Chapter 76

“Well, there’s that. But I’m serious. We’re both about feeding people and showing love through what we put on the table. Feeding them is loving them, and I don’t think there’s a better or more basic way of letting someone know you love them than by giving them something wonderful to eat and filling up their bellies.”

“You’ve had too much wine,” Hank said. “But you are a dream come true for me, man. And I am right there with you—I have everything I could dream of. Right here. Right now.”

Ollie reached into the pocket of his pajamas, where he had managed to stuff a small velvet bag. He pulled it out so Hank could see.

“What the hell’s that? A Crown Royal mini? Haven’t we had enough tonight?”

Ollie tugged on the bag’s drawstring and brought out one of the sesame seed cookies he had made for dessert, one of the giugiuleni. He turned it in front of Hank like it was some kind of wonderful prize, chuckling.

“Oh God, Ollie, I’m so stuffed. I couldn’t.”