“There you are!”
They both turned and saw Katie hurrying toward them, a red-haired toddler in her arms.
Katie Marcelli Stryker was the oldest of the Marcelli daughters. She and her husband, Zach, lived in Los Angeles, where he was a big-time lawyer and she ran a party-planning business.
“Look,” Lorenzo said pointing. “Two beautiful women want to talk to us. We are lucky men.”
Joe smiled. “I agree.”
Katie stopped in front of them and laughed. “Look what she can do,” she said proudly, then turned to her daughter. “Come on, honey. What did you want to say?”
The green-eyed beauty held out her arms to Lorenzo and said, “Gram.”
The old man pulled her close and hugged her. “How are you? Such a little princess. Have you been practicing my name?”
Valerie nodded shyly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Katie turned to Joe.
“Where’s my hug, big guy?”
He gathered her close. “Good to see you.”
Katie squeezed him hard. “I heard we’ve got famous company.”
“That’s right.”
She straightened and smiled. “Gee, Joe, did you have to have sex with the president’s daughter on her very first visit?”
• • •
Darcy had been through enough Marcelli meals to expect insanity, but this beat all records. Leaves had been added to the already massive table in the dining room so that the whole family could sit together.
She’d been introduced to Katie and her family. Francesca, Sam, and the twins had arrived, along with Brenna and Nic. Only Mia was missing, and as Colleen had whispered in the kitchen, the blessing behind that was no Ian.
“Katie, you take that end,” Colleen said. “We’ll put Valerie in her high chair next to you. Francesca, I’ll take one of the twins by me.”
“I’ll take the other,” Brenna said. “I might as well practice. Unless you think being a twin and sitting next to another twin might make me have twins.”
Nic leaned over and kissed her cheek. “It doesn’t work that way. Whatever you’ve got, you’ve got.”
Brenna patted her huge stomach. “I’m thinking a really big baby and a beach ball.”
Everyone took their seats. Darcy found herself in the middle of the table, next to Grammy M and across from Joe. High chairs were slid into place and toddlers settled. Most of the food was already on the table, although Tessa carried in the last few dishes.
Lorenzo passed open bottles of cabernet down both sides of the table.
“It’s good to have family here,” he said. “We eat, we drink.”
“We talk,” Tessa said. “What did I forget?”
“The bread,” Grammy M told her.
The two old women scowled at each other before Tessa returned to the kitchen.
Darcy took the wine Marco passed to her. She poured a glass, then filled Grammy M’s. Gabriel took the bottle from her and winked.
Lorenzo pushed to his feet. “To my family,” he said, raising his glass.
Darcy instantly looked at Joe, who hesitated before picking up his glass. Darcy picked up hers as well, knowing that while she wasn’t part of the Marcellis, she was happy to wish them the best. They had been more than kind to her.
As soon as the toast was over, Tessa ordered everyone to “Eat. Eat before it gets cold.”
Serving dishes circled the table. Darcy took small portions of everything. Despite her working out, she’d managed to put on enough weight to make half her wardrobe too tight to wear. But it was hard to care about that when she was having such a good time. Funny how just a few short weeks ago she’d arrived feeling scared and angry. It was as if she’d been nothing but sharp edges, and now she was all rounded corners and curves.
“What do you think of life on a winery, Darcy?” Katie asked. “It must be different for you.”
“It is. I really like it.”
“Did you see her designs?” Tessa asked. “So beautiful.”
“I’m thrilled to finally have new wine labels,” Brenna said. “So please accept my heartfelt thanks.”
“I enjoyed working on the labels. And it was my first paying job in the graphic design business.”
“Good for you,” Katie said. “Is that what you studied at college?”
“Actually I was an art major. Painting—oils mostly. Then I discovered I wasn’t very good and switched to graphic design and marketing.”
Grammy M patted her hand. “I’m sure your pictures were delightful.”
“Thank you. I tried, but I didn’t have the talent.”
“You have plenty of talent,” Lorenzo intoned. “You should have seen the labels Brenna has brought me over the years. Goats. Who puts goats on wine bottles?”
Brenna shook her head. “They weren’t goats.”
“Animals then.”
“Stop it, you two,” Katie said mildly. “They’re always like that, but I’m sure you’re used to it by now.”
“Pretty much,” Darcy said with a laugh.
“It was worse before,” Francesca said. “When Brenna moved back here, before she and Nic got together, wow, did she and Grandpa Lorenzo go at it.”
“I had to be sure,” the old man said. “Sure that she wanted to devote herself to the winery. Now she has, and all will be well.”
“We’re a living, breathing soap opera,” Colleen said. “We should be on daytime television.”
“But you hate daytime TV,” Marco said.
“Oh, I wouldn’t watch,” Colleen told him. “I’d like the money though.”
She laughed and everyone joined in. Darcy glanced around the table, then spotted Katie watching her.
“Sorry,” Katie said. “I know everyone else is used to you being here, but I’m still getting over the strangeness of the president’s daughter sitting in the dining room of the house where I grew up. Until now the closest I’ve ever come to seeing you is in magazines.”
