Page 87 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
“Whatever your heart desires, my sweet Emmy.”
You. Just you.
Another spontaneous and unguarded Nick thought. Though I had yet to figure out how to stop them, at least they were all true.
“We come back again soon, bella.” Alesso pulled me into his arms and I smiled against his chest, enjoying the sound of his thick accent and the smell of his rich cologne. “I like your Nick.”
“Me too.”
“Give her up, Alesso. It’s my turn,” Mom said.
Rolling my eyes, I gave him one last squeeze, then let my mother smother me before her crew departed for the airport and returned to Italy. We’d had a wonderful week with them, and despite my mother’s attempts, their visit hadn’t ruffled my feathers. I was sad to see them go.
Every night for dinner, Nick and I had gone to their chalet. Samuel had gone all out experimenting with the local foods, and every meal had been delicious.
Mom, Frannie and I had spent a lot of time visiting. They had listened intently to stories about my students and my worries for Mason Carpenter.
Alesso had instantly taken to Nick. He’d been enamored with how much Nick knew about the mountain trails. Each night, Nick had drawn him a map for his next morning’s snowshoeing adventure.
Frannie had a packed agenda for the trip. Every afternoon, the group had explored the area. They’d soaked in the hot springs, strolled downtown and even drove over to Bozeman to visit a whiskey distillery.
And one afternoon, the four of them had surprised me with a visit to my classroom. I was not the only one who loved Alesso’s accent. The kids had practically attacked him. They’d peppered him with questions about where he’d come from and why he’d sounded different.
Yesterday, we had all enjoyed a Saturday traveling through Yellowstone. Frannie had arranged for us to take a private snow coach to Old Faithful for their last excursion in Montana. I had never visited a national park before and the experience had been like none other.
The landscape was spectacular. Glittering snow had blanketed the hills. Hot pools and small boiling streams melted the valleys. We’d spotted elk, buffalo and a token grizzly bear in the open fields between evergreen forests. Old Faithful, named for its predictability, had been right on time. The geyser’s water had sprayed tall and white against the cloudless blue sky.
The next time Mom visited, we were planning on going again.
“Stay safe, Emmeline,” Mom said before one last hug.
The only shadow on an otherwise perfect week was Jess’s update about the break-in. No vehicles had passed the downtown stoplight’s camera and he was out of leads.
Nick had arranged for my door handle to be repaired and deadbolt locks put in on all the exterior doors. He was also installing cameras around my home and property. But the added security did little to erase my fears.
“Are you going to call your father?” Mom asked.
“No. I thought about it but decided against it. I trust the local sheriff. He’s doing all he can and the last thing he needs is Father sticking his nose into the investigation,” I said.
“All right, dear. If you think it’s for the best,” she sighed.
“I’ll be fine.”
Her head swiveled to Nick and then back to me before smiling. “Yes. You will.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too. Call me next week.”
As my family drove away, Nick pulled me into his side. I concentrated on breathing in the fresh mountain air so I could fight back tears.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “I’m glad they decided to buy that chalet. It will be nice to see them more often.”
Luckily, the chalet that they had rented was also for sale. Mom and Alesso had immediately jumped on the purchase, and within a month, the place would be theirs. After they built a home on the property for Frannie and Samuel, they would be back for an extended stay.
“What do you feel like doing today?” For the first time in weeks, we had no plans. No six-year-old birthday parties. No family visitors. No Montana explorations. Nothing.
