Those Blue Tuscan Skies

by Marion Ueckermann

  Rachel trotted up beside them. She grabbed a borrowed towel Rafaele had lent her from where it hung over a chair. “I think I’ve had enough water for one day.” She rubbed her long, dark strands with the towel.

  “Rachel, when you’ve dried and dressed, child, would you take a walk with me?” Nonna asked. “Perhaps you’d like to visit your father’s grave?”

  Rafaele couldn’t help but sneak a peek sideways to see his cousin’s reaction. Seemed Jayne was just as curious.

  Rachel stopped midair drying her hair. She didn’t answer. The idea seemed to rattle her.

  “Rachel?” Nonna leaned forward on her lounger.

  “Uh, yes, of course. That would be…nice.”

  Rachel wrapped the towel around her and headed for the changing rooms just behind the pergola.

  He should let Nonna know it wasn’t necessary to repeat her tale.

  “Nonna, when Rachel arrived earlier, I told her what you’d said this morning.”

  Nonna offered him a slow nod. “Everything?”

  “Sì, everything.”

  “But don’t you think it is better if she hears my request for forgiveness from my own mouth?”

  Forgiveness. That was one part of the story he’d completely forgotten to mention. How could he have missed such an important piece of information? Rachel needed to know her grandmother sought absolution. Perhaps it was just as well he hadn’t said anything. Now she could hear that request from Nonna herself.

  “Sì, Nonna. She should hear it from your lips only. And she will.”

  “What did she say…when you told her?”

  How did he tell Nonna without upsetting her?

  “She knew that her father wanted to marry her mother.” There was no easy way to say this, but best Nonna knew—she could be better prepared. “I’m sorry, Nonna, but Rachel wasn’t aware that you prevented their marriage, or that you had argued shortly before his death. The news did seem to upset her.”

  “I see.” Hurt flickered in Nonna’s eyes. Lifting her chin, she focused her gaze on those still in the pool. A faint smile reached her lips. “This makes me happy—my grandchildren all here together at Villa Rossi.”

  “Should we go for a last swim?” Jayne’s voice redirected Rafaele’s attention. “I didn’t put this cream on for nothing. Besides, the teams are uneven now—I think your siblings and cousins could do with your support. I’ll sit in the shallows and watch.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course. Go have some fun. Besides, I think I’ll like watching you in action.” Pink flushed her cheeks. “I can’t believe I just said that.”

  Neither could he, but he’d make sure he didn’t disappoint her.

  Not long after Rafaele had taken Rachel’s place in the game, he noticed her and Nonna strolling off in the direction of the house. Likely Nonna intended to make good on her promise to take Rachel to her father’s grave. Hopefully Rachel could get some closure by visiting the family cemetery. Although perhaps it wasn’t closure, but a beginning that she needed.

  As if he was one to give advice on dealing with family issues.

  By the time Nonna and Rachel returned, everyone was out of the pool and drying off. Jayne had gone to change into her clothes.

  Rafaele’s heart sank. He’d been so hopeful that his nonna and cousin would return strolling arm in arm. Instead, the distance between them tattled that the conversation had not gone well.

  Without a word, Nonna eased back into her lounger, the joy he’d seen on her face earlier erased. Rachel had immediately sought out Jonathan.

  Rafaele strolled over to Nonna, coming to stop behind her. Leaning over her shoulder, he whispered, “How did your talk with Rachel go?”

  She turned to gaze up at him, the glassy sheen in her eyes matching the moisture he’d glimpsed in Rachel’s. Were both women on the verge of tears?

  “Some hurts will take time to heal, Rafaele—there is a lot to forgive. But she is here and I’ve confessed. That’s a start at least.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  SEATED AT THE TABLE UNDER the pergola with his family, Rafaele bit into his pizza and watched in anticipation as his brother ripped open the gift he’d given him for his birthday. Ric would turn twenty-nine in a week’s time. Although only eighteen months separated them, Ric would always be his little brother in his eyes.

  “Nice one,” Ric said, reaching over the table to whack the side of Rafaele’s head with the box set of Rocky DVD’s. “Goes with the scar over my eye.”

