“I’m simply so grateful to know that you just’re okay. After such a detailed name…” Signora Romney is nearly overcome with emotion, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she reaches throughout her daughter’s plate to offer Tia’s hand a heat squeeze.

“Thanks. Me too.” Tia offers a breathy smile, her face enjoyable after getting by the strenuous retelling of an expertise that’s clearly nonetheless contemporary in her bodily reminiscence.

And it looks as if we’d simply be out of the woods in the case of tiptoeing across the condemning info.

“Why had been you working within the first place?” Mayor Romney asks, his query like a punch to the intestine.

The desk falls silent for a beat, and when Tia meets my eyes, I’m certain all my fastidiously laid plans are about to unravel with this one free thread.

32

TIA

The desk falls deathly silent, and when my gaze travels instinctively to Leo, I can see it in his eyes—he’s put all the pieces on the road right here.

For no matter cause, he doesn’t need the mayor to know concerning the blatant homicide he carried out within the woods—regardless of his obvious consolation with most individuals figuring out about his violent seize for energy.

I may train him a precious lesson right here and now: destroy no matter relationship he’s attempting to construct with the mayor, probably even get him arrested for homicide. However what are the chances that the mayor would have the ability to show Leo’s guilt?

And moreover, saying something now wouldn’t convey Leo to his knees. It’d harm him. It’d create a big roadblock in no matter his targets are with the mayor, however it wouldn’t destroy him. Something in need of that can solely come again to harm me, my household, and my unborn child.

I want to attend for the opportune second.

Even when it kills me to be affected person.

Rapidly doing my finest to get well, I give one other incredulous snicker as I tear my eyes from Leo’s earlier than their stricken expression can ship me right into a full panic. “You’re not going to imagine me,” I confess to purchase myself time to give you an elaborate lie.

Then it hits me, and I boldly meet the mayor’s inquisitive eyes. “Leo and I had been having fun with a picnic collectively within the woods when this black bear waltzed proper into camp. No concern, no disgrace. I, after all, panicked and ran. In fact, figuring out the hazard within the route I used to be working, Leo got here after me. However I used to be simply so terrified, I couldn’t cease myself till it was too late.”

The mayor releases a low whistle, and for a second, I fear that I overdid my story. It received’t do us any good if he can see by my lie.

“You should be one of many bravest males I’ve ever met,” the mayor’s spouse confesses.

And to my immense aid, the mayor agrees, his assist emphatic. “What occurred to the bear?” he asks then, his eyes shifting between me and Leo.

At this level, Leo cuts in—fortunately, as I’m working out of steam on my story, my confidence balancing on a knife’s edge. However his confidence smooths the tough edges of my fabrication with skilled ease. “The bear actually appeared extra within the picnic than both of us. He didn’t comply with after I went working after Tia. He should have simply seen the picnic basket as a very good free lunch. The meals was gone by the point I went again to gather it the subsequent day.”

“Effectively, it seems to be such as you’re lastly getting that picnic, eh?” the mayor asks jovially as our meal arrives.

The wealthy scent of stuffed shells fills the air, and I look at Leo gratefully. It’s one of many few dishes I can’t appear to tire of now that I’m pregnant. And it really works wonders at protecting my abdomen calm and joyful.

He offers me a playful wink, and butterflies erupt in my abdomen because the surprising gesture takes me fully off guard. Why I’d discover a wink so solely horny, I can’t say. However I’m all of a sudden heat with giddiness.

When the dialog shifts to a extra informal alternate, I flip my consideration to little Leah and Hannah. They ask me 100 and one questions concerning the citadel I dwell in and if the silverware ever begins to sing and dance.

It makes me smile, their pleasure on the identical stage as in the event that they had been visiting Disney World for the primary time. And their giggles fill the room as they discuss eager to discover a prince charming identical to I’ve. It melts my coronary heart and, on the similar time, makes me intensely conscious of how totally different notion will be from actuality.

And although Signora Romney tries to rein them in, their enthusiasm is unrelenting.

By the tip of the night, my cheeks harm from smiling a lot—in an excellent approach. I genuinely adore the Romney household.

“Honey, don’t you assume it’s time we put the kids to mattress?” Signora Romney suggests frivolously, putting her hand on her husband’s arm.

He glances at his watch, and his eyes widen. “Is that the time? Sure, I feel we’d have overstayed our welcome. We’ll let Signora Moretti get her relaxation as effectively,” he says, giving me a heat smile.

“Consider me, I’ve appreciated the distraction,” I guarantee him.

“Ah, talking of distractions, earlier than we go, I needed to reiterate the invitation I gave your husband earlier in the present day. We fully perceive in case you can’t attend, however Alicia and I’d like it in case you may come to our charity occasion the weekend after this coming one—as our honored visitors.” The mayor locations his hand over his coronary heart in what I’ve come to study is his signature gesture of heartfelt sincerity.

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