by Paula Kay
“Honey, what’s that look for?” Richard asked as he reached out to touch Isabella’s arm. “Is everything okay?”
“Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine. Really.”
“But?”
“We know that look, Iz,” Emily said. “Is it the move?”
When she and Thomas had made the decision—after much debate—that he was going to work for his father for at least a year after graduating NYU, Isabella had had long phone conversations with her mother. Emily had asked her all the hard questions which had helped Isabella to get to a place of recognizing that it was a time for her to be willing to compromise—that there would be plenty of time for Thomas and her to travel—and because she could write from anywhere, it only seemed right that their location be dependent on what Thomas felt was the best move for his career.
Isabella knew all this with her head, but her heart seemed to be tripping her up a bit when it came to being excited about the new house and the move to Connecticut.
She looked back over at her parents, who were waiting for her response. “Yes, I suppose it is the move. I am very happy to be getting out of the city—that’s for sure. And I know I’ll be happy wherever I am—as long as I’m with Thomas. I mean, it’s not like he won’t be supportive of me visiting my family or taking the occasional trip that I might need for writing research, but…”
“But what, honey?” Richard asked. “You’re not having second thoughts about getting married, are you?”
“Oh, no. You don’t have to worry about that, Dad. That’s the one thing I don’t have doubts about.” She smiled and then laughed at the look of relief on her father’s face. “What? Were you actually thinking I was going to become some runaway bride or something?”
Richard laughed too. “No, not really. It’s just that we know how stressful wedding preparations can be. It can take a toll on even the strongest of couples. Bottom line is that your mother and I are here to support you, whatever that might mean.”
“And we’d be completely devastated if you were to call off the wedding to our soon-to-be wonderful son-in-law,” Emily said.
“Well, good. I guess we’re all on the same page with that then.” Isabella winked.
“Okay then, before I interrupted you earlier, you did seem about to tell us what it is that’s on your mind.”
Isabella nodded. She wanted to be careful when it came to talking about Thomas. She respected the boundaries of their relationship and she never wanted to talk to others about things that they should be discussing between themselves. But she so desperately wanted Thomas to get the same satisfaction from his career that she had managed to find with her writing. And deep inside, she felt that his working for his father was going to be a mistake—that it wasn’t really something that he was passionate about.
“Well, I just want Thomas to be happy with what he’s doing.” Isabella looked past her parents to the vineyard where she could see Thomas walking with Antonio, his shoulders broad and his arms tanned from being outside every day for the past weeks of the summer.
Emily’s eyes followed Isabella’s. “Well, to see him here, it is hard to imagine him in some office wearing a suit and tie.”
“So, I’m not crazy, right? I can’t tell you how many times we’ve talked about how much he loves being here at the vineyard—with Antonio—with everyone, but especially he and Antonio spend so much time together, talking about the business. After every time we come, I’m amazed at how much he’s learned. He really does seem to love it.”
“So is it something you’ve talked to Antonio about? Would it be an option for you two to live here?” Richard laughed when he saw the look on Emily’s face. “Okay, let me rephrase that, because I know that your grandparents would be over-the-moon to have you here permanently. I guess Thomas must feel that he needs to be working with his dad before he does anything else, and I can understand that.”
Isabella nodded. “Yes, I think so, but the funny thing is, I know that his father would completely understand if Thomas didn’t want to go into the business with him. I think it’s just something that’s been understood between them for so long. I’m not sure. Of course we’ve talked about it and I do feel that Thomas can be a bit stubborn—but so can I—I’m aware.” Isabella sighed. “It’s just weird because both of us know that I have enough money from Arianna’s trust to support us with whatever we want to do. I guess it’s just a guy thing maybe?”
Richard winked at her and reached out once more for Isabella’s hand this time. “Honey, I think that absolutely could be a guy thing, as you say—but one that could be very important to him. You have always said how much it’s meant to you that he’s always been there for you, taking care of you, throughout practically all your childhood years.”
Emily was nodding. “I think maybe he still wants to be that knight in shining armor—the provider for his bride.”
Isabella grinned. “Well, he is my knight in shining armor. That’s not going to change. I think maybe we just need to talk more about it. The only thing that matters to me is that he’s doing something that is going to make him feel happy and satisfied—whatever that is.”
“That’s right, honey. You’re going to make a fine wife. Your mother and I couldn’t be prouder of you.” Richard stood up and extended his hand to Emily. “Now, speaking of happy and satisfied, Lia whispered to me that she was preparing a lunch for us around two. Shall we go have a little rest before then?”
Emily nodded, and Isabella laughed as she too stood up from the table. “It’s nice to see this new relaxed retirement phase that you two seem to be enjoying—naps and all.” She hugged her parents. “Thanks again so much for coming. You go rest and I’ll see you at lunch in a few hours.”
Chapter 4
Blu looked up toward the sound of the light knock on the open door to see Isabella standing in the doorway.
Isabella grinned. “Can I come in?”
“Yes, of course. In fact I want to show you what I’m working on.” Blu released the garment she’d been sewing, then stood up and held it out for Isabella to see.
