Page 48 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
She touched her fingers to her lips and then pressed them against the urn. Soon, she needed to let go of this last tangible piece of her brother. Surely Mia didn’t love having an urn in her apartment, the remains of a man she’d never even met. Soon.
* * *
Mia was feeling mostly recoveredfrom her hangover by the time she arrived at her dad’s house that evening. She was glad to be here, not only to see her dad, but also tonotsee Lauren. Mia’s mind was still whirling with confusing memories and feelings about last night. She needed to sort herself out and find a way to stop lusting after her friend before they shared another quiet evening at home together.
Because every evening with Lauren was lovely. Maybetoolovely. Mia sighed as she climbed the front steps of her father’s Brooklyn brownstone and pressed the buzzer.
The door swung open a few seconds later to reveal his wife, Addie, standing there with a warm smile. “Come in, Mia. How are you?”
“Fine, Addie, and you?”
“My sciatica’s acting up this week,” she said, rubbing her hip, “but other than that, I really can’t complain.”
Addie had married Mia’s dad about ten years ago. People sometimes gave her an odd look when she referred to Addie as her dad’s wife. They’d say, “You mean your stepmother?” But Mia had been in her thirties when they married. She thought Addie was wonderful and was glad her dad had found her, but Addie wasn’t her mother.
Mia had a mother. She hadn’t seen or spoken to her in twenty years, but she had one.
“Is that new?” she asked, gesturing to Addie’s scarf.
“It is.” Addie beamed. “Your father gave it to me.”
“Dad has great taste,” Mia said with a smile as she stepped inside. The blue and green patterned scarf looked fantastic against Addie’s silver hair. Addie had always been a fashionable woman, and Mia’s dad loved to spoil her with gifts. It seemed to make him as happy as it made Addie. They were adorable together.
“Mia!” Her dad’s booming voice reached her from the kitchen. “Come in and taste the sauce.”
“Happily.” She followed the savory scent of marsala sauce into the kitchen, where her father stood in his red apron, sweat beading on his brow as he stood before several sizzling pans on the stove. “Chicken marsala?” she asked, peering over his shoulder.
“Your favorite,” he confirmed, turning to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Yum.” She smiled as she watched him stir the pot of sauce. Chicken sizzled in the pan beside it. She’d offer to help if she didn’t know how territorial her father was while he was cooking. He didn’t want—or need—help.
“I think this is one of my best batches.” He dipped a spoon into the sauce and held it toward her. His voice held just a hint of an Italian accent, much less pronounced than it had been when she was a girl.
She took the spoon, blowing on the sauce until it had quit steaming before tasting. Flavor exploded on her tongue, rich with garlic and herbs. “Mm. Amazing as always, Dad.”
He beamed at her. “You’re too kind,cara mia.” It had been his pet name for her since she was little, an Italian phrase that meant “my beloved,” made more special to him because it contained her name. “Does the sauce need more salt?”
“No, it’s perfect,” she assured him.
“Wine?” Addie asked.
Mia grimaced. “Actually, I had a bit too much to drink last night, so I think I’ll stick with water tonight.”
“Who were you out drinking with?” Addie asked as she began filling a glass of water for Mia. “Did you have a date?”
“Is there a new woman in your life?” Her dad glanced over his shoulder at her as he cooked, eyes bright with interest.
“No, not yet,” Mia said, thanking Addie as she took the glass of water and sat with her at the kitchen table. “I did have a date yesterday, but it was for coffee, and it was a dud. I went out for drinks with a friend after.”
“Just a friend?” Addie asked, her expression hopeful.
“Just a friend,” Mia confirmed, even as her stubborn brain replayed the image of Lauren’s lips, looking more tempting than a whole buffet of her father’s cooking. “She helped me set up an online dating profile, though, so I’m getting out there. I’m trying.”
“Good,” her father said, and the sizzling on the stove intensified as he combined the chicken with the sauce. “I want you to be happy,cara. I want you to have what Addie and I have. Maybe we’ll both get it right with the second marriage,sì?”
“Mm,” she agreed, although she couldn’t imagine herself married again…yet. She did want it eventually. The longer she was single, the more she missed being in a relationship.
Her father gave Addie a quick kiss as he passed her at the counter, and Mia smiled. She’d harbored a lot of guilt over the demise of her parents’ marriage. It had taken years—a lot of years and a lot of therapy—for her to finally accept that it wasn’t her fault. Seeing her dad so blissfully happy with Addie helped.
