“The one on the medal you wear?”

He reached up and touched the silver disc tucked into his shirt, as if he’d forgotten he regularly wore it. “That’s right—he’s my patron saint. The one I pray to a lot and who guides me. St. Francis was known for his love of animals. He lived a life of poverty and served others.”

“I’ve heard of him. The pope is named after him, right?”

“Yes, he took his name, which was a great honor.”

“What are some of the other saints?”

“St. Anthony is the saint of lost things. His church is in Padua, which also wasn’t on the tour, but I figured I should be happy since I’ve been able to pray in over a dozen amazing churches so far.” His blue eyes sparkled and I loved watching his face when he talked. He had a calm, warm energy that made me feel good inside. “St. Christopher protects travelers, so I have one of his statues in my car. My mom bought it the day I got my license.”

“I love the idea of feeling watched over.” Nonni had tried to get me interested in praying, but it was easier to follow my mom’s footsteps and not bother. The few times she dragged me to church had been so boring, I almost fell asleep. But at night, the loneliness struck me a lot. I felt sometimes like I was spinning in a world with no one to tether me.

“Did you ever lose someone close to you? Someone you feel is guiding you?” he asked curiously.

“No. My grandfather died before I was born, so I didn’t get a chance to get to know him. Mom and Nonni tell me stories, though.”

“You should read about the saints and find who speaks to you.”

“Maybe I will.” The waiter came over, and we ordered two sodas. “So, you don’t need to rush home to look for a job or anything? I know you just graduated. What are you going to do?”

The waiter dropped off our drinks. Ian took a sip, then gazed at me with an odd intensity. “I’m going back to school in the fall. I have the rest of the summer before I begin my next phase of life.”

“Cool. What are you getting your master’s in?”

A smile touched his lips. “Allegra, I’m going into the seminary. I’m studying to be a priest.”

I coughed as the soda spurted down the wrong pipe, and Ian had to pound me on the back. Holy crap! Did he just say what I thought?

“Sorry, I didn’t realize that would freak you out so much,” he said in amusement. “Did I shock you?”

“Um, yes. I mean, it’s great, I mean, I don’t know. I’ve never met anyone who wanted to be a priest. It’s kind of a dying profession, right?”