“Not a single one,” Conway snapped. “We’re almost to the house, so just be quiet for the rest of the way.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Okay, hypothetically, how many kids would you like to have someday? You know, with any man, in general?”
This time, Conway stayed quiet.
Children probably weren’t in the cards for me, even though I desperately wanted my own family. I was the last of my line, and if I didn’t have children, I would always be alone. “Two. A boy and a girl.”
“Me too,” Vanessa said. “But I’m not appalled by the idea of having three.”
“When do you want to have kids?”
“I’m not sure. I want to be done having my kids by the time I’m thirty. So I have a few years to find the right guy and settle down. Right now, all the men my age are immature. They’re too focused on partying and having a good time. Real romance is just impossible right now. I think I want an older man.”
“Alright, enough of that.” Conway cranked up the music. It drowned us all, masking our conversation.
Vanessa rolled her eyes and leaned toward me so we could keep talking. “I really hope he doesn’t stay like this forever. It’s really annoying.”
“I’m sure when you meet the right guy, he’ll finally back off.”
“I doubt he’ll back off even then. Honestly, he’s worse than my father. And you met my father. He’s one intense man.”
I chuckled. “I thought he was really nice.”
“Because you’re a woman. There’s nothing alarming about Conway shacking up with a woman even if you guys aren’t married. My brother can fuck every woman in Italy, and it wouldn’t matter. But if I moved in with a guy and I wasn’t married…my father would flip. It’s totally sexist.”
“I think the reason Conway gets away with it is because your father knows he’s a good man. He would never hurt me, and he takes care of me far better than anyone else ever has. If you met an upstanding guy who loved you, I don’t think your father would be that upset. I think he just wants to know you’re in good hands.”
“As logical as that sounds, I think you’re wrong.”
We arrived at the house forty-five minutes later. Just like Conway’s house, it was a three-story mansion. With black gates in the front and vineyards as far as the eye could see, it was a classy Tuscan villa. Filled with olive trees, deep green grass, and lots of shade, it was one of the most beautiful homes I’d ever seen.
Conway turned down the music as he pulled into the large roundabout.
“This is where you grew up?” I asked incredulously.
“Yep,” Vanessa said. “It’s even more beautiful inside.”
We got out of the car, and a young man came out to take our bags from the trunk.
Conway’s parents walked out the front door, his father tall and handsome, and his mother beautiful in a black dress with her hair pulled back. His mother smiled when she saw all of us, and his father’s expression hardened in emotion.
I noticed it anytime Mr. Barsetti stared at his son. His expression seemed to harden, but that intense look was just a mask for the love underneath. And when he looked at his daughter, he showed a different look entirely. It was much softer, much kinder. And I could see the pride he felt toward both of them.
It was humbling to watch, to witness a family love as strong as theirs. I’d never been close to my father, and my mother had a lot of issues. We weren’t a happy family, not like this. Perhaps that was why Nathan went down the wrong path and got himself killed.
“Vanessa.” Mr. Barsetti hugged her first, bringing her into his chest and kissing her on the forehead. “You look nice.”
“Thanks, Dad. Mom got it for me.”
“Makes sense,” he said with a deep voice. “Your mother has great taste.”
“I know.” Vanessa moved to her mother next and practically jumped into her arms. I could see the closeness between them. They were friends as well as mother and daughter. They held each other with smiles on their faces.
Mr. Barsetti hugged Conway next, gripping him tightly before kissing him on the forehead. “Glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” Conway answered. “But I’d drive ten hours to eat a meal home-cooked by Lars.”
Mr. Barsetti smiled then clapped him on the back. He moved to me next, his hand moving to my elbow as he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “Hello, Sapphire. I’m very happy to see you.”
I noticed Conway only allowed his father to kiss me on the cheek. Carter was also family, but he hadn’t earned the right. “I’m happy to be here too. Your home is breathtaking. Conway said he has a lot of great memories here, and now I can see why.”