Page 50 of The Best of Us

Constantine touched my back and offered a gentle but firm reminder. “We shouldn’t be here long.” I glanced at him as he asked, “Mind packing some photo albums?”

“Oh, um, everything is pretty much digital these days. I have all my photos on my phone.”

He nodded, and when he dropped his hand from my back, I stepped in front of my son and whispered, “Are you okay?” as if it were only the two of us there.

“Yeah,” was all he gave me, shifting his focus to his father.

I forced myself to walk away from him and one-thing-at-a-time’d my way to my bedroom to pack. I left the door open so I could eavesdrop, assuming Colin would take the chance to ask more questions.

“I looked you up after I took your wallet,” I overheard Colin say as I loaded my bag.

“So you said,” Constantine remarked in a dry voice.

“You have a big family.”

“I do.”

“You’re from Sicily?”

“I am. Moved here when I was ten.” Short-and-to-the-point answers from him.

“So, I’m half Italian?”

A quiet moment passed before he said, “My father would make the distinction you’re halfSicilian, but yeah, sure.”

Colin made a little harrumph noise. “And, uh, that chick with us earlier, she’s my aunt, right?”

“Don’t call your aunt a chick.” The reprimand came out so perfectly delivered in such a father-like tone that I couldn’t help but smile before it dawned on me that Colin met Constantine’s sister.

“She didn’t have an accent like you. Although, yours is only heavy when you’re pissed off.”

“Izzy was born here.”

“And, uh, the dude with us earlier—he’s her man, right? I think I saw something online about him when I looked you up. Governor’s son. Navy SEAL. Owns a bar.”

“You know a little too much.” Constantine’s deep breath could be heard in my room.

“So, that’s a yes.”

Oh, Colin.

“Hudson Ashford. One of my closest friends. Married my sister last month, yes,” he finally appeased our son with a response.

“Is that weird, him hooking up with your sister?”

“No stranger than my son using that type of language about his aunt,” he shot back in a serious tone, and my heart skipped about three freaking beats at the use of “my son.”

I knew Colin’s heart had to be working overtime hearing those words, too.

I was too focused on their moment to consider the circumstances that led to their odd meet and greet in the hallway.

Colin broke the quiet after a few moments. “And I have two uncles on your side?”

“You do.”

“Grandparents are still alive, right? Your dad runs the mega-billionaire Costa empire with you?”

Billionaire?

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