Lucia drew her brows together. “Hey, are you okay?”
His eyes came back up slowly to rest on hers. “What’s that?”
“I asked if you were okay. You look…I don’t know…like something’s bothering you.”
“No, I’m fine.”
She squinted at him, not so convinced.
“Really.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “I’m very happy for you and Cat. Just promise me a couple of things.”
“What?”
“Whomever you hire to take on the project, make sure it’s someone who listens to you and you feel you can communicate with. This is your dream. You want to make sure they care enough to listen to you and understand it, and can then embrace your vision and give you what you want.”
She gave a nod. “I promise we’ll try.” He had more on his mind, of that she felt sure, but if he wanted to share it with her, he would. She didn’t feel she was in a position to push him.
An owl hooted from somewhere nearby; another answered its call from a different part of the woods. She and Antonio both glanced toward the tree line. They didn’t see it, but Lucia recognized its call.
“A great horned owl.” She cocked her ear when the sound came again. “I love hearing them. Sometimes a pair will get a duet going, calling back and forth to each other.”
Antonio sat back, looked around. He rolled the stem of his glass between long fingers. Lucia swallowed. She could almost feel them caressing her skin. Maybe the scene she’d created held too much magic, or perhaps it was just the man who’d cast a spell over her. Whichever the case, desire stirred within her…a dangerous thing for a cautious heart.
“I can understand how this land captivated your parents, enticed them to start a new life here. It’s nice that the city hasn’t swallowed everything up and there are a few rural areas like this still around with the horse farms and vineyards. I think I expected it would all be one massive, never-ending DC suburb.”
“A lot of people are surprised that way. You don’t have to drive too far to find the urban sprawl, complete with the logjam traffic and everything else that goes with it. But you’re right, we’re lucky DC’s tentacles haven’t reached into every corner of the county. There are several local towns that have been able to hold on to their charm.”
“Do you see yourself staying here then…growing old here?”
“I haven’t thought much about it, but yes, I suppose so. I missed it when I was up north. I didn’t realize how much until I came home again. Now that Cat and I are planning to open a new business less than a mile down the road, I suppose that means I’ve made a commitment to the area.”
He only nodded, then stood, refilled his wine glass. “How would you like to go for a walk?”
“Sure.” She wrapped a finger around the stem of her glass as she stood and came around the table.
Twilight deepened as they ambled side by side, their pace relaxed, unhurried. Lucia wondered again at Antonio’s mood, the seemingly sudden changes she’d witnessed that afternoon…again this evening. Granted, she’d only known him a couple of weeks, but she’d developed a sense of him, at least enough of one to know something was off with him today. Maybe he was thinking about leaving. He’d only stayed the extra week as a favor to her and her sisters. Once he went over his drawings with them, there’d be no reason for him to hang around. Was he restless, looking forward to resuming his travels?
A wave of sorrow caught her off guard, washed over her, took a hold on her heart and gave it a good squeeze. She looked off toward the mountains, a rolling silhouette against the fading light, swallowed, and firmed herself against the emotion. His leaving was inevitable. She’d known all along he would go. She’d also known indulging her attraction to him would make his parting more difficult. She wouldn’t dwell on that now, though, not yet.
What she wanted to do now was tuck away the sadness, just be with him—in whatever space of time they had left—and for both their sakes, she’d also tuck away the truth of how deeply she wished he could stay. The fact she wanted him to was proof he had the power to hurt her if he’d been anything but honest, but he’d been upfront with her about his plans since the night they met.
“So.” Lucia swung her arms as they walked past a large swath of trellised vines whose grapes had produced an award-winning Chardonnay last year. She was determined to chase away solemn thoughts and to be in the moment. “I spotted some of Caterina’s mini-cheesecakes in the freezer. Can I tempt you into pilfering a couple of them with me after our walk? I’ll make some cappuccino to go with it.”
Antonio flashed one of his heart-stopping smiles, and hers tripped and paused a moment before picking up the beat again. “Lead the way and I’ll follow you into temptation.”
“Tough to turn down Cat’s cheesecake.”
He continued to look at her, indigo eyes roaming over her face the way his fingers might if he put his hands there. And then he did, laid them against her cheeks, lowered his head, and she lost control of her thoughts again.
“Among other things, bella donna.
What though youth gave love and roses,
Age still leaves us friends and wine.
Thomas Moore
He’d gone out for a jog, wanted the exercise, and hoped the fresh air might help dispel the funk that had hung over him for the last day or two like a dense fog he couldn’t see his way clear of.
He was used to working out on a more regular basis and it felt good to get out and push his body, shake out his muscles. He wasn’t sure the effort helped clear his mind, though.
Antonio sprinted up the short hill that ended where the road split. The right fork bent toward the property Lucia and Caterina would be purchasing if the deal went through. He slowed his pace as it came into view, taking in the landscape of it. When he reached the center point of the land, he stopped, faced it.
