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I stop him again. “That’s not what she said, is it?” Vance may be a blank wall to others, but he is an open book to me.
He sighs in defeat. “She said to tell you to go to hell.”
My brows quirk, and despite my effort to look strict and offended, a chuckle bursts out of me. “Is that so?”
“I’ll…er say goodnight.” Vance nods and disappears immediately.
I sprint up the stairs, fighting my smile. My tiredness is gone. My little pearl is upset that I didn’t turn up for our date, but she doesn’t know I’ve been going crazy thinking about her the whole time she has been cursing and cussing at me. I know better than to go to our bedroom. She will be in hers.
I twist her doorknob, but it’s locked. Another wave of amusement envelopes me. Well, well she’s really upset.
“Francesca?” I knock on the door. It’s past midnight, but I know she’s not asleep. “Can you open up?”
“Go away,” a muffled voice calls.
“Please?” The word “please” sounds foreign to my ears.
“No. I don’t want to see you. Go away.”
“Perla mia, I?—”
“Don’t call me that.”
I walk into my room and head for the adjoining door. I try the knob, but it’s locked too. It’s not a problem because I have a key. I grab the key from the cabinet drawer and unlock the door. When it opens, Francesca sits up in bed, glaring at me.
“We had a date,” she accuses.
I head for her, and when she tries to leap from the bed, I grab her arm and hold her down, trapping her body with mine. “You’ve been on my mind all day.”
“Yeah, right.” She frowns. “That’s why you could not pick up the phone and that’s why you forgot our date.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” I murmur, enjoying the softness of her body against mine. “I got carried away with work.”
“Okay. Can you get off me? I’d like to sleep.”
I groan. “Forgive me,la mia perla. Please?”
She eyes me for a moment. “Valentino.” She wraps her arms around my neck. “Please, can you go and see Matteo? He could die and he wants to see you before that.”
I freeze, and my arms fall away from her. For a short while, she stares blankly into my eyes, and I cannot tell what she’s thinking.
“Who the fuck told you about Matteo?”
“Nonna Isadora called,” she says, her voice steady. “I know I don’t have any kind of power over you, but she seems to think I do and that maybe I could persuade you to go and see him. He’s dying, Valentino. It’s his dying wish to see you.”
I say nothing. How dare Nonna Isadora come between me and my wife?
“Valentino.” She grabs my face between her hands and slowly pulls my head to hers while holding my gaze.
“I felt her pain,” she whispers. “One day I will be a grandmother, and I might have to beg someone to do something so small for my grandchild before he dies. I pray now that that person will do it for me. Please. Even if it’s just for a quick visit, it’ll make me so happy. Do it for me, please.”
I stare at my wife in shock. I know her so little. How truly kind she is. Another woman might have wanted a piece of jewelry to make up for my tardiness, she just wanted me to make a dying man’s great-grandmother happy.
“Yes. I will do it for you.”
She loops her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek. “You’re the best husband ever.” There are tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“I can clear my schedule the day after tomorrow. I will go then.” I lean close to lick her ear and whisper, “And I’ll come back to you the very next day so you can wrap me even more tightly around your little finger.”