His father eyed him for a long time, but for once Lucca couldn’t discern what was on his mind. “You hated me for marrying Maria so soon after your mother died,” he began without preamble. “I don’t blame you. If I’d been in your shoes, I would have felt the same way.”
Lucca was stunned by his father’s unexpected remarks. “We went over all this years ago. There’s no need to talk about it ever again.”
“Perhaps not for you as much as for me. As you know, Donata and I were childhood sweethearts. I loved your mother so much that when she passed away, I couldn’t bear it for myself or you. Not many people loved the way we did. We had an idyllic marriage. When you came along after many tries, your mother looked at me and said, ‘Our cup has run over, Guilio’.”
“I didn’t know she suffered a miscarriage.”
“Four of them.”
Four?
“We wanted a big family. I have to tell you she was the sweetest mother.” She was. “You were our one and only. She doted on you. I think I was a little jealous.” He wiped his eyes.
The revelations coming out of his father knocked Lucca back on his heels.
“I’d grown up knowing Maria at school and liked her. Her husband’s sudden death from a heart attack was a shock to her, too. We saw each other at church. In our grief, we gravitated to each other for comfort to stave off the pain. We were two brokenhearted people with three brokenhearted sons and realized that if we got married, we could provide something solid for our children.”
Lucca’s eyes closed tightly.
“In the beginning our union truly was for the children.” Lucca believed him. “We had friendship and respect going for us. Over time I grew to love her in a different way that I loved your mother. She’s a good woman who has supported me in the business and has been a fine companion.”
“Don’t you think I know that? I care for her very much.”
“But not at first. When you left for Bari, I got so angry because I didn’t want to lose you, too. Your mother’s death almost killed me. I wanted to keep you close to me, but the harder I tried, the more you pulled away.” He got up from the table and walked over to him. “Can you forgive me, Lucca?”
Too choked up from emotion to talk, Lucca hugged his father. “If anything, I’m the one begging for it.”
Guilio hugged him harder. “Maria and I have been planning a get-together on Saturday. Besides family, there’ll be some friends and business people. Now that you’re back, we’d like to turn it into a real ‘welcome home party’ for you. How does that sound?”
“I’m already looking forward to it, Papa.”
His father wept. Lucca hadn’t seen that happen since the doctor had summoned them into the hospital room where his mother was taking her last breath. But this time they were happy tears.
“Come on,” his father finally said, wiping his eyes again. “Let’s go take a drive and look at those properties. I’m glad you’re going to do something about them and want to hear all your ideas. They’re already an eyesore. That’s why I wanted to sell them. Thank goodness you stopped me in time.”
Thank goodness.
“The light is perfect. Annabelle? You will sit in the passenger seat with one foot on the ground as if you’ve fallen in love with this field of sunflowers and are ready to get out and run through it. Can you give me the look I’m after this early in the morning?”
That part was easy. The memory of Saturday on the water with Lucca was a day out of time with a real man who was starting to share his feelings. While they’d boated in and out of sandy coves and enjoyed their picnic, he’d given her a history of the area.
Against a backdrop of medieval towers and terraced orchards, he’d talked about his plans to become a farmer. With his love of the land, it really didn’t surprise her. Slowly the conversation drifted to her. He got her talking about her own future. She knew that one day she’d go back to nursing. His words touched her deeply when he told her she ought to specialize in helping veterans because she had the two necessary gifts of empathy and compassion.
After he took his medicine, he eventually grew sleepy. She suggested they go back to the farmhouse so he could get to bed. After a day like they’d enjoyed, he’d seemed so peaceful, she had a feeling he wouldn’t be tortured by nightmares.
Sunday had been a repeat of Saturday. Lucca was unwinding even more now. They ate a leisurely breakfast, then took another boat out in a different direction so she could see more sights and islands. Lucca lay on the padded seats, comfortable enough to enjoy being gone all day. They snoozed, ate, read and took in the scenery. She thought of them as healing days. For a little while they had no cares.
“Annabelle needs more apricot in her cheeks. I want her hair cascading over her left shoulder,” Giovanni ordered, firing directions to the staff until he was pleased with the results. “See how the sun brings out the metallic gleam of those strands, Basilio?” The other man nodded. “With the bay of Naples sparkling in the background, that’s the shot I want! Don’t move!”
Annabelle marveled at the color coordination. A bright yellow Amalfi sports car convertible with creamy leather seats formed the centerpiece. Marcella had dressed her in a three-piece, short-sleeved crisp white suit and creased slacks. The jacket had four pockets trimmed with yellow braid.
The same trim ran up the openings and around the lapels. An enamel sunflower in each earlobe brought the color to her face. White sandals with elaborate crisscrossing straps completed the look.
“Perfetto! Perfetto!” Giovanni cried. “Now I want you to get out and lean against the car with the door still open, your left foot just so. You’re holding this basket of sunflowers while lifting one to admire it. This time your smile holds a secret.”
His directions unknowingly caused her body to break out in goose flesh. Earlier this morning Lucca was supposed to have made breakfast for his father. Right now she was holding her breath, dying to know how it had gone for both men. That was the problem with being a bystander. She was caught up in the lives of another family, yet could do nothing but hope it was a joyous one.
