“Nothing with Anna yet?”
“You would think my daughter was a nun.”
And the conversation switched.
But in the back of Mari’s mind, she congratulated herself on renting the apartment to the right woman.
Now all she needed to do was give her son and Brooke some time alone.
Hmmm . . .
Every Saturday, Little Italy hosted a farmer’s market that closed one of the streets and brought hundreds of people into their small section of San Diego.
Brooke and Chloe set out early, before the masses of people arrived to gather the best picks of flowers and produce, not to mention some amazing street food.
Brooke was happy to see familiar faces and excited to be able to put names to them. Equally, it was nice to be remembered.
It wasn’t until the third person they passed asked about Luca, and was looking at Brooke instead of Chloe, that she turned to her friend and asked what was up. “Why is everyone asking me about your brother?”
Chloe laughed. “Small town.”
“What does that mean?”
“Everyone knows you and my brother are a thing.”
Brooke lowered her sunglasses. “What?” She and Chloe hadn’t even talked about it.
“All the mamas are talking. All the women who have been trying to get Luca to look at them since he’s been single are whining. You’re the talk of the town.”
“Who said we were anything?”
“Do you, or do you not, know how my brother kisses? Not that I really want to know how he kisses . . . but . . .”
Brooke opened her mouth, closed it . . . opened it again. “Who saw us?”
“It might have been Giovanni. But it could have been one of the kitchen staff. Hard to say.”
“Buongiorno, ladies.” It was Santorini from the gelato store. “How are you today?”
“It’s a beautiful day,” Chloe said.
“And how is L—”
“Luca is fine,” Brooke cut him off.
“Wonderful. Tell him to bring Francesca by today. I have her favorite,” he said directly to Brooke.
Suddenly it felt as if everyone was looking her way.
Paranoid, she knew . . . but still. “This is nuts.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t last long. Soon there will be something else for everyone to gossip about. For now, that’s the two of you.”
“Does Luca know people are talking?”
“Probably.”
Chloe placed her hand through the crook of Brooke’s arm. “We all like you, Brooke. And Luca hasn’t smiled this much in a long time. You’re good for him.”
“Hi, Brooke.” Maria from the grocery store. “How’s Luc—”
“He’s fine,” both Brooke and Chloe chimed in with a laugh.
Back home, Brooke left Chloe at her door and walked one flight up to Luca’s place and knocked.
“Come in.”
Brooke opened the door slowly and poked her head in. “Hello.”
“Cara, you don’t have to knock.”
“Yes, I do.” She walked all the way in, looked around for Franny.
“She’s in her bedroom.” Luca crossed from where it looked like he’d been sitting on the sofa and greeted her with a short kiss. “Happy Saturday.”
He reached for the bags in her hands. “Do you want me to carry these upstairs for you?”
She let him take them and pointed to his kitchen counter. “Actually, some of that is for you.”
“Oh?”
Brooke smiled and reached into one of the bags and pulled out a cluster of orange beets. “These are from Anderson Farms. I forget the woman’s name.”
“Lynnette.”
“Right. She knew you and asked that I give these to you. Said she had more if you wanted them for a dish you make.”
Luca took them, brought them to his nose. “Mmm. I might have to swing by there.”
Brooke reached back in. “Basil from Rosa’s garden.”
He sniffed the bundle.
Next, she handed him a bouquet of peonies.
“Who gave me these?” he asked.
Brooke had no idea what the guy’s name was. “The second flower guy as you head up the block. He said, and I quote, ‘Hand Luca these and tell him I have a special bouquet he can pick up to give you on your next date.’”
“Must be Hyun. He’s been at the market for years.”
Brooke stared at the flowers, then Luca. “Does it even faze you that all these people handed me things to give to you? And that’s not all. Santorini wanted Franny to know he has her favorite ice cream, and at least a half a dozen other people wanted me to tell you hello.”
Luca handed back the flowers with a smile. “I suppose that means we’ve made the gossip mill.”
“You suppose . . . ?”
He tilted his head to the side. “Does that bother you?”
“To have people I don’t know talking about me? It’s not something I’m used to.”
Luca placed a hand to the side of her face, leaned in, and kissed her. When he pulled back, he looked her in the eye. “They are talking to find out if the rumors are true. Once they know they are, they will stop talking altogether.”
“Are they true?”
“Aren’t they?” he asked, a question in his eye.
She shuffled her feet. “Yes . . . no. I don’t know. A few stolen kisses. A whole lot of flirting. We haven’t even been on a proper date.”
He was laughing. “What are you doing tonight?”
“You’re working.” Saturday was busy for the restaurant, and since she’d been there, Luca always worked Friday and Saturday.
“Not anymore.”
“Luca, I didn’t say that to beg a date out of you.”
“You’re not begging anything out of me. I have a woman on my arm I want to show off. And she needs the rumors to end. Tonight, we’ll go out. Be ready by seven.”
“And who will take care of things here? What about Franny?”
Luca gathered the bags she had come in with and walked her to his door. “You let me take care of that. You be ready.”
Luca made the promise, now he needed to scramble.
Once Brooke’s apartment door closed, he went downstairs to his mother’s.
He found Chloe and his mother in their kitchen putting away the market finds. He greeted them in Italian, complimented them both before he started to ask for favors.
Only he didn’t have to.
“I want to borrow my niece tonight,” Chloe said. “That new animated film is out, and I need an excuse to see it. We haven’t had a sleepover for a while, either.”
Luca narrowed his eyes.
“And you’re working too much,” his mother added. “When was the last time you took a Saturday night off?”
“Have you been talking to Brooke?”
His mother glanced over her shoulder as she put flowers into a vase. “Why would you ask that?”
Luca walked first to his mother, kissed her cheek. “I love you.” Then to his sister . . . the same thing. “I need to run a quick errand. Keep an eye out for Franny?” he asked.
“You never need to ask,” his mother told him.
He had his cell phone to his ear as he walked out the back door and up the street in search of Hyun. “Thomas, it’s Luca . . . I need a last-minute reservation.”