One Summer in Italy

by Sue Moorcroft

  Amy swished her straw, making the ice cubes rattle. Finally, she started to speak. ‘Do you have other kids?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Not that you know of,’ she corrected him – unanswerably, in the circumstances. ‘Do you feel like my dad?’

  He went for absolute honesty. ‘I don’t know. The news that I had a daughter, that she was already eighteen and I’d missed everything about her childhood, her school, her friends, was a massive shock. But the first moment I saw you I felt a connection.’

  She frowned. ‘I didn’t feel anything like that. I just thought you were a nice man.’

  He felt a tiny smile tug at the corner of his mouth. ‘That’s a start.’ He glanced at Sofia, whose brown eyes were soft with compassion. He would have given a great deal to slide an arm around her and take comfort from her warmth and softness. As if she’d read his mind he felt her leg press stealthily on his beneath the table, sending a tremor right through him. This meeting was all about Amy though, and he returned his focus to her as she began to burrow into his memories of the hen party weekend when she’d been conceived, even rolling her eyes at him when she found out he’d been younger than she was now. Eventually, she propped her chin on her hand and met his gaze squarely. ‘Sofia thinks I’m lucky to have found you while I’m still so young because we’ve got a lot of time to get to know each other if we want to.’

  Gratitude to Sofia set off a tiny explosion of warmth inside him. ‘I want to.’

  She withheld her vote. ‘And if I decide not to keep in touch with you, she said that’s my choice, but she thinks it’s a waste of a dad.’

  This served as a reminder of how few people Sofia had in the world and his voice emerged more huskily than he’d meant it to. ‘I can see why she’d feel like that, can’t you?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Amy fidgeted with her straw again, the shutters coming down on her expression. ‘Have you got a house here?’

  ‘I have.’ Impulsively, he added, ‘Sofia texted that you two are staying at the Travelodge. You could both come and stay with me instead if you want. My house is a reasonable size.’ He ignored the flicker of surprise on Sofia’s face.

  Amy turned to Sofia, eyebrows raised. ‘I suppose we could, couldn’t we?’ She shot a glance at Levi. ‘I mean, until we decide what to do next.’ Sofia shrugged and nodded, shooting Levi a quick glance of her own as if to say, ‘Didn’t see that one coming’.

  Amy sat up straighter. ‘Can I see where you work? Sofia says you own The Moron Forum.’

  It was Levi’s turn to be taken by surprise but something in Amy’s eyes told him she was putting him through a test. ‘I own most of it. Of course you can see where I work. As you’ve already discovered, other members of your family work in the building so you’ll probably see them too. They’ll want to meet you properly. Mum’s already given me a right ear-bashing for not telling her about you earlier. My brother Tyrone and his wife Beth have given Mum and Dad two granddaughters, Grace and Serena, and they definitely like being grandparents.’

  ‘Oh.’ Amy looked taken aback but also intrigued as he sprang family members on her. As usual, she touched base with Sofia. ‘You’ll come, won’t you?’

  ‘If you want me to.’ Sofia gave her a quick, comforting squeeze, flashing Levi a smile at the same time. He wondered who felt more reassured – himself or Amy.

  Nobody ate much of their food. Levi led them outside, ready to shepherd them across the market square and up the road to Gunn’s Motors, but Amy stopped and looked right instead, where a figure sat in the doorway of an empty shop. She glanced up at Levi. ‘There’s my friend Matt. Come and meet him.’

  This must be the one Sofia had told him about. Levi wished he’d paid a bit more attention because he had a hunch that Freya would freak if she knew. However, he replied, ‘Sure,’ and let Amy usher him over.

  Matt scrambled to his feet with a big grin for Amy. Then, checking Levi out, grin fading, his expression became anxious.

  Amy waved a vague hand. ‘This is Levi I told you about. My real dad.’

  ‘Yeah?’ The look Matt sent Levi seemed half-friendly, half-apprehensive. ‘Hello.’ He nodded and smiled at Sofia too.

  ‘Good to meet you.’ Levi extended his hand and Matt hesitated before he put his own none-too-clean one into it.

  Amy asked him a few questions about how things were going and whether he’d heard from the council.

