Page 21 of Under Her Skin
“Good. I moved into theapartment.”
“Good. That’s good. Is everything else okay? You sounded…weird on the voicemail youleft.”
Hero hesitated. “I’m fine. I just wanted to touch base. How’re Mom and Dad?” A spike of adrenaline ran through her when her sister hesitated. “Melly?”
Imelda sighed. “Don’t panic…but Pops had a little heart thing. He’s okay, he’s fine,but…”
“Oh God, Melly.” Hero walked back inside and dropped onto the couch, her heart racing, her insides frozen. “I’ll get on a plane. I’ll book a flight this secondand—”
“No, you will not. I said don’t panic. He’s going to be okay; they’re just keeping him in for observation. He’s fine, sis. Honestly. It was just a little bit of ascare.”
That lessened Hero’s panic only marginally. “How could you not tellme?”
“Because Mom said not to. Because she says—and I agree—you need this. You need to be away from Chicago, making your own life. Dad is fine, I promise, and I will absolutely call you if anything changes. But you stay there, Hero. You need to dothis.”
Hero was silent for a long time. “You promise you’ll tell me if he getsworse?”
“I promise.” Imelda let out a long breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was softer. “Hero…are you doingokay?”
Hero choked back a sob and steadied her voice. “I’m fine. It’s beautifulhere.”
“Madefriends?”
More than that… “Acouple.”
“Good. Sweetheart, you did the right thing. I’m proud ofyou.”
Hero was too shocked to reply, and she heard Imelda’s soft laugh. “Take care, little sister. And believe me, I do actually care. I’ll see yousoon.”
The phone clicked off before Hero could reply. She sat for a moment, trying to take in her sister’s words. First, the news about her dad, and then just now…that had been the closest to ‘I love you’ she’d ever gotten fromImelda.
The world is shifting on itsaxis.
Hero shook her head and before she could change her mind, she called Arturo and got hisvoicemail.
Arturo checkedhis voicemail an hour later as he sat in his office and frowned. “That wasweird.”
Peter looked up at him, putting down the sheaf of papers he held. “What?”
“That was Hero. She wants to meet later…at the Patrizziapartment.”
Peter frowned. “Why onearth?”
“I have no idea.” Arturo tried calling her back. “Hey, it’s me. Look, of course I can meet you there, but what’s going on, Hero? Well, call me back if you can, but I’ll be there atsix.”
He ended the call and put his phone down on the desk, chewing his bottom lip. “That’s verystrange.”
Peter half-smiled. “Maybe Hero’s thebuyer?”
Arturo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because she has millions of euros just layingaround.”
“Shemight.”
Arturo looked at Peter over his glasses. “Really? You thinkso?”
“No. Listen, can we get back to this? Villa Claudia is yours as soon as you sign. I can’t believe you got it for a half-million.”
Arturo grinned. “By the time I’ve finished with it, it’ll be worth ten times that. Not that I’ll beselling.”
