Loving You by Maureen Child Read Free Book Online Page B

shore.
    Only a half hour or so away from Monterey, Chandler was a world unto itself. A throwback to a gentler era, the wide Main Street looked like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. With forests and a lake on one side of town and the ocean on the other, Chandler had the best of everything—an easy commute to a big city but the comfort and irritations of a small town. The local gossips spread news faster than the
New York Times
, and there wasn’t a kid in town who could get away with anything. But there was a sense of community here you just didn’t find most places.
    The Candellanos had been in Chandler for years. Like most of the Italian families in the area, they’d been drawn to Northern California generations ago, by the fishing industry, the canneries, and the vineyards. They’d stayed, raised their families, and become a part of the tapestry that was California.
    Familiar faces dotted the crowd in the coffee shop and a few of them turned to smile at Nick as he walked across the room. He nodded in greeting but kept walking, hoping no one would start a conversation until he’d had some coffee.
    Following his nose, he stepped up close, rested his forearms on the gleaming wooden counter, and glanced at his twin brother, Paul. Fraternal twins, the two of them were absolutely
nothing
alike. Either in looks or in personalities. But they shared a closeness that only another set of twins would understand. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
    Paul shrugged and winked at his new wife. “I’m going in late today.”
    Nick shook his head and watched as Stevie and Paul shared one of those secret, incredibly intimate looks that only couples understood. Electricity arcing between the newlyweds nearly singed Nick’s eyebrows. Amazing.
    Before Stevie had entered his life completely, Paul would never have considered missing work. The man’s brain was as fast and complicated as the computer programs he designed. But apparently, he’d found something with Stevie that was bigger—more important to him than the work that had always been his driving ambition.
    A small twinge of envy spiked through Nick, then disappeared again almost before he could be surprised at it. After all, he’d never wanted a steady relationship—a marriage. Hell, if he’d been interested in that, he wouldn’t have blown it with Stevie years ago. Even as he thought it, he realized that his time with Stevie felt like another lifetime ago. Now, when he looked at her, he saw … a sister. Paul’s wife.
    Weird.
    â€œSo what’s up with you?” Paul asked, splintering Nick’s thoughts.
    â€œI’m hiding out from the Marconis.”
    â€œA little loud over there?” Stevie asked, reaching behind her for a pot of coffee sitting on a warmer. From beneath the counter, she pulled out a bright yellow mug, filled it to the brim, and slid it across the counter to Nick.
    He bent his head and inhaled, sucking in the rich aroma that cleared his head and opened his eyes. “God bless you, my child.”
    Stevie laughed and leaned into Paul’s side before asking, “So what happened to you last night?”
    He picked up his mug, took a long sip, and let the hot dark brew slide down his throat, like a blessing from above. “Last night?”
    â€œYou were supposed to come over for dinner?” Paul reminded him, nodding his head toward his wife. “Stevie was cooking?”
    â€œOh, yeah.” Nick scraped one hand across his face. Hell, he’d forgotten all about the dinner in the face of his sudden could-be parenthood. Hardly surprising. Looking up at his twin, Nick thought for a minute about telling Paul what was going on. Asking him what he thought about it.
    But then he realized that Paul would probably tell Stevie, who would tell Carla, and then Mama was bound to find out and—good God. No. Best to keep the food chain of the