“Occupational hazard,” Darcy said.
“I guess. It would be so strange. People thinking they know you when they don’t. Of course I think I know you because of what everyone has told me.”
Darcy instantly glanced at Joe, then away. Katie grinned. “Oh, yeah, I know about that, too.”
“Katie!” Colleen said, scolding her daughter. “Leave Darcy alone.”
“It’s okay,” Darcy said, fighting a blush and having a bad feeling she was losing.
“It’s not her fault,” Francesca said. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, Darcy, but we’re all much more interested in Joe’s part in this than yours. We assume you’re normal, but to the best of our knowledge, our big brother has never dated. No one knew about his ex-wife until recently. Intellectually we know there must be dozens of women, but we’ve never seen him with one before. So we’re all curious about how this is working.”
“I’m not a freak of nature,” Joe growled. “I’ve had girlfriends before.”
Conversation ceased. Darcy didn’t mind, because she didn’t have anything to say either. Girlfriends? As in women in relationships? As in, she was one of them? She was his girlfriend ?
Her insides got all warm and squishy. Was it true? And if it was, did it matter? Joe wasn’t exactly a commitment-type guy. He handed out crumbs when she wanted a banquet. Had she somehow gotten past his emotional wall, or was she just fooling herself?
Joe shifted uncomfortably in the silence. Brenna opened her mouth, no doubt to say something funny but potentially embarrassing. Fortunately just then Valerie spilled her milk and Eric threw carrots at his sister. Shrieks and tears erupted and Colleen, Francesca, and Katie all jumped to their feet and grabbed for extra napkins. The conversation was forgotten by everyone except Darcy, who found herself staring at Joe. And in a quirk of fate she couldn’t explain, he was staring back. Just looking at her in a way that made her wonder about possibilities and romance and hope and if maybe, just this once, she was going to get it right.
&nb
sp; • • •
After lunch there was discussion about going for a walk. In the end only Darcy, Grandpa Lorenzo, Brenna, and Nic started out into the vineyards.
“I’ll accept the back pain, being unable to sleep, and the soccer games played in my belly, but why do I have to swell up like a toad?” Brenna asked as they strolled along a shady lane. “My shoes barely fit, I haven’t been able to wear my wedding ring in three months, and we won’t even discuss clothes.”
“It will be worth it,” Nic assured her as he helped her along.
“Ha. Want to trade?”
“Not really.”
Brenna turned to Darcy. “A piece of advice—pass on the whole pregnancy thing. It’s so much more disgusting than anyone tells you. There are things going on in my body that make it feel as if it’s been taken over by aliens.”
“So much talking,” Lorenzo scolded mildly.
“You try carrying around a watermelon in your stomach for nine months.” She came to a stop and rubbed her back. “Okay. This is as far as I go. You two have a nice walk.”
Darcy glanced at Lorenzo. “Do you want to go back?”
He stared out at the horizon, then shook his head. “No. Let’s see how far we can go.”
“I hope you feel better,” Darcy told Brenna.
“Not as much as I do.” Brenna waved, then leaned heavily on Nic, who led the way back to the house.
Darcy moved next to Lorenzo. The old man surprised her by taking her hand and squeezing it.
“We’ll be happy to have you in the family,” he said.
She winced. “I appreciate that, but Joe and I aren’t…That is to say we haven’t…I’m not sure what’s going on with him.”
“I think my grandson is thinking about giving his heart.”
Darcy wasn’t sure about that, although it sounded nice.
“Do you love him?” Lorenzo asked.
Darcy stepped back and smiled. “Okay, I can’t answer that, and maybe we should change the subject.”
“You think I’m an old man who asks too many questions.”
“Pretty much.”
Lorenzo chuckled. They started walking again. The afternoon was still and clear. There were only the calls of birds to break the silence. After another ten or fifteen minutes, Lorenzo stopped, then looked around.
“I must sit down,” he said.
They were in the middle of a row of grapes.
“Right here?” Darcy asked, then gasped as Lorenzo sank to the ground. She rushed over to him and crouched beside him. “Lorenzo?”
He didn’t say anything, but something was very wrong. She could tell by his rapid, shallow breathing and lack of color in his skin.
Oh God. What should she do? She stood and looked around. Where was her Secret Service agent?
But no matter how she scanned the horizon, no one appeared.
She bent down and touched Lorenzo’s hand. “I’ll go get help,” she said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“No.” He gripped her fingers. “Don’t go. It’s too late.”
Panic became fear. She felt for his pulse but couldn’t find it. Tears filled her eyes and made it impossible to see.
She knelt on the dirt and looked around. “Help!” she yelled. “Someone help us.”
“Shh.” Lorenzo gave her a slight smile. “Don’t worry, Darcy. It’s all right.”
It wasn’t all right, but she didn’t know what to do. She sat on the ground and lifted his head onto her lap. She held his hand until she realized the only breathing she heard was her own.
“Help,” she called again, knowing it was too late. Over and over she called, but no one answered. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was well and truly alone.
