Page 86 of Scarlet Vows

“And I’ll just tell him you had an emergency.”

“No,” I say. “The last thing I want is for Santo to doubt us.”

“Are you sure?”

I nod. “Absolutely.” I push a hand through my hair, about to hit on a truth he can’t say no to. “Something tells me that if Santo figured out our relationship’s fake, chasing me will be even more amusing to him.”

“True…”

“Besides, if Santo’s the key to helping you, then I want to do everything I can to help that happen.” I crouch down and hug Albert. “I’ll cook.”

“We have Svetlana.”

“No, Santo’s Italian. A home-cooked meal will woo him to your side.”

I can follow recipes. And I’m sure Svetlana can help if I get into trouble. I’d bring in Magda, too, but that’s a turf war I want to avoid.

“Yes,” I say, warming now to the idea. “I’ll cook some nice Italian dinner, everything from scratch, and we’ll ply him with drinks. Then he’s bound to be receptive to whatever you’ve got in mind. Right? Not only that, it’ll keep me distracted for most of the day. Albert can help.”

“Albert?”

“Yes. He can monitor and eat tidbits.”

Ilya chuckles. “I see. Well, if Albert’s helping, how can I say no?”

“You can’t.” I frown at him.

He smiles. “It’s a good plan.”

After he heads out for the day, Albert and I play until he curls up. I fill his bowl with his kibble and decide to look into a raw-food diet. Last night, I was researching grants and different ways to help the shelter and came across different diets recommended for dogs and cats.

“Do you want to go shopping, Albert?”

He lifts his head, but he flops it back down again.

He’s met Svetlana, so I’m okay leaving him in the house. He has access to the study, the living room on my floor, my room, as well as Ilya’s, so if he needs to retreat to safety, he can.

I spend the next hour with Albert making a list as I pore over recipes.

Gus comes to the stores with me and ferries the purchases to the big car. I order bread to be delivered tomorrow, and I buy charcuterie, cheeses, dips, and olives. All the things I think a big, Italian, mountain of a man may eat.

I know how much Ilya can eat, so in the end, it’s a mountain of food. Cans of Italian tomatoes, lamb, pasta, herbs… The list goes on.

From those, I’ll make soup, pasta, and a main dish. I’m not sure what to do about dessert, since I haven’t really baked, but the recipe for mousse seemed easy, so I buy the ingredients for that, too. I figure we can start with the charcuterie and some cheese and end with chocolate mousse, cheese, and fruit.

By the time I’m almost done, I notice I’ve missed a call from Isla.

“Hey,” she says when I call back. “Do you want to meet up? Mom’s looking after Maize this afternoon.”

“Lunch?” I say.

“Our favorite spot?”

“Yes,” I say with a laugh.

The little café is close to where I am, so I send Gus home with everything. I promise to call him after I’m finished.

Isla’s waiting for me when I get there.