"She would have liked you," Nico added.
Mara's breath caught at the way he said it… like he was stating an undeniable fact… a truth he had just acknowledged out loud for the very first time. And coming from Nico Ferrante, there was no higher praise in the world.
Mara kept her eyes fixed on the rolling water, blinking past a sudden, sharp sting in her eyes. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. "Rosa said the same thing."
"Rosa is right about most things," Nico said, pressing a lingering kiss to the crown of her wind-tousled hair. "Don't tell her I said that."
"You have my complete word," Mara replied. Then, leaning back against him with a soft smile, she whispered, "But I'm absolutely telling her the moment we get home."
Nico's chest rumbled with a quiet laugh. "I know," he said, sounding entirely resigned but deeply amused. "I walked directly into that one."
