The Complete Legacy Series: Books 1 - 6

by Paula Kay

  The little girl popped back into the room just as Isabella reached the bottom of the staircase.

  “Hi, Isabella.” The child grinned and twirled around, making her colorful dress swish with the motion.

  “Hi, Gabriela.” Isabella smiled back.

  “How do you know my name?”

  “I’ve heard all about you. How do you know my name?” Isabella grinned.

  “Mom and Dad said that you were coming. Oh, and know what?”

  “What?”

  “I’m actually your auntie.” Gabriela burst into a fit of giggles, which made Isabella laugh as well.

  “I guess that’s true, isn’t it?”

  The child nodded and came over next to Isabella, reaching for her hand. “Are you ready to eat now? Mom is a very good cook, you know.”

  Isabella smiled at the very serious look on Gabriela’s face. “So I’ve heard. And yes, I’m starving. Are you hungry?”

  “Sure I am. Let’s go.”

  Gabriela led Isabella into the dining room.

  “Oh wow.”

  Isabella felt her stomach growl in response to the food she saw laid out before her. On the table were huge platters of meats, pastas, and salads. Everything looked incredible including Lia and Gigi in their aprons, rushing into the room with still more food.

  “Sit, sit, bella,” Gigi said as she motioned to Douglas, who immediately pulled out a chair in the center of the seating at the big table.

  “Thank you. This all looks so delicious. I hope you all didn’t go to too much trouble on account of me.”

  Douglas laughed. “Oh no. These women would cook up a storm any night of the week. If we didn’t have a guest, we’d be inviting the neighbors or the tourists from the guest house down the road.”

  Antonio appeared carrying a bottle of wine and a pitcher of water. “That’s how we do it here in Tuscany.” He leaned down to give Isabella a kiss on the cheek. “It’s the Italian way.”

  Isabella laughed. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’m going to like it here in Italy.”

  “Si, I think it is who you are too, bella.” He winked at her and Isabella felt the truth of the statement deep within her.

  It was the confirmation that she was supposed to be here now, discovering more about who she was and about this little extended family that had meant so much to her birth mother. She felt completely at ease, comfortable around these new people in this house that was so completely foreign to her, yet seemed to also hold with it something known, maybe something she’d been searching for her entire life.

  Finally Gigi and Lia seemed satisfied with the dishes that were on the table. Both women came over to kiss Isabella on the cheek once more before seating themselves—Lia across from her next to Antonio, who was already sitting down, and Gigi to her right.

  Gabriela had already chosen her spot next to Isabella after moving the chair as close to her as was possible. Isabella grinned as she looked down at the child, who was now scooping some delicious-looking pasta onto Isabella’s plate.

  “Isabella, you have to try this. Mom makes the best Alfredo. I promise you are going to love it.”

  “Honey, I’m sure that Isabella might want to serve herself. Let’s not completely overwhelm the poor girl.”

  Isabella and Antonio both laughed at the same time.

  “No, it’s fine. I love it. This food looks amazing, and I’m actually starving.”

  “Well, if you’re looking to put on a few pounds for any reason, you’ve come to the right place. These women will feed you until you can’t stuff another bite into your mouth.” Douglas patted his stomach. “I’m proof of what happens every time Gigi and I come for a visit.”

  They all laughed and then, with a completely serious look on her face, Gabriela said, “It’s the Italian way, Isabella.”

  This sent everyone into another round of laughter, and the welcome dinner was officially underway.

  By the time they were only midway through dinner, Isabella felt as if she’d been coming there for years. Conversation and laughter flowed easily. She learned a great deal about the romance between her grandparents, and then Gigi and Lia told her stories about Arianna.

  Between the conversations she’d already had with Douglas and listening to Gigi and Lia talk about their memories of Arianna, Isabella felt like she was finally starting to piece together what her mother’s life had been like. It was especially emotional to talk about those last few months that Lia had had with her—to think about everything Arianna must have been feeling so close to the end of her life, but also to think about Lia as a mother herself, who’d finally reconnected with a daughter that she didn’t know she was destined to lose long before they’d had enough time together.

  She felt Gabriela’s hand on her arm, startling her slightly as she realized that she’d been lost in her thoughts for several seconds.

  “Are you okay, Isabella?”

  Isabella thought how sweet the little girl was as she quickly wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her shirt. She hadn’t even realized how emotional she’d become—how much hearing the stories of her mother had affected her.

  “Yeah, I’m okay, sweetie. I think I’m just tired. It’s been a very long day.”

  Douglas was nodding. “Don’t let us keep you, Isabella. There’ll be plenty of time for more stories and long chats.”

  “Thank you.” Isabella looked around the table at the new faces who, after only a few hours, didn’t seem like strangers to her any more. Was it really possible that she could feel so comfortable so fast? So much about this experience that she seemed to be having was foreign to her—not just the physical location, but the feelings she was having and the ease with which she almost instantly felt a sense of belonging.

  As quickly as she had the thought, she remembered that she’d promised to send her parents a text once she’d arrived. They’d be anxious to know that the flight had gone well and that Isabella was safe and sound at her destination. She stifled a yawn.

  “Yes, I suppose I am feeling quite sleepy all of a sudden. But I can’t wait to talk more and hear all about the vineyard and the orphanage as well. It’s all so different and exciting to me.”

  Lia and Gigi stood up from their chairs to come around to her side of the table as she stood. She hugged them both as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do, and Lia walked her upstairs to her room.

  Before Lia turned to go, she grabbed Isabella for one more hug, speaking quietly in her ear. “I’m so happy to have you here, bella. It really is my dream come true. Nothing in the world could have made me happier. I just want you to know that.”

  Isabella saw her grandmother’s eyes filled with tears as she felt her own well up also. This was her grandmother—her flesh and blood—and it was something that was also a dream come true for her.

  “Me too.” Isabella kissed her on the cheek and they said goodnight.

  Chapter 21

  Isabella stepped out onto the balcony of her room, stretching high and breathing in the cool morning air. For as far as she could see, it looked like vineyard after vineyard, and it was simply breathtaking. She’d thought momentarily about going for a run—she’d brought her running shoes—but then she saw someone who could only be Jemma out on the terrace below. She looked deeply engrossed in whatever she was painting at her easel.

  Isabella watched her intently for several minutes. She was the little blonde girl from the pictures all grown up, her shoulder-length blonde hair blowing in the light breeze, her hands making sweeping strokes across the paper with colors that seemed to perfectly match what Isabella was seeing in the morning sky before her eyes.

  Douglas had told Isabella about Jemma during their flight, mentioning that she’d recently gone through a rough time—which was why she’d come to be staying with Lia and Antonio at the vineyard. Isabella thought the way that Douglas talked about Jemma was incredibly sweet, as if she were his own family. It wasn’t hard to imagine, given the time that Jemma had
spent with Gigi and Douglas, that she must feel the same way about them.

  Isabella was anxious to meet her and it seemed like now might be just that opportunity.

  She grabbed her hoodie and sneakers from her suitcase and quietly slipped down the stairs to the outside patio.

  As Isabella slid the sliding door open to go outside, Jemma looked up from her painting, setting her paintbrush down and taking the few short steps to meet her across the patio.

  “Hi, you must be Isabella.” She walked closer and surprised Isabella by grabbing her in a hug. “It’s so great to meet you finally. I’m Jemma.”

  Isabella loved her smile and the energy that seemed to radiate from her.

  “Hi, it’s great to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot of nice things about you.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  Isabella laughed. “Is that surprising?”

  “No, not really. Well, especially not if it’s coming from Gigi and Douglas. Seriously though, I did tell Douglas to feel free to fill you in on everything that’s happened with me recently, so I’m sure you already know what they’ve done for me. I’m pretty much an open book these days anyway—but I wanna hear everything about you. Do you want a coffee?”

