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“I don’t think she sees David as her daddy,” said Salvatore, cutting a quick glance to Laura, who was staring at David with the kind of look I’ve never seen a daughter give her daddy. More like the kind of look Daphne Bridgerton gives the Duke of Hastings across the breakfast table.

“Do you think Laura is in love with David?” I asked therefore.

Salvatore stared at me.“In love? What do you mean, in love? David is Laura’s stepdad, Max. How can she be in love with her stepdad?”

“Well, they’re about the same age,” I said. “So naturally I would assume that theirs is a bond of a different nature than simply stepdad and stepdaughter.”

Salvatore glanced up at Laura again. The girl had her chin in her hand and was gazing at David with unflinching intensity while the man expounded at length on the different benefits of physical therapy. It was clear to me that the love light was strong in this one.

“You know what?” said Salvatore. “I think you’re confusing gratitude for love, Max.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Laura is obviously very grateful that David brought happiness into her mother’s life when he decided to marry her. Before David entered the picture, Bertha was prone to a certain moodiness. But since her surprise betrothal and subsequent marriage she’s been very happy. And Laura is simply grateful. That’s all there is to it.”

Laura looked more than grateful to me. In fact she looked like she wanted to make sweet, sweet love to the guy and feed him grapes in the aftermath. But I decided not to mention this to the teacup Maltese, who clearly was very fond of his human.

“I’m sure you’re right,” I said instead.

“She does look very grateful,” said Dooley. “She looks so grateful she could kiss him.”

“A chaste kiss,” I clarified when Salvatore frowned. “On the temple.”

8

That night we had our first Skype session with the family back home. Marge and Tex and even Gran had agreed not to skype the happy couple, wanting them to enjoy their honeymoon to the fullest, but Odelia and Chase insisted they wanted to keep the fam up to date and allow them to enjoy this happy vacation vicariously.

“So how is the food?” asked Marge, seated next to Tex and Gran. “Are they feeding you enough?”

“The food is fine, Mom,” said Odelia. “In fact the food is great.”

“Yeah, there’s plenty of restaurants to choose from,” said Chase, “so we decided to try a different one every day.”

“And how is the boat? It’s not one of those tiny old boats, is it?” asked Gran. “Where you constantly feel the motion of the ocean?”

“No, it’s a very big boat,” said Odelia. “Incredibly big, in fact. There must be thousands of people on board. There’s also an entire shopping mall on one of the lower levels, and restaurants, swimming pools, jacuzzis, a FlowRider surf simulator, climbing wall, state-of-the-art gym, movietheater, several bars, discos…”

“We already met a couple of our neighbors,” said Chase. “A great bunch of people.”

“In fact we have a very famous neighbor,” said Odelia.

“Who? Brad Pitt?” asked Gran excitedly.

“Not Brad Pitt. Lil Thug.”

There was silence on the other end, then Tex voiced the question that was clearly on all of their minds:“Who is Lil Thug?”

“Only one of the most famous rappers in the world.”

“A rapper? You’ve got a rapper as your neighbor?” asked Gran.

“A famous rapper. Isn’t that great?”

“Just make sure you put all your valuables in the cabin safe, honey. And lock it before you leave the cabin.”

“Oh, I don’t think Lil Thug is interested in our valuables, Gran. He’s got a diamond embedded in his forehead worth twenty million dollars.”

Gran blinked at this.“A diamond in his forehead? What the hell are you talking about?”

“He had a diamond implanted in his forehead,” Chase explained.

Gran stared at us. Then she shook her head.“Nah. I don’t get it.”

“It’s like a piercing,” Odelia said. “Only they used a diamond.”

“But… why?”

“Because it looks cool?” Chase offered.

“Cool! I’ll bet it makes him look like a complete moron!”

“No, it looks nice, in fact,” said Odelia. “Like some Indian women who put a red dot between their eyebrows? It’s called a bindi. Though those aren’t permanent I don’t think.”

“This is even worse than I thought,” said Gran. “This guy is obviously completely unhinged. Make sure you lock and bolt your door, unless you want Lil Mug or Lil Pug or whatever his name is to come barging in there in the middle of the night waving a machete.”

“Lil Thug is all right, Gran. He’s very fashion-conscious, which is where the diamond comes in.”

“He told us he’s been dreaming of owning this diamond for years,” Chase explained. “And how he’s been saving up so he could finally buy it.”

“Twenty million,” said Gran, sounding disgusted. “And to think there’s kids in Africa who don’t have anything to eat. You tell this thug from me that he’s a moron, will you?”