Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
“You need to bring her to dinner at the Maple. The new chef is incredible. I stole him from the top restaurant in Italy.”
He grinned. “I’ll do that.”
We discussed casino business for a while, never bringing up anything else. That would happen behind closed doors where there was no chance of being overheard. He waited until we had eaten the main course and coffee was in front of us, and he cleared his throat.
“What is it?” I asked. “You asked me here for a reason, and you’ve been edgy all dinner. Do we have a problem?”
He wiped his mouth. “In a manner of speaking.”
“What is it?”
“Nonna.”
I frowned, putting down my cup. “What? Is something wrong? I saw her two days ago, and she looked fine. Her doctor keeps me up-to-date with everything, and he hasn’t—”
He held up his hand, silencing me. “She’s fine, Roman.”
I relaxed back into my chair. “What, then?”
“I had dinner with her last night. She’s worried.”
“About?”
“You.”
I blinked. “Me? I’m healthy as a horse.”
“Not your physical self, Roman.” He toyed with his napkin. “I can’t believe I’m saying this to you.” He took in a deep breath. “She is worried you are lonely, and she wants to see you married. She asked me to talk to you about settling down.”
For a moment, all I could do was stare. Then I began to laugh. He looked at me, smiling, lifting one shoulder in defeat. I understood. When Nonna asked you to do something, you did it.
Our mother died in a car accident when we were young, and her mother, our nonna, came to live with us. To the outside world, she was a tough woman, but she loved us fiercely and she was the only soft spot in our world. She always took our side against our father; she cared and quietly nurtured us, wanting more for us than what my father did. It was because of her I had such a strong bond with Luca.
I picked up my coffee cup and drained it. “How does she propose I settle down? I’m at one of the casinos, the vineyard, or meetings all the time. My schedule is crazy. It’s not as if I have time or desire to date. I have no interest in a relationship. I’m happy as I am.”
“She is not. Her greatest dream is both of us settled, a couple of great-grandbabies on her knees, and then she will be happy. She was pretty damn adamant.”
I clasped his shoulder, giving it a shake. “Tell her you talked to me and I am going to try to make her dream come true. That should ease her mind. I’ll make a point of going out a couple times and being photographed. You can show them to her. That should appease her.”
“The only thing that is going to appease her is a ring and some babies, brother.”
“You work on the babies. I have no interest in that. Or a wife. Nonna is going to have to give up on that dream.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “You know she won’t. And you are her favorite, so she’s not going to let this go. If I fail in my mission, she’ll make it hers.”
I groaned. “Maybe I should send her on a trip for a while. Home to see her sister for a few months. Get her thinking about something else.”
He shook his head. “Not going to work.”
“Fine. I’ll speak to her myself.”
“That’s another thing. She says she is lonely in that big house of yours and you’re never there.”
“I’ve been busy with Aldo away and the new build. Plus overseeing the casinos.”
“She would tell you to reprioritize and hire more people. She wants company—aka great-grandbabies.”
A smile pulled on my lips. “So she wants me to marry someone and knock her up so she has company? I could just hire another companion for her, although I’ve lost count of the number I’ve gone through.”
“We tried that. She scares them all away.”
I laughed. She did. Gemma Volare suffered no fools. If she liked you, you were accepted. If not…
“She stays busy with the vineyard and overseeing the house and grounds. She bustles around there like she is fifty, not seventy-six.”
“You are still her favorite, Roman. Nothing makes her happier than spending time with you.”
His statement was true. I was Nonna’s favorite, yet it caused no bitterness between us. She loved us fiercely, but Nonna and I had a bond that was strong and unbreakable. She lived with me for that reason. I would never allow her to be on her own. She’d looked after us as children, and it was my job to do so as she aged.
“I’ll talk to her. I’ll go see her tomorrow.”
I hadn’t been home in a week, except to see her quickly. I had been living in the suite beside my office because my hours were so erratic. I’d been on the floor more than usual and busy with the plans for the new casino in Ottawa and some other projects. I would have to do better for Nonna.