by Sophia Renny
“I know.” She squeezed her mother’s hand. “You know what? I’m discovering that sometimes happiness can be found in the most unexpected places.”
She strolled over to the Rossetti house with feelings of both trepidation and anticipation flowing in her veins. The last time she’d set foot inside the house was the day Joe had broken up with her. It had been a quiet Sunday afternoon. Both Tony and Sylvie had been out for the day. Joe had invited her to sit at the kitchen table. He’d said he had something important to tell her.
She remembered thinking it had to do with the wedding plans, that he’d changed his mind about the reception venue; they’d been going back and forth about that for days. He’d been stalling on sending the deposit.
Strange, how your whole life could change in mere seconds.
The front screen door screaked as she opened it slowly. It was a warm morning, one of those gorgeous September days that belied the approaching autumn. All of the downstairs windows were open, letting in the cleansing breeze. As she stepped into the front hall, she heard shuffling sounds coming from the stairs and her father’s voice.
“I’ve got this end. You walk down first.”
Curious, she moved to the bottom of the staircase, catching sight of Tony’s backside as he stepped carefully down the stairs. He was carrying one end of an oak dresser, her father the other.
She kept quiet, not wanting to startle them. Her eyes slid downwards to admire Tony’s butt and his long legs encased in a pair of old blue jeans. He was wearing a snug, light blue polo shirt that revealed his strong, corded forearms.
She moved aside as he reached the last step. Her father saw her first. He smiled. “Hey, there,” he said with a huff of exertion. “Your mother said you might stop by.”
Tony swiveled his head around. His face brightened. “Julia! What are you doing here?”
“My mom said you’re moving out?” she blurted. She felt her cheeks redden; she’d intended to be more subtle.
“Hang on a sec,” he said, slightly out of breath. He walked backwards across the hallway and into the living room, her father following. They set the dresser down with a thud.
Tony wiped his hands on his shirt and came back to her. His eyes searched her face. “Yeah, Sylvie and I are moving out. No sense in staying here any longer now that Joe is gone.”
“Oh.” She swallowed. Her eyes flitted briefly to her father who was observing them both with a curious expression. “This is kind of a shock. It’ll be strange not seeing all of you here anymore.”
To her mortification, she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes. She looked away from Tony to her father again, but she couldn’t find her voice. She sent her father a look of mute appeal.
Her father cleared his throat. “I think I hear your mother calling me. You all set for now, Tony?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” Tony shook her father’s hand. “Thanks for helping, Tom. I’ll keep you posted on the progress here.”
“Do that. And let me know if you need any more help moving things. I’ve got nothing but time on my hands these days.”
“Will do.”
The door banged shut after her father.
Tony stepped closer to Julia. “Hey. You okay?”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. Her gaze darted from the hallway to the living room. There were boxes stacked on the floor, furniture pulled away from the walls, bare spots on the hardwood floor where area rugs had once been. “Why didn’t you tell me you were moving?” she asked, her voice sounding a little shrill to her own ears.
“Things were put into motion just this week.”
“And Sylvie’s okay with this? Joe?”
He came to stand directly in front of her. He set his hands on her shoulders, prompting her to look at him. “What’s wrong? Why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
A lump rose in her throat. “I don’t know. I guess I’m a little shocked. There’ve been so many changes lately…” A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“Aw, Julia. Don’t do that. Don’t cry.”
He tugged her into his arms, hugging her tightly as he rocked back and forth. He rubbed one hand up and down her back. “I had no idea you’d react this way,” he said in a husky, rough voice. “You haven’t been here since May. I didn’t think you were so attached to this place anymore.”
“It’s not the place, so much as the memories,” she said into his shirt. “I guess I just took it for granted that you—that all of you—would always be here. I know that’s not realistic, is it.”
“No. This place is too big and empty with Joe gone and Sylvie hardly ever here. I thought about doing some renovations and making this a home for my wife and kids someday. But, I can’t.” His voice grew lower, darker. “Not all of those memories are good ones. You know that. It’s time to start fresh.”
She leaned back in his embrace so she could look at him. “Where will you go?”
“Not too far. I’ve been looking at some houses in the Cumberland area.”
The emotion that washed through her almost had her sagging to her knees. She clutched Tony’s shoulders. “That’s not too far.” There was no way she could conceal her relief.
Something flashed in his eyes. “You thought I was moving farther away?”
“It crossed my mind.”
“You thought you’d never see me again?”
She lowered her eyelashes. Uncertainty about her feelings for this man had her adding a degree of coolness to her voice. “Not just you. All of you. You’ve been my second family.”
He took a step back. When she stole a glance at him, his face was expressionless. His chest rose on a deep inhale. He patted her shoulder before dropping his arms to his sides. “Don’t worry. We’ll always be around.” He waved a hand towards the stairs. “Do you want to have one last look around the place?”
Strangely, she didn’t. The house already felt empty. ‘No, that’s okay.” She tapped her forehead. “I’ve got all the pictures up here.”
