Читать книгу Firefighter's Doorstep Baby / The Soldier's Untamed Heart онлайн | страница 55

“Um. I just hope she decides to keep making this wonderful sauce. Does she sell it by the jar?”

He shook his head.

“She should. Maybe I can talk to her about that. She could consider an Internet mail-order business on the side. I bet folks would pay a premium. It obviously freezes well. I wonder how it could be shipped?”

“Ever the marketer?”

She nodded, but continued to look thoughtful.

“You said you went to university in New York? What was that like? Why there?”

“My dad was American, but he settled in Rome ages ago. Ever since I can remember the plan was for me to attend school there when I hit university level. After their death, it helped that New York is vastly different from Rome, so I didn’t have lots of memories to deal with at every turn. Maybe it helped with the grief, too. To have the coursework to concentrate on.”

“So now you’re back settled in Rome?” he asked.

“I’m Italian, so is Dante. There is nothing waiting for us in New York. When he’s older, I’ll take him there and show him the sights. It’s a fantastic city. But it’s not home.”

She looked up. “It was good to grow up in Rome, but I’m wondering if it might be even better to have a smaller town, where I could build a support group. A single mom will need help. I’ve lost touch with many of my friends from high school.”

And lost her best friend, he remembered.

“I couldn’t wait to move to Rome when I graduated. More vibrant, more things to do.”

“Of course. But when you got hurt, you came home. There’s a lot to be said for a country setting. Where in Rome can you get views like you have? Sitting on the patio, seeing the lake, the gorgeous hills. It’s fantastic.”

“Doesn’t offer a lot of opportunity for young people, though.”

“Ah, but that depends on what opportunities one’s looking for. I have a job, a child. My opportunities now lie in different areas than when I was single and fancy free.”

She smiled again and Cristiano was struck by her happy outlook. She seemed not to have a care in the world, though he knew differently. What was her secret to that optimistic outlook?