Page 24 of Love, Legacy, and Little Green Aliens

“Uh huh.” She arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Care to share your plans?”

“When I make a firm decision, I’ll let you know.” He nudged her back. “Considering how our conversations end up in your newspaper, you’ll have to forgive me for playing close to the vest.”

Rather than bristling, she regarded him like some intriguing puzzle she was determined to solve. “What are you afraid of, Xander?”

“Failure.” The word slipped out before he had the chance to rope it back.

“Me too.” Her eyes were so damn bright, reflected firelight dancing in her dark irises. “Want to hear a secret?” She beckoned him closer.

He complied—because how could he not?

“The newspaper’s in trouble. We lost our sponsor. I have until April to pull theBeaconinto the black. Otherwise…” She drew a finger across her throat.

“Sorry to hear that.” His gaze drifted back to the fire. “There’s something about a deadline, though. It’s a powerful motivation, you know?”

Her hand settled over his, soft and gentle. “What motivates you, Xander Anagnos?”

He chuckled. “Are you interviewing me, Hannah Leone?”

“Nah. This is strictly off the record.”

Just then, the server arrived with their dinner. Xander spooned up the velvety, rich chowder. “Wow. Better than I remembered.”

“Don’t change the subject.” A dozen battered clam strips tumbled onto her plate when she lifted her po’boy. “You were going to tell me what makes you tick.” She chomped into the sandwich and closed her eyes on a moan.

“I was?” A warning tickled down his spine. She was doing it again—teasing out details he didn’t intend to share.

Then again, why not get an unbiased opinion?

He clasped her hand. “Promise me I’ll never see these words in your newspaper?”

She crossed her heart, her expression solemn and attentive.

“I’ve never talked about this with anyone outside my family.”

The corners of her mouth ticked up. “In that case, I’m honored.”

Just do it, coward.

He sucked in a breath. “There’s this family thing that goes way back to the old country. The curse of the second son.”

“You’re a second son, I take it?”

“Yeah. So was Gus.”

“And what does this curse entail?”

He twirled his spoon in his soup. “Supposedly, second sons are doomed to failure. Business, divorce, you name it. Whatever we try, we fail.”

She made a delicate snort. “Well, that’s clearly not true. I mean, look at Gus. He was married to Martha for how many years?”

“But she died.”

She shrugged. “Everyone dies.”

“And they never had kids.”

“Maybe they didn’t want kids. I think the shop was his baby.” She sipped her beer and wiped foam from her cheek. “He put a lot of love into that place. I felt it every time I walked through his doors. Souvenir Planet buzzed with upbeat energy. Every shelf, every wall, every corner was stuffed with something to make you smile.”