Those Blue Tuscan Skies

by Marion Ueckermann

  “She won’t. Should I fetch you later tonight?”

  Jayne giggled. “I do have my own car, you know.”

  “I know. But could you find your way back to the villa?”

  “You have a point. You could give me the GPS coordinates.”

  Was she playing hard to get? “And miss out on the opportunity to carry a lady’s bags to her car?”

  “Um, let’s make it tomorrow afternoon. That will give you some time to catch up with your brother, sisters, and cousins.”

  “Two o’clock?”

  “Perfect. I’ll see you then. Arrivederci.”

  Rafaele smiled. “Been practicing your Italian, I see.”

  “Un po'.”

  A little was far better than nothing. Did it show she was interested in him? He hoped so.

  “Arrivederci, cara mia.” He cut the call and looked up into his sister’s wide-eyed, questioning gaze. Rafaele slid his phone onto the table. “What?”

  “Cara mia… Venchi chocolates… Tucking her into bed… She must be someone special.”

  There’d be no stopping her prying. And he did need to save Jayne’s reputation. “All I’m going to tell you for now is that we had dinner together, she had a glass of wine and I suspect it went straight to her head. Either that or she was exhausted.”

  “You mean, jetlagged.” Sienna gave a devious smile.

  “You eavesdrop too much.”

  “Uh, hello, it was a little difficult for me not to hear your conversation…you’re sitting right there.”

  True. He should have taken the call outside. “Anyway, she fell asleep in my car on the way back to her hotel. I carried her to her room, lay her on her bed, and covered her with a throw. Then left. That’s it.”

  “Who is she?”

  Rafaele shook his head. “I told you, Sienna, tomorrow. And I mean it.”

  He leaned forward and tweaked her nose between his fingers. “You, young lady, are far too nosy.”

  Sienna shoved his hand away, moisture springing to her big brown eyes. “Stop that!”

  A soft cuss slid from Rafaele’s lips. It had slipped his mind how sensitive his sister was to her nose. She thought it a major flaw in her features. He thought it was cute. Pixie-like.

  He should change the subject to something far more interesting than his love life, but for now he’d dodge Sienna’s questions and save the discussion about his sabbatical and their newfound cousin until Ric and Marco were in the car. Kill three birds with one stone.

  Chapter Eight

  RAFAELE SEARCHED THE FACES OF the passengers ambling into arrivals. It had been great catching up with Marco that afternoon over cups of espresso, hearing all about his pizzeria business in Texas. It had been such a long time since they’d last seen each other. But as nice as the bonding time had been, all Rafaele wanted to do now was collect his brother, return home to the villa, and get out of his suit. The week had been far too long. Even so, much of it had been totally worth it.

  “There he is!” Sienna stretched up onto her toes and waved like one possessed. “Ciao, Ric!”

  Ric waved back and hefted his bag over his shoulder like it was part of his fireman’s kit. He jogged toward them, weaving through arriving travelers.

  Sienna met him halfway.

  The bag dropped to the floor, and Ric wrapped his arms around Sienna, lifting her feet off the floor with his hug. “I’ve missed you, sorellina.” When he finally let her go, he glanced over her shoulder.

  “Marco! This is a surprise. I didn’t think I would see you here, now.” He bear-hugged his cousin.

  “It’s good to see you too.” Marco’s American accent was sure evidence he’d grown up on a totally different continent from them. “Rafaele kindly offered to save me hiring a car and driving myself. It’s been a while since I’ve navigated these narrow roads.”

  “At least you drive on the same side of the road.” Ric raised a brow, drawing Rafaele’s attention to his latest injury.

  Sienna pressed a fist against Marco’s shoulder. “Hey, we have highways.”

  Marco grinned. “And narrow roads.”

  “Ha. Of course, everything is bigger in Texas, isn’t it?” She laughed.

  Marco’s deep chuckle joined hers. “So they say.”

  Ric pushed past them to greet Rafaele standing behind them. “Mio fratello.” He hugged Rafaele hard, patting his back.

