Brodie must have been having the same thoughts because he was staring at him now, eyebrows raised in question.
Dario nodded, then stretched over and signed the contract that was sitting on his desk.
Brodie relayed the message. ‘We accept your offer. We’ll send the paperwork over in the next couple of minutes.’ He hung up, reached out and shook Dario’s hand. ‘I’ll send the contract now. You did the right thing, pal.’
‘Thank you for everything, Brodie.’
‘That’s more of a thanks than I got when we divorced,’ Nicky quipped, refusing to read the room again.
Dario kissed her cheek anyway, then got up and hugged his son.
Out in the restaurant, Dario could hear Carlo hushing the crowd. It was almost time.
He would speak to his dad and tell him what he’d done later. That wasn’t for now.
Right at this moment, there was only one conversation that he wanted to have.
When he’d briefly sat with his friends earlier, he’d had a realisation that was still stuck in the front of his mind.
This year, Ailish had got divorced and yet she’d found the strength to start a new life. He just prayed Eric hadn’t changed her mind. At the same table, Gwen had faced death, and yet she was still optimistic about her future. And Rhonda… well, she just woke up and made the most of every day.
That’s what he wanted. That determination to live his best life. And if he could do it with someone special by his side? Well, he wasn’t going to waste any more time.
He’d taken a couple of steps towards the door, when Nicky interrupted his thoughts.
‘Hey, where are you off to? Not waiting to hug me at midnight?’ she asked, hamming up some fake outrage. ‘After Scott, of course. You’re way down my midnight snog list now.’
Dario shook his head, a nervous smile reflecting the genuine hope he was feeling for the first time today. ‘You said earlier that she had feelings for me. I’m going to find it out if you’re right.’
32
MINNIE
After Gino had finished speaking to Dario in the office, Minnie had watched as he’d begun his rounds of the restaurant, chatting animatedly to his guests, serving them drinks and generally whipping up the party. All the while, she could see the strain behind the forced smile on his tired face.
Sonya had joined her while Gino was away, and then Eric had taken her place. She’d been shocked to bits when he’d charged in the door. He’d spotted her immediately, then given her a brief kiss, and said, ‘I’ll be back over to see you, Mum. I just need to have a quick chat to Ailish first.’ He was off before Minnie could say a word. Just as well really, because if he’d given her a chance to speak, she’d have issued a stern warning that he’d better not be here to upset anyone. Especially Ailish or Emmy. As it was, he seemed to be the one who’d ended up having his feathers ruffled.
She’d watched him go over and speak to Ailish and Emmy, and then he and Ailish had gone off to have a tête-à-tête in the alcove. As that conversation ended, Sonya had left to rejoin her grandson, so Eric had taken her place across from Minnie, but, to be honest, he wasn’t much company, too preoccupied by what was going on over at Ailish’s table. He’d yet to divulge what hadbeen discussed and Minnie didn’t like to pry. She’d find out later from Ailish, and then report back to Henry to keep him in the loop.
By the time Gino had finally made his way back over to her, there were more pressing matters to attend to. Minnie had checked her watch and cursed in a voice that only Henry could hear. Damn, she was running out of time. It wouldn’t be long until they would start getting ready for the countdown to the bells, although, strangely, Gino wasn’t showing any signs of kicking off the preparations.
After Gino, polite as ever, had welcomed Eric and chatted to him for a few minutes, Minnie had cleared her throat. ‘Eric, dear, I wonder if you wouldn’t mind leaving Gino and I for a few moments. There’s something rather private that I’d like to discuss with him.’
Well, Eric’s eyes had been like saucers, and she could tell he was wondering what secrets she had that she didn’t want him to hear. Rich, really. This was the same boy who had been a secret smoker for years in his teens. And also the man who’d had an extra-marital affair and hoodwinked them all.
When he’d left, she’d immediately tried to get a gauge of whether they’d have time for the conversation she’d been planning to have with Gino all night.
‘Do you have to start preparing for the countdown to the bells, Gino?’ He’d usually be organising the music, making sure everyone had drinks, checking the microphone, preparing what he was going to say.
To her surprise, he’d shaken his head. ‘No. I’ve asked Carlo to do it tonight. He’s the only one in our family with something to look forward to this year.’
Minnie had, quite frankly, felt her sympathies begin to waver. Gino was here. She was here. But Henry and Alicia were not and she was quite sure that if either of them was given moreprecious time on this earth, they certainly wouldn’t be spending it brooding like this.
She’d been about to point this out, when he’d launched into a long, blow-by-blow account of the discussion he’d just had with Dario, and Minnie had put her own agenda to one side yet again to listen to him, despite the sand in the egg timer of today running quickly to the bottom.
And yes, her heart had ached for him when he’d recounted his response to Dario’s suggestion that they sell up, and she’d seen the emotion and the pain he had at the prospect of letting everything go. But then, she’d swayed back to her earlier thought about Henry and Alicia. That was true loss. Everlasting. Permanent. This? There was life after this, if the man could only see it.
‘And do you know what Dario had the audacity to say?’ he’d ranted, his Italian accent always thicker when he was speaking with passion. He hadn’t even given Minnie a second to respond. Not that she had any idea anyway. ‘He said that Alicia would agree to selling!’
