Page 37 of Right With You
“Si, per favore, I need to eat at least two of these beautiful creations,” her husband Michele said, eyes flittering from one donut to the next.
His accent was heavier than Aurelie’s, and I could tell it was Italian, though that might’ve been only because Iknewhe was Italian thanks to Luc’s run down of everyone in the family a fiancée would reasonably be expected to know.
“Luc has raved about your donuts.” Aurelie beamed, eyes on my creations.
Why did knowing this give me a thrill? I knew he liked my donuts. He’d said as much, as had his behavior for the last six months of him being here at least twice a week, if not more.
“What does myfratello piccologet when he visits?” Michele hit me with his wide, toothy smile.
He was certainly a handsome man. He had longish hair, wild with romantic curls, and yet somehow it made his deep-set dark eyes and olive skin seem all the more bedroomy and appealing rather than unkempt. He kept one hand around Aurelie’s waist and tucked into her side, two fingers disappearing under her shirt.
More affectionate than American couples tended to be for sure, but instead of making me uncomfortable like PDA often did, I liked it. In fact, I loved knowing these two enjoyed each other so much they couldn’t keep their hands off one another.
Um, okay, these two could totally be the stars of a pirate romance. Or maybe even an epic fantasy. She’s the chosen one and he’s the dark prince set against her… until he’s not.
Mentally refocusing on the here and now, I started in. “Luc likes?—”
“Ooo I like the way she saysLuc.” Michele wiggled his thick brows.
Aurelie elbowed him in the side. “Please excuse him. He’s just excited to be on vacation and he loves my brother.”
This had me grinning. “I’m so glad. Do I say Luc wrong?”
Aurelie chuckled and Michele just smiled broadly.
“Not at all. You say it perfectly. He’s just being… him.” Instead of irritation or exasperation, she leaned close and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Goodness, these two.
“Well, Luc loves the plain glazed and he often gets whatever is seasonal or special. I’m sold out of this week’s special, but I do have a seasonal spring lemon blueberry cake donut.”
Michele loosed a chain of words in rapid Italian I couldn’t dream of understanding and Aurelie laughed.
“He’s saying that sounds like heaven. We’ll take two glazed and two of the lemon blueberry, thank you, Elise.”
When she handed me her credit card, I shooed her away. She pursed her lips and gave me a perturbed look that was so like Luc, I had to laugh. If I hadn’t already known they were siblings, that would’ve tipped me off.
I handed them their little sacks of donuts. “You’re welcome to eat here, but if you enjoy coffee, I highly recommend stepping next door to get a drink from Joe.” I gestured to the side where they could find the coffee shop and its charming owner. Ethan would get a kick out of Michele for sure.
“Thank you, Elise. And we’ll see you for dinner tonight?” Aurelie asked as Michele yanked out a glazed donut, shoved half of it in his mouth, and groaned so loudly I felt like I should apologize for witnessing it.
My lashes fluttered as I tried to will away the heat rising to my cheeks and huffed a small laugh. “Yes. Yes, you will.”
Aurelie chuckled, too. “This man loves food and he has no patience. Thank you for the donuts, and remember, our grandfather is all bark.” She tilted her head to one side, then amended, “Well actually, he’s bite, too. But mostly bark. And his problems with Luc are nothing to do with you—I can already tell you’re lovely.”
“Thank you,” I said, not sure what else I could say. How should one respond when one’s fake almost-sister-in-law warned one away from the very person one would be spending extended time with that evening?
Well, one probably stops referring to oneself in third person.
I worked on my computer for another half hour between serving clients, enjoying the fact that I’d met Aurelie and Michele. They’d be familiar faces at dinner tonight, and they were certainly kind.
By the time I shut down the shop, worked my assistant hours in the afternoon, and finally showered and got put back together, I had ten minutes to spare. In that time, I paced and sent Dove messages telling her she should come kidnap me before Luc arrived.
“Why would I do that? I want you two to go knock his grandpa’s socks off.”
A lovely thought, but even without whatever new information Luc would give me tonight, I knew I wouldn’t do that by virtue of being anyone other than the woman he’d chosen for his grandson.
“Not likely. Plus, I’m all dressed up and what if he’s disappointed?”