  “Ric. Welcome home.” Rafaele stepped back to examine his little brother—merely eighteen months separating them. “And this? Eyebrow slit? You didn’t have that when we saw you at Papà’s funeral. You haven’t gone and joined some gang, have you?”

  “No gangs.” Ric laughed then touched his left eye where the brow hair was missing. A two-inch scar trailed a pink line up his forehead. “Gained it in a fire while rescuing someone. Roof beam collapsed, and I used myself as a human shield.”

  With a humble shrug, he continued. “Some debris caught my face.”

  “My little brother, the hero.” Sienna reached up and planted a gentle kiss above Ric’s eye.

  “Still acting first, thinking later, huh?” Rafaele grabbed Ric’s bag from the floor. “Should we go?”

  “Yes,” they chimed in one voice and followed Rafaele.

  Rafaele glanced at Ric walking beside him. “I was only joking about the gang thing. You know that.”

  Ric nodded.

  “I might not say it often, but I am incredibly proud of you.” Rafaele grinned. “And that eyebrow slit? Pretty rad, bro. It does improve your face. Sure it’ll make you more attractive to the ladies.”

  Ric shouldered him. “Get out of here.”

  How he loved to tease his brother.

  At the car, Rafaele dropped Ric and Marco’s luggage in beside Sienna’s. The flowers on top of her suitcases had started to wilt. Yes, he hadn’t been thinking about how many hours it would be until they got back to Villa Rossi when he’d bought the bouquet for his sister.

  By the time the chatter finally subsided they were halfway home. The Lexus cruised the A1 autostrada like a racecar, but Rafaele’s favorite part of the journey was whizzing down the winding roads through the hills.

  From the back seat, Marco sighed. “Man, I have missed this place.”

  “Me too.” Seated in the front beside Rafaele, Sienna turned and gazed out the window. “The beautiful green fields, the olive groves, the vineyards…”

  “Soon those fields will be cut short and dotted with hay bales,” Rafaele reminded them.

  Sienna’s head rolled on the headrest. She smiled at Rafaele. “By far my favorite image of Tuscany.”

  He loved Tuscany at this time of the year too. But enough of the scenery, he had to tell them about his career change and their new addition to the family before they got back to the villa. Give them some time to process the information before they saw Nonna.

  Rafaele cleared his throat then swallowed hard. Why was he so nervous to break this news? He was a lawyer…he wasn’t always the bearer of good tidings. Hopefully they’d find favor in what they were about to hear.

  “Um, I have some unexpected news for you all. Two things, actually.”

  Sienna shot upright. “You’re getting married, and she’s pregnant!”

  Laughter broke out around Rafaele as Sienna turned to look at Ric and Marco. “He’s met a girl, you know.”

  “Really? My older brother finally in love?” Ric chuckled. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

  Rafaele responded with a loud huff. “I am not getting married. I’m taking a sabbatical from work to help Nonna with the farm.”

  “You’re giving up law to farm? Papà would have loved that. He’s probably partying in his grave right now. Pity for him it’s come too late though.” Ric’s voice had morphed from astonishment to bitterness. Was it possible his brother loathed their father even more than he?

  “Stop! It’s not good to speak ill of the dead,” Sienna protested. “Especially of one’s own Papà. No matter what, he’s st
ill our father.”

  Silence descended.

  Marco finally broke it. “I think that’s very noble of you, Rafaele. I’m certain Nonna needs the help and the company. Right now, I wish I didn’t live so far away—that I was closer to help too.”

  He leaned forward in his seat. “So how long will you be away from work?”

  “Six months.” At least that was the plan. Would Papà rise from the dead if Rafaele never returned to law, just to rub it in his face that he’d been right all these years? Heaven forbid! But the more he pondered the boardroom and the fields, weighing up the two options, the more attractive the latter became. Especially when he added a certain young blonde with her floppy straw hat working the lands beside him into the picture.

  “There is more to tell.” If his first announcement got such a reaction, what would the news of Rachel do to his siblings and cousin?

  Seated on the patio outside the hotel restaurant, Jayne gazed across the undulating hills. Soon the sun would set, burning the skies with a golden hue.

