Marsala and Magnolias

by SJ McCoy

  She let out a frustrated laugh. She was being stupid, and she knew it. It was just a little doubt creeping in and she needed to kick it to the curb before it could take a hold. The poor guy was probably stressed out over some issue at work, and the last thing he needed was to come home and find her doubting him.

  She smiled as she heard the garage door open and went to meet him in the kitchen. He looked stressed. She went to him and closed her arms around him. “Hey. I missed you.”

  “I’m sorry.” He kissed the top of her head and stepped away from her.

  Something was wrong. She knew it. “What is it? Is something wrong at Muse?”

  He shook his head sadly. “Muse is fine, it was just a little problem. It’s sorted; I fired him. It’s not that. It’s Marcos.”

  “Your brother?”

  “Yeah. You know things haven’t been great with him? Well, they’re getting worse. I called him while I was waiting.” He shook his head. “He’s in a bad way. He was drunk. Which isn’t like him. He says he can’t do it. He can’t run the winery. Caterina’s pushed him to his limits.” He came to her and took hold of her hands. “He asked me to go, to be there with him.”

  Mary Ellen nodded.

  “Do you mind?”

  “Don’t be silly. Of course I don’t. He’s your brother, you should be there for him.”

  “I know, but the timing. You just moved in, and I don’t know how long it’ll take, and …” He shook his head sadly.

  “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter. Life does this, it messes up plans when we make them. We’ll be fine. When are you leaving? I can go home.”

  “No!” He looked horrified. “This is your home.”

  She touched his cheek. “It isn’t yet, though, is it? I’d like it be, and when you come back, we can try this again. But I don’t want to stay here if you’re not here. I didn’t sign up to be with your house. I signed up to be with you.”

  “Then come with me?” He looked so hopeful, but it wasn’t realistic.

  She shook her head. “For one thing, you’re going there to spend time with your brother. He needs you. And for another, I have to work.”

  He closed his arms around her and blew out a sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Please, will you stay here?”

  “I don’t want to. It wouldn’t feel right. I’d rather go back to my apartment for now. When you come back, so will I.”

  He leaned back to look into her eyes. “Do you promise?”

  She nodded. For some reason, she didn’t want to make that promise. Things might change while he was gone—or was that just the stupid doubts taking hold again? It was. She smiled and planted a kiss on his lips. “I promise.”

  “Thank you.” He hugged her close and she relaxed against him.

  “When will you leave?”

  “Tomorrow, if I can. I need to book a flight.”

  She nodded. “Why don’t you get onto that and I’ll go get us something for dinner?”

  “No. I was going to cook for you. If this is going to be our last night together, it should be special.”

  “It will be.” She nodded, understanding it herself as she said it. “This is our first real chance to work together as a team. To join forces in the face of life throwing us a curveball. We can do this. You take care of whatever you need to do. I’ll go get us something to eat, and then later, after you’re packed, we can relax and hang out and enjoy each other’s company. It won’t work if you expect me to sit around while you have things to do and then sit around again while you cook for me. We want to be a team, don’t we?”

  He smiled down at her and shook his head.

  “You don’t want us to be a team?”

  He shook his head again and landed a kiss on her lips. “I want us to be a couple.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The next morning, Antonio woke early. He hadn’t been able to get a direct flight to Rome. He’d have to fly out of San Francisco at two to get to Chicago. The family jet would pick him up from Rome on Monday morning. He sighed. He’d need to leave here by nine.

  Mary Ellen turned over and smiled at him. “Good morning.”

  He dropped a kiss on her lips. There was nothing good about it as far as he was concerned. He didn’t want to leave her. He wanted his brother to be okay. He closed his arms around her and hugged her to his chest. “Say you’ll stay here?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to. It doesn’t feel right.”

  “Okay.” He didn’t want to push her and make her uncomfortable. “Will you pop in sometimes and keep an eye on the place for me?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Do you want me to make us some breakfast? You’re going to have to get up and get on the road soon.”

  “I don’t need breakfast. I’d rather spend the time right here with you.”

  She smiled and nuzzled her face into his neck. “I was hoping you might say that.”

  He chuckled. “Only because you don’t want to cook.”

  “Nope. It’s not because I don’t want to cook; it’s because I want to do something that rhymes with it.”

  He rolled her onto her back. “And what might that be?”

  “I think you know.”

  “Mm-hmm. I think I do, but I want to hear you say it.”

  “I want you to fuck me.”

  His body came to life hearing her say it, but he shook his head. “Much as I’d like to, I have something else in mind.” He cupped her breast and loved the way she sighed.

  “I’ll beg if you want me to.”

  “I don’t.” He trailed his hand down over her stomach and slid it between her legs. She gasped as he began to stroke her. She was already hot and wet for him.

  “What is it that you have in mind?” she asked as she began to rock her hips in time with his hand.

  “I want to make love to you.”

  “Oh.” She sighed as he positioned himself on top of her, spreading her legs wide to receive him.

