Page 14 of A Valentine's Day Gift
He and Loretta exchanged an amused look. Mike remained in his recliner, watching TV. He ate very little now.
After dinner, Loretta went to wash dishes, as she usually did. That was the deal. Vinny cooked; Loretta cleaned up. But this time Vinny followed her in, offering to dry while she washed.
They worked together in silence for several minutes before she turned to him. “What is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re here for a reason. What is it?”
“You doing okay? I mean, with Mike and everything.”
She took a deep breath and looked to the ceiling and then back to him. “It will be a blessing for him. He’s in pain and tired of suffering. For me? I will grieve. I will honor his memory. And I will carry on for my grandchildren as long as I can.” She was a strong woman.
“I’m sorry.”
She gave his arm a squeeze. “You and I have been through the wringer. First Maria, now Mike. I didn’t think I’d live through Maria’s passing.”
“I had to for the boys.”
She gave him a small smile. “Me too.”
She went back to washing dishes, and his mind wandered back to Allie. He’d lost so much, life was so damn short, and he wanted her light in his life.
He spoke over the lump in his throat. “I met someone.”
Loretta stilled and turned off the water. She didn’t look at him, just stared straight ahead. “Who?”
“Her name is Allie. She’s a single mom with three sons close in age to mine.”
She closed her eyes as if pained.
“Loretta?”
“Is it serious?”
“We haven’t gone on a date yet. I’ve been thinking about it. I’m not sure if it’s the right thing for the boys. I know they miss their ma. I miss her too.” His shoulders drooped. “I don’t know.” Sadness weighed him down again.
She yanked the faucet up, blasting the water, and began furiously scrubbing a pan. Clearly she didn’t want him moving on from her daughter, but he’d been so lonely. Maria had been everything, and then there was nothing.
“Loretta.”
She ignored him.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d be careful. I wouldn’t even introduce the kids until I knew for sure it was a definite thing. I wouldn’t let them be hurt by another loss.”
She turned, her eyes narrowed. “Do notspeakto me of another woman.”
She returned to the dishes, her movements jerky. Some part of him had been hoping for her blessing, almost like he had Maria’s blessing. He let out a breath, turned, and left the kitchen, not at all sure of the right thing to do.
~ ~ ~
Allie waited nervously in the entryway of a diner in Eastman just after noon on Monday. Vinny got her letter on Friday, and now here she was only three days later about to meet a man with the potential for more for the first time in years. She’d married so young, only nineteen, and had Gabe at twenty. She’d only ever slept with one man. Her heart raced. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this.
She ran a shaking hand through her hair. Vinny was working on an office building across the street and would be here at any moment. He’d called her last night. It was the first time they’d spoken by phone, and her belly had actually fluttered from his warm deep voice in her ear. She’d hung up and spent half the night worked up about seeing him today. She hadn’t seen him in person in more than a year. All those letters, her only connection to him.
“Allie?”
She whirled, heat rushing to her cheeks. He was here, the soulful letter writer, the bulky-with-muscles man. She took a moment to soak him in. His dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned olive skin were a striking contrast to his white T-shirt. His shoulders were massive, his chest broad, his legs long in faded jeans with work boots. All of him was so big everywhere, much bigger than her. His physicality struck her in a whole different light now, what that might feel like close up. She broke out in goose bumps, a primal response to unknown territory.
