I had to admit I liked the idea of Haven working at Mama C’s. She would be well taken care of and, at that point, I was pretty sure she would eventually be part of the family. It was still the early days, but some things a guy just knew. I didn’t need my Cupido-playing grandfather or my matchmaking madre to tell me I had found the right one. Which reminded me ...

“I know there is,” I told her. “But right now, I know someone who needs you more.”

I told her about my grandfather’s bookstore and how desperate the situation had become with my grandmother staying with Great-aunt Flo. The more I talked, the more the interest in her eyes grew.

“It sounds perfect,” she said. “Too good to be true, in fact. Just like you.”

I didn’t think she meant to say that last part out loud, not if the way her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed were any indication. I probably should have just let it go, but I couldn’t.

“Too good to be true, huh?” I said, stepping up close and pulling her into my arms. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

“Yeah, right,” she scoffed.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Let’s just say, not too many men would look at me and think ‘great catch’.”

“Then they are idiots,” I told her. “Because that’s exactly what you are. You’re beautiful and smart and funny and kind. Giving and genuine and compassionate and—”

“Okay, okay.” She laughed softly. “I get the point.” Then she looked up at me with those pretty eyes. “How do you always know just the right thing to say to make me melt inside?”

I didn’t have an answer to that; my brother was the one with the gift for words, not me. Therefore, I simply lowered my head and kissed her instead.

She tasted of chocolate cake, arguably my most favorite kind of cake ever, and soft, sexy woman.

I didn’t want to stop. I was sure she didn’t either, but I also didn’t want to screw up a good thing by moving too fast. Things were still pretty new between us, and I wanted to do things right.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, nipping her lip as the clock struck midnight.

“Tomorrow,” she agreed. Her voice was bedroom-husky, and I knew it would be playing on repeat in my head for hours to come. I looked forward to hearing it again and again. “Goodnight, Vinnie.”

“Goodnight, Haven. Pleasant dreams.”

“You can count on it, Officer.”

***

The next day, I took Haven to the bookstore. She looked absolutely beautiful with her hair pulled up into some kind of complicated female knot and a soft gray sweater that really brought out her lovely eyes. It was an effort not to stare.

Things were even worse than they had been the last time I’d been there. In fact, as we were walking in, two older women were hurriedly leaving, shooting worried looks over their shoulders. We found out why when we went inside and heard the sound of glass breaking.

“Gesù Cristo!”

“Thank God you’re here,” my brother Nick said. “Nonno’s going to break everything if someone doesn’t figure out how to work the espresso machine, and the Silver Sirens Book Club is due in less than an hour.”

“Silver Sirens?”

“Don’t ask.”

“What kind of machine is it?” Haven questioned.

“A La Pavoni, I think,” Nick answered.

“I’m on it.”

Haven pushed up her sleeves and headed toward the back. In less than a minute, my grandfather’s slew of Italian curses stopped.

“How you-a do that?” we heard him ask. “Never mind, you hired. You start-a right now.”

Nick exhaled, then slapped me on the back. “Sounds like we’ve got a winner. Thank God. Maybe now I can actually write some words.”

“Vincenzo!” My grandfather emerged from behind the counter. His apron was covered in dark, wet stains and there were coffee grounds in his thinning white hair, but he was smiling. “You bring me a bellisimo angelo. You my favorite grandson.”

“Hey!” Nick said, pretending to be offended. “What about me?”

“Bah! You no help.”

I could see Haven smiling, enjoying the prickly but affectionate exchange. She was going to fit right in.

I hung around for a while, catching up with Nick and doing some heavy lifting for my grandfather. I would admit it; I was hovering. I wanted to make sure Haven was comfortable. I needn’t have worried, though. My grandfather had fallen in love with her instantly. A not-so-subtle wink and a few words in Italian confirmed what I had already figured out: Haven was the one for me.

“So, you and Haven, huh?” Nick said.

I nodded. My eyes sought her out, just as they had been doing all afternoon.

She looked up from the tray of coffees and assorted pastries she was just about to take into the back room for the book club. She smiled, her lips forming the words “thank you,” and I knew she was going to be okay.

“Man, you have it bad.” Nick laughed.

“As bad as you?” I shot back.

“At least.” He grinned. “Are you bringing her to Sunday dinner?”

“Maybe,” I hedged. I wanted to, but I wasn’t sure if Haven was up to meeting the whole famiglia at once. They could be overwhelming, and I didn’t want to scare her off.

“I get it,” Nick said, and I knew he did. It had taken him a couple weeks to introduce his girlfriend Kat to everyone. It was something better done in small doses. “This is a good place to start. She’s already got Nonno wrapped around her little finger.”

“The timing couldn’t be better. She lost her jobs this week.”

“Jobs, plural? That’s rough, man. What happened?”

I gave him a brief rundown.

Nick whistled. “Man, she has had it rough. You know, if Ma meets her, it’s a done deal, right?”

Yeah, I knew. Mia madre was tough, but she also had a big heart. Plus, she would take one look at the two of us and know.

I was totally okay with that.