The Ex-Wife He Lost Forever novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: Flour

On Thursday the doctor said Cecilia was healed, and that she could do whatever she liked.

She came out into the sunshine on Pine Street and found Ettore leaning on his car with his hands in his pockets.

"Well?" he said.

"I have it in writing."

He didn't smile.

His gaze went very dark, and she felt it low in her stomach.

"Get in," he said. "I want to show you something first."

Ninth Street was narrow, with a tailor on one corner and a pharmacy on the other.

Halfway down stood a shop with its shutters pulled, and above the door in faded gold paint was her own name.

FONTANA'S.

She stopped on the sidewalk.

"Ettore. That's my father's shop."

"I know."

"I thought it was sold to a chain."

"It was sold to me." He held out a ring of brass keys. "Four years ago, when your father died and the estate had to pay his debts. I didn't want a stranger in it."

She stared at the keys without taking them.

"Why?"

"Someone ought to keep it."

"That's not a reason."

"It's the one I have."

She had heard that line before.

She took the keys and unlocked the door.

The air inside smelled of old wood, yeast and cold iron.

The long marble counter still ran under the window, and the ovens still stood against the back wall.

Everything was clean.

Someone had oiled the ovens, and the dough table was bare and scrubbed.

Her father's bread peel hung from its hook by the door.

Her eyes burned.

"Who's been cleaning it?"

"A man comes on Saturdays."

"I can't take this."

"I'm not giving it to you."

She looked at him.

"I'm renting it to you," Ettore said gravely. "Month to month."

"How much?"

"Whatever you think is fair."

"Four hundred a week. Cash. Every Friday, in an envelope. I'll put it in your hand."

"Fine."

"Don't say fine like that. You're humoring me."

"I'm not."

"You are," she said. "You'd say fine if I offered you a dollar."

He was quiet.

"A dollar would be fine," Ettore said.

She laughed, startled, the first real laugh since the bridge.

It broke off halfway and turned into something that shook in her chest.

He shut the door.

He turned the lock, and the sign swung on its string.

The shop was dim and warm.

"You said fourteen days," he said, very low.

← Chapter 10 · All chapters · Chapter 12 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend