“Mmm.”
“Hey now. That’s my word.”
“See you tomorrow?”
“And every day I’m home.”
She nodded.
Then he opened his door and watched her climb into her Jeep. Once she was completely out of sight, he stepped back inside, not totally sure what had just happened to him.
His phone rang. Smiling, he said, “Hey, beautiful. Come back, I’m already missing you.”
“Wow, that’s a little warmer than I was expecting, but I’ll be right over.” Millie’s voice cackled in his ear, and he almost dropped his phone.
Jarred, shocked, he checked the number on the phone twice before he could make himself believe it was really Millie.
“Oh, hey. So, I—”
“Thought I was someone else?” Her laugh grated. It was harsh, and he couldn’t believe he had spent energy trying to make her laugh.
“What do you want, Millie?”
“So harsh. I’m in town. I wanted to see you. Or at least your parents, if you don’t want to see me.”
“Why are you in town?”
“Well, I’m over here in Jackson Hole. I heard you guys had a restaurant, so I stopped by. It was great to catch up with your dad. He might be my favorite De Luca.”
Rocco frowned. He would be. His dad was big on keeping the bloodline Italian. He didn’t usually say much about Rocco’s choice of friends, but if there was a choice between an Italian and a non-Italian, he always supported one over the other.
“So, I’m driving down this main street and heading for your parents’ house with your dad. Will you be there?”
Everything in Rocco wanted to say no, but instead he said, “I’ll see.” Then he called his mom. “Why is Millie coming for dinner?”
“I don’t know. Your father and I have already talked about this, and I still can’t figure out why he invited her. He actually insisted that she come over.”
Rocco could hear the frown in his mother’s voice. “So, am I expected to come to this?”
“Heavens, no. You already ate.”
“It was delicious, Ma.”
“I only helped her a little.”
He nodded. “Well, thank you. It was just what I wanted when I arrived.”
“I don’t care about the lasagna. How is Summer?”
“She is great. Just the same as how you left her, I’m sure.”
“Oh, you would start getting all tight-lipped.”
“Ma, it’s not that. It’s…Millie is coming over.”
“Yeah, I know. Feel free to stay away.”
He thought about it then knew some words needed to be spoken, out loud, by him. “I’ll be there.”
“Okay. See you soon.” She kissed into her phone, and he hung up.
His father needed to see that Millie was all wrong for him. Rocco needed to say, again, to her face, that they would never be getting back together. And a part of him needed to see her just to reaffirm that his biggest heartbreak really did need to stay away. He wanted to be sure that Summer wasn’t just a delayed rebound.
He lingered in his living room, still full of warm memories of Summer, and then he slipped on his coat and hopped in his car. “Here we go.”
As soon as he stepped through his parents’ front door, Millie’s laugh filled the space. The entry smelled like her perfume, and the friendly false excitement in his father’s voice reached his ears. Rocco wished he could leave.
But he pushed through the door leading into the front room. “Hey, Millie. Mom. Dad.” Where was Stefano? He’d probably heard she was coming and hid.
As soon as Rocco walked into the room, Millie came over and kissed his cheeks. Certain he had red lipstick on his face, Rocco looked around for a napkin. His mother passed him a handkerchief and winked.
“Darling, you look fantastic. It’s been ages.”
He nodded. “Yeah. So, you’re working here now?”
“Just for a shoot. They wanted to catch the Tetons in the background or something. I’ll be heading back in a few days.”
“Great.”
His dad clapped him on the back. “It’s not every day we have an internationally known model in our home. Let’s sit.”
They made their way to the chairs. He moved to sit as far from Millie as possible, but his dad took his first choice, so he shared the couch with Millie.
They talked of nothing. Rocco could never zoom in on anything of importance. At one point, he leaned back and asked, “So, have you ever thought about going back to school or doing something with your masters? Engineering, wasn’t it?”
She stopped perusing her nails. They were long and red. She frowned. “No. I mean, I have that degree to fall back on if I ever need it, but I’m living the dream, darling. This is what I’ve always wanted.”
