before you came around. Nixon never smiled and I’m pretty sure if you hadn’t have shown up Chase would have gotten one of his professors preggo.”
“Thanks, Mo.” Chase flipped her off.
“Whatever.” Mo rolled her eyes. “This is our family. This is life, take it or leave it. If it wasn’t you it would be something else, so for right now we just need to focus on…” Her eyes darted to mine. In fact, everyone’s did. Right. No pressure.
“The past,” I said slowly. “We need to focus on the past.”
“Trace…” Tex leaned in and grabbed a piece of bread. “Do you remember anything about that night—?”
“Tex,” Chase snapped. “Leave her alone.”
Staying true to my ability to be a complete ass, I said, “I agree with Tex. Sorry, Trace, but we need to know. I know you were six, but do you recall anything at all? Any words your grandfather said to your grandmother? Anything in Sicilian?”
Trace looked down at her plate. “Guys, I wish I could help you but there isn’t anything—”
She jolted out of her chair and ran out of the room.
“Well done,” Chase snapped, “Cause her to have a nervous breakdown why don’t you?” He threw his napkin onto his plate and stood just as Trace ran back into the room.
“This!” She held a small book in her hand. “My grandma kept this with her all the time. She even slept with it at night. Before she died, she said she wanted me to tell their story. How her and my grandfather met, but… the thing is… although my grandfather gave it to me, he never gave me the key.”
“We don’t need a key.” I held out my hand.
Trace placed the small leather case onto my palm. It was secured with a pretty legit lock, but it was also really old. I pulled at the lock a few times.
Tex chuckled and said in a terrible impersonation of my voice, “We don’t need a key.”
I flipped him off and tried again.
“Idiots.” Mo sighed. “All of you.” She held out her hand. “Give me the book.”
“Pardon?”
“Give me the book.”
“What? You looking for a mirror? Mo, just let the guys take care of this one, okay?”
Trace slapped the back of my head so hard I could have sworn my teeth went numb. “Asshole, hand her the book.”
Cursing, I dropped it into Mo’s hands.
Tex chuckled. “Trace totally just proved her true heritage right there. I swear if I had a dollar for every time my ma smacked the back of my head—”
Mo did the honors that time, making Tex almost spill his wine as he caught himself against the table.
Tracey followed Mo to the breakfast bar, where Mo dug through her purse. She pulled out something small, and then fit it into the lock. Three seconds later she was dangling the leather book in front of my face. “You were saying?”
“Girls rule, boys drool?” I offered sarcastically as I snatched the book from Mo and turned to the first page.
“ ‘Secrets are hidden in our past—they define our future. This, my love, is our story. In these pages you will find all you need to know. All there is to know. Always my love—Grams.’ ”
“Well.” I turned the page. “That wasn’t cryptic.”
Everyone was silent as I turned to the next page and read aloud. “ ‘I saw him across the room—’ ”
Tex groaned.
Laughing, I continued. “ ‘I shouldn’t have looked, but I couldn’t help myself. He wasn’t mine to stare at, yet I was still staring. And I knew… I would have him and damn your grandfather to hell. Damn him for keeping it from me, and damn him for buying my silence. I would be with this man, I would get back at the Alferos in the name of my family’s honor—They destroyed what I had, and because of them, I refuse to keep my silence any longer.’ ”
I swallowed and closed the book. “Shit.”
“Maybe this isn’t the best thing to be reading…” Trace tried to grab the book but I snatched it away.
“We’ll read every damn page. Together, okay? But we need to know what she knew, Trace. I
“Thanks, Mo.” Chase flipped her off.
“Whatever.” Mo rolled her eyes. “This is our family. This is life, take it or leave it. If it wasn’t you it would be something else, so for right now we just need to focus on…” Her eyes darted to mine. In fact, everyone’s did. Right. No pressure.
“The past,” I said slowly. “We need to focus on the past.”
“Trace…” Tex leaned in and grabbed a piece of bread. “Do you remember anything about that night—?”
“Tex,” Chase snapped. “Leave her alone.”
Staying true to my ability to be a complete ass, I said, “I agree with Tex. Sorry, Trace, but we need to know. I know you were six, but do you recall anything at all? Any words your grandfather said to your grandmother? Anything in Sicilian?”
Trace looked down at her plate. “Guys, I wish I could help you but there isn’t anything—”
She jolted out of her chair and ran out of the room.
“Well done,” Chase snapped, “Cause her to have a nervous breakdown why don’t you?” He threw his napkin onto his plate and stood just as Trace ran back into the room.
“This!” She held a small book in her hand. “My grandma kept this with her all the time. She even slept with it at night. Before she died, she said she wanted me to tell their story. How her and my grandfather met, but… the thing is… although my grandfather gave it to me, he never gave me the key.”
“We don’t need a key.” I held out my hand.
Trace placed the small leather case onto my palm. It was secured with a pretty legit lock, but it was also really old. I pulled at the lock a few times.
Tex chuckled and said in a terrible impersonation of my voice, “We don’t need a key.”
I flipped him off and tried again.
“Idiots.” Mo sighed. “All of you.” She held out her hand. “Give me the book.”
“Pardon?”
“Give me the book.”
“What? You looking for a mirror? Mo, just let the guys take care of this one, okay?”
Trace slapped the back of my head so hard I could have sworn my teeth went numb. “Asshole, hand her the book.”
Cursing, I dropped it into Mo’s hands.
Tex chuckled. “Trace totally just proved her true heritage right there. I swear if I had a dollar for every time my ma smacked the back of my head—”
Mo did the honors that time, making Tex almost spill his wine as he caught himself against the table.
Tracey followed Mo to the breakfast bar, where Mo dug through her purse. She pulled out something small, and then fit it into the lock. Three seconds later she was dangling the leather book in front of my face. “You were saying?”
“Girls rule, boys drool?” I offered sarcastically as I snatched the book from Mo and turned to the first page.
“ ‘Secrets are hidden in our past—they define our future. This, my love, is our story. In these pages you will find all you need to know. All there is to know. Always my love—Grams.’ ”
“Well.” I turned the page. “That wasn’t cryptic.”
Everyone was silent as I turned to the next page and read aloud. “ ‘I saw him across the room—’ ”
Tex groaned.
Laughing, I continued. “ ‘I shouldn’t have looked, but I couldn’t help myself. He wasn’t mine to stare at, yet I was still staring. And I knew… I would have him and damn your grandfather to hell. Damn him for keeping it from me, and damn him for buying my silence. I would be with this man, I would get back at the Alferos in the name of my family’s honor—They destroyed what I had, and because of them, I refuse to keep my silence any longer.’ ”
I swallowed and closed the book. “Shit.”
“Maybe this isn’t the best thing to be reading…” Trace tried to grab the book but I snatched it away.
“We’ll read every damn page. Together, okay? But we need to know what she knew, Trace. I
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