Page 27

26

SAbrINA

T aking a redeye flight back to New York seemed like a good idea at the time. The prospect of spending the night in an empty bed and thinking about Monte was just too depressing.

The flight was long and uncomfortable and the plane landed just after sunrise. At least there was no global cyberattack to make the occasion extra special.

Since I was a bad mood, I decided to cheer myself up with a pretzel. Though I was at a completely different terminal than the last time I flew into JFK, somehow the vendor at the pretzel kiosk was none other than Bolton, my arch nemesis. He enjoyed telling me that he’d just run out of pretzels. I would have accused him of lying, but I could see the empty pretzel case for myself. So I informed him that he had mustard on his chin (which he did) and I left.

My plan was to call a car to take me to Daisy’s apartment but then Nico Castelli materialized out of nowhere and charmingly demanded to be my chauffeur. It was clear he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Turns out that Luca, still uneasy about the Lenny Lombardo episode, asked Nico to meet my plane. I’m sure he was also thinking this is what Monte would want. Nobody can ask Monte if this is really true because his phone seems to be turned off while he’s off galloping around somewhere in the Wyoming wilderness.

Monte warned he might be out of touch for a day or two but every time I call or text and receive no answer, I get a little crankier. Add to this my roller coaster of intense emotions, a very rough cross country flight wedged into a middle coach seat, and no sleep at all, it won’t take much to roll me over into temper tantrum territory.

But how can I be grumpy when I’m standing in Daisy’s tiny kitchen and she’s hugging me for about the fortieth time since my arrival?

“I’m so happy you’re here,” says my super sweet, adorable big sister.

My reunion with Daisy is the only bright spot in a rather unhappy twenty-four hours. First, I had to say an emotional farewell to Anni and Jane and then I had to confront a return to New York without Monte. At least Daisy and Big Man Bowie have made me feel like a visiting celebrity.

“Sorry I’m not great company,” I mumble as my sister squeezes me with excitement. She smells like cinnamon cake.

“Don’t say that.” Daisy kisses my cheek. “I’ve missed you so much. You and Anni both. I really want to visit Anni and little Jane again before I get too big.”

Daisy is known for being delightfully flighty and sometimes she says weird stuff. Still, there seems to be a vital revelation packed into her last sentence.

“Daisy!” I pull back and stare into her lovely face. “Are you pregnant?”

She beams and gives her belly a loving pat. “All the tests have been positive and I have a doctor’s appointment next week.”

The shadows hanging over the day temporarily vanish with my sister’s joyous news. We dance around the kitchen. I suggest naming the baby Little Man Bowie if it’s a boy. She presses my hand to her stomach because she wants to know if I can feel the slight baby bump.

We’re still celebrating when Big Man Bowie breezes into the apartment with grocery bags hanging from his big arms and a goofy grin lighting up his face. “Look who I found!” he exclaims and gestures to the open door.

We stop discussing names and baby bumps and exchange puzzled glances when the doorway remains empty.

“Where’d you go?” says Big Man Bowie and drops the shopping bags on the floor. He dashes back into the hallway and some scuffling ensues before he manages to push a rather red-faced Nico Castelli through the door.

“No need to be so shy,” says Big Man Bowie and slaps Nico on the back. “Have a seat. Dinner’s on the way.”

Daisy is overjoyed with the unexpected guest and rushes over. “Nico! You’re here again.” She flings her arms around him with a laugh. “Come in. Were you just walking past the building?”

Big Man Bowie swipes the shopping bags off the floor and moves them to the counter. “I almost tripped over him in the lobby.”

“Why were you in the lobby?” Daisy says.

“Yeah, Nico.” I cross my arms and throw him a look. “Why were you in the lobby? I mean, it was nice of you to show up at the airport to pick me up this morning but I didn’t ask for the stalking treatment.”

Playing it cool doesn’t come as easily to him as it does to his big brother. I’m sure he feels stuck in the middle. He shifts his weight and jams his hands in his pockets.

“I was in the neighborhood,” he mumbles.

“Monitoring my movements?”

He makes a face. “Just looking out for you.”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly safe. Are you here on your brother’s orders or is he still camping?”

There’s a lot of tension crammed into the question and seeing a grimace from Nico sure doesn’t fix my anxiety.

