“Me.”
THE ROOM WENT dead silent for about five seconds and then exploded in a series of reactions with all four sisters talking and asking questions at the same time.
Lucia stood up and held her hands in the air. “Stop!”
The noise level began to abate, like a helium balloon losing air, gradually declining and then falling away. Not so the energy. Eliana twirled her foot with the fervor of a puppy wagging its tail at the sound of his mistress arriving home for the night. Cat paced behind the two club chairs in front of the fireplace. Marcella chewed on the side of her thumbnail as if it were a Belgian chocolate.
And Antonio. Gorgeous male, sculpted cheekbones, firm lips, cobalt blue eyes that had the power to make her start to salivate every time she looked into them. Antonio, the man she’d lusted after from the get-go but held it in check—not counting their steamy kisses—because she’d known he’d be leaving any day. And now…
He just sat there, leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees, his fingers laced together in front of them, watching her, watching and waiting for her response.
“By ‘me’ are you saying you’d be willing to work with us as the architect throughout the entire process? From beginning to end?”
“That’s what I meant. If the four of you agree you want me to.” He glanced around at them. “You don’t have to decide this moment. You can talk amongst yourselves and let me know after you’ve had a chance to consider it more.”
“No! I mean, yes! We don’t need to think about it. You’ve got the job!” Caterina pumped her fist in the air.
“Hold on a minute, Cat,” Lucia said. She’d be no less thrilled to have him work with them, but there were logistics to consider, and questions pushing into her head that needed to be asked. Not just for them, but for him…to make sure they weren’t rushing into a decision on a whim.
Lucia sat back down. “Have you thought this through, Antonio? If you did this, it could take a year, maybe more depending on how it goes. Won’t being away from your firm and home that long create issues?”
“Are you trying to talk me out of it, Lucia?”
“No, not at all,” she hurried to assure him. “But it would be a huge commitment. What are the legal issues? Can you even stay here that long without getting some kind of work visa or something? What’s going to happen with your job at home? And…why? Why would you want to do this when your life is in Italy?”
“You packed a lot in there.” He gave her a crooked smile, one corner of his mouth hooking up higher than the other, and she lusted for the feel of it on her own. She was so weak where he was concerned…and that could create a whole bucket load of other issues.
“I’ll have to make some arrangements with my team back home, but they’re more than capable of running the office without me being there physically. If they want to consult with me on anything, we can do that by phone. I can also go back for a few days here and there. Once the construction begins I’ll only be visiting the site to do routine progress checks and if any issues come up, so that’s not as big a deal as you might think.”
Lucia looked around the room; none of her sisters seemed to need or want any more convincing. They all appeared to be on board and ready to move full steam ahead. Someone needed to pause, be reasonable, understand the hows and whys.
“There aren’t any real legal issues either.” Antonio continued to address her questions. “We’ll have the usual ones to deal with relating to the project but that’s all standard stuff. I don’t need a visa, just my passport to travel between countries.”
“Are you sure about that?” Lucia furrowed her brow. She was no expert on the matter, but she didn’t think a passport would be enough for him to come and go at will. “I didn’t think you could stay in another country for an extended period without some kind of special documentation.”
“Normally that’s true, but I was born here…well, in Florida. My mother’s family lived there and my parents would visit for a few months every year on holiday. I was born during one of those visits, which automatically made me a U.S. citizen.”
“Oh my God, that’s so cool,” Eliana said. “So you have dual citizenship?”
Antonio chuckled. “Yes. A fortunate accident. And handy if I’m going to be here for a while. I’m also licensed to work in the States. The U.S. doesn’t have a reciprocal arrangement with Italy, but I provided all the necessary documentation and went through the exam and licensing process several years ago when I was working on a project in upstate New York.”
“It sounds like there shouldn’t be any hurdles to your working with us, then,” Cat said. “When will I get to see the kitchen design? I know the exact appliances I want, and how I want things to flow.”
Lucia cleared her throat. “Before we get there—” She sent her sister a look that said we’re not done here yet.
Cat threw her arms in the air, clearly of a different mind, but she acquiesced by sitting back down in one of the wing chairs.
“The fact you have dual citizenship would make things a lot easier, but there’s still the question of whether you really want to commit to spending a year or more of your life here, and why.”
“I guess the answer’s the same to both of those things. Your project’s the kind I get the most satisfaction from, and I don’t want to see someone who doesn’t have the same vision I shared with you come in and change it. The vision of what it can be, the possibilities, they’re in my head. When I spent time walking the ground, it spoke to me. I don’t know if you can understand that, but I know what it needs, what it wants. I already own it, in my mind it’s mine, and I don’t want to hand it over to someone else who doesn’t see it the same way I do. It already has its hooks in me.”
Antonio angled his head, looked into her eyes, and held her gaze. “I’m offering to take this on because I want to do it. The prospect is exciting to me and I know I’ll get a lot of satisfaction from it. It’s as simple as that.”