15
Joe put down the phone and reviewed the list in front of him. Even though several things had been checked off, the pile of things to do was getting longer, not shorter. He knew part of the problem was that no one could concentrate. Even he was having trouble staying mentally on task.
It had been two days. Only forty-eight hours since the Marcelli world as he knew it had changed forever. He couldn’t think of this place existing without Lorenzo running things. The old man’s gruff pronouncements were as integral as the house or the vines. How could he be gone?
Everyone had the same question. Everyone wanted to know what to do next. While it made sense for Marco to be in charge, Lorenzo’s only child had turned to Joe when he’d heard the news. The shock in Marco’s eyes had told Joe he was in no shape to make any decisions.
There was a knock at the open library door. Darcy entered and handed him a list.
“The rest of the phone calls have been made,” she told him. “Everyone has been notified. The funeral home will take the body as soon as it’s released, and the church has been arranged for the services Friday morning.”
Joe ignored the list and looked at her. The shadows that had finally started to fade had returned. She looked thin and pale and unbearably sad.
“You shouldn’t be making calls,” he said. “What if someone recognized your voice?”
“I had to help.” She moved into the room and sat down across from his desk. “I didn’t call any friends or family members. Then I would have had to explain who I was. But I took care of the church and the catering. Tessa is saying she wants to cook, but I spoke to Colleen and Marco and they agree it’s just too much for her. They’re expecting nearly five hundred people at the funeral and nearly that many back here. Katie told me who to call, and they’re going to be ready on time. I’m working on getting tents set up in the backyard, along with tables. I should have confirmation before five.”
“You’re good at this,” he said, appreciative of the help. What did he know about putting together a funeral for a man who had been a part of the community for nearly eighty years?
“I grew up in politics,” she said with a shrug. “I know how to organize parties. I know Katie was the more logical choice, but she’s pretty broken up. They all are. Oh, and Mia just got here.”
The youngest Marcelli sister had been missing for the past two days. “Where was she?” he asked.
“She and Ian went down to Mexico and didn’t tell anyone. She got to her hotel in San Diego this morning and got the message. They drove right back. I’m sure she’ll be in to see you in a second.”
He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “There’s too much to do.”
There wasn’t. He’d organized tactical assignments for entire SEAL teams. This was nothing, in the logistics department. But emotionally—it was hell.
“It’ll get done,” Darcy said. “There are plenty of hands to lighten the load.”
“When did you get philosophical?”
“When Lorenzo Marcelli died in my arms.”
“I want to talk to you about that.”
She looked away. “I’m okay.”
He doubted that, but before he could say anything, Mia ran into the room. Tears poured down her cheeks as she headed directly for Joe. He pushed back from the desk in time for her to drop into his lap and rest her face against his shoulder.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” she cried. “I loved him so much and I never told him.”
“He knew,” Joe told her as he awkwardly put his arms around her.
She cried until he felt the moisture seep through his shirt. He patted her back and looked at Darcy, desperate to know what to do next.
“It was very quick,” Darcy said. “He was at peace.”
Mia straightened and looked at her. “You swear? He wasn’t in pain.”
“Not at all.”
“I’m glad.” The tears made her face all blotchy.
Ian walked into the room, and Mia left Joe to hurry into his arms. “I can’t believe it,” she said. “He was fine when we left. Just fine.”
For once Ian didn’t seem to have anything to say. He gave them a sympathetic smile and ushered a sobbing Mia out of the library.
“Too much emotion,” Joe said when she’d left.
“Mia leads with her heart,” Darcy told him. “I’m going to guess she’ll keep doing that until someone breaks it.”
He didn’t want to think about that happening. Honestly, he didn’t want to think about anything. Right now he would sell his left nut for a military crisis calling him back to duty. He didn’t care where, just so long as it was away from here.
But the phone didn’t ring and Tessa entered the room with a tray of sandwiches and a pot of coffee.
“You’ve been in here so long,” she said quietly. “You missed lunch.”
She seemed smaller and more frail. As if the essence of who she was had been lost. As she set the tray down, she began to tremble. Joe stood, then looked helplessly at Darcy.
“Hold her,” she mouthed.
Joe stared at the tiny woman, then opened his arms to her. Tessa stepped into his embrace and began to cry. He pulled her close and stroked her back. She barely came to the center of his chest, and he was afraid if he held her too tightly, she would snap in two.
Darcy stood and moved to the bookcase, where she grabbed a box of tissues and passed them to him. He offered a couple to Tessa, who took them and wiped her face.
“I’m a foolish old woman,” she murmured.
Darcy hugged her. “You’re wonderful and you miss your husband. Of course there are tears. We’re all sad. Lorenzo would probably tell us we were being foolish, crying over what we can’t change. Then he’d want to know if anyone is checking on the grapes.”
Tessa looked at her. A slight smiled pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Yes, you are right. That is what he would have said. But he would have been happy, too, to know how much we miss him.”
She touched the large, carved desk. “He would sit here sometimes in the evening. He would do the books and I would read to Marco, or knit. In the winter we’d have a fire.” Tears filled her eyes again. She opened her mouth, closed it, then quickly left.
The Marcelli Bride Page 17