  She was already heading into the kitchen, so Isabella followed her back inside.

  Jemma made them two wonderfully strong-smelling Italian coffees and they carried them back out to the patio.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” Isabella said, as she took in the full scope of the view revealed to her now in the light of day.

  “I know. I love it here so much. I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl and I never get tired of it. It’s still feeling a bit surreal to me that I’m actually living here right now.”

  “I’ll bet. I mean, I can only imagine what that would feel like.”

  “Well, you know, I mostly feel incredibly lucky to have people like Lia and Antonio and Gigi and Douglas in my life. They’re good people, Isabella. You’re gonna find that out too.” Jemma was smiling and seemed so sure of herself.

  “I feel lucky too. I mean, it was so devastating when I first found out that my birth mother—that Arianna had died—I never dreamed that I’d get more than the logistics about her life, but meeting you all—it’s just been more than I could have ever imagined. The stories that Lia and Gigi were telling me last night—I’m just really thankful that I have at least that, you know?”

  Isabella shocked herself a bit with the tears that were flowing in front of this girl who was virtually a stranger to her, but Jemma was quick to reach her hand out to grab Isabella’s.

  “Hey, I can only imagine.” She looked down for a moment as she sipped her coffee. “I was only six when Ari died—I guess the same age as you were. I do have some wonderful memories. She really loved me a lot. I remember that about her.”

  Isabella’s tears stopped. “I’d love to hear anything that you have to tell me.”

  Jemma went on to tell her about jelly beans, nicknames, convertible rides with the top down, and the loud opera music that Arianna had loved. Gigi and Lia had said similar things the night before. In just the short time that Isabella had already been here, she was starting to get a picture of who her mother was before she died.

  “So tell me about you.” Jemma asked, looking at Isabella intently. “Douglas says that you’re starting school at Harvard in the fall, so I guess that means you’re pretty smart, huh?”

  Isabella felt her face grow warm. She wasn’t always comfortable talking about herself and certainly didn’t want to come off as if she were bragging about anything.

  “I am going to Harvard, yeah. I’m going on a scholarship, but I don’t know that I’m overly smart or anything. I have to work pretty hard at it—keeping my grades up, I mean.”

  Jemma was watching her as she sipped her coffee. “I don’t think you’re bragging—if you’re worried about that. I mean, you can be totally straight with me. I probably could have gone to a good school too—I certainly had the money to be able to afford it—well, you do too with your trust. But I dunno. I didn’t really think college was for me—not yet anyway.”

  When Isabella had found out that Arianna had also left Jemma a trust fund, it had intrigued her. Her birth mom had obviously felt quite a connection to the young girl and her mother whom Isabella had yet to meet. Now, as she studied her, she felt more of a connection with her than she could even explain. It wasn’t normal for her to open up quickly to people, but she felt oddly comfortable with Jemma.

  “Did you feel any pressure? To go to school?” Isabella asked. She got the sense that Jemma was very free-spirited and would never let things cause her stress the way that Isabella did.

  “No, not really. Honestly, though, I think my mom and Chase were just happy that I didn’t end up on the street somewhere—or worse, dead.” She shrugged, but Isabella had the feeling that there was a lot of truth to her statement.

  Isabella wondered just how bad things had gotten for Jemma. Douglas hadn’t really gone into detail, but he did mention that she’d had a close call that had landed her in the emergency room right before she’d gone to stay with them at the orphanage.

  “So are you having any regrets? About not going to school?” Isabella asked; for some reason Jemma’s answer to the question was very important to her.

  Jemma grinned. “Not in the least. I love it here. And I’m learning so much about art. It’s been really good for me. My mom says that I was born to be an artist, so in that respect I guess I’m pretty lucky. She’s super creative too, so she’s always been really supportive of that. What about your parents? What do they think about all this—about you coming here?”

