Page 50 of Triggered By Love
“You’re the first and only.” Jason’s deep voice burred while he pulled a chair for her.
She noticed he took the seat with his back against the wall and glanced at the entrance as well as the other customers seated near the window. Always vigilant.
“This place looks well loved,” Avery said, smoothing her hand over the red-and-white checked tablecloth. The scent of Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce, the flickering candles dripping wax over old Chianti bottles, and the rustic wooden chairs made the restaurant warm and cozy.
“It is loved by generations of Zanettis.” He looked wistfully at the paintings on the wall. “See that lighthouse?”
“Yes, it’s a beacon of light over the rough seas.”
“My mother did all the landscapes.”
“She’s talented.” Avery craned her neck at the impressionistic blots of flowering trees and mountains under moonlight, and one of a carnival with red-and-white striped tents and a glittering Ferris wheel.
“She was,” Jason said. He fixed his gaze on the menu as if he’d never seen it before.
It still hurt. That much she could tell. She wasn’t close enough to him to pry, and yet, her heart ached for him. There was a story behind it, and she wished she could reach out and take some of the burden from him.
The awkward moment passed when Gino returned with a breadbasket. “I will cook anything you want, Miss Avery, on or off the menu.”
“Oh, you don’t have to.” Avery opened the menu. “I’m sure everything here is delicious.
“Then you’ll have to come back and try everything,” Gino said. “I’m hoping you fall in love with my restaurant so I can see my nephew more often.”
“He’s a busy boy.” Avery smiled and gave Jason a wink.
“You keep me busy.” At least the twinkle was back in his eyes. “Since we’re working our way through the menu, I bet you’d like the chicken piccata.”
“Sounds great, along with a small dinner salad,” Avery replied. She hoped she wasn’t hurting Gino’s feelings, because the sign on the wall bragged about the award-winning spaghetti with jumbo meatballs, and she was sure he was about to suggest it.
“Spaghetti with mooseballs for me,” Jason said, pointing to the award. “Make the sauce extra tangy.”
He ordered a Guinness stout, and Avery had her signature Corona with a wedge of lemon.
“Thanks for ordering the chicken,” Avery said, toasting Jason. “How did you know I’m watching my weight?”
“Fashion designer, former model? Forgive me for stereotyping.” He flashed her a cheeky grin. “So, sweetheart, what will your brother do when he finds you gone?”
Avery checked her phone. “He hasn’t texted. I told them I was exhausted.”
“That mansion’s like a fortress. How’d you manage your getaway?”
“I know the secret passageways.” She turned off her phone and put it back into her purse. “Some he’s not even aware of.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
“Former Underground Railroad stop.” Avery took several swallows of the beer and settled back in her chair.
She’d been on edge for so long, she didn’t remember how to let her guard down, but sitting here in a remote restaurant far from Manhattan, she could afford to let go of the constant anxiety.
“Must be historical.” Jason’s eyes sparkled with interest. “I’d like to see it someday. Do you guys have a bomb shelter, too?”
“I don’t know how bombproof, but I’m sure we have things stashed away,” Avery said.
“Guns and ammo to defend it too?”
She squirmed and took another sip of her beer. She shouldn’t have disclosed this to a cop who was mostly a stranger. What if he raided it?
“My family’s wealthy, as you can tell, and there are always threats, especially with my father running for Congress,” she said. “But Chase is over the top. He’s convinced there are enemies out there who wish to hurt my father by hurting one of us.”
