A Taste of Romance

by Rhonda Laurel

  “It says a lot about the human condition,” he replied. “Do you want to go downtown?”

  “Eh. If you’ve seen one downtown, you’ve seen them all. I want to see what makes San Francisco famous.”

  “We’ll get there. We have someplace else to go first.”

  He continued driving up a dangerous-looking winding road until they reached the top of the hill. As soon as she saw the sign Muir Woods National Monument she clapped. Even from a distance, she could see the massive redwood trees just beyond the entrance.

  “I was reading about this place online. It’s one of the must-do things when vacationing in California.”

  “I know. I peeked at your laptop.” He got out of the car, rounded the front, and opened her car door. “It’s a beautiful sight to behold.”

  Trina browsed the site map as Marco paid for their tickets. There was an unbelievable stillness here even though there were people milling around. It was as if the traffic noise, fog, and other human interruptions were not allowed in this place.

  “It’s beautiful here.” She looked around.

  “I thought you might like it.”

  “I feel like an ant next to these trees,” she mused.

  They held hands as they walked the trails, talking about a million other things while exploring the grounds. She marveled at the beauty around them and what was happening between them. She’d gotten him to open up about his feud with his brother and gave him some things to think about. Sometimes all people needed was to see the other side of things.

  “Let’s sit for a moment.”

  “OK.” He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her over to a bench. Once they sat down, he put his arm around her.

  “Thank you.” She kissed him. “I feel so much better.”

  “There’s another reason why I’m reluctant to go back to Los Angeles.”

  “I thought something else might have happened. I hoped you would talk about it when you were ready.”

  “A lot of things happened.” She sighed. “Which was a real eye-opener.”

  “Like what?”

  “Let’s see.” She bit her lip. “I went to a party at Lana’s beach house. It was crawling with famous people. Movie stars, sports stars, and a lot of music industry people.”

  “It sounds like it was a big event.”

  “No, it was just your average Saturday night. Lana likes to party. Hard.”

  “I’ve heard about some of her exploits.”

  “You read gossip sites?”

  “No.” He laughed. “I hear things here and there. You wouldn’t believe how many celebrities come to Napa and how much gossip follows them.”

  “Would you believe I used to love to hear gossip? Who was seeing who or cheating on their spouse. Who was getting a new movie deal, or what pop star was going into rehab. It was entertaining. You know, a way to pass the time.”

  “And now that you’ve fallen through the rabbit hole, it’s not so glamorous.”

  “Yes.” She sighed. “Anyway. I thought I’d be spending the evening with my management team, but they disappeared on me as soon as we arrived. They were trying to make their own deals. Lana came by to say hello, and then I didn’t see her for the rest of the night.”

  “Well, that’s to be expected. I’m sure the house was packed with celebs.”

  “That producer Godfrey I had dinner with was there. So I thought it was flattering that he wanted to chat me up again.”

  “OK.” Marco’s jaw ticked.

  “After talking for an hour, he suggested we take a stroll on the beach. It was so loud in the house. I thought it would be nice. We walked for a while. I told him how my expectations for the business were vastly different from what I’d experienced hanging with Lana. He said I was tense and offered me something to loosen me up.”

  “Something like what?” Marco demanded.

  “Dare I say the man is a walking pharmacy without the two-for-one weekly special on vitamins. I declined, then he tried to put the moves on me.”

  “Stronzo! What is his name? I’ll kill him.” Marco growled.

  “Calm down.” She squeezed his hand. “You’re going to scare the birds away.”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  “No worries. I immediately removed myself from the situation. I used this move my Cousin Robert taught me called the ‘cherry picker’ and told him he needed Jesus in his life. I’m pretty sure his voice went up a couple of octaves. He could have auditioned for the role of Pagliaccio in Pagliacci.” She wanted to lighten the mood because Marco looked like he was ready to uproot one of the mighty Redwoods behind their sitting bench. She scrunched her nose. “Did I say that right?”

  “Yes. You did.” Marco’s expression softened.

  “I always thought I was a relatively sophisticated person. I’m not naïve about the world. I’ve heard the craziest stories from Morgan and Charisma about the drama of the sports elite and Hollywood. Yet I fell for some producer saying he thought I was pretty and thought my career would go far.”

  “Correction.” He touched a lock of her hair. “You are beautiful.”

  “I feel like an idiot for not seeing the signs. I left Los Angeles to regroup. I didn’t want to tell my family what had happened.”

  “Why not?”

  “The men in my family are very protective and kind of nutty.”

  “I am aware. Channing is a good friend of mine.” He laughed. “Alex is the nicest guy, but if someone pisses him off. He turns into one angry Russian.”

  “Complete with curse words and menacing scowl.” She laughed too. “See, they’re nuts.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “I knew if I told Tate everything that had happened, he would have called Kate or someone at Atlantis Blue. It would have turned into a whole thing, and I haven’t even released my album yet. I love that they care. But I don’t want them swooping in to solve my problems.”

  “We protect the people we love.” He looked at her. “It’s a natural response.”

