Chapter 7
Anna
We didn’t sleep together last night, and that was fine by me. It was still new. I had been a virgin until the night before last, and I was still trying to wrap my mind around that I had given it up to a stranger when I hadn’t slept with any of the guys I had known well. They had all been terrified of my dad, and I had to admit, I had been, too.
But my dad wasn’t here, and there was something about Luke that was different than any other guy I’d known. With him, it felt like I had a connection—like no matter how little I knew about him, we fit together. I trusted him. God knew why, but I did. I trusted him with everything and losing my virginity with him had felt right.
Even though we had slept in the same bed together, we hadn’t had sex. I was still hurting from the first time. When I moved, I could still feel Luke inside of me as if he had left an echo of himself behind. It was a turn on, thinking about what we had done and how much I could still feel it, now. The pain was a good pain, the same way it had been when he had taken my virginity.
I hadn’t been with many men before, and Luke had made me feel at ease as if it all was natural.
It was how it should have been. If I had had to do this with Sam, I knew it wouldn’t have been the same. He would have forced me into what he wanted instead of being gentle with me and taking it slow. To Sam, sex was about getting off and nothing else. Women were there to please men, and what they felt didn’t matter. That was how he saw it. I shivered at the thought of him. I would never sleep with him, I vowed. No matter what happened.
Today, Luke and I were going to Dillon together. I needed to get to a place with cell service so I could get ahold of Lizabeth. She had to be worried sick by now. Her parents had expected me two days ago.
I pulled on jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sweater. I tied up my hair—snowy weather made loose hair impossible—and I put on light makeup. It felt good to be able to dress in my own clothes again and make an effort to look good. Luke had been very kind to let me use his clothes, but I felt happy in my own.
Luke and I bundled up in thick jackets and scarves before we headed out to Dillon.
“Mind if I ask you a question?” Luke asked.
I shook my head. He could ask.
“You surname is Italian. Santora. It’s very popular.”
I nodded. “It is. It comes from my mom’s side.”
“That’s interesting,” Luke said.
“Italian women don’t change their surnames when they get married, and my mother decided to give me hers when I was born.”
It wasn’t a complete lie—there had been discussions about Italian women having the right to give their children their surnames instead of letting the child take the paternal name automatically, but the jury was still out on the final verdict. I had my father’s surname, but to prevent from being traced back to him, I told everyone I had taken my mother’s. It was safer that way.
No one wanted to be associated with the head of the Mafia. Even if he was my father.
Sometimes, people asked me if my dad was in the Mafia. I always got angry when they did, but I never showed it. I only ever laughed it off and said that not every Italian woman had to be related to the mafia. It irritated me that it was the case in my life, but I hadn’t chosen to be the daughter of the mafia boss, and there was nothing I could do about it.
“Where do your parents live?” Luke asked.
“My dad travels all over so it’s hard to say where he is at this moment.” Again, not a complete lie. “And my mom passed away when I was only a baby.”
“I’m sorry,” Luke said, and he sounded genuinely sorry to hear that I had grown up without a mother.
I shook my head. “You don’t have to be. I was too young to know her. You can’t miss what you don’t know, right?”
Luke shrugged. “I don’t always agree with that statement.”
I didn’t either, but I had tried to be blasé about it. I didn’t like talking about my mom. I had often felt, growing up, that I might have had a different life, a better life, had my mother still been alive. My dad had always been away on business, and the rare times he had been home, he had been mean and controlling. I knew he cared for me, but he had no idea how to show it, and sometimes I resented him for that.
We drove in silence for a while. The road wound through the mountains with pine and fir trees scattered on both sides, and the air was clearer than clear.
“What about your parents?” I asked, breaking the silence.
Luke glanced sideways at me. “What about them?” he asked.
“Where do they live?”
He took a deep breath, and I wondered if the question was harder than I had thought.
“They’re in New Jersey. We used to be very close, but I haven’t seen them in over a year.”
“That’s a long time.”
He nodded. “It is.” He hesitated again. “They disowned me.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said.
