Page 8 of A Valentine's Day Gift
“Come on, little man,” Vince said and bent a little so Angel could climb on his back. He ran off, Angel laughing with delight at the unexpected fast ride.
Nico grabbed a car magazine and took a seat, flipping through it, looking very adult for an eight-year-old.
Vinny blew out a breath and walked over to Allie, who was smiling at him again.
He found himself smiling back. “Always an emergency bathroom run to add to the fun.”
She laughed. “Believe me, I’ve been there. The worst is when you’re in line at the supermarket, all your food on the conveyor belt, and then suddenly they have to go. Of course, the bathroom is in the basement in the farthest corner from the register. The things we do for our kids!”
He leaned close to confide, “Once I made the mistake of telling Vince to go outside when he was four and then spent the next year trying to stop him from going outside whenever he felt like it.”
Her blue eyes lit up, and he knew in that instant why he was so drawn to her. So much life and good humor. It made him feel good just looking at her. “You do it once,” she said, “then it’s fair game.”
He smiled, shaking his head. “I’m really impressed with your work. It’s beautiful.”And so are you.
She flushed and smoothed her hair, looking away and then back. “Thank you.”
“Could I get a book signed to Angel?”
“Of course!” She pulled one out and signed it, handing it over. “I don’t know if I ever told you how much it meant to me to have you encourage me to keep going with my art. I’m in a much better place now because of your kind words.”
“Aww, I’m sure that was all you. You’re the one with the talent. Anyone can see that.”
She gazed at him with real affection. “Thank you again. I really did appreciate it and your coming here today too. Your boys are sweet.”
He laughed. “I don’t know that I’d call them sweet. But they’re good kids. Your boys didn’t come today?”
“Their dad dropped them off earlier. They lasted all of five minutes. It’s not a big deal for them. They’ve seen all my stuff tons of times and already have the books.”
Their dad dropped them off. Did that mean a divorce situation? Allie had confided once that her relationship with her husband was rocky. “Did your husband stick around a bit?”
Her expression closed. “No, he’s not very supportive of work that brings so little money. He waited outside.”
“It’s not about the money,” he snapped, irritated on her behalf. “It’s about using your gift, doing what you were meant to do.”
She blinked rapidly and blew out a breath. “How’ve you been, Vinny? Really. You hanging in there okay?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, his fingers colliding with the note. He left it there. “I’m okay. My mother-in-law has been busy taking care of my father-in-law, so I learned to cook. He’s not doing so well.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Yeah. I had to get a babysitter for the boys.” He nodded once. “We’re all hanging in there.”
She gave him a small sympathetic smile. “I’m impressed you’re a cook now on top of being a great dad and master carpenter.”
He flushed at the compliment. She knew how much the boys meant to him, and she’d raved over the bookcase he’d made her as a spur-of-the-moment parting gift. He took his hands out of his pockets, gesturing while he talked. “Just simple stuff. Homemade sauce, ravioli, ziti, manicotti.”
“All the best Italian cooking. I wish I could cook like that.”
He almost offered to teach her, but then he realized no. She was married. The wedding vows were sacred to him. He had no right to start something with her; he had to think of his kids first and foremost, be the parent they needed him to be.
“Vinny, would you like to get a cup of coffee sometime?” she asked softly. “Just, you know, catch up and talk.”
He looked into her blue eyes and saw longing. She wanted to get closer to him just like he was drawn in, wanting more of her. No good could come of this. There was something there, something way beyond the bounds of friendship, and he had to back off. Spending time together would only encourage that spark to ignite.
He swallowed hard. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Oh.” She leaned back, her expression pinched. “Okay.”
