by Melissa Hill
‘I’m sorry, but Mama Elene passed away a couple of years ago. I am Carlotta.’
‘Oh.’ Colette’s heart sank at the news. She couldn’t believe the warm, smiling woman was truly gone. ‘What about Luca, her nephew? Do you know him?’
‘Of course I know him.’ Carlotta smiled in such a way that Colette knew in her bones she and Luca were romantically involved. Hell, for all she knew the attractive woman in front of her could well be her former lover’s wife! ‘He is the owner of the restaurant now, but he just stepped out. You can wait a few minutes and he will be back,’ she explained and Colette’s heart quickened.
‘Oh no, it’s fine,’ she said quickly, panicking now. ‘I was just passing and I really need to go anyway. It’s no big deal, truly.’
‘He was only going out for a few minutes,’ Carlotta insisted. Then she looked behind her, back towards the kitchen. ‘In fact, I think he might already be back.’
‘Really, it’s OK.’
Colette had to get out of there now. She turned and walked quickly out the door and kept her gaze to the ground as she rushed back to the taxi, terrified of maybe bumping into him on the street outside.
She couldn’t see Luca now. She just couldn’t. She didn’t want to look into that face, those eyes and not know what she would feel.
Reaching the car, Colette told the driver to take her straight back to Sorrento as originally planned.
No more walks down memory lane while she was here – it was much too dangerous.
From here on, it was all about the now.
Chapter 48
Now
‘Where’s your passport?’ Annie called as she turned the couch cushions over.
Their flight to Naples was in a couple of hours and things were upside down. Charlie had been playing with his passport the night before; now it was missing and Annie was seriously stressed.
‘I’m sorry, Mum. I don’t know where I put it,’ he called down from his room. Annie had sent him up to do another sweep to ensure the essential document hadn’t been overlooked.
She slapped her hands on her hips as she looked around the living room and shouted back to him. ‘It has to be somewhere, so go find it. We can’t go to Italy without it, Charlie. If you don’t find it, we aren’t going.’
‘No!’ her son shouted down from upstairs. ‘I’ll find it.’
Annie sighed. It had been a frantic morning already.
She’d overslept when her mobile phone battery had died during the night, and now this.
She flipped over another throw and stuffed her hand between the back of the seat and the cushion. Much to her relief, she felt something slim and leathery beneath her fingers and pulled it out.
There it was.
‘Found it!’ she called. Seconds later Charlie’s happy footsteps were heard rushing down the stairs and the sight of him instantly tempered the brewing storm inside her.
She’d been in rotten form all week, mostly due to the fact that the bank had – despite Annie’s pleas and Nick’s support – refused her loan application.
#GlamSquad, the salon, Annie’s pride and joy, and the business she’d spent the last four years pouring her life, her heart – and all of Felicity’s bequest – into, her entire livelihood, was finished.
This trip would be Annie O’Doherty’s last hurrah – her last-chance saloon.
If nothing else, the weekend in the sun would be a chance for Charlie to enjoy himself and be happy and carefree before life for them as a twosome changed utterly.
‘Come here,’ she called, her tone mellowing as she pulled her little giant into her arms and hugged him. ‘I didn’t mean to snap at you,’ she apologised. ‘I’m just a little frazzled. We’re running late and I don’t want to miss the flight.’
‘I know, Mum. It’s all right. I’m a big boy,’ Charlie answered as he looked back at her with his trademark toothy grin. There were very few things that turned Annie’s heart to mush but her son’s smile was top of the list.
A knock on the door interrupted them.
‘That must be Nick,’ she announced. ‘Why don’t you take your backpack out to the car, and I’ll bring the rest of our stuff, OK?’
Charlie nodded and duly grabbed his bag from the floor, tossing it on his back before he ran for the door.
Annie took a deep breath. She was really going back to Italy.
Back to where it all began.
Chapter 49
‘Annie – over here!’ she heard someone call out, as she and Charlie came through to the Arrivals terminal in Naples airport.