“Haven’t heard from him,” he says.

“Oh.” I clutch a counter barstool and plunk down on the cushioned seat. Somehow I hoped that Nico had found a way to contact Monte. “Can’t you just call these Tempesta cousins?”

“I did.” He sighs and frowns at his shoes. “I had no luck getting through to my cousin Julian but my uncle still keeps a landline at the house. Carmela answered. She’s been their housekeeper for decades. She remembered me so she was friendly enough. She confirmed the boys all went out to hunt down some stray cattle. She really didn’t seem to know when they’d be back.”

Daisy has teamed up with Big Man Bowie to unpack groceries and lay out the ingredients for dinner. “When Monte does get back to the city we’ll have a big dinner to celebrate. You need to come too, Nico.”

“Celebrate what?” I ask.

She pauses and gazes at me with loving eyes. “Your wedding news, silly.”

Nico laughs and tries to disguise it with a cough.

“Right.” I touch the ring on my finger. I’ve adapted very happily to the idea of being in a relationship with Monte but sometimes I forget that I’m actually married to him. Kind of a unique problem.

“I like to go camping,” says Big Man Bowie.

We all wait for him to issue a follow up to that random statement but he doesn’t. He pulls out a thick wooden cutting board, drops a brick of white cheese in the middle and begins rapidly slicing off perfect squares.

“You take your burgers fully loaded, right Nico?” says Big Man Bowie.

“Sure,” says Nico. “Thanks.”

Daisy and Big Man Bowie are a very efficient cooking duo. Within minutes the potatoes have been cut into wedges, seasoned and sent to the oven. Daisy begins whipping up a batch of their secret aioli recipe and her husband rapidly shapes new patties from a lump of ground beef.

They routinely make hundreds of gourmet hamburgers every week for hungry customers who show up at Big Man Bowie’s Burgers food truck. Sometimes I wonder if they get tired of feeding people hamburgers but this question seems rude so I keep it to myself.

“Will you try a white truffle burger, Sabrina?” Daisy asks.

Normally, I prefer hamburgers with nothing but the bun and some ketchup but I’d have to be heartless to crush the eager look on my sister’s face.

“I’d love one,” I tell her.

The Brooklyn apartment is small and cozy. Daisy and Big Man Bowie are in perfect sync while they prepare dinner. I’m not surprised when my offer to help is politely refused. While they don’t forbid trespassers in their kitchen the way Mama often does, they have a working system and they’re happier when left alone.

The best way for me to contribute is to stay out of the way and slouch on my kitchen stool. Nico slouches beside me. He folds his hands in front of him and searches my face.

“Stop it.” I nudge his arm. “I know I’m bitchy today. Not my finest hour. Sorry you got caught in the web of my angst.”

He extends a large fist. “So we’re cool?”

I bump his fist with mine. “Of course we’re cool.” With a loud, melodramatic sigh, I drop my chin to the counter. “Patience is not one of my virtues.”

“No kidding,” he snorts. “You have that in common with someone else I know.”

“I love him, Nico.”

Sympathy floods his handsome face and he looks so much like his brother. “I know. He loves you too.”

He reaches for a paper napkin and hands it over when I start sniffling.

Note to self: Lack of sleep leads to embarrassing displays of emotion.

I dab at my nose with the scratchy napkin. “Are you planning to keep following me until Monte returns?”

“Probably,” Nico admits.

“In that case, I’ll just give you my schedule so you don’t need to camp out in the lobby. Tomorrow, I’m sleeping in and cuddling with my sister. The next day, there’s an exhibition at the game design school all afternoon. The day after that, if Monte is still out of contact, I’m flying to Wyoming to break down the door of these Tempesta creeps and rescue him.”

He forces out a chuckle. “That would be a sight worth seeing.”

“Don’t laugh. I can make it happen. I’m marginally strong when I’m angry.”

“I’m not really laughing. I’ll be helping you break down their door.”

I gnaw at my lip. “You’re worried too, aren’t you?”

Nico tries to smile and doesn’t quite pull it off. “Monte knows what he’s doing.”

“That wasn’t a no,” I point out.

His mouth tightens and there’s a flicker of unease in his eyes. “You’re right. It wasn’t.”