“And you’re not telling Grace.”

Sal nodded in agreement. “No I’m not.” He couldn’t even imagine having that conversation. “Thanks, man.” He turned around and went back to searching for cars.

CHAPTER 26

“You bought me a car?” Grace stared at Sal for a moment then glanced back at the black Jetta parked in the restaurant’s parking lot.

“It’s a write off.” Sal shrugged. “I can list it as a delivery car for the restaurant but it’s yours.”

Grace shook her head. “I can’t accept this, Sal.”

“Why not?”

She laughed. “What do you mean why not? You bought me a car.”

“I’m telling you, the restaurant can use the write-off.”

Hearing about write-off’s reminded her of Frank and his hotel. Her mom was still pushing the trip. “I can’t afford the insurance.”

Sal pulled her into his arms. “You won’t be paying for it.”

“You’re crazy. You can’t buy me a car and expect me to let you pay for the insurance.”

“Yes, I can. Remember I said I’d do anything for you?” He kissed her. “I’m not being as selfless as you think. I did this just as much for myself as I did for you. It’s for my own piece of mind, Grace. I hate knowing you’re on the bus.”

Grace pulled away from him and walked over to the car. “I don’t even have a license.”

“Do you know how to drive?”

She ran her fingers over the side of the car as she walked alongside it. “Yeah, one of my mom’s ex-husbands taught me. I passed all the classes I needed to and took all the tests, just not the main driving one.” She glanced back at Sal, still unable to believe he’d done this. “By the time I was ready for it they were divorced. Her next husband drove a motorcycle. No way was I testing in that and since I didn’t have a car, I never bothered.”

“So you go get it with this now.”

She turned and leaned against the car. “I can’t believe you.”

Sal walked up to her and leaned against her. “You’re not mad are you?”

“How can I be mad?”

He kissed her softly. “You and your sisters can go places on your own now. Shopping—the movies.”

She lifted an eyebrow, remembering what Taylor had said about the way Sal had looked at him. Then she remembered his reaction to Frank showing up at the restaurant. She really hoped this car thing had nothing to do with him not wanting her to spend time with Joey and Taylor. “I’ll make an appointment with the DMV.”

Sal smiled satisfied. “Good.”

~*~

Sal muttered under his breath as he finished up the schedule for the next week. A few days after he’d gifted Grace her car, she brought up going out with her friends. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with your family and friends and I love it, but I’d also love for us to spend time with Taylor and Joey.”

He should’ve known Grace was too smart to not pick up on him hoping the car would also make her less dependent on Joey and Taylor. He didn’t realize he was still muttering until Alex walked in the back. “What’s your problem?”

Sal didn’t even look at him. “Nothing. I just gotta hurry and get out of here.”

“Where you headed?” Alex opened up the cabinet.

Sal turned to face Alex. “To get Grace. We’re hanging out with her friends tonight.”

Alex obviously picked up on the sarcasm because he smirked and waited for the punch line.

“The two guys that used to pick her up before I started taking her home.”

Alex’s jaw dropped. “She still hangs with them?”

“Well, she’s always with me now. But every now and again she’ll do something with them, shop—catch a movie.”

Alex’s faced soured. “And you don’t have a problem with that?”

Sal stood up. “They’re g*y and they’re her best friends.”

He grabbed his phone off the desk and searched for his keys. “I think I’d still have a problem with it. Some of those guys swing both ways.”

Sal stopped and squeezed his eyes shut. Damn. He and Alex did think alike. He never thought it possible. He hated to admit it, but deep down he did worry about that. He’d justified the ridiculous paranoia to him being so crazy about Grace, but he didn’t like to think he and Alex thought the same when it came to women. Geez.

“Yeah, well I trust Grace. And she’s hardly around them anymore anyway. Which is why we’re doing this tonight.” And if Sal had to be honest with himself a part of him was actually anxious to get to know them—make sure once and for all that he didn’t have anything to worry about.

Alex shook his head. He obviously didn’t agree with Sal but who cared. Sal knew he could trust Grace. All the way to Grace’s apartment, Sal tried to think positive. He was determined to make tonight a good thing. These guys were a part of her life and it wasn’t fair for him to ask that she just forget about them.

Both she and Rose came out after he texted her to tell her he was there. They stopped to pick up a twelve pack of beer and some chips. Then they drove to a slightly better neighborhood than Grace’s about ten minutes away and he parked his car on the street, making sure he set the alarm.

Grace smirked when he clicked it twice to double check that it was set. “What?”