He braced his hands on his hips and leaned his weight on one leg in a casual stance. “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“Nothing. I have a rare lazy Sunday afternoon.”
“Do you want to come with me to look at a house?”
“Right now?”
“I’m meeting the realtor at one o’clock.”
“In Cumberland?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
A dimple reappeared on his cheek. “Good. I have to get cleaned up. Why don’t you go visit with your mom and dad? I’ll be over to get you in about twenty minutes.”
Chapter Eight
“What do you think?” Tony asked as he pointed towards the gray, colonial style house situated on top of a small hill just off a quiet road.
“That’s it?” Julia asked. “It’s beautiful. I love the red shutters.”
“Yeah. This one just came on the market. I had another place in mind, but when I saw this one…”
They drove up the long driveway. A jeep was parked outside the four car garage. A dark-haired woman who appeared to be in her forties hopped out of the vehicle. She was dressed casually in jeans and a lightweight sweater. “That’s Dalia,” Tony said. “She’s cool. I’ve been working with her for a couple months now.”
“So, you’ve been planning to move for a while.”
“Yes.” He switched off the ignition and gave her a warning look. “Now don’t be too enthusiastic. I don’t want her thinking my heart is set on this one.”
She smirked. “Yes, sir.”
He flashed a grin at her before getting out of the truck. Before she could open her door, he was there to do it for her. He took her hand to help her down.
The drive from Providence had only taken a half hour. During the trip, she’d shared snippets of news about her parents. She’d intentionally kept the conversation light, still feeling a little embarrassed about her reaction earlier. Still pretending that her heart hadn’t skyrockete
d when he’d held her in his arms and consoled her.
Tony released her hand and moved forward to greet the older woman. Then he introduced Julia. “This is my friend, Julia. Thought I’d get her perspective.”
Dalia greeted Julia warmly. “It’s good to have a woman’s input when you’re looking at a family home.” She waved a hand towards the surrounding scenery. “This is a great area. You feel like you’re in the country, but it’s still convenient to the shops and schools. The plot is just slightly over two acres. So you have your privacy, too.”
She led them alongside the garage towards the front entrance, continuing her spiel about the neighborhood.
Julia admired the fanned window above the front door. There was a brass knocker on the door in the shape of an eagle.
Dalia opened the lock box to retrieve the house key. “The current owners are retiring to Florida. This has been their family home for forty years. They did a major remodel two years ago.”
The woman continued to tout the home’s features as Tony and Julia stepped into the wide entranceway. Julia’s eyes were drawn to the open staircase that led to the second floor. The floors were a beautiful hardwood in a rich, dark color.
“Cherry wood,” Tony said, watching her appraisal.
“Yes,” Dalia said. “You have hardwood floors throughout the house, tile in the bathrooms and utility room. Over here is the front room and dining room.”
As the woman led them down the hallway, Tony rested his palm in the small of Julia’s back. “It’s very spacious, isn’t it,” he commented.
“Yes. I like all the windows. It makes it feel light and welcoming.”
“The kitchen is just through here,” Dalia called over her shoulder. “It has all the upgrades. Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops. There’s even a brick oven.”
Tony’s warm touch guided Julia into the kitchen. “This is nice,” he said. He looked at her. “Don’t you think?”
“Yes. Plenty of counter space, but the room isn’t so big as to be overwhelming.”
“Exactly,” Dalia said. She opened a glass-paneled door. “And this leads out to the backyard. The deck is new. There’s even a fire pit.”
Tony and Julia followed her outside onto a wide back deck with built-in benches along the perimeter. Julia’s attention was caught by the view in the distance. “Look, Tony! There’s a creek and a pond down there.” She turned her face up to his.
He smiled at her, his eyes alight. “So there is.”
“That land can never be built on,” Dalia said. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
Julia moved towards the railing. “What a great place for kids to play. They could ice skate there in the winter.”
“How many bedrooms are there?” she heard Tony ask behind her.
“Four, including the master bedroom. Shall we go upstairs?”
Tony’s hand settled on Julia’s back again as they followed Dalia up the stairs.
The older woman showed them the guest en suite bedroom and two smaller bedrooms before she opened the door to the master bedroom. “From what I understand, there were five bedrooms originally, but the owners took down the wall to expand this room. Isn’t it lovely?”
Julia’s gaze latched onto the king-size bed situated in the far corner near a small fireplace. A vision suddenly flashed through her mind of her and Tony in this room, in that bed. She blinked in shock. She quickly glanced away, forcing her attention on Dalia as the other woman showed them the walk-in closet and then directed them to the bathroom.
“I just love this Jacuzzi tub,” the older woman gushed. “Wouldn’t it be nice to take your bath here and look out at the view?” She pointed to the window over the bath.
“As long as no one is looking in,” Tony said with a chuckle. “Not sure I want the neighbors looking at my wife in all her naked glory. I’d have to put a privacy screen on that.”
Wife? Julia gave him a sideways glance, but his eyes were on Dalia as she pointed out the walk-in shower and brushed chrome fittings. He asked the woman a few questions about the remodel and then mentioned he’d like to bring his own crew in to do an appraisal.