  Rafaele chuckled loudly. “Thought there was a resemblance to the image on the cover.”

  Laughter erupted around the table before he and his three cousins started singing “Eye of the Tiger.” Clicking their fingers, Alessa and Sienna joined in. They actually sounded pretty good, especially Nick. Hmm, he’d have to ask Nonna if he could borrow the CD his cousin had given her last night.

  When the singing died down, Ric quirked a brow. “Guess I should be glad they don’t call me Marlon or the godfather.”

  “Well, I have just the thing to take the punch out of Rafaele’s gift, mio fratello.” Sienna rose and sashayed over to Ric. She dropped a gift bag in his lap and laughed. “Or should I call you, Rocky.”

  “Don’t. Enough blokes at the station latched on to that one already.” Wearing a grin, he shoved his hand into the bag and pulled out something gray. A soft toy. More specifically, a boxing kangaroo. “Well that’s just fair dinkum Australian. Cute, Sienna. Thank you.”

  She smiled. “You’re welcome. I hope he makes a worthy TV companion when you’re watching all those movies from Rafaele.”

  “I have something too.” Alessa shoved to her feet and made her way over to their brother. She wrapped an arm around him, giving him an enormous hug before depositing another rectangular, wrapped gift in front of Ric. “Happy birthday, brother.”

  “Grazie, Elfo.”

  Ric ripped open the paper, and Alessa smiled. “I thought you might like one of your own.”

  He gazed down at the Lego firetruck their little sister had bought him. “Almost 1500 pieces… This will be a challenge, but thank you. I’ve always wanted to drive the truck and never been allowed to. This way I’ll have my own personal one to drive. Deforest will love this.” He beamed and hugged his sister back.

  “Deforest?” Rafaele asked.

  “Just a kid who lives downstairs.”

  Marco pushed to his feet and reached for the long handle of the pizza peel. “More pizza anyone?” A round uncooked pizza remained on the slab beside the oven. “It’s got to be cooked tonight or suffer being frozen and prepared in an oven. Even us American cousins know that’s taboo in Italy.”

  Everyone protested about how full they were.

  Rafaele groaned. Seemed like he’d have to take one for the team. “Marco, shove it in the oven, as long as you promise to help me finish it. Can’t waste good pizza, and your pizza is delicious.”

  With a grin, Marco slid the peel under the pizza then deposited the dough platter with its delicious toppings inside the oven. “Two minutes tops and that’ll be out.”

  “I will help you both by taking one more slice,” Nonna said with a grin. “Buonissima, Marco. Your mammà taught you well.”

  “And my nonna,” Marco said. “You taught me many things inside your kitchen when we came to visit as children.”

  Nonna tipped her head. “Prego.”

  Marco pulled the pizza out of the oven then slid the piping hot crust onto the almost empty breadboard in the middle of the table. “Like Nonna, you’re all welcome to change your minds about that last slice.”

  He balanced the peel against the counter near the oven then took his seat again beside Rachel.

  Her eyes drifted to Marco’s wristwatch. The action didn’t go unnoticed by Rafaele. Was she ready to leave? His pulse quickened. What if she walked out of here tonight and forgot about them all, and never looked back—choosing not to be a part of their family? He didn’t want that to happ
en. She was lovely and sweet. And she was family. And family stuck together. How different Rachel’s life should have been. Even if she lived in England with her mother, it should have been filled with summer holidays in Italy with her cousins and her nonna.

  He tapped a knife against his glass a few times to catch everyone’s attention. He had to act now.

  “Thank you all for making the effort to come to Italy for Nonna’s birthday. For some of you the journey was far.” He gazed at his eldest sister. “Yours was the farthest, Sienna, so I’m glad you’re spending eleven more days with us and Alessa before going down to Amalfi to see Nonna and Nonno. I know how much you loved visiting Mammà’s parents with Papà.”

  Sienna smiled. “I’ve fond memories of those times at the seaside.”

  “Most of all, I’d like to thank Rachel for her bravery in meeting her crazy Italian family. I hope you will consider Villa Rossi your home away from home.”

