Chase held Ricky, his eyes huge.
“Daddy,” Ricky said, squirming slightly before hurrying over to the other boys. In a few seconds, the game resumed, andtheir laughter dispelled some of the cloud still lingering from Antonello’s mother’s visit.
“What was that about?” Isabella asked quietly in Italian as she refilled wineglasses.
Antonello answered that he had no idea. He was still puzzling why his mother would decide to take this route to one of her civic meetings. Part of him wanted to think that she wanted to see him, but his mother was more interested in Chase and Ricky, which intrigued and worried him. Had he managed to give himself away and let his feelings for Chase show somehow? He had no idea how, but his mother had a better spy network than her distant Medici ancestors. Antonello never knew what to expect.
Isabella called to the boys that they had ten minutes and then returned inside. “What the heck? And I thought my mother could be frightening.”
Antonello wished he had some insight. “That’s just her.” He shrugged, trying to let his own concerns wash off his back. His mother could suspect anything she liked, but he and Chase had done nothing wrong, and being seen together in public was not a crime and didn’t mean anything. Still, the thought of his mother knowing how he felt about Chase didn’t fill him with the dread he had always thought it would. In fact, maybe her knowing the truth would be a relief. “Though you never know sometimes,” he added to himself.
Chase still seemed pale as he reached for his wineglass and downed half of it. “What if…?” He stopped himself.
Antonello shrugged. “If she knows, then I’ll have to deal with it. But I’m going to be honest and tell her.”
Chase seemed lost for a second, and then he nodded. “You think she figured things out about you?” he asked softly.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time together, and I stayed over in your rooms. Sometimes I never know what pieces of information she’s going to gather. But if that’s true….”
“How do you feel about it?” Chase asked quickly.
“I guess I’m okay with it. The truth had to come out one way or another, and all this hiding is wearing me out.”
“Thank goodness,” Isabella said as she placed a bowl of pasta on the table.
Antonello snapped his gaze up to her, and she rolled her eyes. “You knew?” he asked, switching to Italian because it was easier.
“Of course. I always watched the way you were good to women, but you never really showed any real interest. But as soon as Chase came to town, you watched him like a tiger, ready to jump to his defense at any moment. I think it’s nice. You deserve to have someone in your life who excites you. Remember, you are Italian, and passion runs in our blood. Don’t deny it. And you shouldn’t let your mother and father keep you from pursuing it.”
Antonello glanced at Chase, who watched the boys.
“See, I see you.”
He swallowed a gulp of wine. “Did I treat women badly? Did I ever mistreat you?”
Isabella rolled her eyes. “You broke the heart of every woman who set her sights on you, but… meh… you never encouraged any of us either.”
Then it hit what she was telling him. “You?” he asked. He loved Isabella like the sister he never had.
“Yes, at one time. But not anymore. You helped me through when I lost Luca, and I think I….” She turned away for a second. “It’s better this way now. We are friends, and that’s what we were always meant to be.” She patted him on the shoulder beforegoing inside and returning with a bowl of salad and a platter of fresh fish that looked amazing.
“You know that if I had ever chosen a woman, it would have been you.” He flashed her his best smile.
She shook her head. “And Italian men are full of bullshit,” she teased before calling the boys, who raced over. They all sat down, with Ricky sitting next to his dad, making yummy noises until he got to the fish.
“What’s the rule?” Chase asked quietly and put a small piece of the fish on his plate. Ricky tasted it and then ate all of it and asked for more.
The tension Antonello’s mother had spread earlier had mostly abated. But once Ricky was done eating, he climbed onto Chase’s lap, and Chase held his son to him, eating less than he normally would. Antonello hoped Isabella didn’t notice, but she seemed busy keeping her two boys from giggling and playing at the table.
Once the food was gone and Chase helped by carrying the dishes inside, Antonello said goodbye to Isabella with a kiss on each cheek, thanking her for an amazing meal. When he got back to the table, Chase asked quietly how he should pay her. “It doesn’t seem fair that she should feed us like this,” he said softly.
“Isabella and I have an arrangement. I eat here when I want, and she sends me a bill each month… and I pay her more than she bills. So please don’t worry about it. Just enjoy the food. Besides, it’s nice to see the three boys so happy.” He decided to leave it at that. Ricky was waning and leaned against Chase when he returned to his seat to finish his wine. Antonello watched the two of them, jealous in a way that Chase had someone to love and who loved him no matter what. He sipped his wine, wishing once again that he had made different choices. Antonello kept telling himself that returning to Florence had been something he had to do, but that wasn’t true. He had decided to come homeand do what his family expected. It had been his decision, and in doing so, he had walked away from the two best friends he had ever. Antonello had no idea how different his life might have been if he had made a different choice.
Once dinner was over and they had drained two bottles of wine, Chase and Antonello said good night as the light began to fade. The boys had played for an hour longer, with Chase watching his son as though a huge bird was going to swoop down and grab him at any moment. “I need to get Ricky home and ready for bed.” He thanked Isabella for her hospitality, and Ricky said goodbye, waving as Chase took his hand, and they walked down the street toward the Arno.
Antonello finished his wine before thanking Isabella for another amazing meal and then walked back to the family villa. He girded himself for whatever his mother had in store.
HIS MOTHERand father came out of their sitting room as soon as they heard him close the door.