“Oh wow. Jemma is going to look so gorgeous in that, but…”
“But what?” Blu laughed and turned the front of the dress around so that she could see it.
“Well, I think it might be just a tad big for Jem, don’t you think?”
“Oh—well, I’m going by the measurements she sent me.” Blu saw the look of confusion on Isabella’s face and laughed as she tried to think of how to respond. “She did say that she’d put on a bit of weight since their wedding.”
“Oh, right. She mentioned that to me too.” Isabella crossed the room to run her fingers over the blue satin fabric. “I love the color so much. It’s going to look stunning outside, isn’t it?”
Blu looked toward the big window, where she had a perfect view of the vineyard outside. When Lia had first showed her the room that she’d had designed specifically for Blu’s workspace when she visited, Blu had felt a rush of emotion and a flash to another moment in time.
It had been one of those moments that happened every so often between her and Lia. History repeating itself and worthy of the instant tears so many years later.
When Arianna had first taken Blu to the beach house in San Diego, she’d had a similar room with a view that couldn’t have been more dissimilar to the one she had here, but equally as breathtaking.
“Yes, I love the color you chose. And it’s all going to be stunning—this spectacular wedding of yours, my dear.” Blu gently placed the gown on a table along one wall of the room and then turned to take Isabella’s hand. “Come sit with me for a minute.”
The two settled in on the small sofa in the corner of the room, where they had the same expansive view of the vineyard outside.
“I love this room so much. Well, all the rooms have fantastic views, don’t they?” Isabella said.
“They do. Yes. And Lia is always so thoughtful as a hostess. I still don’t know how she manages to get th
e most perfect flower arrangements in all the rooms—even when I end up coming with little notice.”
Isabella reached out to gently touch the colored assortment of flowers that sat in the middle of the coffee table in front of them. “Oh, I can tell you the answer to that question.” She laughed. “It’s that special relationship she has the with the flower shop owner down the street from the restaurant. Complimentary lunches at Thyme in exchange for emergency flower arrangements.”
Blu smiled as she watched Isabella lean back into the sofa, pulling her legs underneath her as she did so. She still marveled at it sometimes—the fact that she—and everyone—had this wonderful relationship with Arianna’s daughter. It was something that would have made her best friend so pleased to know if they’d had a crystal ball back when Ari had become sick.
“So tell me, Bella, how are you feeling about everything? All your plans seem to be moving along nicely. I know that Chase intends to sit down with you tomorrow to go over the menu. I think he’s done a very good job choosing your favorites.”
Isabella smiled back at her. “Yes, I’m actually not feeling very stressed about the wedding—thanks to you all, of course. You all are the best wedding planners a girl could ask for. I know that the dresses, the flowers, the food—it’s all going to be perfect…”
Blu waited a few seconds before she spoke, eyeing Isabella and trying to read her body language. Isabella wasn’t good at hiding her emotions, something that Blu and the others had come to appreciate about her over the years. And Blu was always happy to be a sounding board for Isabella, just as she was for Jemma. The two young girls meant everything to Blu and the other women in their lives, and they’d all move mountains to ensure their happiness.
“But?” Blu touched Isabella gently on the arm. “I definitely feel that there’s a but there. What’s going on?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I just had a conversation with my parents—about Thomas—and I suppose it’s got my mind going a bit.”
“Is it something you want to talk through?”
Isabella seemed thoughtful as she looked at Blu across from her. At opposite ends of the sofa, with their feet tucked up and their toes touching, they could have been girlfriends about to have a gossip session. But Blu knew that Isabella valued her advice, and with Jemma gone, she welcomed these times, wanting to be a surrogate mother of sorts for Isabella whenever she needed someone to listen to her.
“Yeah, I don’t know exactly what’s bothering me or how to put it into words, really.” Isabella seemed to be studying Blu for a moment. “Can you tell me about Chase? What it was like when you first got together?”
“About our relationship, you mean?”
“Well, yeah, but what I really want to know is how you two made decisions about work. I’m guessing that neither of you have to work really—because of what Arianna gave us, I mean.”
“Ah, the same way that you and Thomas are going to have a bazillion choices about what you want your life together to look like, you mean.” Blu smiled as Isabella nodded her head.
“I suppose that’s one way to put it, yes.”
“Well, the thing with me was that my designs and fashion had always been so important to me. And Ari had always been such a big supporter of it all. In the beginning, I worked very hard to get my line going. Over time, as you know, I’ve cut back a lot. Time with Kylie seems to go by so quickly and I don’t want to miss things with her.” She grinned. “But I love it. I always will, so it never feels like work to me.”
“And what about Chase? Did he ever think of not working once you two were married?”
“Oh, no. Chase loves being in the kitchen in the same way I love being in my designing space. It’s part of who he is, and I don’t think he could ever stop cooking for people. It makes him too happy—it’s what seems to satisfy him the most, I guess you could say. Well, the kids and I probably make it to a good second on his list, but cooking is definitely his passion.” Blu laughed.