Was it really? Lucia mused.
She drew in a slow breath as she considered all he’d said. She still had questions, or maybe they were concerns, but after seeing the thought he’d put into the design, she could understand how he might feel an ownership and not want to let it go.
Her sisters watched her with varying degrees of impatience. She was the only one dragging her feet on a final decision, and it wasn’t because she didn’t think he’d do an amazing job; she knew he would. They were friends, more really, but despite that, or maybe because of it, she wanted him to be sure about what he was getting himself into.
She tried to read what was in his eyes. He arched a brow, waiting for her response. “Well then,” she said, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake any of them would come to regret, “I guess we’ve got ourselves an architect.”
They celebrated with a bottle of champagne. Cat surprised them all by going into the kitchen and returning with an exquisite lemon meringue pie she’d baked that afternoon.
“I had a craving,” she said by way of explanation as she set it on the coffee table. “And now a good reason to celebrate.”
Lucia caught her bottom lip between her teeth and grinned, let her excitement have its turn. “It’s starting to feel real. We’re going to have to start thinking of a name now.”
“I’ve already thought of one,” Marcella said, surprising everyone. “Serendipity. I like the sound of the word and it certainly seems to fit. Our decision to keep the winery after Mom and Dad died, getting the land just down the road so we can all stay close, Antonio showing up when he did and offering to work with us…it all feels very fortuitous.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I do like the name.” Cat cut the pie and started lifting pieces onto plates for everyone.
“I like it too. Serendipity.” Lucia rolled the name around her tongue and smiled. It was a good name.
“I’LL CHECK IN on you next week, Nonno. I just got to the car so I’ve got to go. Behave yourself, old man.” An
tonio slid his cell into his back pocket and got into the rental.
His grandfather could think whatever he wanted but the man was wrong. Dead wrong. His decision had nothing to do with fate. He’d decided to work with the Bonaveras because their project excited him, and he didn’t want to see someone else come in and convince them to do something that would be totally wrong for the property, totally wrong for them. Try convincing the old man of that, though.
Antonio snorted. He didn’t have that kind of patience.
No, he hadn’t told him yet that he was considering honoring the contract. When he did, there was no reason to tell him the marriage would only be a temporary arrangement. But even if he did, his nonno probably wouldn’t care. The man almost certainly would believe destiny was playing her hand, that he and Lucia were meant to fall in love and live happily ever after, and that the only person Antonio was fooling was himself.
What a fairy tale! The only reason he was even considering such a drastic action was to secure his financial independence and get out from under the restrictions of that damned contract once and for all. He had to figure the best way to present it to Lucia. He’d have to tell her about the trust so she understood why he’d suggest such a radical idea. But he thought he might have come up with something she could agree to, something that would be fair to everyone.
He put the car in reverse and backed out of the gravel parking lot. Now that he’d be staying indefinitely he’d have to look into getting his car shipped over to the States. It would be cheaper than renting one for a year or two.
The inn was booked for the weekend, tourists lured by the beautiful spring weather, the history, the wineries, the restaurants, and the pastoral countryside sheltered in these foothills of the Blue Ridge.
When he’d gone downstairs for coffee and one of Caterina’s cranberry-orange muffins that morning, Lucia had been bustling about, refilling the brochure racks, straightening the magazines on the library tables, gathering cups and plates left behind by guests who’d decided to enjoy their breakfast in the library or at one of the seating areas on the large, wraparound porch rather than take it back to their room or eat in the solarium.
She had a greeting for any guests who were about, stopping whatever she was doing to take a moment to inquire about their comfort. How were they enjoying their stay? Was their room to their liking? Yes, she’d be happy to make dinner reservations for them in town.
She’d had a greeting for him, too. A good morning, how are you, topped off with an enchanting smile and a discreet pat to the backside he was pretty sure she hadn’t given to any of the other guests.
Antonio smiled and clucked his tongue. She could handle his backside anytime she wanted. It might be his imagination but she’d seemed more open, more inviting since their meeting Thursday evening. And wasn’t that an interesting development?
Maybe now that she knew he’d be staying for an extended period of time, she wasn’t as opposed to a more intimate relationship. She’d definitely been a little friendlier than before with that little hand to butt maneuver this morning. Considering what he had in mind, he’d need to be very careful how he proceeded with her, though. The attraction between them was strong, and he’d fantasized about making love to her more than once, but at what cost? When the time came for him to go back to Italy, he didn’t want to leave with regrets. He’d prefer if they could part friends.
With an inn full of guests, Antonio knew Lucia would be tied up most of the weekend, in full innkeeper mode, so he’d decided to head out on his own, get to know the area better, and while he was out he intended to pick up some things he needed.
After a morning of going from store to store, he’d had enough of shopping. He’d found most of what he needed to get started working on their job. He also had two new pair of jeans, one blue and one black, two grey tee shirts, navy running shorts, and some athletic socks to show for his effort.