  Matt looked agonisingly embarrassed. ‘I went down and they said I missed an appointment. I miscounted the days. I used to use my phone for my calendar and clock but once the contract ran out I sold it so I could get food.’ He hunched his shoulders and managed a smile. ‘I’ve made another appointment and my mate’s set up an alert on his phone for the day before. He’s going to come and get me then I’ll sleep at his place so I can shower.’

  Levi, listening to Amy replying earnestly, ‘I hope the council can house you soon,’ made a mental note to talk to his dad about the young homeless in Bettsbrough and what could be done to help them. Bryan was a leading light in the Rotary Club as well as the Chamber of Trade.

  Matt grimaced. ‘I hope so, too, but apparently I did everything wrong. I hated the idea of handouts so I didn’t claim benefits and stuff … but then I didn’t get a job either, so I’m stuffed while they assess me. I’ve sold nearly all my things except for a few clothes. I think the lady at the council’s trying to help though.’ He gave a half-laugh. ‘I thought about being a Big Issue seller but I don’t even know where to start signing up for that.’

  Levi wasn’t sure whether Matt really thought it was much of a joke. None of them joined in his laughter, anyway.

  They said goodbye and left Matt to his doorway as they turned towards Market Square. Amy sighed as soon as they were out of Matt’s view. ‘I feel really bad for him.’ She told Levi about how his stepdad had told him to leave the family home and his mum hadn’t stuck up for him.

  ‘I feel bad for anyone that kind of thing happens to,’ Levi said. He’d read about the infamous ‘downward spiral’ of homelessness some people got caught in through no fault of their own. Then the forecourt of Gunn’s Motors came into view and he was hit by the realisation that he had another surreal situation to face – watching the family he’d known all his life get to know his daughter.

  At the thought of ‘family’ another thought flashed across his mind. He glanced at Amy, keeping pacing between him and Sofia. ‘Is there any chance of you phoning your mum? She’s distraught.’

  A mulish look crossed Amy’s face. ‘I don’t think I’m ready.’

  Levi almost let it go. But then he found himself saying quietly, ‘I have faith that you’re mature enough to cope with a strained phone call if it comforts the person who has loved you and cared for you all your life. I know you’re angry with her but she never meant you to be hurt.’

  Amy halted to frown at him. ‘So now I know you’re my dad I have to put up with you being on my case?’

  Levi thought he detected a smile lurking beneath her cross expression. ‘Isn’t that my job?’

  ‘Jeez,’ she grumbled. ‘Next you’ll start with the “Do it for me” emotional blackmail crap.’

  ‘Family do do things for each other.’ Awkwardly, he gave her shoulder a pat and though she didn’t look as if she welcomed it particularly, neither did she pull away.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Sofia had no idea how Levi had kept himself together during his crucial meeting with Amy. It had been so emotional that Sofia had almost lost it a couple of times herself. Amy had looked so lost and wary until she seemed to realise he was the same Levi she’d known in Italy and had begun to relax.

  For Sofia the meeting had been unsettling. Though both she and Levi had been focused on what Amy was going through, Sofia had felt as if the air crackled every time Levi caught her gaze; that his eyes were making suggestions and promises. Most of his focus was on Amy – he’d travelled halfway across Europe and spent weeks with his own life on hold so h
e could watch out for her, so that was unsurprising – but still she was frustrated to be with him again in such circumstances. It was like someone putting a lush chocolate brownie in front of her then tying her hands so she couldn’t reach out and take it.

  When they reached the premises of the Gunn family’s business, a prosperous-looking sales and repair garage, she hung back.

  The lady on the front desk ended her phone call abruptly when she saw them and hurried shiny-eyed from behind the desk, her smile warm and eager. Sofia wasn’t surprised to hear Levi address her as ‘Mum’, and the two men who appeared like greyhounds from their traps were easy to identify as Levi’s dad and brother.

  Everyone wanted to talk to Amy, warmth and curiosity combining as they tried to make her welcome and set her at her ease. How odd it was, Sofia thought, feeling quite misty-eyed at witnessing Amy’s hesitant smile, that Sofia had travelled to Italy to find the missing half of her family and Amy had travelled to the UK to find hers.

  As if aware of Sofia’s thoughts, Amy and Levi looked back for her at the same moment. ‘This is Sofia.’ Levi introduced her to each family member in turn, using his parents’ given names of Val and Bryan.

  Sofia smiled and murmured politely.