He grasped the hem of his grey tee shirt, wiped his face and the back of his neck with it. The fingers of a light afternoon breeze brushed across his stomach. He welcomed its cooling touch, breathed in the fresh, clean fragrance of the apple blossoms covering the copse of trees in the small orchard on the back of the property. Delicate, airy flowers covered the trees in a veil of pink and white, and as he studied them he imagined how they might be used as a landscape feature.
From where he stood, he could envision his design anchoring the property, the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. The setting sun would bathe the fieldstone façade he would suggest if it were his project in warm gold tones in the evening, inspiring the inn’s guests to stroll the grounds, the restaurant’s diners to order a café and dessert, an aperitif, some little thing to extend their meal and embrace the mood he imagined it all would inspire.
He expected they would do well. With Caterina’s restaurant knowledge and flair in the kitchen, and Lucia’s personal touch and high standards the cornerstones of the inn, once they got discovered, neither should lack for customers. And Eliana, he was certain, would take care of that.
He stood transfixed, a picture of what it could be clear in his mind’s eye…his vision, crafted from theirs, brought to life. He struggled with a sense of vesting that had begun to take root from the first morning he’d walked the site, studied the angles of shadow from the mountains and how they played in the light. He’d asked the land to speak to him, to tell him what to make of it, for it, and when it did he’d listened. It whispered through his drawings, every line, every angle, every post and arch…all for someone else to silence his vision with one of their own.
Antonio pushed his hands through his sweat-dampened hair, shook it out. If he came back in five years, stood in this same spot looking at whatever that person designed, would he feel he’d betrayed it?
Several crows flew overhead, calling out. He looked up, watched them fly toward the vineyard, his thoughts taking flight with them, winging in and out of conflicting scenarios he couldn’t believe he was even considering.
He’d planned on
leaving Saturday morning, start working his way south, stop at a few different places along the way until he reached Key West. He hadn’t decided whether he’d head west or north after that. And now, he didn’t know, not after the crazy thoughts he had that could actually be a solution to his problems if Lucia would agree to play along with him.
He still hadn’t worked out how he’d present his idea to her. If he told her the truth, would she understand his position and agree to help him out of it, or would she think the time they’d spent together had been nothing more than an attempt to win her over for his own selfish purposes?
His plan was a radical one, one he couldn’t even believe he was considering. But his nonno had him by the balls, and he and Lucia’s grandfather had arranged things so that it gave Antonio little choice but to play along or face the consequences. He didn’t like deceiving Lucia, and not telling her about the financial stipulations he’d only just recently learned about himself felt like a deception…was a deception.
“Damn you, old man,” he cursed under his breath. Right now he saw three possible scenarios: deceiving his grandfather, deceiving Lucia, or telling his grandfather to fuck the contract and deal with the fallout.
His mind circled back to the Bonavera project. What would Lucia think about the ideas he’d laid out for them? And how much would the answer to that question influence what he did next?
THURSDAY EVENING THE five of them gathered in the library. Caterina had whipped up a selection of hearty appetizers including miniature pastry tarts filled with crab imperial, some with Gorgonzola cheese and caramelized onions baked to a light, golden brown, skewers of broiled shrimp wrapped in bacon, chicken satay, fresh-baked bread, and a platter of assorted sliced meats, cheese, and grapes. And to drink, two bottles of the winery’s award-winning Chardonnay.
They agreed it would be best to eat first while the food was still warm before getting down to the business and discussing Antonio’s ideas.
“We’ve got a full house this weekend,” Lucia said as she reached for a skewer with chicken satay and put it on her plate. “I got two more reservations this morning, so you’ll probably be busy with tastings, El.”
“I’ll see if McKenzie can come in. She told me a couple of weeks ago she’d be willing to take any extra shifts she could get. We’ve got five pre-scheduled groups, but with three of us on hand we should be able to accommodate whatever guests and walk-ins we get.”
“Does that mean I’m on tastings this weekend?” Marcella asked from behind them where she was already sitting on the couch attacking her food.
Eliana snagged a piece of still-warm bread. “That’s right, and with things ramping up for the season, probably the next several unless we find someone to replace Carly soon.”
Marcella snorted. “Damn Carly for getting married and moving to Boston.”
“Yeah, how dare she fall in love and give up her part-time job here so she could go live with her new husband.” Lucia got some bread, too, and exchanged amused looks with Eliana and Cat.
“It’ll be good for you, Marcella,” Cat said. “Look at it as an opportunity to practice your social skills.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my social skills. I just don’t find talking to strangers all day particularly enjoyable, especially when they don’t even seem to be trying to experience the wine properly. I mean, they’re tastings, not mixers.”
Eliana leaned forward and looked past Lucia to Antonio. “She’d rather talk to plants.”
“I heard that. At least plants don’t tell stupid jokes, spout meaningless flattery, or sit through three tastings trying to convince someone who has no interest whatsoever to go out to dinner with them.”
The rest of them found a place to sit around the big, square coffee table, joining Marcella and Caterina who’d already gotten their food.
