Lucca (Made Men #4)(35)
She loved hearing about his mother. It made him seem more … human. Looking over at him, she only wanted to hear more, hoping it would help her understand why he was the way he was.
“Will you tell me what she was like?”
“Her name was Melissa, and she had blond hair like Maria, and the greenest eyes like Nero. She was the sweetest, kindest person you could ever meet, and everyone loved her. Being home with her children and the garden was all she ever wanted or needed.” His eyes turned darker and his voice became somber. “None of us deserved her, not my father, and especially not me. For her being so sweet, I can’t imagine how it felt for her first child to come out a monster.” He briefly paused before continuing, “But not once did she love me any less, not even when she saw me at my worst.”
Chloe quietly sat there next to him, not knowing what to say to a man who thought of himself as a monster. And there weren’t words to say, nor comfort she could give to help with the loss of his mother. She could tell that he had loved her, but she wasn’t even sure if he knew it deep down, because he only thought of himself as without feelings.
They sat there peacefully for a while, neither one wanting to ruin what was there before them or between them. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he spoke.
“I’m going to get cleaned up then start us some dinner. Take your time.”
He was leaving her now, but she needed to tell him something before he did.
“Lucca …?”
He stopped, looking down at her to where she sat in the grass.
It was hard to look away from the ocean of flowers that swayed in the wind, reminding her of waves, to Lucca, but she wanted him to see that she meant every word.
“If she were still here, I think she would be happy with what you’ve done. She would love it out here, just as much as I do.”
It was obvious how much he wanted to reach out and touch her in that moment, but he didn’t, content enough with the words she had given him.
“I think so, too, darlin’.”
Chloe continued to sit there, watching him walk away. With each step he took away from her, she couldn’t help feeling the less beautiful the garden became now.
Twenty-Five
Everything Came at a Price
When the plate of meatballs and spaghetti were set down in front of her, she couldn’t help smiling.
Lucca noticed as he sat down beside her with his own plate. “Is this okay?”
“Yes.” That was the thing. Every day he would make her dinner, and every time it was a meal she liked. However, not once had he asked her what she liked or didn’t. He always strangely knew. “Spaghetti and meatballs is actually one of my favorites.”
He looked pleased. “Well, good. I hope you like it.”
Picking up her utensils, she took a bite of the spaghetti, knowing it was going to be good, but not as good as it tasted the second it was in her mouth. She should have known based on the sole fact that he was Italian.
“It’s the best I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you, darlin’.” Cutting into a meatball, he asked, “What’s your favorite meal?”
Hmm. She had to think about it for a moment. It was a hard question when you had delicious food in front of you and you weren’t a picky eater to begin with. “That’s hard, but I think my favorite meal would have to be chili.”
He didn’t seem to believe it as he made a dubious face. “Chili?”
She made her own incredulous face back at him. “What’s wrong with chili?”
“I’ve just never heard of anyone saying their favorite food is chili. I don’t think I’ve ever even had a good enough chili for me to like it.”
Thinking about it, she never heard of anyone liking it that much, either. It seemed to be one of those things you could live without, unlike pizza or fries.
“Well, when it’s the right chili, it’s one of the best meals you can have.”
“What do you like about it?” he asked curiously.
“I don’t know really.” She went deep in thought, trying to figure it out before it hit her. “It just makes me feel warm and at home, I guess … And happy. I feel happy when I eat it. Is that weird?”
Looking at her with green eyes, he shook his head. “No, darlin’.”
“I think I just like it so much because it was the only thing my mom was good at cooking.” Her mother had stolen the recipe from her sister, which was the only reason it tasted good in the first place.
“I’ve never made it before, but I’ll see if I can make it for you.”
“That’s okay. I don’t wa—”
“No, I want to. I can’t promise that it will be any good, but I want to try for you.”
“Okay. T-Thank you.” She smiled, going back to her food.
The rest of the meal was enjoyed in silence. It was too good to continue talking. It really was the best spaghetti she had ever eaten, even up until the last bite.
Not until the last bite was taken and Lucca got up did she realize what was next.
She nervously got up, picking up her plate. “I-I can take these to the sink and d-do the dishes for you.”
“That’s okay, darlin’. I don’t want you to get your clean bandages dirty.”