He nodded. “Great. I’m happy for you.” And he was. Especially if she left him alone. The difference between her and Summer was so stark he wondered how he could have been attracted to both. Had he changed in the past eight months? Or had he just been blind to Millie’s personality?
They moved into the dining room, and his mother served a delicious dinner. He sipped some of the soup, and that was all.
“Are you not hungry, son?” His dad nudged him.
“No, not really.”
Millie leaned forward conspiratorially, her V-neck offering a clear view which Rocco would just as soon avoid. “He probably already ate.”
All eyes were on him, and he wasn’t sure why his lack of hunger was the center of conversation. “Yeah, I had some dinner earlier. I was just stopping by to say hello.” He stood. “And I think I’ll get back to it.”
“What? You can’t be leaving. We thought it would be fun to play bridge, and we need four.” His dad didn’t even like bridge. What was he up to?
Rocco hesitated. “I was actually wondering about Stefano. Has anyone seen him?”
His mom waved her hand. “Oh, he’s with those nice Davis twins. I’m sure they’re just out having fun.”
Rocco did like the Davises, but the twins and Stefano together didn’t seem like a harmless combination. But they were old enough to take care of themselves if they did get into trouble.
Millie stood with him. “Stay as long as you can. It’s good seeing you again.” She took out her phone and leaned in close for a selfie. Before he could protest, she’d already taken a few. She showed him. “Look how adorable we are. I’ve always thought so. Remember those photo shoots we did for Armani?”
He did. It was right after the shoots that she’d broken up with him. Some guy in a suit had been flirting with her nonstop the whole time. Rocco shouldn’t have been surprised that she was ready to move on—she hadn’t discouraged the other model at all, even with Rocco right there. “Yeah, how’s that guy, what was his name? Pedro?”
Her face lost a little color, but otherwise, she continued as if he’d mentioned the weather. “Oh, he’s great, I assume. We don’t talk much anymore.”
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He was itching to get moving. Maybe he’d go stop by the Sundowner to look for Stefano and the Davis twins. “Well, this has b
een great. It’s fun to catch up.” He put his napkin down. “Maybe I’ll go see if I can round up Stef.”
“Oh, take Millie with you.” His father had the balls to suggest what he knew Rocco would not ever want to do. He sat back for a second, staring his father down.
And then, right when Rocco was going to flat-out refuse, Millie stood, grabbed her purse, and smiled. “Thank you for offering. I came down with your dad, and I’d love to see the place, but I need someone to drive me. This is perfect.”
Rocco grunted. “Maybe we’ll stop by. Otherwise, where can I drop you?”
“Oh, well, isn’t that so sweet. I just need to be back in Jackson Hole by morning.” Her laugh grated his last nerve.
“Isn’t that like an hour from here?”
“Give or take. It’ll be nice to catch up. You could stay over, and we could see some of the Jackson stuff. I hear they have this fun dinner theater called the Bar J.” She leaned closer and tried to bump his shoulder, but he moved out of her way.
He was not at all pleased that he was about to get roped into a late evening with Millie. The Pit called her devil woman, and he could see why now. What he’d thought was beautiful, now seemed only to cover up a disturbed woman. There was nothing of the solid serenity he’d found in the far more attractive Summer.
“Well, okay then. Do you have everything you need?”
“Oh, are we leaving now?”
“If you want to ride with me, we are.”
She stepped up to his side. He created more distance between them and then led her out to his truck, pointedly not looking back at his father. They were going to have words when he returned.
She waited for him to open her door, and he paused, tempted to say, “It’s open.” But instead, he did what he knew would make his ma happy. He opened her door and then moved around to the other side of the truck without closing it. Seemed a fair shake.
As soon as he was settled in the driver’s seat, she rested a hand on his arm, and he knew this whole thing was a mistake.
“Show me around your town, Rocco, it’s adorable.”
14
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