Luke shrugged as if it didn’t matter. I was sad for him. I was running from my dad, but I had grown up hearing that family was the most important thing. It was an Italian value that I had been taught since I could remember. Hearing that Luke’s parents were alive and well but didn’t want anything to do with him was the saddest thing. I wanted to ask him why they had disowned him, but I didn’t want to push him. His reaction suggested it was a touchy topic and even though I was curious, I didn’t want to pry.
We drove the rest of the way in silence. It wasn’t a strained silence; rather, it was like we were friends, comfortable in each other’s company even without words. It was strange considering how little we knew about each other. Maybe it was because I had slept with him, given him my virginity. Or maybe it was because it just worked, and we were two people who could be together in silence and it would never be awkward.
Whatever it was, it was pleasant.
We arrived in Dillon. It was a tiny town. Luke had told me it had a population that barely reached a hundred and it was built on the edge of the Dillon Reservoir, a large body of water that gave it the feel of a holiday destination of sorts. The buildings were all clustered around the roads, and every now and then, someone waved at Luke, recognizing him.
“You’re quite popular,” I mentioned after the third person honked and waved.
“In a town this small, it’s impossible not to be popular. Everyone knows everyone, and if you’re new, you bet they’re going to find a way to get to know you, too. I come here often enough for supplies that I’ve become one of the locals.”
I smiled. “It seems nice to belong somewhere.”
Luke nodded, thoughtfully. “I’ve never looked at it that way. I don’t know if this is where I belong, but the townsfolk around these parts seem to think I do. For now, that’s good enough for me.”
Luke parked in front of City Market, a place where he could buy organic produce.
“Are you coming?” he asked.
I shook my head. “My phone has service, here. I’m going to stay in the car and make a call.”
Luke nodded and shut the door before sauntering off. I watched him walk away. Luke carried himself with pride and strength, but there was something about the way he acted in public that made me think he knew exactly where everyone was and what they were doing, that he was only acting as relaxed as he looked. No one else would have noticed it, but I had seen that walk on many of the men that worked for my dad. I wondered what Luke was looking out for. His life seemed so simple out here that I couldn’t imagine what difficulties he could have.
When Luke disappeared, I turned my attention the burner in my hand. I dialed Lizabeth’s number, and she answered almost immediately.
“Anna, thank God you’re alive. Are you okay?”
“I’m okay. I’m safe,” I said.
“When I didn’t hear from you, and you didn’t arrive at my parents’ place, I was worried something had happened to you. Where are you?”
“I’m staying somewhere outside of a small town called Dillon. I think it’s South of Steamboat Springs, an hour or two.”
“How did you end up there? Are you at a motel?”
I gave Lizabeth a summary of what had happened.
“Will you let your parents know I’m safe? I feel terrible not being able to call, but the cabin where I’m staying has no cell service. I came into town for service so I’ll only be able to get in touch now and then.”
“I’ll let them know,” Lizabeth said. “I’ve been listening to weather reports. You don’t get any, do you?”
“I don’t,” I admitted. “In the middle of nowhere. I can see the skies change and feel how damn cold it is, but I don’t know what’s coming.”
“They’re saying a storm is headed toward Steamboat Springs. The roads into town have been closed. They’re looking at twenty-two inches of snow.”
“That’s a lot,” I said. “I’m going to have to stay here for a while, then. At least, until it’s safe to travel.”
“You do that,” Lizabeth said. “At least I know you’re safe, and if there’s no service of any kind, I doubt your dad will find you easily.”
I nodded. I had thought of that, too. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, staying somewhere so isolated, removed from the world in every way. But Luke lived a good life out in the mountains, and he happened to have a perfect set up for me. It was a beautiful coincidence.
“So, are you going to tell me all about this guy who saved your ass, or are you going to hold out on me forever?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but Luke walked back to the car with grocery bags in his arms.
“I can’t talk to you about it now. He’s coming back. I’ll call you and fill you in when I can.”
Lizabeth sighed. “The curiosity is going to kill me. You’re staying with a handsome stranger, and I don’t get to hear any juicy gossip.”
I laughed. “How did you know he was handsome?”
“I know you much better than you think. You were gushing when you told me about him.”
Luke opened the car door.
“I’ll chat with you soon, Liza,” I said and hung up. I smile at Luke who climbed into the truck.
“Right,” he said. “One more stop before we head back.”