  “For the most part, they’ve been really supportive and they are—in general, I suppose.” Isabella took a sip of her coffee and wondered how much she should open up. “I did feel a lot of pressure growing up—to get good grades, get into a good school, and even to become a lawyer but…” Her voice trailed off and she noticed Jemma looking at her intently.

  “But what? You can tell me anything. Really. I won’t judge you.”

  “Well, I’m just starting to wonder if maybe some of this pressure that I’ve been feeling for so long has been in my own head. Maybe my parents would be proud of me no matter what I did.”

  “I bet that’s true.” Jemma said this as though it were a fact. “Is there something else you want to do?” Isabella must have had a confused look on her face. “Other than become a lawyer, I mean? That’s what you’re talking about, isn’t it?”

  Isabella felt stunned for a moment. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, if you did know what would your answer be?” Jemma laughed.

  “I do like to write.” Isabella answered the question quietly.

  “Well then?”

  “Actually I love to write—more than anything else.” Isabella grinned.

  “So, are you a lawyer or a writer?” Jemma smiled. “Maybe that’s something you should try to figure out while you’re here.”

  Isabella nodded, feeling something inside her shift ever so slightly. Was she a lawyer or a writer? Could it really be that simple?

  They sat in silence for several minutes, finishing their coffees before Jemma got up from the table. “Wanna come see my painting?”

  Isabella nodded and followed her over to the easel. She couldn’t believe how much she’d already opened up to Jemma. It felt as if they’d been friends for years. She wasn’t used to having girlfriends, and something about it felt intensely gratifying.

  Chapter 22

  Castellina in Chianti was everything that Isabella had pictured whenever she’d thought about Italy. She’d gotten up early to go to the market with Lia before she’d finally been introduced to the restaurant—to Thyme. Lia had told Isabella about the day that she and Arianna had come upon it and about the many meals that they’d shared together there. They’d even retraced the steps that Arianna and Lia had taken in the small village the day that they’d first disc
overed the restaurant.

  Isabella met Carlo, who was now retired, and Sofia, who was the manager of the restaurant. They’d arrived just after the lunch rush, and Lia had slipped back into the kitchen to make them one of her favorite pasta dishes.

  Isabella walked over to one wall of the restaurant that was covered with photos. It seemed to be a wall of memories of all the parties and good times that had taken place at Thyme throughout the years. Many of the photos included Gigi and Douglas, and Jemma with her family.

  Isabella studied a picture of Blu and Jemma. Blu was the last piece of this little family puzzle to meet, and Isabella was looking forward to it. She imagined that Arianna’s best friend might have some different insights for her about her birth mother.

  In the center of the wall was a large picture of Arianna. Isabella studied it. The picture had been taken outside somewhere. Arianna’s hair was blowing in the wind, her smile wide and her eyes bright. Isabella thought that she looked very happy.

  “She was really beautiful wasn’t she?”

  Isabella turned to Lia, who’d come up behind her.

  “She was.” Isabella was thoughtful for a few seconds. “Do you really think I look like her?” She felt her face grow warm. “I mean, I’m not asking because we’re talking about how beautiful she is or anything.”

  Lia put her arm around her granddaughter’s waist. “I think you look almost exactly like her. And you are very beautiful, bella. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”

  Isabella had to think about the question for a few seconds. She’d not grown up thinking that she was particularly beautiful or not beautiful. It had just always been a non-issue for her.

  She flashed to a memory of her and her mom being approached by a man at the mall when she was about twelve. He’d looked at Isabella very intently as he gave her mom a business card and later, when she’d asked her mom what the man had wanted, she’d only said that it wasn’t something for young girls—that it was too much pressure for a young girl. She knew now that the man had been a scout for a modeling agency, and she had to laugh because she’d had a whole other world of pressure created around her—one that she felt couldn’t have been any less stressful than that of being a child model.