Page 12 of Just For Me
My heart stuttered. “The new Nick Penn?”
He nodded.
I had some decisions to make. My head swam with all kinds of possible scenarios and outcomes. Did I say thanks but no thanks and send him on his way? Did I accept the gift, say thanks, and then wish him a good day? Or did I do what every bone in my body wanted to do and invite him in?
I looked like hell and didn’t feel much better, but it wasn’t like I could hide now. He couldn’t un-see me, so the damage was already done. Oddly enough, that made it easier. I was still anxious, but not as much.
I looked down again at the bag, then back at his face. He looked as uncertain as I did, and that clinched it.
I snatched the bag out of his hands and smiled. “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee or something? I just made a fresh pot.”
His smile nearly made me gasp. I realized I never actually seen him smile before. It had a completely devastating effect on my girly bits. “Yes, that would be great, thanks.”
Chapter 10: Nick
Growing up with a couple of sisters, I recognized self-consciousness when I saw it. But even with a pair of black eyes and a bruised face, I thought she was beautiful.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” I said, following her into her place. It was small, but cozy, done in comforting neutral shades with feminine accents.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
We’d have to agree to disagree on that. Oh, I know I wasn’t directly responsible, but I couldn’t help but think I should have done something far earlier. My inner caveman had been thinking of Kat as mine for a while now, and both the man and the Marine in me felt I should have done a better job taking care of her. We’d be working on that, effective immediately.
“Cream? Sugar?”
“Black is fine, thanks.”
“It’s not as good as Mrs. C’s, but it won’t kill you,” she said, handing me the mug. I loved how she was losing some of her nervousness around me, evening teasing me a little. Maybe it was because we were on her turf now, or maybe because we’d made it over that first hurdle.
“Nobody makes an espresso likeNonna Maria.”
“Nonna... that’s grandmother in Italian, right?” I nodded, watching her put the pieces together. “Which means Mr. C is your grandfather, and Vinnie and Sofia must be your siblings? Or cousins?”
I grinned, appreciating her intelligence. “Brother and sister. I’m Nicholas, by the way. Nicholas Cerasino. But most people call me Nick.”
I heard her sharp inhale at the same time her eyes went wide, and wondered how many other things my clever Kat might have been piecing together.
“I’m Katherine.”
“I know. My grandfather talks about you all the time.”
She blushed. It was adorable. “He calls meBella.”
“He’s not wrong.”
Her eyes softened briefly, then she shook her head slightly as if to clear it. “So, what is it you do, Nick?”
I lifted the coffee mug to my lips and took a sip. I was fairly certain she was holding her breath, waiting for my answer.
“I’m an author.”
“An author,” she echoed quietly.
“Yes.”
“That’s great,” she said, shifting slightly. “I imagine it’s a pretty competitive business.”
“It can be,” I agreed. I could see where this was headed, and tried to slow it down. Not because I was trying to hold anything back, but because I didn’t want Nick Cerasino to disappear in Nick Penn’s shadow. “What about you, Kat? What do you do?”
