Chapter 9
Richard didn’t realize quite how smart he was.
Not that first night when they had eaten pappardelle and laughed and flirted.
Not the fifth night when they had tumbled into his bed and both wept with the wonder of discovery.
His introduction to the entire crowd at Maria’s had been a huge shock and a wonderful one. Against his better judgment, he’d brought Lana as well—that was when he learned just how pointless it was to argue against a pair of fifteen-year-old girls with a plan. He’d been overwhelmed, but he’d watched Lana drink it in like a tonic. She needed family and friends—thrived on it.
By the time he took both gals—his daughter and his lover—back to Angelo’s Tuscan Hearth Ristorante several months later, he thought maybe he was getting a little wiser. And maybe his da