  She wiped her lips with the linen napkin then discarded it beside her plate. She hated eating alone and looked forward to sharing dinners with Rafaele at the villa. If that arrangement could only become permanent.

  No reason it can’t. She smiled. All she needed to do was get him to fall in love with her. He had called her his darling, so maybe she was off to a good start. So long as she didn’t do anything else stupid to ruin it all. One silly blunder was enough. Although falling asleep in his car and having him tuck her into bed hadn’t turned out too bad. It gave her insight into Rafaele’s character, confirming what she’d always hoped of him. He had every opportunity to take advantage of the situation but didn’t. He’d respected her. And she got a tiny love letter to boot. All right, maybe not a love letter, but Rafaele’s note certainly did lean that way with his cara mia and amore and let’s not let history repeat itself.

  Raising her glass of water, Jayne leaned back in her chair, imagining a certain handsome Italian seated opposite her.

  His grandmother at the head of the table between them.

  Ugh, she’d forgotten his nonna would be part of the equation. It wasn’t that she minded old people, in fact, she rather loved them. And they usually loved her in return. Usually. But this one seemed to dislike her intensely. Yes, Isabella Rossi had given her apologies via her grandson, but perhaps he’d pressured her into making it. Tomorrow night’s party would be very interesting.

  Oh drat. She’d totally forgotten she needed a gift for the birthday girl. What did one buy for someone that age? Surely Isabella had no need of anything? Still, she couldn’t turn up at the party empty-handed, especially as she would be a guest at the villa for goodness knew how long.

  Isabella adored her art, that much she knew. But her collection looked really valuable. In fact, hadn’t Rafaele referred to the pieces his late grandfather had bought as “worthy”?

  Tomorrow she’d visit the hotel gift shop again. She had seen some lovely acrylics on canvas yesterday done by a local artist according to Brigida, but had never taken note of the prices as she hadn’t intended purchasing any paintings. Hopefully the one that had stood out to her in particular wouldn’t be too pricy—a white, three-story villa with a red roof at the end of a cypress-lined track weaving through a golden field, edged with cheerful yellow sunflowers and lapis-blue lupines. It was about the same size as the paintings she’d seen in Villa Rossi too. Her spirits sank a little. Would it be corny to give someone living in Tuscany a painting of Tuscany? Much as she’d like to, she couldn’t very well give Isabella one of a quaint English cottage—no way she’d find something like that here. Besides, she was certain she’d seen some paintings at the villa resembling Tuscany.

  She’d just have to wait and see.

  Or call Rafaele and ask his opinion. She was missing the sound of his voice.

  Sienna’s gasp was audible. “We have a what?”

  Rafaele smiled at her. “You heard me…another cousin. The oldest Rossi offspring it would seem.”

  “Well, that is exciting, if not totally unexpected, news. Something like the girlfriend you’re hiding.” Sienna grinned and waggled her brows.

  Rafaele shook his head, shutting his eyes for a second. “I’m not hiding anything.”

  “Right. I wonder what she’s like.”

  Rafaele shot his sister a look. “My girlfriend or Rachel?”

  “Rachel, of course, silly.” Sienna smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

  “Ouch. If you’d give me half a chance, Sienna, I will tell you everything I know about her.” Not that he knew very much.

  “Well, well, Uncle Tino.” Ric’s chuckle filled the car. “I always thought there was more to the story of why he was never spoken of. Thought it couldn’t only be because of Nonna’s grief. Probably disgraced this entire family back in his day.”

  Probably did. And broke his mother’s heart.

  “Rachel is a secondary school art teacher. She lives in Wales—Cardiff to be precise—so another accented cousin. She sounds sweet—” if not somewhat guarded, but who could blame her? “I saw a baby photo of her, and there’s no doubt that she’s a Rossi, although I’ve no idea what she looks like now.” When he’d searched for Rachel, he’d discovered she was rather social-media shy, and where she did have a presence, she avoided using photos of herself.

  “Going on that baby photo,” Rafaele continued, “I’d say she probably looks something like you, Sienna.”

