“Is there…” She seems to think better of it and shakes her head, picks up her fork again.
“What is it?”
“Never mind, it’s nothing.”
Then I set my own fork down.
“Tell me,” I say.
“It’s not worth it,” she says.
I have a feeling I know what she’s going to say.
“I wasn’t going to bring this up right now. I was going to let you have a couple more hours of normal, but…” I wait until she’s looking me in the eyes again. “I’m sending acouple of guys to your place tonight. I should’ve had you pack a go-bag, but I didn’t want to scare you any more than I already had.”
“Antonio, it’s all right. I don’t want to send anyone into danger,” she says.
“Elsa, it’s happening. So, if there’s anything specific you want, tell me, and I’ll relay it. I also have them going into Northstar to get your work bag and purse with your phone.”
Despite her initial protests, I can see that she really wants that. She doesn’t want to put anyone in danger, but she really wants her stuff. She feels lost without it.
“Tell me what matters most so nothing gets missed.”
Her throat works. “My passport is in my safe. My mother’s ring is in there too,” she adds, voice sharper, practical now. “I can give you the code.”
“That’s all right,” I say, lips twitching.
She shoots me a look, almost amused. “It’s in the—”
“The back of your closet, behind that tall dresser.”
She hits my arm with the back of her hand. “You snoop.”
“I don’t snoop,” I say, deadpan. “I assess.”
Her eyes narrow, but she’s amused. “Potayto, potahto. I bet you pawed through my underwear drawer too.”
“I resent the use of the word ‘pawed.’ I very carefully and skillfullyinspectedyour underwear drawer. You know, for false bottoms and whatnot.”
Her mouth twitches. “You are such a perv.”
“And yet, you love me anyway. It’s really you with the problem,amore mio.”
I grin, because it feels good to tease her.
Her expression softens, and she sets her fork down, turning toward me on the chair before leaning in and wrapping her arms around my neck. She rests her face against my throat.
I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her close.
She smells like my soap.
“I love you so much it makes my chest hurt,” she says quietly. Her arms tighten around my neck. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Easy,” I say, smoothing a hand down her back. “Just let me love you back. The rest is just details.”
She huffs a small laugh. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It is,” I say. “It can be.”