Page 137 of Say It Isn't So

“Worse. He’s a mooch.”

“Angelo!” Ugh, she sounded like Bianca. I took a sip of my coffee before setting the mug down.

“He grew up poor, used to work atBellissima, works at some fashion blog now, and just so happened to run into my baby girl at the airport when she was on her way to London for fashion week.”

Cutting herself a piece of cake, she asked, “What’s so wrong with that? It sounds like the work of a higher power.” Then she took out a handful more pepper cookies and slipped them on my dish.

I brought one to my lip. Even the smell was delicious. “Or a lower one. I just can’t see how this boy can make her happy.”

“But does he?”

Chewing, I waited a second and thought about her question. “I don’t follow.”

“Does he make her happy? Is Bianca happy with him?” Angelina asked expectantly.

I wasn’t sure I could answer that. Did Bianca even know what made her happy, I wondered, because it certainly couldn’t be a man like that. “She thinks she is.”

“Angelo, I think youthinkshe isn’t happy when really she is. My late husband was the same way as you, wanted Frankie to marry a good Italian girl who had the same values as him and wanted to give him lots of babies.”

I arched a brow.Lucky bastard, he got his wish. God rest his soul.“Perla fits that bill.”

“Sure, but I would’ve been happy with any woman that Frankie brought home. So long as she was good to him and good for him.”

I shook my head. “Knox isn’t good for Bianca.”

“Isn’t good for Bianca or isn’t good enough for Bianca? There’s a difference, and I think you know that.”

“No one is good enough for my baby girl. Bianca isn’t like Maria. Or Allie or even Perla. She’s Bianca. She still calls me Daddy, and she—”

Angelina sat next to me and angled her head, a soft expression marking her face. “Has a special bond with you,” she supplied and waited. I nodded before she went on, saying, “I get it. But it seems like you and Knox not getting along is only going to cause problems for you and Bianca. Why not get on board so you don’t wind up outside of her life, looking in?”

I swallowed hard. It was like she’d hit me across the head with a steel pot. What she was saying made sense, and I didn’t like that. But worse, I didn’t want what she was saying to be true. Not being part of Bianca’s life was the last thing I wanted—she already wasn’t talking to me. “I just want Bianca to be okay. I want her to be safe and happy.”

She wove her fingers together and set her hands on the table. “I’m sorry to say this, but it seems like you want her to stay your little girl forever.”

“You know, if I didn’t know any better I’d think Regina was sitting next to me. You sound just like her.” I’d certainly done enough praying to her, maybe this was her way of answering me—talking through Angelina.

“I’m always here, Angelo, if you need to talk. And it’s only advice, but if I were you, I’d be sure of what you’re doing before you push her so far away that you can’t get her back.”

I shuddered at the thought. That couldn’t happen. It’d sooner put me in an early grave. I just hoped it wasn’t too late to try and fix things. But before I did anything stupid I needed to be sure my little girl was happy.

I couldn’t wait to get to the Hamptons.I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this, but I hope she does bring him.

Chapter Forty-Three

Bianca

This was thefirst time my sisters and I were driving to the Hamptons without Perla, and I didn’t know how I felt about it. Never mind, I knew exactly how I felt about it. I missed my sister. Oh, don’t worry, she was joining us. In fact, Perla and Frankie were already there. Usually Dad got there first to open up the house, but since Dad was staying behind with Isabella until the Fourth of July, someone had to do it. Ergo Perla and Frankie—the boring married couple got the honors.

Actually, they didn’t so much as get the honors as they jumped at the chance to arrive first. “Wait,” I said, my mind reeling as I’d just come to a realization. I looked at Maria beside me, who was driving her SUV, and then shifted in my seat to look back at Allie, sitting behind the driver’s seat. We’d flipped a coin for the passenger seat. She’d lost. Between you and me, I wasn’t giving up the passenger seat even if I’d lost.

Allie arched a brow and waited for me to say what was on my mind. “Perla and Frankie totally wanted to get their first so they could be alone.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Wow, really perceptive of you. What helped you figure that one out, detective?”

I swatted her arm—lightly, of course, she was driving, after all. “I’m serious,” I replied, wagging my brows suggestively. “I think they’re christening the place.”

Allie gagged audibly. “All right, first of all, gross. Second of all, duh.”

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