David lowered his eyes to his coffee to hide the smile tugging at his mouth. Veronica Scalese was becoming a problem.
An entertaining one, but still a problem. Luca turned his head slightly toward Vee, his jaw clenched. She did not speak. She did not need to. Her eyes said everything: Behave.
Luca stared at her. She stared back. A silent battle took place in the middle of David's café, and somehow, impossibly, Luca lost. He sighed. "Thank you for saving her," Luca said, each word tight and clearly painful. "You didn't have to."
David nodded slowly. "That must have been very hard for you to say."
Luca's eyes went flat. Vee closed her eyes for one second, praying for patience. Luca turned to her, anger flashing bright in his eyes, but Vee simply looked at him.
David found that fascinating. Vee stepped in again.
"Well," she said brightly, "thank you again. We will be on our merry way."
David lifted his coffee in a small, lazy gesture. "Have a nice day."