  Rachel’s mouth twitched at the corners, and she glanced at Jonathan before answering Rafaele. “Thank you. You’ve all been most kind, and it has been quite an experience meeting every one of you.”

  “September is a crazy time of the year at Villa Rossi, as you all know,” Rafaele continued. “Except Rachel, Jonathan, and Jayne, of course. We not only have the grape harvest to contend with, but the first of the olive harvests, and the third hay cutting. Because there’s always a shortage of hands around this time with so much to do, I’d like you all to consider returning to Tuscany late September. As an incentive, not only do you get to spend time again with your family, there are so many wonderful harvest festivals happening in Tuscany at that time. Ric, Marco, Piero, and Nick, you don’t want to miss it. Who knows, maybe you’ll find the love of your life at one of those festivities.”

  “Or the two of you.” His gaze centered on his sisters. They both just shook their heads and laughed at Rafaele.

  “I am never getting married,” Alessa announced.

  “Famous last words.” Rafaele turned to Rachel and Jonathan. “Our family would love it if you’d consider returning for the harvest. Please.”

  Once again, Rachel shot that same uncertain look at Jonathan. “I—”

  “C’mon, Rach, it would be awesome. Sounds like a lot of fun, and you could help out your family at the same time. Maybe we could even take part in one of those grape-stomping sessions—the one’s in a vat.”

  “I would be happy to arrange that for you and Rachel, if it’ll make you say yes.”

  “It’s still months away,” Rachel said. “Getting time off work then will be tricky. We’ll think about it and let you know.”

  At least she hadn’t flat-out said no.

  “Well, it’s getting late. Jon and I should get going.”

  Rafaele rose from his chair at the same time as Rachel. “Do you need a ride?”

  She shook her head. “It’s such a lovely evening, and Jon and I love to walk. Thanks anyway.”

  “We should all probably be getting to bed.” Ric yawned. “It was a really late night last night, and Marco and I were up at dawn. Not to mention that tomorrow we’ve an early start back to the airport.”

  Ric was right. He would’ve loved making the most of the time with everyone and staying up half the night again, but that wouldn’t be wise. They’d need to leave by six thirty a.m. to get Marco to the airport by eight. Unfortunately for Ric, he’d have to hang around departures until his midday flight. He’d help his brother while away the time by treating him to breakfast. And Nick and Piero had also intimated an early departure to do some sightseeing for a day or two before leaving Italy.

  “Ric, help Nonna to her room please while I walk Rachel and Jonathan out.”

  Ric nodded then gave a second yawn, this one longer than the first.

  It was hard for Rafaele not to mimic his brother—not because he was exhausted but because that’s what yawns did to people.

  Rachel stepped away from the table. She gave a small wave. “Well, goodbye everyone. It was nice meeting you.”

  “Ciao, Rachel. Come back in September,” everyone said as they waved back.

  “Oh, Piero, would you mind sending me the photos you shot this weekend?” Rachel asked. “Rafaele has my email address.”

  “Be happy to, cuz.” Piero flashed a smile accompanied by a wink.

  Rafaele watched Rachel closely to see whether she would give Nonna a kiss goodbye. He hoped for Nonna’s sake she did.

  But Rachel barely made eye contact with Nonna as she mouthed a goodbye, offering an even smaller wave than her first before she turned away. What had happened on that walk to the graveyard?

  “I’ll come with you,” Jayne said.

  Rafaele and Jayne hastened to catch up with Rachel and Jonathan. At the front door, they stepped outside with them to say their final goodbyes.

  “Are you sure I can’t drive you home? It’ll only take me a few minutes to get there and back.

  This time, Jonathan answered. “We’re sure. As Rach said, we love walking.”

  “All right. What about the airport tomorrow? I’m going there anyway for Ric and Marco.” Even though he knew what her answer would be, he still had to ask.

  “We have all our travel arrangements for tomorrow in place, Rafaele, but thanks. Besides, if we had to catch a ride with you, it would mean that Jayne would have to stay at the villa. I’m sure you’d rather have her uninterrupted company on the way home than driving alone.”

