Page 67 of Amore
“The trick is to cook it on low so the cheese melts and flip it a few times, so you don’t overcook one side.”
“You’ll have to teach—”
Amore stood abruptly and growled. Both Luke and I straightened and looked around. It was dark past the snow-covered ground, and I could faintly see an outline of a figure. Amore continued to growl.
“Luke,” I whispered, my heart racing.
He stood and handed me Amore’s leash. “Stay here.”
Amore moved closer to my side, and I swallowed as Luke walked in the direction Amore had been looking.
The silhouette disappeared.
20
LUKE
I washappy to be back in Southern California, where the sun was shining, and the weather was actually warm, unlike Canada, where their hot was my cold. The only problem was Frankie and I had no home to go to since we couldn’t stay at our respective households.
Before we’d left British Columbia, Emily had made reservations for Frankie and me to stay in a vacation rental on the coast in Malibu. The driver took us straight there from the airport, and with a code, we were able to get into the home.
“Wow, this is amazing,” Frankie stated as she walked into the house and straight toward the ocean view. Amore was right on her tail, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. “I’ve always wanted to live on the ocean.”
“Yeah?” I asked, setting our bags down by the door. “Then why don’t you find one?”
“I’ve looked, but they are all right on the Pacific Coast Highway with no yard for Amore.”
“What about a place with an ocean view like this one?” The house Emily had rented for us was off of the main highway in a gated community. We were staying for a few days before heading to Lucy’s baby shower in Kansas.
“Yeah, maybe I can find one since I now know there are gated communities with these views.” She opened the sliding glass door, and Amore raced out. “Let me text my realtor to search Malibu.”
While Frankie was on her phone, I put our bags into the master bedroom, got a bowl of water for Amore, and found the cheese and wine Emily had stocked for us. We sat in the backyard, having our snack and wine, while Amore played with his ball, finally able to run around freely without a leash. While we had been in Canada, he’d gone on my morning jogs with me while Frankie got ready, but he needed to run without being tied to a human.
Although everything had gone smoothly while Frankie was filming, we’d still had the little scare at the park. I was unable to catch the person in the shadows or even see who it was, but I was hopeful it was just someone walking in the park and checking out the fake snow. That seemed like the most likely circumstance, but what had freaked me out—and Frankie too, I assumed—was Amore growling. He was a loveable dog, and while I had been working with him when Frankie was filming, I still didn’t think he’d growl at someone in the distance. He’d growled at Candace, but I had assumed it was because she had been yelling at us, and he’d seen her as a threat to Frankie.
Frankie’s cell dinged with an incoming text, so she grabbed the phone, and her eyes lit up. “Danielle says she has the perfect house for us.”
“Really?”
“She said there’s one here in Malibu that just went on the market, and since we expanded where I want to live, it might work.”
“Can we go check it out tomorrow?”
“Let me ask her.”
Frankie typed out her text, and it took a moment for Danielle to respond with a yes and a link to the house.
“Oh my god,” she sucked in a breath. “I love it.”
“Let me see.” Taking her phone, I scrolled the pictures of the five-bedroom, six-bath, single-story house with a well-manicured lawn. It also included a built-in gym that instantly piqued my interest. “This might be the one. There are enough bedrooms that we can turn one into a safe room.” I had suggested we find a place where I could make a panic room, just in case, and Frankie was on board with whatever I needed to do to keep us safe.
“Did you see the kitchen?”
I scrolled through the pictures of the kitchen, seeing an immaculate space with stainless steel appliances and white marble countertops.
“Imagine cooking in there,” Frankie said.
I chuckled. “Imagineyoucooking in there.” Having a kitchen again would mean I could teach Frankie how to cook. I didn’t mind cooking for her, but we both wanted her to learn, and I was all for helping her out …with her only wearing an apron…