  Everyone seemed to have some idea of where she fitted into things, judging by the fact that they didn’t ask. Levi calmly moved things along. ‘Amy and I are still talking stuff through so we’ll go on upstairs.’

  Val grabbed Levi’s arm in sudden anxiety. ‘Wait! That Octavia’s up there! She arrived about twenty minutes ago. When I said you were out she said she’d wait and swept up there before I could say yes or no. I’ve been up twice to say I didn’t know how long you’d be but she just said she didn’t mind waiting. I didn’t know what to do.’

  Levi’s expression changed as if at a flick of a switch, anger blazing in his eyes. ‘How convenient. I want a little word with her.’ He turned to Amy. ‘This person has been causing me a bit of irritation behind the scenes and I need to set her right on a few things. It’ll probably be best if you wait down here.’

  Amy shot a wary look at Val. ‘Well …’

  Val beamed. ‘Granddad’s got a stash of Crunchies in his desk he doesn’t think I know about. Shall we stage a raid?’

  A smile flickered on Amy’s face. ‘Well …’ And she allowed herself to be steered down a corridor with Bryan mock-grumbling and Tyrone laughing in their wake.

  As Sofia hadn’t been invited on the Crunchie raid she followed Levi out of the foyer and up a staircase, reaching the first floor slightly behind him.

  ‘Hello!’ said a female voice ultra-brightly the instant Levi gained the landing.

  Levi stepped into the room that was obviously his office, his response clipped and unfriendly. ‘What are you doing here?’

  By crowding in behind him and peering around Levi’s broad shoulders Sofia was able to catch a glimpse of a tall, willowy blonde woman wearing a lot of makeup, her hair coiffed into an elegant up-do, her white cotton top simple but well cut. She was attractive in an over-groomed way, though at least ten years older than Sofia.

  Octavia didn’t look over-thrilled when she caught sight of Sofia. ‘I wanted to see to unfinished business, Levi, but I see you’re not alone.’ She gave Sofia a chilly smile. ‘If you could leave us to have a private chat—’

  ‘Why did you dump Wes?’ Levi stuck in, putting out an arm to stop Sofia leaving, while not budging from where he stood.

  Octavia wrinkled her nose, smiling coyly. ‘Oh, Wes.’ She waved her hand dismissively. ‘I just wanted to make it clear to him that once you were back—’

  ‘My being back doesn’t affect you in the slightest.’ Levi stepped aside and indicated the way down. ‘It’s time you were going.’

  ‘But Levi—’ Octavia made her mouth a little O of disbelief. Sofia wondered if she practised her expressions in front of the mirror.

  ‘Out,’ Levi snapped.

  As her pout hadn’t worked, Octavia turned her glittering gaze on Sofia. ‘Is it her? You’ve got a thing for little brown mice all of a sudden? I assumed you’d leave her safely behind in Italy.’

  Sofia had already begun an indignant gasp at being referred to as a brown mouse when, catching her by surprise, Octavia reached out and yanked up Sofia’s top to leave her stomach bare. ‘Oh, you’re not the same person. I thought you were the one with the tattoo.’

  Hot with outrage, Sofia leaped back, snatching the fabric from Octavia’s hand. ‘What are you on about?’

  Octavia folded her arms. ‘When he was in Italy he took pictures of someone I thought was you but she had this tattoo—’

  Levi’s voice was suddenly low and dangerous. ‘You have some way of accessing the photographs on my phone?’

  Sofia felt faint. ‘What?’

  Octavia halted, looking caught out, her lips parted as if ready to bring out some defence … if she could only think of one. Then she made a grab for her handbag from a nearby desk and whisked around as if to make a dash for it.

  Like lightning, Levi jumped into the doorway to block her escape route. ‘You either explain what you’ve been up to or I inform the police you’ve been invading my privacy and maybe even stealing my identity.’

  Octavia puffed up her chest in indignation. ‘I haven’t used your identity.’

  ‘I’d want it checked out though, because it sounds as if you might have the opportunity and you’ve certainly been up to something. As you’ve had a certain amount of access to my data and software, I’m sure there’d be enough suspicion for me to file a report.’

  She scowled at him.

  Levi scowled back.

  Then Octavia heaved an exaggerated sigh. ‘You’re blowing everything up out of proportion. I only borrowed one of the passwords you had listed on your phone. It didn’t do any harm.’

