Syndi Powell - Healing Hearts

He stared at her with a faint smile on his face. “Are you sure about that? You seem a little too adamant.”

“I protest too much, in other words?” She gave a shrug. “There’s something about him that really bugs me. I can’t describe it.”

She could tell Mateo wasn’t convinced. Not that it should matter if he was. Mr. Harrison wasn’t her type. She didn’t want to get involved with a workaholic who spent his life on his cell phone, rather than paying attention to the world around him. She knew too well what that was like. And she didn’t intend to go down that path again.

She gripped the door handle. “Thank you again for a lovely evening.”

“My pleasure.”

He started to open his door, but she put out a hand to stop him. “You don’t need to walk me to the door. I’ll be fine.”

“I may not be interested in you romantically, but I haven’t forgotten my manners.”

She got out of the car and waited for him to join her on the sidewalk. At the house, Mateo stood on the bottom step as she unlocked the front door. When it opened, she turned and looked down at him. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Good luck on your second-chance list.”

“Sherri told you?”

He nodded. “I think it’s great that you’re trying to get back into life after your brush with cancer.”

“It was more than a brush.”

He frowned. “You know my mother died from breast cancer? It was horrible to watch the life drain away from her daily.” His expression softened. “So the fact that you’re grabbing life with both hands is something to be proud of. Best of luck with the rest of your list.”

She stepped inside her house and watched him as he turned on his heel, got back into his car and left. She shut the door and locked it before placing her clutch on the table along with her keys. Leaning on the door for a moment, she retrieved her cell phone from the purse and texted Page. Salsa dancing fun. No sparks with Mateo.

A few seconds later, her cell phone rang. “What do you mean there were no sparks? The man is soooo hot, so smart—”

“We had a good time, but there was no chemistry between us.” April plopped onto the sofa and kept the phone wedged between her ear and shoulder as she took off one shoe, then the other. “Besides, the cancer thing puts him off a little.”

Silence on the other end. Then Page cleared her throat. “Did he actually say that?”

“No, he mentioned his mom died from it and how hard that was to watch.” She massaged one foot and eased into the sofa. “It’s fine. We’ll just be friends. No big deal.”

“So what’s next on your list?”

She plucked her journal from the coffee table and opened it. “I saw an ad in the staff lounge about Italian cooking classes being offered nearby. You know I’ve always wanted to learn to cook, so why not pasta?”

“I don’t think even you could burn water.”

“Want to take the class with me?”

More silence, then a huff of resignation. “Fine. Let me know when and where.”

* * *

ZACH BAGGED MRS. ZERELLI’S groceries as his grandmother rang up the purchases. “You’ve grown into a fine young man, Zachary.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Zerelli.” He tucked one paper bag under his arm and hoisted the second. “Why don’t I walk these out to the car for you?”

She patted his cheeks as his grandmother beamed at him. “Such a good boy.”

He escorted Mrs. Zerelli to her car and waited for her to unlock the trunk before placing her bags of groceries inside and slamming it shut. He waved away the dollar she tried to press into his hand. “It’s all part of the Rossi service, Mrs. Zerelli.”

Again, the woman patted his cheeks. “Francisco and Angelina are lucky to have you.”

He swallowed the guilt that gnawed at him since he hadn’t been with his grandparents much the last few weeks. But he smiled and opened the car door for Mrs. Zerelli, then closed it once she was inside. He waved as she backed out of the parking spot and left the lot.

Behind the register, Nonna was ringing the next customer’s purchases. For a snowy Saturday in late February, his grandparents’ market seemed to be bustling with business. Zach had planned on stopping in to get a recommendation for a caterer for the Ramos wedding, but seeing the lines and Nonna’s stooped figure behind the register changed it. When he’d been a kid, he’d helped out plenty of afternoons and weekends.

He returned to Nonna’s side and started to bag the groceries. She turned to him. “I’m surprised to see you. I thought you were at your office.”

“It’s Saturday.”

Nonna gave him a look, and he flushed. Okay, so he’d been working a lot lately, but his mother depended on him. “Actually, I was hoping to get some ideas from you for a client of mine. Well, a potential client.”

“I don’t know anything about sports. You should talk to Pops about that. He’s looking after the meat counter today.” She told the customer the total cost of her purchases as he finished putting the items in the bags. “Have a great day, and we’ll see you on your next visit.”

The customer left, and Nonna started to ring up the next person’s groceries. Zach leaned in to whisper in her ear. “This isn’t about sports. It’s about throwing a wedding.”

Nonna paused from her work and stared at him. “I didn’t even know you were dating.”

He jerked up his hands like a criminal caught red-handed. “I’m not. Like I said, it’s for a client. I need to throw him a quick wedding, and I know nothing about how to do it. The ceremony, the reception, caterers, music, Marissa took care of all of that before.”

Nonna called over to one of her staff and had him take over the register. She put her arm through Zach’s and pulled him into the office. She took a seat behind the desk, opened one of the drawers and brought out a large white binder. “These are all my neighborhood contacts. Flowers. Food. Music. A hall. Whatever you need.”

Zach accepted the book and kissed her cheek. “You’re the best.”

She laughed and stood. “Now, out of my way. We’re busy.”

He glanced around the market. “I could give you a hand for a little bit.”

“Trying to worm your way into a dinner invitation?”

He gave a shrug. “I haven’t had your cooking in a long time. I think I’m overdue.”

She paused. “And your mother?”

He didn’t know what shape she’d be in, but he could check on her and bring her with him if it was a good day. “We’ll see.”

“She’s my daughter, and I haven’t seen her in weeks.”

Zach understood that, but his first concern was his mother’s health. “Dinner at seven?”

This time, she kissed his cheek loudly. “You are a good boy.”

He didn’t know about that, but he tried. As he was leaving, he almost ran down a woman in a pastel pink jacket with matching hat and scarf. She tried to peer around him into the office. “Sorry, miss. Do you need something?”

She took off her hat, and he noticed that it was Dr. Sprader. Her jaw dropped at his presence, then she pursed her lips. “I was looking for Mrs. Rossi. I wanted to sign up for her cooking classes.”

“It’s you.” He shook his head, knowing that didn’t come out right. “My grandmother’s right here.” He turned to Nonna. “You still teach those?”

She shrugged and motioned for the doctor to come into the office. “I like to pass along my knowledge, so why not? Our next class is next Tuesday. Zach, it wouldn’t hurt you to brush up on your cooking skills.”

Dr. Sprader seemed a bit stunned. “Your grandmother?”

Nonna looked between him and the doctor. “You two know each other?”

“We keep bumping into each other.” The doc bristled at that and turned her back to him. “I was hoping to sign up my friend and me. But I have to admit, we’re both novices at cooking.”