  “My trip to California hasn’t been all bad. Something good did come out of it. I decided to hit the open road and fate led me to your vineyard. I met this really handsome guy named Giuseppe, but alas I haven’t seen him since the day I arrived.” She gently nudged him.

  “I sent Giuseppe on a fool’s errand that day, and he hasn’t been back since. No way was he going to steal you from me.”

  “Not possible.”

  “So, what do you want from your career?”

  “I liked writing music and playing small venues at home. I liked the fans who comment on my blog. I like being surrounded by people who care about me.”

  “Like your grandma?”

  “Yes.” She grinned.

  “You can do whatever you want. If the fame and fast life aren’t for you, keep those kinds of people out of your life. Don’t let some clichéd music industry creep who should get beaten to a pulp run you off.”

  “Shouldn’t I be shooting for the stars?”

  “Why not aim for happiness and fulfillment instead?”

  “And if you need some time to sort things out, you could always have an extended stay at the vineyard. Il mio cuore e la mia casa sono tuoi.”

  She looked at him while she computed his words. She distinctly heard the word heart. What was he trying to tell her?

  “Careful.” She swallowed hard. “It sounds like you want me to stick around.”

  “I mean it.”

  “That’s nice to know.”

  “Come.” He rose and held out his hand. “I have to feed you. I have a friend who owns a restaurant near the pier. He’s a great guy but a bit of a flirt. We’ll go eat a good meal, then we get you that chocolate.”

  She took his hand, and when she stood, he kissed her again. He’d just offered his home to her, and she didn’t know how to respond. It was more than that. He was offering to let her into his life at a time when she was in limbo with a career that hadn
’t really started yet. She had so many things to sort out, but how she felt about him wasn’t one of those things. She was falling hard, and it felt wonderful.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Marco listened to the lively talk around the kitchen table. He hadn’t seen this much activity in the house since his aunts visited. Everyone was discussing what they’d be doing for the day. Mama would be meeting with some friends. Trina was helping Portia with the morning tours, and he was surprisingly caught up on a lot of administrative work. By the time newlyweds Wesley and Rianne came back, he’d be in a good position to focus on other things. Like how he was going to convince Trina that he wanted a relationship with her.

  What impressed him the most was how Trina kept up with the conversation even though they were speaking in both languages. From the moment he met her, there was a connection he couldn’t explain. He just knew she’d understand him, and she had. Not just the words he spoke, but the undercurrents of emotion he sent to her. In a short amount of time, they’d grown closer than he’d had been with any woman before her.

  The heart-to-heart they’d had at Muir Woods was still echoing in his mind. She was right about building a bridge back to his brother. But he’d been mad at him for so long, he wasn’t sure how to do it. She was reading his mind again when she came to bed with Matteo’s DVD of his cooking show. They watched it together, and he had to admit his brother was pretty good. It reminded him of the days they’d spend talking to their mama while she cooked a meal. Matteo had retained the heart of the Di Giovanni family. His charisma and knack for hosting shone through.

  It was time to admit maybe Matteo wasn’t wrong for leaving the vineyard. Today seemed like a good day to extend an olive branch.

  He focused back on the chatter around the table. When things quieted down, he made his move. He did what his father had done with them many times in the past when he wanted to have a heartfelt conversation surrounded by the splendor of their life’s work.

  “Matteo, I’m not so busy today. I thought I’d take a walk this morning in the vineyard to check on the grapes. Would you like to come with me?”

  Everyone went quiet.

  “S-sure,” Matteo stammered.

  “Good.” Marco wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Let’s clean up and then we’ll go.”

  “I’ve got cleanup this morning.” Trina smiled. “You two go ahead. Get some sun.”

  “I’ll help Katrina. Buona conversazione.” Mama Paloma got up and kissed her sons on the cheek.

  Marco and Matteo went outside and headed down the dirt road that led up to the vineyard.

  Matteo started first. “I forgot how beautiful the morning sun is here.” Matteo slipped his sunglasses on. “It’s not hidden by skyscrapers. It’s just there.”

  “I watched your show.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. It’s pretty good. I see you were watching and listening when mama cooked. You have a knack for it. You explain things well, and the camera loves your face.”

  “Sometimes it is a burden being this good looking.” Matteo grinned.

  “And you’re tremendously humble too,” Marco mused.

  “It’s not a crime to be self-aware.” Matteo bit back a smile. “Mama says we look just alike, so really that was a compliment for you too.”

  “Idiota.” Marco ruffled his hair. “You have mama’s gift.”

  “Just like you have papa’s gift. You have his growing hand. I don’t think I would have been able to accomplish half of what you’ve achieved since he’s been gone.”

  “I guess we both inherited the best of both our parents. I’m sorry I was so hard on you when you wanted to leave. I was thinking of how I wanted things. I’ve always loved being here. I never wanted to be anywhere else. It was wrong of me to want you to do exactly as I did.”

  “I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” Matteo stopped. “I thought you were finished with me when we signed those papers. I thought about it for a while. It wasn’t about giving up my share of the winery. It suddenly felt like I was out of your life altogether.”

