“Nonna, this is Clara, she’s someone special,” I looked up into Eli’s dark gaze and found emotions I wasn’t prepared to see. We’d barely known each other for a few days. He couldn’t be looking at me like he was in lo— lo— love.
Tugging free from Eli’s arms, I turned to the older women and was faced with all of the expectant faces of Eli’s family.
“I have to go… my grandmother is waiting for me,” I gasp out and turn for the front door to the house.
I didn’t stop until I reached the street in front of the house — “Fuck!” — I shoved my hands into my hair and looked up and down the deserted country road.
“I’m sorry, Sunshine. They can be a bit much… especially with a hangover.” Eli laughed as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.
I looked down to find his arms bare and turned to look him over. “Eli, you’re practically naked!”
“I couldn’t let you get away,” he replied simply before lowering his mouth to take mine in a slow, passionate kiss.
I’m a damn fool. That’s the only explanation there was for me to allow him to kiss me senseless. I knew what would happen… Eli would realize I was broken and too much work. He’d realize it was simply a lot of pent up hormones from denying himself sex his entire adult life that had made him think he cared for me. He would leave me.
That thought doused me in ice colder than the winter wonderland surrounding us. I pushed at Eli’s chest and forced him to take a step back.
“I need to go to my grandmother's. My reason for being in town was to visit her before heading south.” My voice was quiet and devoid of emotion as I stated the blunt facts.
“Of course,” Eli responded as he looked at me strangely. A smile spread across his face as something occurred to him. “We’ll go pick up Ms. Amelia and have her join us all here. Franny is probably with her and she is welcome to join in the Angelo family festivities as well. Those two shouldn’t be alone for the holidays.” He nodded as if things were settled and a burning began in the center of my chest.
“They won’t be alone. I’ll be with them,” I replied coldly.
“We should go inside, I can have my cousin swing by and pick them up while we take a shower. I’m sure my sister has something you could slip on whi—”
“Eli, stop. Just stop. I’m leaving and since I don’t have a car… I’d appreciate a ride. But… I will not be coming back here.”
“Clara? What’s wrong?” Eli took a step forward and I sidestepped his advance to head back toward the house.
“I’ll just pop back inside and see who wouldn’t mind driving me. Or, maybe they’ll call me an Uber.”
“Damn it, Clara! Stop.” Eli grabbed my arm and spun me to face him. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Acting like what? I’m just trying to escape an embarrassing situation. I’ve never taken a walk of shame before but I’m sure this is one for the books,” I chuckled without humor.
“Clara” — Eli whispered as he reached out to run his fingers along my jaw — “I love you. There is no shame in the night we had.”
I jerked back in surprise. He didn’t just say those three words.
“Yes, Clara, I love you” — Eli knelt in the several inches of snow which had accumulated overnight — “I love you and I want you to marry me. Will you be my wife?”
From his pocket, Eli pulled out a black velvet box and with an awkward movement, he flipped it open and offered it to me.
Speechless. I stared at him while my mouth hung open, and then everything went fuzzy.
I couldn’t have said what happened but when the fuzz cleared I was walking down a deserted, ice and snow-covered Ohio country road. The sound of a car approaching slowly had me stopping and turning to see who it was.
The black Lexus slid a few inches when it stopped in front of me. The window rolled down and a familiar older gentleman looked across the seat from the driver’s side.
“It’s too cold and too far for you to walk, tesoro. Get in and I will drive you to Ms. Amelia’s house.” A faint tinge of red cover the bridge of his nose as he said my grandmother’s name. “I’m Eli’s uncle Nikko,” he offered when I didn’t move toward the car.
With a sigh, I stepped forward and opened the passenger door. “I’d very much appreciate a ride if it’s not a problem.”
“No trouble at all, bella.”
I settled into the car and immediately realized how cold I’d been. The leather seats had seat warmers and it quickly began to thaw me.
“Would you like me to turn up the heat?” Nikko Angelo reached for the dash but dropped his hand when I shook my head. “Alright, then. It’ll take a little bit since I have to go slow on these back roads. It’ll be a while before they get them cleared.”
Eli’s uncle Nikko continued to ramble on about the weather and the state of the roads as he drove down roads I didn’t know. I couldn’t help but wonder if I should go back to Vegas. At least there I know where I was and how to handle things.
When we pulled up in front of my grandmother’s house, Nikko shifted the car into park and turned toward me in his seat.
“Tesoro, can I be blunt for a moment?” he asked.
My mother and I had lived in a rough town. A place of fantasies and broken promises. But, my mother had always taught me to respect my elders. It was the