  “So long as she didn’t inherit my nose.” Sienna instinctively covered the extremity with one hand.

  “What’s wrong with your nose?” Marco asked innocently.

  Oh no, Marco shouldn’t have gone there.

  “Everything,” Sienna wailed.

  “Hmm, I’ve always thought you had a cute nose, cousin.”

  “Me too,” Rafaele and Ric agreed.

  Best he steer the conversation away from his sister’s facial features—fast. Rafaele reached over and tapped Sienna’s hand. “Anyway, back to Rachel… The subject is still touchy with Nonna, so don’t go questioning her about it when we’re at the villa. Capisci?”

  “Why?” Sienna asked.

  “Because it was Nonna who kept Rachel and her mother away from our family all these years. So she’s carrying a lot of guilt because of that.”

  Ric blew out a whistle. “It’s going to be one interesting party. Glad I’m not missing it.”

  Rafaele sighed. “Yes, it might just be.”

  “And Rachel? Is she looking forward to meeting her long-lost family?” Sienna’s big brown eyes hungered for answers.

  “She’s…uh…cautious. But she’s coming, and that’s all that’s important.”

  Rafaele’s seat moved as Marco once again grasped the back rest and leaned forward. “What made Nonna tell after all these years?”

  Rafaele shrugged. “Who knows? Perhaps her own mortality…staring into death’s beastly face once again after our father’s death… One thing is for sure, she didn’t want to take this secret to her grave.”

  As the orange ball dipped beneath the horizon, Jayne watched the skyline’s palette morph from bursts of burnt umber and gold to the pinks and deep blues of early evening. Her heart swooned at the sight. How quickly she’d fallen in love with these Tuscan sunsets.

  Soon it was dark and Jayne blew out the flame on the candle in the middle of her table. She should head off to bed. After all, she was the only one seated outside. Tomorrow would be a busy day, so best she got a good night’s rest.

  Tiny flickers of light flitted in the distance. Fireflies. She hadn’t seen one of those enchanting, light-emitting bugs in a long time. As a child, her mother had often told her that when she saw a firefly, she was to remember that God was reminding her there was always a light shining in the darkness.

  Jayne pushed to her feet, applauding herself for resisting the urge all afternoon and evening to contact Rafaele again. One call for the day was enough. She
didn’t want to appear clingy or any of the other things the heroine in one of her favorite movies had appeared to be, merely as an experiment to get the hero to dump her. She’d come too far and waited too long to botch things now with Rafaele. She would take it slow and cool lest she lose her guy in less than ten days, even though the mere thought of him sent her pulse racing. Maybe staying at the villa wasn’t such a good idea. How on earth would she manage cool with Rafaele constantly close by?

  Upstairs, Jayne poured herself a cold drink. She opened the windows, and then eased onto the wide window ledge. She’d sit there awhile and enjoy the cool evening breeze before taking a bath and heading for bed. Oh why hadn’t she accepted Rafaele’s offer to fetch her tonight?

  Lost in her thoughts and dreams about tomorrow and the Italian she was drawn to, Jayne started when a soft knock sounded on her door. Who could that be? And what time was it, anyway?

  She rose, glancing at her phone where it lay on the sideboard as she passed by. Ten-fifteen. Had she been sitting out there on the ledge that long?

  The knock sounded again, a little louder.

  “Be right there.” Probably something to do with her checkout tomorrow. Or perhaps Brigida had just finished for the night and was stopping in to say goodbye. Jayne would definitely miss her bubbly smile and their little chitchats.

  She wrapped her fingers around the door handle and cracked the door, catching her breath as she did.

  “Rafaele!”

  What was he doing here, this late? Had he changed his mind about his offer and come to tell her?

  “You weren’t asleep, were you?” He eased the door open farther with one hand.

  She shook her head. “Just enjoying the beautiful evening from my window ledge. Would you like to join me?”

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  Jayne’s heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach. She knew it. He’d come to realize that his invitation to the villa and the party had all been a big mistake.

  “I just came to give you this.” He handed Jayne a gift bag.

  “Oh. Thank you.” She peeked inside. Chocolates? What the—?