Breathe by Donna Alward Read Free Book Online

Aurelia’s and began spooning little bits of the rice mixture into the baby’s mouth.
    â€œAren’t you going to eat?”
    He still hadn’t moved from his spot beside the counter. Without looking at him, she fed Aurelia, mimicking opening her mouth and closing it without thinking. “I’ll eat once Aurelia’s through and happy. Don’t wait for me.”
    His feet moved and she heard him getting his own plate, then pausing by the stovetop. “I could wait. We could feed the children and then eat together.”
    Anna concentrated on scooping up rice on the spoon, toying with the grains as Aurelia fisted another piece of bread to her mouth. The invitation had been clear. It was an intriguing thought. Dinner with Jace. Perhaps after the children were in bed, when dusk was settling in and the day was winding down. The two of them, perhaps some candlelight and the rest of the bottle of wine. Peace and quiet and…
    Resolutely, she stuck out the spoon. That was impossible. It suggested romance, and Anna was not interested in that, not by a long shot. Nor was Jace. He liked things fast and loose with no commitments, no baggage. He’d always preferred it that way. And she was a single mother. She had so much baggage at this point she didn’t know what to do with it all.
    He’d let her stay here as the gesture of a friend, nothing more. And she knew she’d never be the woman he wanted. Especially now. Stefano had taken a few things with him when he’d died. One of them being her pride. She was working on getting that back. But after Jace, and then Stefano, Anna was not interested in love again. It hurt too much. It hurt to have expectations of people only to have them let you down.
    And she’d made a promise to herself and to her children. They would come first. They would feel wanted and loved and like they belonged. She spooned more rice into Aurelia’s waiting mouth.
    â€œI don’t believe in feeding the children and getting them out of the way,” she replied coldly, scraping the bottom of the bowl and building the risotto into a mound. “Maybe I serve myself last, but families sit down together. Matteo, Aurelia and me…we’re a family.”
    Wordlessly, Jace finished filling his plate and took a seat at the head of the table. She realized belatedly that she’d just insulted him. She had deliberately excluded him when he was generous enough to offer them all a place to stay. He couldn’t see that she was trying to make everything up to her babies. She’d trusted where she shouldn’t have and now they were paying the price. She had to make the right choices. For once.
    â€œI’m sorry, Jace, that was rude of me.”
    He looked up from his dinner, his eyes dark with what she’d swear was condemnation mixed with acceptance. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to living alone.”
    She pushed aside Aurelia’s bowl and looked at Matteo. He was eating, but the way he held his head let her know he was also listening closely. “It’s an adjustment you are making for us, and we appreciate it. I know we’ll all try to respect your boundaries.”
    She got up and finally fixed herself a plate, though she suddenly didn’t feel like eating.
    This was not a family. It was a mess. She swallowed and again set her lips. But it would be a family. She’d make sure of it. It would take time. That was all.
    A crash echoed through the kitchen. Jace cursed sharply and Aurelia started crying.
    Anna put down her plate with a sigh and went to Matteo, who was sitting in his chair staring at the floor where water and glass mixed on the tile.
    â€œAre you hurt?”
    Jace had pushed out his chair. “He did that on purpose.”
    Anna sighed again. One child was enough. “Matteo. Please apologize to Jace.” She said it firmly, feeling suddenly exhausted. Would she never get any