SEALed With A Kiss(13)
“You didn’t have to do that just to please Mama.”
“I know.” She closed her eyes and gnawed a moment on her lower lip, making him think that she might say something more on the subject of his mama’s overbearing attitude. “I think I’ll take a nap,” she said, instead. “All that turkey made me sleepy.”
“Sounds good to me.” He flopped back down on the bed and gathered her against him.
“You sure you won’t tell me what Joe said?” she asked, nuzzling his neck in a last-ditch effort to break him.
“You’re relentless,” he noted without rancor. “Listen,” he added, changing the subject before she could sink her claws into him, “I’m gonna put that new part in Mama’s washing machine tomorrow morning, and then I think we should head home early to beat the traffic. That okay with you?”
“Sure.” She settled herself more comfortably. “But I promised I’d take Bella to Macy’s tomorrow, so I have to go shopping first. Their Black Friday sales are out of this world.”
“Sounds okay,” he agreed. “Just remember this city is bigger than what you’re used to. You know how easily you get lost.”
“Macy’s is a mile and a half away, and Bella will be with me. I can’t possibly get lost,” she mumbled.
“Keep your phone on, all the same. That way I can find you.”
“Stalker,” she slurred sleepily. In the next instant, she issued a soft snore.
*
“Robert has the day off,” Bella relayed, having just checked the texts on her cell phone. She clutched the phone with a dejected look.
Ophelia was about to pull her Kia Soul away from the curb at Mama Rose’s. With the heater in Bella’s Escort on the fritz, she’d elected to drive her own car. Bella’s regret-filled tone had her shooting her sister-in-law a sideways glance. “You want to cancel our shopping trip so you can be with him?” she asked, hesitating.
“No, that’s okay. Vinny wouldn’t want me ditching you.”
“Hmm.” Considering her options, Ophelia proceeded to pull out, speeding them in the direction of Macy’s. The drooping corners of Bella’s wide mouth made her recall how desperately she had longed to spend time with Vinny back when they were dating. “Well, what if Vinny never found out?” she proposed, arching an eyebrow at her sister-in-law as she neared an intersection.
Bella’s dejection evaporated. “What do you mean?” Her eyes brightened hopefully.
Ophelia slowed at the intersection, looked both ways, and gunned straight through it before realizing she had run a stop sign—again. But then the car behind her did the same thing, making her feel a little less remorse. She was supposed to be turning over a new leaf for the baby.
“How about I drop you off somewhere close to Macy’s?” she suggested. “Robert can meet you there, and you two can hang out while I shop. Then I’ll pick you up again on my way home. Vinny will assume we spent the morning together.” With an impulse to browse the maternity section, she had good reason for wanting to shop alone. “We won’t even have to lie to him.”
“Well, there’s a Starbucks right across the street from Macy’s,” Bella considered out loud. “Maybe Robert and I could hang out there.”
“Perfect,” Ophelia agreed, darting a dirty look at the car that was riding her rear bumper. “I turn right here, don’t I?” she asked as she neared a stoplight.
“Either here or the next light. Are you sure about this?” Bella sent her a searching look. “I don’t want you to feel neglected or anything.”
“Sure I’m sure. I remember what it’s like to be in love.” She waggled her eyebrows at her sister-in-law.
“That’s because you and Vinny are still in love,” Bella pointed out.
Ophelia smiled a dreamy smile. “True,” she mused. Seeing the next light about to turn red, she slowed down instead of speeding up, and the car dogging her nearly plowed into her back end. Watch it, asshole, she almost yelled, but then she remembered that she’d met Vinny by crashing into the back of his Honda. It wasn’t that long ago that she would have done the same thing.
Should she have told him about the baby last night? she agonized. Or was it better to guard her secret just a little longer and surprise him on Christmas morning as she’d planned?
“There’s the Starbucks on the right.” Unaware of Ophelia’s private thoughts, Bella pointed to the familiar green sign looming over the sidewalk up ahead. “You can look for parking in the lot farther up Market Street. If that lot’s full, go around Macy’s and you’ll see a Wannamaker parking lot. There ought to be some spaces left in there.”