‘Kim, what are you doing here?’ She wasn’t prepared for this. She’d told her friend they were coming, of course, but she hadn’t expected to see her until later, after they’d arrived at the hotel.
Shite … Annie put a hand up to her clothes, instinctively straightening the wrinkled T-shirt she’d worn under her zip-up top on the flight.
She’d fully intended to doll herself up to the nines beforehand and appear at the hotel looking and feeling like a film star, but since they were running so late, and she’d been getting Charlie ready, too, she’d barely had the chance to dress herself.
Kim, by comparison, looked like she’d just stepped off a catwalk, dressed as she was in a floaty silk floral top, blinding white capri trousers, hot pink espadrilles, and a pair of Gucci cat-eye sunglasses perched atop her chic blonde head.
‘Surprise!’ she cried cheerfully, pulling Annie into a huge hug, as Charlie looked on. ‘And of course I’d be here. Where else would I be? I took the day off so I’m all yours – I hope,’ she added.
Kim released her hold on Annie and then turned to Charlie. ‘Oh my goodness, you’ve got so big!’ Despite having only briefly met her once when he was smaller, he immediately flung two happy arms around her waist. He was such a friendly child.
‘I’m so glad that you and your mum could come for the party. Why don’t we get you in the car so we can show you what Italy’s like?’
‘Yes!’ Charlie exclaimed. ‘Where is it?’
‘Right this way,’ Kim instructed as she placed her hand on his back and directed him to where a snazzy convertible was waiting.
Annie tried to dampen down her inner resentment as Charlie’s eyes widened in awe at the open roof.
She closed her eyes and took several cleansing breaths.
Once in the car, Kim’s animated conversation and obvious delight at their reunion continued, but Annie couldn’t work up sufficient enthusiasm to match it.
Mostly, she listened to her chatter away to Charlie while she watched the world go by, a leaden lump in her stomach as she began to relive the same journey she’d taken all those years before, when she’d thought the world was her oyster.
‘Are you OK?’ Kim asked, noticing Annie’s silence.
She smiled wanly. ‘I’m grand. Just a bit tired after the flight. How’s Gabriel and Lily?’
‘All good. They’re out and about today but should be back at the hotel later. Lily is so excited about having another child to play with in the pool, which hopefully means you and I will have some quiet time to catch up.’ She winked conspiratorially. ‘Aw, it’s such a shame Colette isn’t coming out till Friday, though – it won’t feel real until all three of us are back together.’
‘She isn’t? That’s a shame.’ This was news to Annie. She’d have thought Colette and Ed would be there in advance of the party to support Kim.
‘I know, right? Apparently Ed can’t get away from work.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I mean, I totally get that, but still …’
Kim chit-chatted on about this and that and old times, trying to catch up on everything that had happened in Annie’s life since they’d seen each other the year before last.
Of course, Annie didn’t utter a word about her business worries or the fact that her life had only recently turned into a complete disaster, and she and Charlie were facing a scarily uncertain future – something made all the more acute as Kim then chattered
animatedly about last-minute preparations and hitches with the launch, and all her grand plans for the party.
Talk about chalk and cheese …
Conversation ebbed and flowed along the journey until eventually, they reached the outskirts of Sorrento. The only one really talking by this point was Charlie, who had a thousand and one questions to ask Kim.
His lively chatter automatically quieted Annie’s discomfort and mercifully also seemed to distract Kim.
Once she and Charlie were checked in to their room at the Excelsior, agreeing to meet Kim back downstairs once they got settled, he was in her ear.
‘Can I go down to the pool now? Please, please, please?’
‘Go on then, munchkin,’ she teased fondly, as he ran to the bathroom to get changed, then took off for the water at breakneck speed once they got back down.
As she kept an eye on her son from her vantage point beneath an umbrella at a nearby patio table, Annie couldn’t believe that here he was, actually running and bouncing around the part of the world in which he was conceived.
