Everyone left except for Martucci, who said he’ d stick around to give me a ride home. I found Kitty Jones straightening a balloon bouquet. ‘ Here you are,’ I said, handing her the list. ‘ Complete.’ I explained about Buddy Fitch.
‘ He told me that he made the track team at his school because of Marissa,’ I said. ‘ So that’ s another thing she made happen by herself.’
She squeezed my arm, her voice breaking. ‘ Now don’ t make me cry. I’ ve managed to hold it together so far. I’ m going to take this’ -she held up the list-’ and have a good, long look at it as soon as I get home.’
I glanced around the crowd, which was starting to thin. ‘ I need to get going, but I wanted to say good-bye to Troy first.’
‘ He’ s over by the food table with his aunt Lorraine. She’ s probably grilling him about why he’ s not married yet. I’ ll bet he’ d be eternally grateful if you rescued him.’
She wasn’ t kidding. As soon as I approached, Troy said loudly, ‘ It was a pleasure chatting with you, Aunt Lorraine, but I need to talk to June here.’
‘ Guess what?’ I said as he ushered me to a quiet end of the bar. ‘ We found Buddy Fitch. He’ s here& and he’ s a kid from her Weight Watchers group. So the list’ s done.’
‘ June, that’ s incredible.’
‘ Anyway, I was about to leave, but I wanted to say thanks for everything.’
‘ I didn’ t do much, but you know I was glad to help any way I could.’
‘ By the way,’ I boasted, ‘ I wound up getting the promotion at work.’
‘ I knew you would.’ He rubbed a hand nervously through his hair. ‘ Look& about the other day when I came to your office. You told me that the phone message I left you got cut off. Which is probably for the best. I did a lot of blabbering. But the upshot was-and I know this sounds cliche-but as far as what happened in Vegas, it wasn’ t you. It was me.’
‘ It’ s okay.’
‘ No, it’ s not. I snapped at you because you were going to adopt a baby. And did I even understand you right? It sounds now like you aren’ t going to do it.’
‘ I didn’ t really want to be a single mom-I got swept up in everything. And as for Vegas, it was no big deal. Honestly. You’ ve been through so much; you and Marissa were so close. I can understand that you’ d feel conflicted.’
He shook his head and smiled. ‘ I should have seen it coming. I remember the first time I saw you at the funeral, when you came down the line shaking hands. You had that huge black eye, and when you got to where I was, I thought, Wow, she’ s hot, and found myself peeking down your blouse to see how far the bruise went. Then I was disgusted that I’ d notice something like that at my own sister’ s funeral.’
Before I could respond-and really, what could one say to that?-a woman approached and said, ‘ Troy, your grandma wants me to tell you that you’ re needed. They’ re about to cut the cake.’
‘ Tell her I’ ll be right there.’ Then he turned to me. ‘ So you’ ll keep in touch?’
‘ Are you kidding? Now that I have this new job, I’ m going to need connections in all the right places.’
‘ You got it. Anytime.’
I hugged Troy good-bye and then walked back to where Martucci sat, discussing racing strategies with Buddy Fitch. ‘ I’ m ready to go when you are,’ I said.
As we left, I paused at the doorway to take one last look inside the room. Troy and his family gathered around the cake. Twenty-five candles had been lit, and the firelight danced on their faces as they leaned close. No one sang ‘ Happy Birthday.’ I watched-drained and yet never feeling more full-as Kitty took in a deep breath. And then everyone around her helped blow out the candles in one collective whoosh.
Chapter 26
I t’ s strange not to have anything I have to do,’ I said to Martucci as he pulled his car in front of my apartment building. The evening was warm, and he had the moon roof open, exposing a twinkle of city lights.
‘ You did good.’
‘ I just don’ t want to go back to my old ways.’
He cut the engine. ‘ Then don’ t.’
‘ How?’ As I asked it, I had to marvel. Once again, I was turning to Martucci for advice, when only months ago I could hardly stand to be in the same room with him. He’ d changed in my perception from repulsive to& well, I wasn’ t sure. I liked being around him. Suddenly I was noticing things like how he smelled good& the rumbly growl of his voice& how the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled.
‘ It’ s easy,’ he said, grinning-and see? There went the crinkles. ‘ Think about what you would have done before, which would have been nothing. Then do something.’
‘ Very funny.’ I added, ‘ The old me would leave to go inside right now.’
He lifted an eyebrow. ‘ And the new you& ?’
I shifted in my seat so I faced him, then I placed one hand behind his head and pulled him close in a kiss. And it was nice-warm and soft and sweet-and I kissed him again, and again, and soon I was gulping him in, and he was tugging me close, tangling his hands in my hair, and it was crazy& Dominic Martucci of all people! Yet for once I wasn’ t second-guessing myself or letting myself get lost in doubt. I knew for certain that-wherever it might go or whatever might happen-sprawled across Martucci’ s front seat with my tongue greedily seeking his was exactly where I wanted to be right now.
He gazed at me, brushing my hair away from my face. ‘ For the record, Parker,’ he said, ‘ this definitely qualifies as something.’
‘ Glad you approve. I have to play it by ear now that I don’ t have a list.’
‘ Mmm. I’ ve been working on one of my own, you know.’
‘ You have?’