  His cock throbbed, eager to be inside her, but he moved slowly, resting at her entrance as he watched her face. Her hands came up around his ass, urging him on. But still, he moved slowly, pushing inside her an inch at a time, until he couldn’t resist, and he thrust hard, making them both moan. This time was different. He kissed her as their bodies moved together. She held his face between her hands as she lifted her hips to meet each thrust. It was a slow burn, long drawn out exquisite torture as he brought them both to the edge of orgasm, then backed off the pace, wanting to make it last. He could feel the beads of sweat on his shoulders and see them in her hairline as they drove each other crazy. She tightened around him as he pulsated inside her. The tension was building so hard, but he wanted to make this last. He wanted her to feel and to know that this was love.

  She tensed and clenched around him. “Antonio!” she gasped as her orgasm took her.

  It took him too, the fire in his belly tore through him in a heat-wave that ignited every cell of his body. They moved together frantically, their bodies becoming one. He never wanted the moment to end, but of course, it did. Eventually they lay spent in each other’s arms. He rolled off her and hugged her to him, peppering the top of her head with kisses.

  “I love you, Antonio.”

  His eyes filled with tears hearing her say it. “I love you, Mary Ellen. This is just the beginning.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Cheer up,” said Chelsea. “You should be happy that you get a night out with the girls. That overbearing Italian cousin of mine has been hogging you since you started dating him.

  Mary Ellen made a face. “Sorry. You know I’m happy to be here.”

  “You could have fooled me,” said Molly as she set a Margarita down in front of her and a Cosmo in front of Chelsea. “You look lost and lonely, and believe me, I know how you feel.”

  Mary Ellen raised her glass to her. “Cheers.”

&n
bsp; Chelsea shook her head. “It’s not like you, Molly. Don’t go thinking that. Antonio’s been gone a week. From what he’s told Mary Ellen and Grant, he’ll be back by next weekend. It’s not like he’s moving back there.”

  Molly nodded. “I know. Sorry.”

  “I don’t get it,” said Mary Ellen. “Why would you think he’s moving back there—and why would it matter to you?”

  Molly blew out a sigh. “I have to get back to the kitchen.”

  Chelsea raised an eyebrow at her. “Can I tell her?”

  “Sure, why not. It’s no secret.”

  “What isn’t?” asked Mary Ellen, as she watched Molly walk away. “She seems upset about something.”

  “That’s because she is. Still. After all this time.”

  “Still what? Give me a clue here. Why would she think that Antonio would go back to Sicily for good?”

  “Because that’s what Marcos did.”

  “So?”

  “So, Molly and Marcos were like the golden couple in high school. He was a year ahead of her, and even when he went to college, they kept seeing each other. Right until he graduated.” Chelsea shook her head. “At that point, instead of him coming back to run the winery here, he went back to Sicily.”

  “Wow! I had no idea. She didn’t want to go with him?”

  “She had this place. Her dad started this place when she was little, and he named it after her. It was always her destiny.” Chelsea shook her head. “She didn’t bother going to college, even though she could have, because she always knew she was going to run Molly’s.”

  “Did Marcos have to go, or did he choose to?”

  Chelsea shrugged. “That’s the million-dollar question. Everyone thought he was going to take over Di Giovanni’s here. They had a general manager, but everyone expected Marcos would take over as soon as he could.”

  “Was Antonio supposed to go to Sicily then?”

  Chelsea chuckled. “No one ever knew what to expect of him. It turned out that with Marcos gone, he stepped up and took over the winery here. And it’s never looked back since.”

  Mary Ellen smiled, happy to think that he’d stepped up for his family and that he hadn’t just been a stand-in but had made a great success of the label. Her smile faded as she thought about Marcos and Molly. “How do you think she feels now, knowing that he’s getting divorced and having such a hard time?”

  “I have no idea. I keep trying to get her to talk to me, but she won’t open up.”

  “I hope she’s okay.”

  “She will be. She’s a tough one is our Molly.”

  Mary Ellen nodded and watched Molly. She was smiling and laughing, bantering with customers as she took their orders, but now that she knew her story, Mary Ellen thought she could see sadness lurking behind the smile.

  Her phone rang, and she fished it out of her purse. Chelsea snatched it out of her hands. “If that’s Antonio, you can tell him you’ll call him back later. This is girls’ night.”

  Mary Ellen laughed and grabbed it back. “Oh, it’s my mom.”

  “You’d better take it, then.” Chelsea looked serious. “But don’t let her upset you. Remember, whatever she says, she’s only looking out for you in her own way.”

  Mary Ellen gave her a grateful smile as she answered. It was good advice. “Hi, Mom. How are you?”

  “Hello, Mary Ellen. Are you busy this weekend?”

  “Not particularly, why?” Mary Ellen frowned, wondering what was coming.

  “I don’t want to worry you, but your dad isn’t doing so well. I wondered if you might want to come home and cheer him up.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Don’t worry. Nothing’s the matter with him; he’s just been a bit down in the dumps lately and I know a visit from you would cheer him up. We haven’t seen you since Christmas and … never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sure you’re too busy.”

  “I’ll be there. I’ll let you know when I can book a flight.”

  “Wonderful. We’ll look forward to it. See you soon, then. Bye.” She hung up, leaving Mary Ellen staring at her phone.