  Marco faced him. “I was angry you wanted to leave. By the way, I never filed those papers. You’re still part owner of the winery.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “No. After you left, I thought about some things too. Papa would have been ashamed if I’d kicked you out of the family business. I was also ashamed of myself.” Marco put his hand on Matteo’s shoulder. “No matter what you do, you’re always my brother.”

  “But what about the money?”

  “Did the money help?”

  “Well, yes. I didn’t have to look for investors in my restaurant. I was even able to buy an apartment.”

  “Think of it as an investment in the Di Giovanni legacy. If you have more plans to expand, I’d love to hear about it. Perhaps we could work something out.”

  “I have tons of plans. The show was a happy accident. A producer from the Cuisine Channel had dinner at my restaurant one night and loved the food and said I had a sexy look that viewers would love. But I’d still love to expand my business.”

  “Who knows? You could have a cookware line. It’s worth exploring.”

  “All I’ve ever wanted was to be as successful as you. I’ve always respected you, Marco. You’re my big brother. You’ve been my guidance since Papa passed.”

  “I’ve always wanted you to be happy,” Marco replied.

  There was a change in the wind like there was a presence was with them. It felt warm and loving. It was as if his father was there too. “Ti amo, Matteo.”

  He did love his brother very much. That had never changed, no matter how frustrated he got with him.

  Matteo gave him a hug. “Ti amo anche io, Marco.”

  “I think you should do an episode of your show here at the vineyard. Show the world how much we love Napa Valley.”

  “I’d love to do a show here.” Matteo beamed. “With Mama and you of course. I want to show my viewers my roots.”

  “And you should.” Marco smiled. “Do you think the world is ready for the Di Giovanni family?”

  The brothers continued to talk as they walked through the fields and toward the winery. It was fun catching up with him about the goings on in their lives. No surprise Matteo had gone through quite a few women. His passion for women was almost equal to his passion for cooking fine Italian cuisine.

  “What’s happening with you and Trina? Doesn’t she leave soon?”

  “Yes, she does.”

  “I know you don’t want her to leave. What are you going to do about it?”

  “I plan on having a talk with her. I’m hoping we can—”

  “That’s not good enough.” Matteo shook his head. “Don’t let her go. Tell her how much she means to you. It’s obvious both of you have strong feelings for each other. She’s managed to steal mama’s heart in less than a week. She’s beautiful, smart, and unique. I’ve never met anyone like her, and she’s perfect for you. She’s the one.”

  Marco gave him a quizzical look. “Since when have you become so versed in the matters of love?”

  “Lots of practice.” Matteo laughed. “I know it when I see it.”

  “Any prospects in New York?”

  “No. I’ve been told I have a short attention span. It’s usually accompanied by a slap in the face.” Matteo shrugged.

  “I see you still like to play.”

  “I’m holding out for what I see when you look at Trina.”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “I’ve never seen you so happy. I’m sure she has something to do with your change of heart toward me. A woman like that you keep forever.”

  “I intend to.” Marco put his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “Let’s go back to the office and rip up that agreement.”

  Matteo smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

  They trekked back to the main building, ready to start a new chapter in their relationship. Marco saw Trina talking to someone by the reception desk
. The woman had her back to them, but he slowed a bit when he honed in on her red hair. There was only one woman who had hair that shade of red, Scar. Funny how he didn’t know her last name. She was an interesting woman. The first thing you noticed were her interesting social skills. Scar didn’t have a filter, and the things she said usually packed a punch.

  She’d visited a few times before with Kate and her husband Chris Cavanaugh, the movie star. Scar said she was a private investigator and Kate and Chris’s security detail. In his opinion, she was more like an enforcer. Scar, Billie, and Athena gave off this mafia vibe. He knew he’d been around people like her before. Scar was a watcher and obsessively vigilant about those she cared for. Still, he found her charming. He’d once mentioned in passing how he thought he was getting screwed by his bottle supplier because the bottles they’d been sending seemed inferior to those he’d previously ordered. That was all Scar needed to hear. She paid a visit to the company, unbeknownst to him, and next thing he knew, the owner called and apologized and wanted to make amends by sending him a thousand bottles free of charge.

  She was always a woman on a mission. If she were here, then Kate most likely sent her to see what was going on with Trina.

  “Scar,” Marco said. “Nice to see you again.”

  “Marco.” Scar opened her arms for a hug. “Good to see you.”

  Marco tried to hide his surprise. She was usually kind of standoffish, but he accepted the hug. “How are things in the world of Kate and Chris?”

  “The usual. Putting out fires. Kate is working hard at the movie studio. Chris is on a movie set in Ojai.” Scar shrugged. “I’m here to check up on Trina. She has her big album release coming up, and Kate wanted to make sure things were OK. She hated not being there to show her around Los Angeles herself.”

  “It wasn’t a problem. We understand that she’s a super-busy woman owning a record company and a movie studio,” Trina replied.

  “I hope hanging out with Lana didn’t scar you,” Scar said to Trina.

  “It was something I won’t forget to for the rest of my life.” Trina bit her lip.

  Scar’s eyes narrowed. “Did something happen?”

  “Nothing I shouldn’t have expected,” Trina said quickly. “Wow. I can’t believe Kate sent you here.”