Page 24 of Winter
Inca was touched. “That’s really sweet … God, he’s so beautiful. What’s his name?”
“Boomer. Hey, look, I didn’t choose it. I got him at the pound.”
Inca almost felt like crying. “Tommaso, I don’t know what to say … thank you.”
“I hope it wasn’t presuming too much.”
It was … but Inca didn’t care. She fussed around the dog, making him excited and crazy. She grabbed a bowl of water for him. “Tommaso, he’s lovely; thank you.”
She kissed him as they heard a horn toot outside. “I think my brother is here,” Tommaso said, then looked at Boomer. “Shall I take him for today? Raff isn’t keen on dogs.”
Inca was still smilingas she slid into the passenger seat of Raffaelo’s car. When Raffaelo didn’t start the car, she turned to look at him. He was watching her, his green eyes intense.
“Is there something I should know?”
Inca felt her face burn and looked away. “Not at all. So, where shall we start?”
“I saw another road along here. I’m assuming it leads around the town?”
Inca sighed, relieved. “Yes. It’s the only other—I was going to say highway, but that would be overstating its size.” She laughed and Raffaelo smiled.
“For a small town, it seems bigger than it looks.”
Inca nodded. “It’s because there aren’t many buildings. The population is less than two hundred and fifty people, not counting the pupils at the school. During the semester, the population triples. Good for business.”
They drove in silence for a little while. Inca gazed out of the window at the coast road, its fir-lined cliffs, the steps down to the beach carved into the stone.
“Where does this road go?”
Raffaelo’s question brought her out of her reverie.
“Around to the school. We’ll pass the golf course soon.”
“So, you have a large school and a golf course for a population of two hundred and fifty.”
She laughed. “And you don’t want to know how few of us play golf. Do you?”
“Play golf? No.”
Do you even know how to have fun?Inca thought to herself. She thought back to the nights when she and Olly, Knox, and Scarlett had played board games and gotten drunk together, falling asleep on the couches and chairs in their living rooms, waking in the early hours to cover her friends with blankets. She couldn’t picture Raffaelo sprawled out in an easy chair, a half-empty beer bottle at his feet as he tried to name all fifty states. She remembered Olly squinting at the ceiling trying desperately to recall Arkansas while she, Knox, and Scarlett heckled him. Inca grinned again and looked at Raffaelo, ramrod straight in his seat, dressed impeccably as always. Inca narrowed her eyes at him, a mischievous grin on her face.
“Raffaelo … whatdoyou do for fun?”
The question seemed to surprise him. “What do you mean?”
“Just that. We’re supposed to be getting to know each other, and I still know nothing about you.”
“And your first question is how do I have fun?”
The tension was back. With a simple question, he’d made her feel frivolous and shallow. Stung, Inca turned away and stared out of the window. After a while, Raffaelo gave a little cough.
“Inca, I feel as if I have … I didn’t mean to offend you. Sometimes I don’t express myself as I would wish. Your question was completely legitimate and I apologize if …” He cleared his throat again. “I read. I watch television; I go to the cinema, the theatre. I don’t play golf but I like to run and sometimes play tennis.” He smiled at her and Inca saw genuine regret in his expression.
She nodded out of the window. “Pull over up here. I want to show you something.”
Raffaelo pulled the car to the side of the road and they got out. Inca led the way down one of the stairways carved into the cliff. Halfway down, she turned into a small opening in the rock. Raffaelo had to bend to walk into the cave. Inca sat down on a rock and he joined her.
“The first time I showed Tommaso around, I showed him this place.”