  ‘The password to the server, I assume. So that’s how you got Dick fired! You signed in as him and screwed up his page,’ Levi stormed. ‘There’s an identity theft offence right there and—’ He halted and turned as running footsteps pounded up the stairs towards the landing.

  Amy swung around the banister looking happier than she had since arriving in the UK. ‘Granny said— Oh! It’s Auntie Octavia! I didn’t know you knew her. Hello, Auntie Octavia.’

  Levi’s eyes almost bulged from his head as he stared at his daughter. ‘Auntie?’

  ‘She’s one of Mum’s friends, not my real auntie. She’s been to visit us in Germany though. She caused havoc.’ Amy sent Sofia a conspiratorial look. ‘I told you about her once. She’s the one—’ She halted and looked from Levi to Octavia and back. ‘What’s up?’

  Sofia watched consternation form on Octavia’s face before she straightened her features into a semblance of an indulgent smile. ‘Amy? I didn’t realise you’d nearly grown up.’

  Amy obviously didn’t appreciate being patronised. ‘I’m all the way grown up.’

  Moving swiftly, Levi shepherded Amy into the room then shut the door and leaned on it. ‘OK, Octavia. Spill.’ His lips were a thin, uncompromising line. Octavia pouted. Her eyes flickered from Levi to Amy as if hunting for where to gain traction in the argument. Inspiration must have been in short supply because after several moments of silence her shoulders heaved on a sigh. ‘Oh, all right!’ she snapped. ‘Freya asked me to check you out. You know why.’ She looked meaningfully at Amy.

  Amy breathed a shocked, ‘Ohhh!’ at this casually revealed evidence that at least one more person knew about the truth that had slunk out of the family closet.

  ‘She wanted to contact you to see if you’d go after Amy,’ Octavia carried on blithely, ‘but she thought she’d better look into your circumstances beforehand. If you’d been married with a bunch of kids I doubt she’d have bothered because you probably wouldn’t have been able to go. She’d been able to establish your people still owned the garage and, as I’m local, asked me to see what I could find out. It’s not hard to get information by falling into conversation wi
th the right people. I flirted a little bit with Tyrone then pretended to see his wedding ring and said I thought someone had told me Levi Gunn was single. He said no, Levi’s my brother, who works upstairs. All I had to do was hang around outside until you came out – and follow.’ She looked at Levi beneath her lashes. ‘I fell a little bit in lust I suppose.’

  Sofia could scarcely believe her ears. ‘It sounds more like a giant obsession then “falling a little bit in lust”.’

  ‘There was no harm in it,’ Octavia added sulkily. ‘It’s not as if he’s married or anything.’

  ‘So how did you get my phone?’ Levi’s expression was forbidding, his voice like steel.

  It was his turn to be treated to Octavia’s sulky look. ‘It was a spur-of-the-moment thing because you made it so easy. I was sitting just behind you in that coffee shop. I watched you type your access code in twice – you held the phone so just about anyone could see! Then you put it down right on the edge of the table while you did something with your laptop and I just sort of … picked it up as I went by. I added myself to your Dropbox where your photos upload to automatically.’

  Slowly, Levi shook his head. ‘Brazen.’ He took out his phone and looked at it as if it had personally betrayed him.

  ‘Wow,’ Sofia marvelled, glaring at Octavia. ‘You’re shameless. I feel sorry for you if you don’t even know how wrong it is to do what you did.’

  Amy butted in. ‘She did something odd when she visited us in Germany a couple of years ago. My parents didn’t really discuss it with us kids but it had something to do with one of Dad’s blokes at work and Mum telling her off. That was when Mum said she was a right trollop.’

  Octavia sent Amy a poisonous look. ‘That was a simple misunderstanding blown up out of all proportion.’

  ‘None of her marriages have worked out, Mum says,’ Amy added.

  Levi frowned blackly at Octavia. ‘I ought to call the police in case you’ve tampered with anything that’s going to affect my business.’

  For the first time, Octavia looked seriously alarmed. ‘You’re deliberately making it out to be more than it was! It was just a bit of a game, that was all.’ She calmed herself with an obvious effort. ‘Look, I didn’t do anything to harm you.’ Unexpectedly, her voice choked with tears. ‘I wanted you. I only came here to work because it would get me closer to you.’