How had the time gone by so quickly? It felt like only yesterday that she’d found out about his impending arrival once she’d returned back home, and became desperately worried about how she was going to cope.
She looked up now to see Kim approach with her phone to her ear, and a concerned look on her face.
‘Everything OK?’ she asked once her friend was off the phone.
‘Sure …’ Kim replied distractedly.
‘OK, let’s try that again,’ Annie said balefully, lowering her sunglasses as she stared at her. ‘It’s me you’re talking to, remember? And it might have been a while, but I still recognise that look.’
Kim’s gaze shifted around uncomfortably.
Yep, something was definitely up.
Her friend sighed and this time looked her square in the eye.
‘It’s just … there’s been a few issues with the launch lately.’
‘What do you mean? You said in the car earlier that everything was ready to go.’
‘I thought it was,’ she replied wearily. ‘I managed to get round most of my last-minute hitches. But now there’s a problem with the caterers I’d booked for the party.’ Her shoulders slumped defeatedly.
‘What? Very last minute, isn’t it? What are you going to do at this stage?’
‘I don’t know.’ Kim bit her lip.
‘Ah, feck it, let’s just have a cocktail and you can sort it all out later,’ Annie suggested, falling back on her default in the hope that it might cheer Kim up.
‘Hey,’ a smooth American voice interrupted them, and Annie jumped a little to see Gabriel standing there, a little girl hoisted up on his hip.
‘Hey, Annie, glad you could make it,’ he said, smiling. Annie didn’t know where to look when he reached across to peck her on the cheek. ‘It just wouldn’t have been the same for Kim if you and Colette weren’t here, too. Back to where all the magic happened.’
He winked at his wife and Annie noticed her shoot him a definite look in return.
‘It wasn’t magic for everyone, you know. And speaking of which, I really need to see if I can work some magic of my own to try and get this latest snag sorted,’ she grumbled, putting her phone to her ear once again. ‘See you guys later, OK?’ Kim reached over and gave Lily a quick kiss on the cheek.
‘She’s tired,’ Gabriel said. ‘I’m going to take her up for a nap for a little while.’
‘Sure …’
But it was obvious that Kim was already miles away, and Annie couldn’t help but notice the irritated look on Gabriel’s face as he walked away.
Trouble in paradise?
Now that was interesting …
Chapter 50
Now
‘Oh my God! Colette? You almost gave me a heart attack,’ Kim heard Annie exclaim behind her, as she put the phone to her ear, and she turned back, unable to believe her eyes. ‘You’re here – already? I thought you weren’t making it out until the launch day?’
‘Well, I was, because Ed couldn’t get away till then, but then last minute I decided to come out on my own and he’ll follow. He has a lot going on at work and couldn’t get away,’ Colette explained to Annie.
Kim rushed back to embrace her friends, delighted all three were reunited at last. The strain in Colette’s voice was evident, though – as it had been when she’d initially called to explain about her and Ed’s arrangements, and Kim suspected that perhaps she wasn’t the only one having family issues.
While in her own case there might still be a way to remedy those, she knew in her friend’s situation, it wasn’t so easy.
There was still no news on the baby front for them then, despite Colette’s confession during that call that her period was late – and her hopes that on this trip, maybe she and Ed might have something to celebrate, too.
Again, whenever she talked to her, Kim felt guilty about how shocked and distraught she’d been when she fell unexpectedly pregnant with Lily, when she knew poor Colette would’ve given anything for a surprise like that.
‘Where’s Charlie?’ she asked Annie now, and Kim had to laugh when, as if on cue, a dripping-wet child dashed towards his unsuspecting mother and hugged her from behind.
‘Ah, Charlie, you drenched me!’
‘Oh, he’s just having fun.’ Colette chuckled and kneeled down to say hello. ‘Hello there. You don’t know me but I’m an old friend of your mum’s. My name’s Colette.’
