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“Ciao, Giuseppina,” Angelo says. “Who is this?” Angelo nods toward Bobby.

“Who are you?” Bobby asks.

Angelo ignores him. “What is this?” Angelo fans his hands toward Bobby like he’s dealing a deck of cards.

Bobby sits up in his seat; his chest fills with air like a baboon on Animal Planet when his nest is invaded. “I don’t like his tone. Do you know this guy?” Bobby refers to Angelo with his thumb.

“Yes, this is Angelo Strazza. From Carrara,” I explain.

“What is going on here?” Angelo repeats, raising his voice slightly.

“Don’t yell at her,” Bobby says.

“This is Bobby Bilancia, my ex-husband,” I tell Angelo quietly.

Angelo takes him in. No matter where Bobby Bilancia is in the world, he turns heads. His vibe is prince on horseback, ready to scoop up hisinnamorataand ride off into the mountains to make love by a campfire on a bed of roses. I observe that Bobby’s strength and presence are as powerful a force outside the town limits of Lake Como, New Jersey, as inside them.

“So, this was your plan all along. Christmas in Milan with me, New Year’s in Lake Como with your ex-husband,” Angelo says.

Bobby stands. “You spent Christmas with him?” Bobby does the thumb thing again.

“We’re no longer together,” I remind him. “I can spend Christmas wherever I want.”

“What kind of a woman are you?” Angelo raises his voice.

“Evidently, I like to break up my holidays.” The joke drops like a raw meatball into a pot of gravy splattering everywhere. “Come on, guys.” I encourage them to take down the temperature.

I’ve never seen Bobby Bilancia hit anybody, but I think he’s about to. “Bobby, please sit down. You don’t understand.”

“Are you with this guy?” Bobby asks.

I don’t answer and neither does Angelo, which I would find interesting if I wasn’t concerned that Bobby was about to take a swing at him.

Bobby puts his hands in the air. “This changes everything. You’re together?”

“No, we are not together,” I insist.

“Are you with him?” Angelo points to Bobby.

“No.”

“I don’t believe you. You weren’t ready to be in a new relationship because evidently, you’re still in an old one,” Angelo says evenly. “You didn’t tell me the truth.”

“Are you calling her a liar?” Bobby goes full Jersey on Angelo. I’d find this funny if Bobby weren’t really angry.

I turn to Angelo. “Are you serious? You and Dalia just broke up. I have always told you the truth.”

“Jess, you need to explain this to somebody,” Bobby says.

Conor and Gaetano enter the dining room. A big holiday smilespreads across Conor’s face when he sees me. The men join us at the table.

Conor claps his hands together. “Great. You found each other.” Conor’s smile fades when he hits the wall of tension. “Maybe not so great?”

“Who’s he?” Bobby asks.

“Conor Kerrigan. And this is Gaetano,” Conor says pleasantly.

“They’re together,” I tell Bobby.