  “Is everything okay?” asked Chelsea.

  Mary Ellen shook her head. “I don’t know. Either my dad’s ill and she doesn’t want to tell me, or she’s guilt-tripping me because I haven’t been home in a while.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Book a flight.” Mary Ellen was already searching on her phone.

  “Maybe Piper can take you?”

  “I don’t want to screw up their weekend. I’m sure they’ve got enough going on. They might even be going to Summer Lake to work on their wedding plans.”

  “There’s only one way to find out.” Chelsea pulled her phone out, but Mary Ellen held up a hand. “Don’t. I’ll maybe ask, if I can’t find a flight, but I’d rather not. Let me see what I can do first.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Antonio leaned on the stone balustrade and watched the moonlight shimmer on the sea below. The night air was warm and heavy with the scent of his mom’s flowers. It carried the sound of crickets and of waves crashing down below. It wrapped him in a sense of home. He’d missed it here. It had been a long week, but he and Marcos had accomplished a lot in the time he’d been here. It was Friday night and part of him wanted to rush straight back to California—to Mary Ellen, but his family was important to him, too. He was staying for the weekend to spend time with them. They’d had a wonderful family dinner this evening and he’d come out here to enjoy the night air after his parents had gone to bed.

  “Mind if I join you?”

  “I was hoping you might.” He smiled at his brother.

  “It’s been quite a week, no?”

  “You can say that again.”

  “I’m sorry I dragged you over here, but I couldn’t do it by myself.”

  “I’m glad you asked me. Glad I could help.”

  “But now you want to go home, right?”

  Antonio smiled. “Honestly, this place is just as much my home as over there. It’s not California I’m in a rush to get back to.”

  Marcos smiled. “I know. It’s Mary Ellen.”

  “I can’t wait for you to meet her. In fact, why don’t you come with me?”

  Marcos shook his head. “Not yet. It’s too soon for me. I didn’t do all this work this week to free me up, just so I can go to the other wine country. I’m going to take off for a while. You really think things will be all right here?”

  Antonio punched his arm. “They’ll be better than they were.”

  “I know. I screwed up. I let myself go under and almost took the business with me. It’s not like me.”

  “It isn’t, but it just goes to show how much you’ve been dealing with. Now it’s all behind you. Caterina has her settlement and she’ll leave you alone. Pietro can deal with everything here. He’s been with us all his life. I think this promotion is exactly what he wanted, but didn’t believe could ever happen. I can help him with anything he needs from over there.”

  Marcos blew out a big sigh. “I don’t feel so wonderful knowing that I created this whole big mess, personally and professionally. I ran things down over a matter of years, and my little brother comes in and makes everything right in the space of a week.”

  Antonio grasped his shoulder. “It’s like anything—it’s easy to see solutions from the outside, and easier to implement them too.”

  “You mean it’s easier to fix something when you weren’t the one who screwed it up?”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve bailed me out enough times.”

  Marcos shrugged. “No need to dwell on it all, I guess. You’ve given me a fresh start. I’m going to make the most of it.”

  “Do you know where you’ll go?”

  “I’m going to start in Rome, then maybe Paris, London. I don’t know. I want to see some city life for a while.”

  “Don’t forget San Fr
ancisco.”

  He smiled. “I’ll come see you when I’m ready. I need to get right with myself first.”

  “No pressure. Just know I’ll be waiting impatiently.”

  Marcos laughed. “You’ll forget all about me when you get back to Mary Ellen.”

  “You may be right there.” He looked at his watch. “I might go and give her a call, tell her I’m coming home.”

  “You do that. Give her my best, tell her thanks for letting me borrow you and sorry about the timing.”

  Antonio smiled and walked away to make the call. The phone made the usual clicks and tones as it made the international connection and then he heard it ring. It only rang once and then went straight to voicemail. That was odd. He checked his watch. It was ten here, which meant it was two in the afternoon there. Maybe she was in a meeting?

  He hung up and tried again. Maybe it was the connection that hadn’t gone through somehow? Nope. It went straight to voicemail this time, too. “Hey, bella. I miss you. I wanted to hear your voice. I’m going to bed soon. I guess you’re busy. I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you.” He hung up and went back into the house. That was the first time he’d missed her when he called. He didn’t like it.

  When he woke up in the morning, the first thing he did was check his phone. He smiled when he saw a text from her.

  Sorry I missed you. I had to go home.

  I’ll call you when I get chance.

  Love you. Oxo

  He frowned and sat up in bed. Home? Did that mean she’d gone back to Ohio? Why? He tapped out a reply.

  Is everything OK?

  He stared at his phone for a few minutes, waiting for her reply, but it didn’t come. He got up and headed for the shower, feeling uneasy. He hoped her parents were okay.

  He checked his phone again as soon as he stepped out of the shower and went to sit on the bed in his towel to read her reply.

  Sorry. I’m pissed! My mom made it sound like there

  was something up with my dad so I rushed back here.

  He’s fine! It turns out David’s here and she wanted me

  to see him. He fed her some bullshit about how he made

  a big mistake and wants me back. I’ve told her, and I’ve told