“That’s not the smile I want, signorina. Where did the other one go?”
She fixed it for Giovanni. “I was thinking how hard it’s going to be to leave Italy.”
“Then don’t! I’m sure Basilio will put in a good word for you with Signore Cavezzali if you want to stay. Now give me what I want!”
Annabelle tried her best. When he declared they were through shooting for the day, she was glad to get back to the van to change out of her clothes and remove her makeup. Once she was dressed in a blouse and skirt, she said goodbye to everyone.
Basilio reminded her they were doing the shoot in Ravello tomorrow. Relieved she wouldn’t have to face another long drive in the morning, she got in the car. Before she drove away, she checked to see if there were any messages. Her body quickened when she saw that Lucca had called. She clicked on.
“Papa and I have spent the day together and are out looking at the properties I was telling you about. I’m not sure how soon I’ll be home. Ciao, bellissima.”
It sounded so much better than she’d hoped for.
She started up the engine and pulled out to the main road. Sorrento was sprawled across limestone cliffs where the houses looked like colorful children’s blocks stacked on top of each other. Everything was beautiful along the Sorrentine Peninsula, but the drive was hot, even with the air conditioning on, and seemed to take forever.
As soon as she reached the farmhouse, she dove into work for something to take her mind off of Lucca and put in a wash. No sooner had she done that than she heard a knock on the kitchen door. Maybe it was Fortunato again. She hurried to open it.
“Buon giorno, signorina. I am Cellina Colombari. You met my son the other day.”
Annabelle couldn’t believe the timing. If she’d arrived a half hour later, she could have avoided this meeting. “Yes, of course.” She smiled. “I ate one of the melons he brought
. It was delicious and very kind of you.”
Lucca’s former girlfriend was probably in her mid-thirties. A real Italian beauty with dark blond hair and dark eyes. She must have gotten pregnant with Fortunato at nineteen or twenty.
“Can you stay and visit?”
“If it is all right.”
“I’m through working for the day. Please. Come in.” She went into the living room and Cellina followed. “Won’t you be seated?”
“Thank you.” She chose the rose settee. “When Guilio said you were staying here by yourself, I thought it might get a little lonely. I know I would be if I were living by myself.”
“Since my divorce, I’m used to living alone.”
“That must be very hard for you. It’s so sad. Basilio lost his wife last year,” Cellina informed her.
“So I understand.”
“Do you find him good-looking?”
Annabelle knew where this was leading. Fortunato hadn’t wasted any time. “I think every male in Italy is too attractive for his own good. Don’t you?” She winked at her.
The other woman looked surprised before she unbent and gave a soft laugh. “Yes.”
Cellina might be too curious for her own good, but she didn’t take herself too seriously. Lucca would have liked that about her.
“So tell me about you and your family. I’d like to know a few things about you before I meet everyone at the party Guilio has planned for Saturday.”
They chatted for another twenty minutes, then Cellina said she had to go and start dinner for her family. Annabelle liked her. She was glad the other woman wouldn’t be a stranger to her at the family party.
Lucca still hadn’t called or returned. Unable to stand her own company any longer, she left the house and went for a walk. She almost forgot the floppy hat she wore to keep the sun off her face and had to go back for it.
When evening rolled around, she bought herself a cola, then geared up for the steep climb back to Lucca’s house. On the way, her cell phone rang. It was Guilio calling!
She moved to the side of the road and braced herself against a palm tree, not knowing what to expect when she clicked on. “Hello?”
“Annabelle? You’re a dark horse but I forgive you with all my heart for helping my son make the transition back to civilian life.”
Her throat swelled. “You should have seen us the night he fell in the hallway.”
“He told me about that.”
“You must be so thrilled to have him back for good.” Annabelle was overjoyed, not bothering to tamp down her excitement.
“You’ll never know.”
“Where is he now? Where are you?”
“One question at a time.” He chuckled. “I dropped him off at the farmhouse. Now I’m home at the villa.”
She gripped the phone tighter. “Is everything all right?”
“It couldn’t be better.”
“That’s music to my ears.”
“A lot of the reason for that has to do with you. Thank you for keeping my secret.”
“I about died when he appeared out of the blue. I was so afraid he’d find out.”
“Thanks to you, he didn’t!”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I’ve got everything under control for the big surprise. I can’t change the date of the grand opening in August. However, we can honor him at the party. When I was in Milan, I moved up the date to Wednesday night and have informed Mel to change his flight arrangements. Your photo shoots will be over by then. We’ll have a mini grand opening where my son will meet the Amalfi Girl in person when he’s honored.”
Only two days away … Though she’d been in Italy just a short while, she felt like she’d lived here much longer. The images filling her mind were suffocating her. His farmhouse felt like home. She and Lucca had lived in every part of it. Each room—the hallway…the terrace…the kitchen—had their own memories.
“I’ll keep in touch with you about the details, but before we hang up, I just want to say thank you.”
“For what?”