“Of course,” Dalia said enthusiastically, sensing a sale in the making. “Whatever you need to do.”
“Do you mind letting Julia and I take another look around?” he asked.
“Not at all. I’ll go wait outside.”
After she’d left the room, he turned back to Julia. His expression held a curious mix of eagerness and uncertainty. “Well? What do you think?”
She glanced away from him as she moved back into the bedroom. She gave a shrug. “I think your wife will like it,” she said, glad to hear the casualness in her tone.
“You think?”
“Yes. That bathroom is great. And she’s going to love the walk-in closet.”
“And this bedroom?” His voice was low.
“It’s very spacious.”
“I like the fireplace.” He’d moved closer behind her. She felt his breath on the back of her neck, the heat of his body seeping through her blouse. “It’ll be nice to snuggle in bed with her on a chilly winter night, the fire snapping and crackling.”
“Mm, yes. Cozy.”
“Do you think she’ll like the kitchen?”
“It has everything she’ll need.”
“I wonder if three bedrooms will be enough.”
“Why?”
“She told me she wants a big family.”
Her heart constricted. She spun on her heel and walked hurriedly towards the hallway without looking at him. “I guess you could always build bunk beds,” she tossed flippantly over her shoulder.
“Now there’s an idea.”
His soft laughter followed her down the stairs. She headed for the kitchen. Once there, she placed her palms on the cool granite counter on the center island. She felt like rivers of fire were flowing through her veins. She was angry. She was sad. She felt…foolish. Why had she thought Tony was interested in her? She’d misread him completely.
“Something wrong?” he asked with insouciance as he came to stand beside her.
She bit her inner cheek. She shook her head. “Not at all,” she said, managing to sound cool and collected. “This really is a great house, Tony. A perfect place to raise a family.” She turned towards him, a placid smile on her face. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
He grinned. “I haven’t asked her yet.”
“Is she the one you mentioned last Saturday?”
“Yes.”
“But you won’t tell me her name.”
“I don’t want to jinx it. It’s still early days yet.”
She took a deep breath. “Well,” she said brightly. “I wish you the best of luck with that. I look forward to meeting her someday.”
“Yeah. I look forward to that, too.”
She narrowed her eyes at his nonchalant expression. “You’re not planning on buying this place without her seeing it first, are you?”
He shrugged. “You like it. That’s enough of a woman’s perspective for me.”
“Her tastes might be completely different from mine. Maybe she wants to live in the city.”
He shook his head. “No. I think she’ll be ready for a change of scenery.” He nodded towards the front hallway. “Ready to go?”
For the next two weeks, Julia put all her focus on her work. Or, at least she tried to. She had a small corporate function during the last week of September that had gone off without a hitch. And her plans for Audrey’s party were coming along with just over two weeks to go before the event. She fielded calls from the woman on an almost daily basis. Audrey had decided to expand the event to include an open house for the public earlier in the day, concluding with the private party in the evening.
“We might as well, given all the work you and Tony are putting into the décor,” Audrey insisted. “How’s he doing, by the way? I haven’t seen him since that day you both visited the factory.”
“Oh, fine.”
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“He is planning to come to the party, right?”
“As far as I know.”
“Now Julia, I know you’ll have to work setting up this event, but once that’s all done, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy yourself, won’t you?”
Ah, the naiveté of those unfamiliar with the world of event management; they never seemed to notice all the work that was happening behind the scenes. “I’m not sure,” Julia hedged. “I have to keep an eye on the caterers, the alcohol consumption, make sure the band comes back from their break, be available if there are any snafus, etcetera…”
“Don’t you have assistants for that?”
“Yes. I have two. They’ll be just as busy as me.”
“Sylvie had a great idea. Why don’t you hire a couple of interns from Johnson and Wales? They have an excellent event management program there.”
“There’s a thought.”
“Do it. I insist that you enjoy my party.”
“Not sure I can find interns with just two weeks’ notice.”
“Don’t you worry about it. I’ll have Sylvie make some phone calls.”
The woman was a steamroller. “Okay. I’m sorry. I have to hang up now. My other line is ringing.”
Julia rubbed her forehead as she punched the button on her desk phone to answer the second line. “Hello?”
“How’s everything going?”
“Tony. What’s up?” She put him on speaker phone so she could rub her temples.
“Now there’s a warm greeting for someone you haven’t seen in two weeks.”
“I’ve been busy. You know that. How’s the rigging coming along?”
“That’s one reason I called. It’s all done. I got a call from the fabric supplier. Everything should be ready by Monday. And I’ll have Audrey’s display cases ready by the end of next week.”
“Good. What’s the other reason for your call?”
“What’s the matter, Jules? You sound stressed.”
“Because I am stressed. Audrey’s been calling me every day. She’s changed her mind at least three times about which appetizers she likes best. She needed to listen to demos from every band I’ve put in front of her, plus she’s turned this into an all-day event. Did you know that?”