Kim smiled, watching her interact with Charlie on his own level. She truly had a natural way with children, which made it all the more heartbreaking that she couldn’t seem to have any of her own.
‘So how have you all been?’ Colette questioned as she took a seat at the table alongside Annie. ‘It seems much longer than five years.’
‘I saw you guys in London just after I had Lily, remember?’ Kim reminded. ‘So not that long for us.’
‘But I definitely haven’t seen you since before our wedding,’ Colette said to Annie. ‘Charlie was just a baby then. And look at him now …’
‘I know. Again, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it,’ Annie stated. ‘How’s Ed?’
Colette’s features twitched infinitesimally. ‘Ah, you know, all work, work, work,’ she mused, as she tried to pass off her obvious unease.
Kim really needed to be getting back to work but she so wanted to stay here and linger over pina coladas and catch up with them for as long as she could. Even if hers needed to be a virgin one. She wrestled hard with herself, unable to believe that there was another snag, yet another fire to put out.
It was getting to the point where it would be a miracle if the launch happened at all.
‘Charlie really is growing up so fast, Annie,’ Colette was saying.
‘I can’t believe it either. It’s as if he was born yesterday.’
‘He doesn’t look so much like you, though. Perhaps he’s more like his dad?’
The colour seemed to drain from Annie’s face at this and Kim was surprised that the topic of Charlie’s dad would have such an effect on her friend, given that she’d always been so open about the fact that it was just an ill-fated encounter.
‘He’s a great kid,’ Kim put in quickly. ‘So happy and fun-loving, and I have no doubt that he’ll make you really proud.’
‘He already does,’ Annie said with a smile. ‘And what about you, Kim? How are you finding motherhood these days?’
‘Oh, where’s Lily? Is she here?’ Colette chimed in, looking around.
‘Aw, you just missed her and Gabriel, but you’ll see them later, I’m sure.’
‘Do you have any pictures? I’d love to see them.’
Kim flipped the cover open on her phone case and entered her passcode. She flicked her finger upwards in rapid succession as she looked for the most recent photos she had of her daughter.
The further down the list she went, the worse she began to feel. She really was her mother’s daughter.
&
nbsp; There were tons of pictures of the villa project, some professional shots for social media, and other stuff she’d been sent for approval from the marketing department.
Finally, she found a few from a weekend trip earlier in the year. Gabriel had insisted she take a break from the seemingly endless villa preparations, and the three of them had headed to the Hamptons for a few days.
Kim still had to work most of the time but there were a few occasions when she took an hour or two away to focus on him and Lily.
‘We went boating,’ she commented, as she handed the phone to Colette, feeling a little on edge as she watched her pass the phone in turn to Annie, who seemed even more curious.
‘You all take such perfect pictures,’ she sighed as she handed the phone back, but Kim thought she noticed an edge to her tone. ‘Lily looks sooo like her dad. No offence, Kim, but I can’t really see you in her except for the colour of her hair.’
‘That’s probably for the best,’ she chuckled ruefully. The fact that her daughter looked more like Gabe and called for him when she was frightened or couldn’t sleep didn’t really bother her. Kim had work to do and she did it. He had more time.
‘Kim?’ Colette’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
‘Sorry, what?’
‘I was just saying that it might be nice to head over to Positano for dinner for old times’ sake later, if you can spare an evening. A good excuse for the three of us to catch up before everything gets too crazy for you. What do you think?’
‘Ah, for goodness’ sake, Charlie!’ Annie yelled then, as her son dive-bombed into the pool, sending a huge spray of water in their direction. Kim jumped back just in time for it to miss her but Colette and Annie, who were both sitting poolside, got soaked. ‘What the hell were you playing at?’ she scolded.
Colette laughed it off. ‘Ah, don’t worry, Annie. He was just doing exactly that – playing. It’s what kids do.’
‘Thanks for the advice, Colette, but maybe save it for your own child,’ she snapped, brushing water off her clothes.