Hopeless Hero

“Yeah, Jessica. I haven’t seen her honestly.” That was on purpose. I didn’t need to see Leo’s widow. I didn’t deserve to.

“You know that wasn’t your fault man. We’ve all been there. We’ve all seen some shit. Oh hell, hold on,” he paused. “Don’t eat that, hey can I call you back? Kylie’s dog got onto the counter again. She swears she was never this bad before I came along. Wants attention or something. Call me when you figure out about the wedding. You should come to the bachelor party too. It’s going to be savage as usual.” He laughed.”

“Yeah, I’ll think about it. Thanks.”

“See ya.”

He hung up and I stared at my phone. I should have told him about Alicia, that things were happening. That’s what I meant to do. But I couldn’t bring myself to.

What if nothing came of this dinner? What if once again, I was wrong about her?

I guess I would just have to find out.

CHAPTER 17

Alicia

Ricci’s was a small hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant on the edge of Savage. Andell Ricci and his wife, Lilly, moved to Savage when their youngest child got married almost forty years ago. It had been their dream to open an Italian bistro in a small town somewhere. Andell said it reminded him of the restaurant he worked at as a boy back in Italy.

I had always loved Ricci’s. Anytime there was a special occasion or celebration, my parents would bring me and Allie, letting us order whatever we wanted, including a plate of cannolis for dessert.

The restaurant hadn’t been the same since Lilly died. When she passed, the whole town went into mourning right alongside Andell. He had shut down the restaurant for six months, and when he reopened it, he acted as if nothing had happened. He simply went back to work doing what he loved. He would greet everyone just as he had before. The only difference was the small photograph of Lilly that now stood in the middle of the entryway.

When I walked inside that night, my eyes fell on Lilly’s picture. Immediately, tears filled my eyes; I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed Ricci’s until that night.

Zane sat in the back corner of the restaurant at a table for two. I saw him before he saw me, which gave me the chance to watch him for a few seconds unnoticed. He was staring intently at the menu in his hands. There were two glasses of water on the table, along with two empty wine glasses. The scene definitely had the makings of a proper date, and the thought made my stomach flip.

Zane flipped the menu over to examined the back. I could tell he was just making himself busy; we had both been here so many times that reading the menu was no longer a necessity. Still, he stared at it with no idea that I was watching him. His dark eyes narrowed slightly, but even from where I stood, I could see them sparkle.

God, why did he have to be so handsome? It would have been easier if my attraction to him had faded, but it was stronger than ever.

When I finally got up the nerve to walk over to him, my palms began to sweat. The

closer I got, the better he looked. His shirt was tight against his chest and I could see the outline of every muscle. My head spun. I wanted to run my fingers over those muscles and watch as he…

“Hey,” he said as I approached the table. “There you are.”

“Here I am,” I said with an awkward little nod. “Have you been waiting long?”

He shook his head. “No, not really.”

“Good.” I smiled and sat down.

Zane handed me a menu and cleared his throat. I waited for him to speak, but he didn’t. Instead, his eyes once again focused on his own menu. Now that I was closer, I could see that he hadn’t shaved in a couple days. His stumble was just beginning to grow past the five o’clock shadow length, giving him an edgy quality. I couldn’t help but think how sexy it made him look.

When he glanced up and caught me staring at him, I quickly averted my eyes, nerves getting the best of me before I remembered my age and laughed. I looked back up apologetically and set my menu down on the table. “This is ridiculous,” I said. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

“It’s okay,” he said, grinning. “I am too.”

“But we shouldn’t be,” I argued. “We’ve done this a thousand times before. You know me and I know you. There’s no reason this should be so awkward.”

“Isn’t it always awkward with exes?”

“Does it have to be?” I countered.

Zane looked at me for a second before chuckling and leaning back in his chair. “You really haven’t changed much.”

“I like to think I have, but I guess I’m still the same me.”