Letty winked. “I’ve never been one to need all this razzle dazzle. It’s the simple things.”
“You deserve a little razzle dazzle, Letty. But you’re right, it is about the little things. I plan to give you all those little things.”
“Oh, yeah?” Letty said as she curled a finger under Miles’s chin.
“Yeah,” Miles replied in a self-assured voice. “But first, we eat.”
The gentle sway of the music and the dim ambience lighting set the perfect mood as Letty and Miles enjoyed the intimate setting. Tea lights flickered on the table and the center piece of fragrant Tiger lilies reminded Miles of Letty’s perfume. The smooth and sensual tones of Louis Armstrong’s trumpet cried out from the speakers as Ella Fitzgerald began to sing “Dream A Little Dream Of Me.” Miles hooked his arm gently around Letty, pulling her closer with a subtle nudge of his hand. As Letty enjoyed the song, the atmosphere and most certainly the company that Miles provided, Letty rested her head onto Miles’s shoulder, letting the whiskers of his beard tickle her cheek.
A waiter swooped by with a drink menu and Miles promptly ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. The waiter quickly took down their orders—lobster tail and roasted vegetables for Letty, and filet mignon with a baked potato for Miles. As the waiter disappeared again, Letty rested her chin against Miles’s sturdy shoulder once more. Reaching for his hand, Letty rested her much smaller hand on top, but Miles quickly stole it away and kissed her palm. Miles appeared to have something on his mind. Thoughts were stirring and as he looked down at Letty, she saw the storm in his eyes.
“What?” Letty asked, her face falling from a smile.
Miles smiled just slightly. Reluctantly, he spoke. Whispering into Letty’s ear so no one else could hear him, Miles asked, “Do you remember the cabin we went to after our junior prom?”
Letty thought for a moment as her eyes lit up.
“Oh, yeah… wasn’t that your grandfather’s place? Up past Scranton, right? In Pennsylvania?”
“Yeah… Only, it was my mother’s place. That’s where she lived during the summer months after she divorced my father, right after Landon was born. We would go up there every summer.”
“That place was great. Tucked away. No one to bother us,” Letty said happily, still unsure of where Miles was going with this conversation. “Why do you ask?” Letty persisted.
Miles smirked a little as he adjusted himself in his seat. “Well, that belongs to me now.”
“Andie looked out for her Miles, that’s for sure,” Letty said with a smile.
“It’s not registered under the Capadonno name, but M.J. Cormack,” Miles explained.
“Do you think she foresaw something like this happening?” Letty asked.
“My mother was not dumb. Not by any stretch of the imagination. She knew what my father was, and throughout the marriage, the man she fell in love with all but disappeared, transforming into the monster that he is now.”
“And with six children. Your mother was brave to leave him. She had to have been scared out of her mind,” Letty said, looking a tad horrified herself.
Miles nodded gently. “That’s a story for another day, Letty. Point is, the cabin is off the grid. After this is all over, we’re going to go up there. Away from my father, away from his associates, away from the madness of Carrion. You and G need a safe place to live.”
“So do you,” Letty said as she placed her hand softly on his arm.
Miles smirked. “Don’t you worry yourself over it. I can handle myself pretty darn well. I made it this far, right?”
As Letty was about to reply, the waiter came back with their wine and shortly after, dinner was served. Letty thought everything looked so delicious. It had been some time since she had dined out in this fashion. Typically a night out for Letty consisted of taking G and Juan to their favorite pizza joint or a coffee date with some girlfriends. Letty and Miles relished in the delicious meal and the warm comfort of each other’s company, eager to see what the night held for them.
As Miles finished off his glass of wine and placed his fork down on the table with a gentle click, he reached for Letty’s hand. A soulful tune began to play from the speakers as Norah Jones’s voice of velvet began to sing “Come Away With Me.”