“Yeah, that’s the key word—or emotion—isn’t it? Passion. It’s what I do feel when I’m writing—what I’ve always felt with my writing.”
“But you’re wondering about that fiancé of yours, I take it?”
Isabella nodded. “I just want him to feel good about what he’s doing, you know?”
“Do you think that he doesn’t want to work for his dad?”
“No, I don’t think it’s so much that he doesn’t want to. It’s more that I see him so much happier when we’re traveling or when we’re staying here with Lia and Antonio. Back home, he always seems a bit stressed to me. In fairness, though, I’m sure it will change now that he’s done with school—once we start our ‘real life’ together.” Isabella laughed as she used air quotes with her words.
“I think it’s nice that you’re concerned about him in that way.”
Isabella looked down, and Blu didn’t miss the look that passed quickly on her face.
“Well, I have to be honest with myself, though—not to make it about me and my less-than-excited feelings about living in Connecticut. I guess you could say that I may have caught the travel bug over these last few years.” Isabella laughed.
“Well, there are worse things than having a passion for travel.” Blu grinned. “Would it help you to feel better if you guys stayed in New York?”
“Oh no, I’m way done with living in the city. The house in Connecticut was the biggest selling point for me with his job. We are keeping my apartment, though, just because it’s nice to have for when we do want to be in town for any length of time. I’m going to enjoy the extra space in the house and it really is quite lovely.” Isabella sighed.
Blu reached out to grab Isabella’s hand. “The two of you will figure it out. And you know what I’ve come to know over the years, Bella, my dear?”
“What’s that?”
“Nothing is ever carved in stone. We’re allowed to change our minds, to make different decisions as we change and grow—as individuals and as couples. And the cool thing for you is that Arianna wanted that for you—the freedom to be able to choose the things you want in life that will make you happy.”
Isabella leaned in to give Blu a hug. “You’re right. I need to just let go of it all—to enjoy these next few months. It’s my old worrying self rearing its ugly head again.” Isabella laughed as she stood up.
“Well, you wouldn’t be the first bride to worry a bit about what the future is going to look like. I agree, though, let yourself bask in all the good things that are coming to you. We all can’t wait to celebrate your marriage and officially welcome that young man into our family. We’re all very happy for you, Bella.”
Isabella gave Blu one last squeeze before she left the room, and Blu smiled as she watched her go.
Yes, Isabella and Thomas would figure it all out, and if the rest of them were very lucky, they’d be seeing even more of Isabella as time progressed. If Blu were a betting woman, she’d put money on that fact.
Chapter 5
Isabella grabbed her phone and her jacket as she headed out the door. She texted Thomas—who’d gone somewhere with Antonio—that she’d be back in an hour. They still needed to chat about a few final decisions that needed to be made before they left Tuscany in a few days.
She put her jacket on and did a few stretches before she headed down the long driveway of the vineyard. The temperature was just the way she liked it—nice and fresh—with the sun bright in a cloudless sky. Isabella hadn’t been as strict with her running schedule as she’d been in the past, but whenever she was in Tuscany, she liked to take advantage of the gorgeous countryside.
She couldn’t help but compare it to her running routine in New York City, which was the complete opposite. Even when she did manage to make it across town to Central Park, it was way busier there than the busiest times where she ran in Italy.
There was no denying the fact that she was not a city girl, at least not in terms of long-term living. In that respect, Connecticut would be be
tter for her. She could live with that.
Her thoughts went to her mental checklist for everything that needed to be done back home. Thomas had already sold his place. His apartment was much bigger than Isabella’s, but they’d agreed that it made more sense for their needs and the location to hold on to Isabella’s place in the city.
Their closing date on the Connecticut house was coming up in less than two weeks and the movers were scheduled for just a few days later. It was a lot to get done while also planning the wedding from afar, but after numerous discussions, and assurances from Lia, Gigi, and Blu, Isabella felt confident that everything would be moving ahead smoothly by the time she arrived a few weeks before the wedding.
She smiled as she thought about her dress. The fitting that morning had been the first time that she’d had it on while it had all been in one piece. She’d had so much fun looking over Blu’s sketches over the past year or so, and though the women teased her about how long her engagement had been, there was an easiness to it all that had been fun for Isabella. And in the end, she knew that the gown Blu was designing for her was going to be more magical than she ever could imagine.
Annie, as the flower girl, had an absolutely adorable dress, also made by Blu. Of all the unexpected surprises that had come with meeting her birth father, Lucas, meeting her sister had been one of the most special. And they’d all only grown closer over the past years.
The only other person she was having in the actual wedding was Jemma as her Matron of Honor—something that Jemma had accepted gleefully. She’d promised that she would arrive a full two weeks before the wedding so that she could throw Isabella some kind of fantastic little bachelorette party—Tuscan style.
Isabella stopped running to pull her ringing phone out of her pocket. She hit the accept button of her video chat app and waited for her friend’s face to appear on her screen.
“Jemma! How did you know I was just thinking about you?”