“Lucca’s told me how you’ve nursed him. There’s no one tougher than my son, but after what he’s been through, he’s more grateful than you know for what you’ve done. I have it on good authority he’d like to keep you until you leave. He says you’re better than any nurse who has taken care of him since he was shot down.”
Annabelle groaned inwardly. She’d hoped Lucca wouldn’t want her to leave at all, but if he only thought of her as a nurse, and didn’t care for her for her real self, she couldn’t bear it. “I’m very flattered,” she said in a wooden voice.
“He tells me that after you go home, you’re thinking of taking up your nursing career at some point to work with war veterans like himself. My son has great admiration for you. Is that true?”
She stared blindly into space. “Yes, but I haven’t said anything to Mel yet. That’s something we’ll have to discuss after I get back.”
“Mel’s not going to like it, but be assured my lips are sealed. I’ll be checking in with you over the next few days. Ciao, Annabelle.”
“Ciao.”
Feeling the happiness drained out of her, she clicked off, hugging the phone to her chest.
It was déjà vu when Lucca heard a firm knock on the kitchen door. If it were Annabelle, she had a key and could let herself in. She’d left her car in the drive and had obviously gone somewhere. A walk maybe?
She was constantly on his mind. Disappointed that she wasn’t back yet, he walked through the house to the kitchen. The knocking persisted. “Signorina Marsh?” a familiar voice called out.
Fortunato again. He was a good kid. A little mischievous, but fun. So he’d come to see Annabelle again. The boy had good taste and eyes to see.
Out of his five nieces and nephews, Lucca had to admit he enjoyed him the most. Fortunato had this idea he would go into the military, too. None of the family was happy about it, and Lucca had never encouraged it. But at seventeen, a boy had his dreams. No one understood that better than Lucca.
He unlocked the door, surprising the life out of Fortunato. “Hey—when did you come home?” If Lucca didn’t miss his guess, the teen sounded a trifle disappointed.
“I got in the other night.”
“You did?”
“Sì.” He smiled. “Want to come in?”
“Yeah.” After the door closed they high-fived each other.
“How’s life treating you?” Lucca tossed him a plum from the fridge and took one for himself.
“It’s okay.” He squinted up at Lucca. “How long are you home for this time?”
“For good.”
In a matter of seconds he’d surprised his nephew again. Fortunato looked perplexed. “I thought you were going to stay in the military until you retired.”
“So did I, but my plans changed.”
“How come?”
He gave his nephew the same answer he’d given his father. “Because I got injured and my priorities changed. I decided I wanted to do something different with the rest of my life.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“I’m going to be a farmer.”
“You’re kidding! You? A fighter pilot?”
“That’s right. I’ve spent enough time in the air. Now I want to stay on the ground and get my hands dirty.”
Laughter burst out of his nephew. “That’s cool.” Lucca finished off his plum while Fortunato looked around. “I saw Signorina Marsh’s car in the drive. Is she here?”
“You mean the American who’s working for your grandfather. She’s probably still out with some of her coworkers.”
“Oh.” His face fell. “I met her the other day.”
“Papa told me he’d hired her to do modeling for some of his ads.”
“That’s what I heard, too. She’s one babe.”
“But a little old for you, right?”
A ruddy color stained Fortunato’s cheeks. “I bet she’s no more than twenty-five. T
here’s no harm looking.”
“No. There’s no harm in that.” Lucca had done it himself, but not nearly long enough. In fact he planned to tell Annabelle what his nephew had said. She needed to realize she wasn’t all washed up after what her ex had done to her.
Fortunato’s blond brows lifted. When they did that, he reminded Lucca of Ruggero. “She’s already got some guy hanging around.”
“How do you know that?”
“I saw his clothes in here. You know…like they’d been partying and got carried away. She’s only been in Italy a little while. He’s one lucky stud. If I were just a little older …”
“But you’re not.” He reached out and tousled his hair.
“Mama thinks maybe it was Basilio.”
“Basilio is a little too old for her, don’t you think?”
“Not if she’s after his money.”
“I guess anything’s possible.”
“Papa says Basilio is gaga over her. It’s all the talk at work.”
“What’s all the talk?”
“How gorgeous she is. You ought to see her, Uncle Lucca. Even you would have a coronary.”
Lucca had already come close to having a heart attack and quite a few other things as well at the sight of the silvery-gold tigress ready to attack him with the cane that first night. He grinned at his nephew. “Even me, huh?”
“Yeah, well, Mama says you can get any woman you want.”
Lucca hoped so, because he wanted Annabelle. “Aren’t you working in the shop this summer?”
“Yeah. I have to be there at noon every day. Guess I better get going. Mama will have dinner ready.”
“Do you want another plum on your way out?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Fortunato was growing up in more ways than one. Little did Annabelle know she was his nephew’s new fantasy, not to mention Lucca’s. He watched the boy walk out to his car. “By the way …” he called to him.
Fortunato turned to him. “Yeah?”
Before shutting the door he said, “I’m the lucky stud whose clothes you saw lying around.”
Annabelle let herself in the house and was clasped in a strong pair of arms. “At last,” Lucca whispered, burying his face in her hair. “I’ve been watching for you. Where have you been?”
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