Now, his stomach said it wanted food. He pulled out his phone and did a search for Caulfield’s, the restaurant where Lucia told him Caterina worked, and keyed the address into the GPS. She was supposed to be working today. He didn’t know what kind of menu they had, but based on what he’d tasted of her cooking, he suspected the food would be excellent.
Following the prompt on the GPS, he got on the Harry Byrd Highway. About fifteen minutes and a couple of turns later he found the restaurant. It was in Ashburn, which, like Leesburg where he’d done his shopping, appeared to be a bit more suburban and sophisticated than some of the other nearby towns.
Caulfield’s was in a newer development that had been designed like a town center and included a number of other restaurants and retail stores. There were a lot of people out and about, and he had to hunt for a parking spot.
The restaurant was busy with a lunch crowd but he only had a short wait before being seated. After looking over the menu, he placed his order for a Croque-Monsieur and some specialty fries—parmesan and parsley.
The sandwich and fries were exceptional, and when his waiter brought the check, Antonio asked if it would be possible to give his compliments to the chef. Since he’d chosen the restaurant because of Caterina, he thought she might like to know he’d stopped in.
“Antonio! What are you doing here?” she asked when she walked up to his table, her surprise evident.
“I heard the chef was incomparable so I thought I’d give it a try.”
Caterina laughed and wrapped one of her arms around her waist. “Oh, you did? And what’s your opinion of the rumors?”
“They were absolutely correct. That was the best sandwich I’ve had in a very long time.”
“What did you get?”
“The Croque-Monsieur. It’s one of my favorites but not typically on a lot of menus.” He had a small amount of wine left in his glass and finished it off.
“Would you like more wine?”
“You might be able to talk me into another glass if you can join me for a few minutes.”
“For a couple, but not long.” She signaled the waiter working his section and asked him to bring another glass of whatever Antonio was drinking.
“So you’re out on your own? Taking advantage of this gorgeous day to do some sightseeing?” She pulled out a chair and sat down.
“That, and picking up a few things I needed. Everyone’s busy at the winery. When I left, they already had two groups waiting to do tastings, and Lucia was restocking the breakfast selections for her guests.”
“Spring’s always busy with tourists. Fall’s busier, more like try to find a moment to catch your breath busy, but this time of year we never lack for guests at the inn or coming for tastings.”
The waiter returned with another glass of wine and set it on the table.
“That one’s on the house, Drew,” Caterina told him.
Antonio raised the glass. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She crossed her legs and looked around the room, checking out the customers, gauging their pleasure with their meals, her eyes resting a moment on this one and that before moving on.
“I’m so happy we’re going to be working with you. I cannot wait to see more detailed drawings.” She leaned forward and grinned. “Not to be impatient, but when do you think you’re going to have them ready?”
“I should have the next set ready soon. Those will have a defined layout of the spaces and construction materials. I’ll make suggestions, but the final choices will be yours and Lucia’s. Once we’ve all agreed on that we can move on to what will probably be the fun part for you and your sisters.”
She laughed and started to say something but stopped when a man approached their table.
“Excuse me.” He looked at Antonio. “I hope you enjoyed your lunch.”
“I did, thank you. It was excellent.”
“Good to hear.” He gave a slight smile that looked more obligatory and practiced than sincere. “Would you mind if I steal Caterina from you? I need to speak with her in the kitchen.”
&n
bsp; The man turned toward Cat. Antonio thought he looked annoyed, or impatient. He could be wrong, but the guy seemed unhappy with her about something.
Caterina stood up stiffly and he saw her draw in a breath, as if trying to steady her emotions. The man took several steps to leave then turned back around and looked at her, as if to say, are you coming?
“Thanks for stopping by. If you come in again, let me know you’re here before you pay for your meal.” She patted him on the shoulder and the hard line of her mouth softened a bit. “See you later.”
Antonio stopped her with a hand on her forearm. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” she said, but her expression was tight.
“Who the hell was that?” He heard the man mumble when Caterina reached his side. Antonio frowned after them. Whoever the guy was, his instincts told him she’d be happier if she didn’t have to work with him.
Was he the owner, her boss? And although the possibility bothered him because he liked Caterina, he wondered if her relationship to the man might be something more—something more personal.
They gave each other a smile
with a future in it.
Ring Lardner
A hike! What did she have to wear on a hike? Why had she agreed to go on a hike? And what the hell was she supposed to do when they were out there…on a hike?
Lucia combed her fingers through her hair, gathered it into a ponytail, and secured it with a hair band.
Okay, maybe it was just the word. It conjured images of slogging through woods, trudging up hills, sweating, and swatting away bugs.
She probably needed to wear something on her feet that had tread. She didn’t have hiking shoes, but Eliana might have something in her vast shoe collection that she could borrow. She had some khaki shorts, and she’d wear a white tee so she could see any bugs, like ticks that might get on her.
“Oh God! I’m probably going to wind up with Lyme disease!”
Lucia (The Bonaveras) Page 11