but they aren’t as careful. Who knows where holes in the wall might
end up.”
Jade looked at him for a long moment. She’d known from the start of this conversation
that she wouldn’t like where it was going. But the idea of Angelo living in an orphanage,
all alone without any mother or father to give him hugs and kisses, to tuck him in
at night and explain how life worked, was heart wrenching. In theory, she knew that
there were thousands of kids who went through that every year. But she didn’t know
those kids. And she didn’t recognize their genius like she did with Angelo. He was
awe-inspiring and she hated the idea that he’d raised himself without any kind of
love or affection.
“Jade?” he prompted.
She snapped out of her thoughts, realizing that he didn’t want to talk about this
subject any longer. “Yes. Of course,” she stammered. She looked down at the sidewalk
and forced her feet to move forward. Just one foot in front of the other, she told
herself.
They arrived back at his house five minutes later and he disappeared into his office,
a room he’d set up all by himself with another contractor who had run wires and wireless
thingamabobs all through the room. Despite the heavy door, she heard his deep voice
talking throughout the afternoon, but she didn’t venture into his domain. When the
work day was finished, she ensured that the workers had cleaned up their current projects
then slipped out one of the side doors.
When she was standing in the still hot twilight, she looked back at the house. Should
she check on Angelo? What was he going to eat for dinner? He didn’t have a working
kitchen and it hadn’t ever occurred to her that he needed food. Of course, that was
silly since the man had to eat. He was enormous and obviously worked out pretty hard
in order to maintain all those amazing muscles.
She looked through the courtyard where some workers had started putting in landscaping
now that the concrete had been repaired. Should she offer to have him over for dinner?
No! She needed to be away from him. Every time they were together, she ended up
in his arms. She gritted her teeth and forced her feet to keep moving forward, not
looking back even though her heart was aching at the thought of Angelo eating something
cold and all alone.
She reached her cottage and went into the kitchen, pouring food for Jasper and Rufus
and a bowl of cereal for herself. Rufus came running, eager to inhale his food.
But Jasper was nowhere to be seen. The finicky feline continued to hide. Or pretend
to hunt. Or just decided that tonight he would be ornery because Jade had come home
later than normal. The cat was very temperamental about his schedule.
Because it had been such a crazy day, she pulled out a mystery novel she’d started
last week and tried to read the book with a glass of wine at her elbow. She sipped
the wine, but the whole time, she had trouble focusing. Her mind kept coming back
to the mystery of Angelo Donati. How had he gone from an orphan to a foster child
to his current amazing success? What had happened in his childhood that had pushed
him to such a level that he was this successful?
And where was Jasper? His fluffy head should have poked through the door by now.
And his huge body should have plunked down on top of her book, demanding attention
since she was trying to read.
Jade took another sip of wine and looked around. Her comfy little sitting room was
the perfect size for her but she couldn’t imagine Angelo feeling comfortable in here.
His enormous size would dwarf all of her furniture.
Why hadn’t she ever pictured Dave in this room? It struck her as odd that she was
already thinking of Angelo inserting himself into her life and her domain but Dave’s
presence hadn’t ever broken through. She liked her space,
end up.”
Jade looked at him for a long moment. She’d known from the start of this conversation
that she wouldn’t like where it was going. But the idea of Angelo living in an orphanage,
all alone without any mother or father to give him hugs and kisses, to tuck him in
at night and explain how life worked, was heart wrenching. In theory, she knew that
there were thousands of kids who went through that every year. But she didn’t know
those kids. And she didn’t recognize their genius like she did with Angelo. He was
awe-inspiring and she hated the idea that he’d raised himself without any kind of
love or affection.
“Jade?” he prompted.
She snapped out of her thoughts, realizing that he didn’t want to talk about this
subject any longer. “Yes. Of course,” she stammered. She looked down at the sidewalk
and forced her feet to move forward. Just one foot in front of the other, she told
herself.
They arrived back at his house five minutes later and he disappeared into his office,
a room he’d set up all by himself with another contractor who had run wires and wireless
thingamabobs all through the room. Despite the heavy door, she heard his deep voice
talking throughout the afternoon, but she didn’t venture into his domain. When the
work day was finished, she ensured that the workers had cleaned up their current projects
then slipped out one of the side doors.
When she was standing in the still hot twilight, she looked back at the house. Should
she check on Angelo? What was he going to eat for dinner? He didn’t have a working
kitchen and it hadn’t ever occurred to her that he needed food. Of course, that was
silly since the man had to eat. He was enormous and obviously worked out pretty hard
in order to maintain all those amazing muscles.
She looked through the courtyard where some workers had started putting in landscaping
now that the concrete had been repaired. Should she offer to have him over for dinner?
No! She needed to be away from him. Every time they were together, she ended up
in his arms. She gritted her teeth and forced her feet to keep moving forward, not
looking back even though her heart was aching at the thought of Angelo eating something
cold and all alone.
She reached her cottage and went into the kitchen, pouring food for Jasper and Rufus
and a bowl of cereal for herself. Rufus came running, eager to inhale his food.
But Jasper was nowhere to be seen. The finicky feline continued to hide. Or pretend
to hunt. Or just decided that tonight he would be ornery because Jade had come home
later than normal. The cat was very temperamental about his schedule.
Because it had been such a crazy day, she pulled out a mystery novel she’d started
last week and tried to read the book with a glass of wine at her elbow. She sipped
the wine, but the whole time, she had trouble focusing. Her mind kept coming back
to the mystery of Angelo Donati. How had he gone from an orphan to a foster child
to his current amazing success? What had happened in his childhood that had pushed
him to such a level that he was this successful?
And where was Jasper? His fluffy head should have poked through the door by now.
And his huge body should have plunked down on top of her book, demanding attention
since she was trying to read.
Jade took another sip of wine and looked around. Her comfy little sitting room was
the perfect size for her but she couldn’t imagine Angelo feeling comfortable in here.
His enormous size would dwarf all of her furniture.
Why hadn’t she ever pictured Dave in this room? It struck her as odd that she was
already thinking of Angelo inserting himself into her life and her domain but Dave’s
presence hadn’t ever broken through. She liked her space,
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