“It sounds like you’re pretty well acquainted with them.”

Gina smiles. “I’m engaged to one of them. Dante’s cousin Carlo.”

“I see. Are they a close-knit family?”

“Very.”

“Must be nice,” I say wistfully, and Gina shoots me a look. “But to get back to the point at hand, I’m just passing through. As soon as my car cools off and I’ve got her radiator topped up, and maybe her oil, we’ll be on the road again.”

Gina cocks her head. “I mentioned that Adamo men are stubborn, right?”

My temper flares. “Dante is just going to have to learn to deal with disappointment. I’m not a—”

Charity case. The words hang unspoken between us. There’s a pause before Gina says, “I don’t usually tell people my history.”

Whatever I was expecting her to say next, it wasn’t that. “You don’t?”

“No. But if it’s all right, I’d like to tell you.”

I have no idea where this is coming from, but curiosity and manners win out. “All right.”

“I need to go check on my tables. I’ll put the pancake order in and be back in a minute.”

I’m playing peek-a-boo with Sophie when she returns. Sitting opposite me again, Gina gives me a carefully edited story, sanitized for little ears. But it’s clear enough, despite what she leaves out or blurs the details of. By the time she’s done, there’s a lump in my throat.

“That …” I shake my head. “I can’t imagine.”

“Before I met Carlo, I didn’t really let anyone close. I was friends with the girls here, but they didn’t know my story. No one did.”

Her implication is more than obvious, but I don’t rise to the bait. “I can understand that.”

“Carlo had to fight me every inch of the way to help me, to get me to trust him. But he refused to quit on me.” Her mouth quirks up. “Like I said, stubborn.”

Just what I need — some bullheaded man getting in my business.

“Dante’s a little rough around the edges,” Gina says quietly. “But he has a good heart.”

“I’m sure he does.”

Sophie bangs a hand on the table. “Tontay.”

Gina’s face softens when she looks at my little girl. “So, long story short — no matter how long you’re here, if Dante’s determined to look out for you, you might as well let him. It’ll be less of a headache than fighting him. But I do understand that impulse to keep everyone at a distance.”

“It’s complicated,” I say carefully.

“I get that. If you want someone to talk to …” She pulls a card out of one of the pockets in her smock top, scrawls a number on the back, and hands it over. “Even if you’re just here for the day. I’m a good listener, and I won’t blab.”

“Thanks, Gina. Really.”

“Anytime; I mean it.” She looks around. “Back to work. Catch you later.”

I’m surprised she didn’t badger me to order something. Sophie’s scribbling on her menu with crayons when a man slides into the booth across from me. He’s movie-star handsome, unlike Dante’s rugged features, but I fancy I see a resemblance.

“Let me guess. You’re an Adamo.”

He gives me an easy smile that does nothing to hide his intensity. “I’m Vic. I run the café. My other brother Rico runs the garage.”

“All in the family.”

“That’s right.”

Gina brings Sophie’s pancake and sets it down. “It comes with a small drink. We have milk, orange juice, apple juice …”

“Apple juice, please.”

“You got it.” She leaves and I start cutting up the pancake. Vic watches in silence until I look across the table at him.

“Do me a favor, Heather. Let me make you something.” I don’t answer. “It’ll make me feel better, and it’ll keep Dante happy. And unless I miss my mark, it might do you some good too.”

These people are wearing me down with their relentless caring. I want to say no, but at this point it would be rude. Gina’s right — I’m better off surrendering.

I don’t manage it with any particular grace, though. My “All right” sounds almost as reluctant as I feel. But Vic acts like he doesn’t notice.

“Good. What do you like?”