stepped out into bright November sun. It warmed Nia. “Do you have time for lunch?”
“No, sorry. I have to get back for a class at the studio.” Appropriate to her temperament, Sofia owned a yoga studio. After having to give up dance, Sofia had been a student at Serenity Yoga and then stayed on to work as an instructor. When the beloved owner retired,Sofia bought the business.
They started down the street. Nia said, “I’ll go home, too, then.”
“Why don’t you stay in the city? It’s been rough for you, chaperoning the little ones. Take some time for yourself.”
“
Matka
said the same thing. The kids are back at school, and she’ll be there when they get home. She told me to take the day off from responsibility.” Nia thought for a moment.“Maybe I’ll buy some new clothes. I just realized how boring mine are.”
“Your clothes are lovely. Conservative, but they fit you.”
“Yeah, maybe that’s what I don’t like about them.”
They reached the subway stop. Before Sofia headed down the steps, she kissed her sister. “Thanks for coming.
Kocham ciebie
.”
“Kocham ciebie.”
Nia strolled along the avenue, window shopping, enjoyingthe honk of horns, the buzz of tourists and the tall buildings.
For a while, her observations kept her from recalling last night’s dream. It had been about Rafe. Never in her life had she dreamed about another man. Peter still populated her nocturnal imaginings, but not last night. It had been Rafe who’d stroked her hair with callused fingers. Rafe who’d kissed her forehead with firm lips.Rafe who’d held her hand
.
Nia chuckled out loud. Even her dreams were tame. They were all in earth tones. At least he could have…she stopped the thought. How long had she been thinking of Rafe in that way?
She hit three stores and ended up with some tailored mauve wool pants and matching sweater, a little black dress that was silky and a one-piece jumpsuit in a pretty copper that madeher eyes shine.
As it was close to noon, she stopped in front of a café, took out her cell phone and called Caterina.
“Agent Ludzecky.”
“Hi, Caterina. It’s Nia.”
“Hi, sis. How are you?”
“Fine. I’m in the city. My turn to go with Sofia this year.”
“And?” A note of worry permeated Cat’s voice
.
“Everything’s great. But I stayed in town. The house was closing in on me.Can you have lunch?”
“No, I’ve got a meeting with my boss. Sorry. If I’d known…”
“That’s okay. It was spur-of-the-moment.”
“Go down to the pub and have your meal. Patrick’s working.”
Nia chuckled at the inside joke. Their oldest sister, Caterina, had married into the famous O’Neil family. The only girl, Bailey, had become first lady and all the sons had led fascinating lives. Niaand her six sisters had picked an O’Neil brother who they thought was the cutest. Hers and Sofia’s was Pat. Elizabeita and Paulina picked Dylan, Ana thought it was Aidan, and Magdalena broke ranks and picked Clay Wainwright, the brother-in-law and former president of the United States.
She
would
to go to the Bailey’s Irish Pub in the Village. Still holding her phone, she grabbed a cab. Filledwith a sense of adventure, of independence, she again thought of Rafe. What the hell? As the cabbie negotiated the streets at a breakneck speed, she called up her contacts and punched in his number. He answered on the fifth ring. “Hey, Nia. Great to hear from you.”
He’d seen the caller ID, of course. “Hi. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
“No, I’m staring at a blank canvas. At timeslike these, I need to take a break. This is a welcome interruption.”
“I’m, um, I’m in the city.”
“Really, where?” He sounded pleased.
“I’m headed over to Bailey’s Pub for lunch, as we speak.”
“It’s almost impossible to get in there for lunch or dinner.”
“I have an in with them.”
“That’s right. They’re your sister’s family. I forgot. Are you meeting
“No, sorry. I have to get back for a class at the studio.” Appropriate to her temperament, Sofia owned a yoga studio. After having to give up dance, Sofia had been a student at Serenity Yoga and then stayed on to work as an instructor. When the beloved owner retired,Sofia bought the business.
They started down the street. Nia said, “I’ll go home, too, then.”
“Why don’t you stay in the city? It’s been rough for you, chaperoning the little ones. Take some time for yourself.”
“
Matka
said the same thing. The kids are back at school, and she’ll be there when they get home. She told me to take the day off from responsibility.” Nia thought for a moment.“Maybe I’ll buy some new clothes. I just realized how boring mine are.”
“Your clothes are lovely. Conservative, but they fit you.”
“Yeah, maybe that’s what I don’t like about them.”
They reached the subway stop. Before Sofia headed down the steps, she kissed her sister. “Thanks for coming.
Kocham ciebie
.”
“Kocham ciebie.”
Nia strolled along the avenue, window shopping, enjoyingthe honk of horns, the buzz of tourists and the tall buildings.
For a while, her observations kept her from recalling last night’s dream. It had been about Rafe. Never in her life had she dreamed about another man. Peter still populated her nocturnal imaginings, but not last night. It had been Rafe who’d stroked her hair with callused fingers. Rafe who’d kissed her forehead with firm lips.Rafe who’d held her hand
.
Nia chuckled out loud. Even her dreams were tame. They were all in earth tones. At least he could have…she stopped the thought. How long had she been thinking of Rafe in that way?
She hit three stores and ended up with some tailored mauve wool pants and matching sweater, a little black dress that was silky and a one-piece jumpsuit in a pretty copper that madeher eyes shine.
As it was close to noon, she stopped in front of a café, took out her cell phone and called Caterina.
“Agent Ludzecky.”
“Hi, Caterina. It’s Nia.”
“Hi, sis. How are you?”
“Fine. I’m in the city. My turn to go with Sofia this year.”
“And?” A note of worry permeated Cat’s voice
.
“Everything’s great. But I stayed in town. The house was closing in on me.Can you have lunch?”
“No, I’ve got a meeting with my boss. Sorry. If I’d known…”
“That’s okay. It was spur-of-the-moment.”
“Go down to the pub and have your meal. Patrick’s working.”
Nia chuckled at the inside joke. Their oldest sister, Caterina, had married into the famous O’Neil family. The only girl, Bailey, had become first lady and all the sons had led fascinating lives. Niaand her six sisters had picked an O’Neil brother who they thought was the cutest. Hers and Sofia’s was Pat. Elizabeita and Paulina picked Dylan, Ana thought it was Aidan, and Magdalena broke ranks and picked Clay Wainwright, the brother-in-law and former president of the United States.
She
would
to go to the Bailey’s Irish Pub in the Village. Still holding her phone, she grabbed a cab. Filledwith a sense of adventure, of independence, she again thought of Rafe. What the hell? As the cabbie negotiated the streets at a breakneck speed, she called up her contacts and punched in his number. He answered on the fifth ring. “Hey, Nia. Great to hear from you.”
He’d seen the caller ID, of course. “Hi. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
“No, I’m staring at a blank canvas. At timeslike these, I need to take a break. This is a welcome interruption.”
“I’m, um, I’m in the city.”
“Really, where?” He sounded pleased.
“I’m headed over to Bailey’s Pub for lunch, as we speak.”
“It’s almost impossible to get in there for lunch or dinner.”
“I have an in with them.”
“That’s right. They’re your sister’s family. I forgot. Are you meeting
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