Cat reached for her wine and took a sip. She smiled mischievously at Marcella. “El told me you had an admirer. She said he was all big, puppy-in-love eyes, with drool running down his chin when he looked at you. Maybe you should have accepted his invitation.”
Marcella grimaced. “If I decide to go out on a dinner date, it’s not going to be with someone who creeps me out by staring at me all night and slobbering between courses.”
When they finished eating, everyone helped clean away the food and dishes so Antonio could spread out his drawings on the coffee table. He took the rubber band off and unrolled them.
“Keep in mind these are just concept drawings, similar to the proposal drawings you’d get from someone after an initial meeting to discuss what you wanted to do. So—” He flattened them out over the table. “Based on my understanding of what you want, here’s what I’ve come up with.”
They spent the next forty-five minutes going over his ideas. He fielded their questions with a patience Lucia found admirable.
Everyone wanted him to expand on this or that aspect, tried to move ahead to lighting options, paint colors, what kind of material would work best on the dining room chairs, wouldn’t a pergola be lovely over the outdoor eating area, and got so caught up in their excitement that he had to gently reel them back in.
“Most of those things won’t come into play until the developmental drawings are done. Not that you can’t think about what you’d like now,” he allowed with a twitching grin, clearly amused by their enthusiasm, “but in the first phase of drawings that kind of detail isn’t included.”
“It’s hard not to get ahead of ourselves.” Lucia wrapped her hands around her arms as if trying to contain all the possibilities that started to take flight as soon as she’d seen what he presented. “Especially after what you’ve shown us. It’s just so fabulous. I had a feeling whatever you did would be good, but it’s beyond anything I envisioned.”
“I second that,” Cat said. “You’re amazing! The way you took our mishmash of ideas and put them into such a clear vision, I mean, how were you able to decipher everything we said and give us exactly what we wanted when we weren’t even sure what it was yet?”
Antonio chuckled. “That’s part of my job, to try to understand what my clients want even if they have a hard time expressing it.”
“Well!” Cat stood up and refilled her wine glass. “Based on what you came up with, I’d say you’re very good at your job.”
“Some more here too, please,” Eliana held her glass in the air for Caterina to pour her some. “And in case anyone cares what Marcella or I think…” She looked at Antonio and smiled broadly. “It’s simply fabulous, darling.” She leaned into Marcella who sat beside her on the couch. “Right, sis?”
“You won’t hear any argument from me.” Marcella turned toward Lucia. “Are you planning on still living here when it’s all done or moving over to the new inn?”
“I haven’t thought that far in advance. But even if I do move, I’ll only be a short walk away, little sister. We’ll probably still see each other almost every day.”
“Oh, I wasn’t worried about that. I just wanted to put first dibs on your room in case El had designs on it. The bathroom’s much bigger than the one in mine.”
“So much for sisterly bonds.” Lucia glanced at Antonio and realized they were straying off track again. “Sorry. We tend to take a lot of detours no matter what we’re talking about.”
He raised a hand and shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I’m glad you all seem happy with what I’ve shown you, and I’m more than content to sit here, sipping my wine, in the company of four charming women. I’m in no hurry to rush the evening to a closure.”
Lucia hiked a thumb toward him and looked at her sisters. “He’s good, isn’t he?” And he really was. Better than good. Almost too good to be true, which since he’d be leaving soon, he was…too good to be true. She sighed lightly, and tried to ignore the reminder that his time here was speeding away, no matter how dangerous it could be to her heart if he didn’t leave soon.
“You really did manage to capture everything we wanted, Antonio. Do you think it
would be possible for us to just hire a contractor and let them use your drawing to do the work?” Cat asked.
“No. You’ll need someone to do full design drawings, and once you all agree on those, they’d need to do detailed ones that would include construction specs for the contractor.”
Cat sat back down, frowned. “But what if they change things, like some of the stuff you talked about that you didn’t put in yet?”
“We could insist they use Antonio’s design and do the other drawings from that,” Lucia suggested. “It is our project.”
“We could, but would they feel the same level of commitment if we hired them to implement someone else’s design?”
Lucia shrugged. “They might. Who knows?”
“Well, I don’t really want to consider another design after seeing this one. It’s exactly what we want and we shouldn’t have to compromise.”
Antonio looked from Caterina to Lucia and then sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “If you really want to use my design, and you’re sure it will meet your needs, I know someone who’d be willing to take it on and not change anything.”
All four sisters swung their gaze in his direction.
“Absolutely,” Cat said without hesitation.
Lucia reached out and covered one of his hands with her own. “That would certainly make this easier for us, Antonio. I know I speak for Cat and me both…and Marcella and El, too,” she added, glancing at her other two sisters and smiling. Even though they wouldn’t be owners in the new venture, the change would have a major impact on all of them, and because they were a family, everyone’s opinion was important.
“We’ve fallen in love with your ideas,” Lucia went on. “If you know someone we could trust to implement them with the same kind of vision, we’d definitely be interested in talking to them.”
He turned his hand up, wrapped his fingers around the back of hers, and looked at her, his expression serious.
Lucia (The Bonaveras) Page 10