  “You have a point, Rachel.” Jayne chuckled then pulled Rachel into a hug. “Now, you come back in September. I don’t want to be the only Brit among these crazy and loud Italians.”

  Rachel nodded. “Like I said, we’ll try.”

  “See you in September then.” He hoped. Rafaele leaned forward and kissed Rachel on either cheek. Then he pulled her into a hug. Let her think what she wanted. She needed to know that her family was here for her, and now that they knew about her, they wouldn’t let her go.

  He held out his hand and shook Jonathan’s. “Arrivederci, Jonathan and Rachel.”

  “Arrivederci, Rafaele,” Rachel said before she and Jonathan made their way down the dark, dusty road.

  An emptiness filled Rafaele. The weekend hadn’t gone quite as he’d planned where Rachel was concerned. But what had he expected—that she would just walk into their lives as if she’d always been a part of them, as if she hadn’t been renounced at birth and her existence ignored her entire life? He needed to give her time. They all did.

  Chapter Seventeen

  JAYNE WAVED FRANTICALLY AT THE two women hanging from the train window as the doors shut closed. “Arrivederci, Alessa! Arrivederci, Sienna!”

  Rafaele’s two sisters shouted back at the same time. “Ciao, Jayne. See you in September.”

  Even though she would miss the two women she’d come to love so much over the past eleven days as they’d worked beside each other in the fields, had fun with swimming together, and enjoyed wonderful times filled with laughter and chatter around the dinner table, she couldn’t stop the thought from forming in her mind…

  Alone, at last.

  Except, of course, for Nonna. But she didn’t mind. Her relationship with the old woman had strengthened every day, and she no longer feared Rafaele’s grandmother as she had those first few days after meeting her. Nonna had definitely softened toward her.

  Strangely, a tiny part of her wished she was on that train with Sienna and Alessa. Rafaele, too, of course. Sienna would spend three days in Rome with her sister before going down to Amalfi to enjoy a few days with their maternal grandparents. How she’d love to see Rome and the coast of Italy. Maybe Rafaele could take her one day. A honeymoon, perhaps?

  “Cara mia, you can stop waving now.” A low chuckle rumbled from beside her as Rafaele tightened his hold around her waist. “The train has departed.”

  “Oh.” Jayne’s cheeks heated, but at least she could blame it on the warmth of the day.

  “I love my sisters, but I’m glad they�
�ve finally left. Not only do they drive me crazy at times, but I’ve been counting the hours until I could finally have you all to myself. It’s been hard sharing you with Alessa and Sienna.”

  Jayne’s gaze locked on Rafaele’s, her eyes searching his. A smile tugged the corner of her mouth. Impossible to hold the grin at bay. She was far too happy, and she didn’t care who noticed.

  “So now what?” she asked. “Return to the fields?”

  “Heavens no. We have the day off because I’m taking my girlfriend out to lunch. Then we’re going shopping for something I should’ve bought years ago.” Rafaele clasped her hand and turned to go.

  Jayne remained rooted. Some things just needed clarity before time got between what was said and what was understood. “Girlfriend, eh? Am I, really?”

  Rafaele stepped closer to her and drew her into his embrace, his kiss erasing all doubt. “You are. Really.”

  Brushing her mouth against his ear, she whispered, “I guess that makes you my boyfriend.”

  “I guess so.”

  She cupped his face in her hands—the stubbles of his beard tickling her palms—and then kissed him. When Jayne finally opened her eyes, her gaze lingered and she whispered, “I know so.”

  “Much as I’d rather stand here kissing you, I have plans for us for today. Come along.” He attempted once again to leave the platform, this time succeeding.

  As Jayne buckled her seatbelt, she asked, “Where are we going?”

  “I’m taking you to Siena.”

  “B–but we just said goodb—”

  Rafaele’s unrestrained laugh erupted, filling the cabin. “Not my sister, amore mio. Siena the town.”

  Could the earth just open wide and swallow her?

  The hour’s drive to Siena was filled with Rafaele’s tales about Italy’s loveliest medieval city. She couldn’t wait to see it. Thankfully they had almost the entire day ahead of them.