The Italian's Unexpected Heir

by Jennifer Faye

  “Of course it is.”

  He shook his head. “If it was, I wouldn’t have let them down when they needed me most.”

  He walked away before she could respond. Not that she knew what to say to that. Enzo was being harder on himself than he should be. Sure, he was selling the estate, but that didn’t make him a bad brother. She had to help him see this if she had any hope of him changing his mind about selling the estate.

  * * *

  Why was everyone making such a fuss?

  Enzo placed the cake box on the kitchen counter. His sisters knew he didn’t like a fuss being made over his birthday. A card was fine. It was discreet but meaningful. What his sisters had done was big, loud and embarrassing. They did it because they felt guilty over forgetting his birthday.

  Honestly, he couldn’t blame them. They had new, exciting lives now. He would, too. As soon as he concluded the sale of the estate. Which meant he had to talk to Sylvie about the weddings she had scheduled. They’d either have to hold off the sale or, preferably, move the events to another location. He’d even pick up the tab for moving them elsewhere.

  “Do you mind if I cut the cake?” Sylvie’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

  His gaze moved from her to the cake and back again. “You want to eat it?”

  Her fine brows drew together. “That is the purpose of cake, isn’t it?”

  “Uh, yes. Go ahead.” He was flustered and not making sense.

  The truth was that he was dreading their upcoming conversation. He knew how much the wedding business meant to Sylvie. That was why he’d let her continue the business after he’d shut down the hotel. But now he had a potential buyer and he couldn’t put the conversation off any longer.

  Maybe talking over cake would make what he said easier to take. Oh, who was he kidding? This wasn’t going to be easy.

  He thought after he told her he was selling the estate that she would have been angry with him, but instead, she’d thrown him a birthday party. What was up with that?

  Maybe it was shock. Maybe the reality wasn’t sinking in. Or maybe she’d misunderstood him and thought he said he was thinking about selling.

  This evening he had to make sure she understood this sale was a certainty. And they needed to figure out dates for winding up the wedding business. He was pretty certain from what the buyer had said that he wouldn’t be inclined to open up any part of the estate for strangers to come in, either to tour the winery or to host a wedding.

  And for that, Enzo felt awful. He didn’t want to hurt Sylvie. She’d been nothing but kind to him. But he would make this up to her. He wasn’t sure how yet, but he’d figure out a way.

  “I thought we’d eat dessert outside. It’s such a lovely and warm evening.” Sylvie held a plate with a slice of chocolate cake out to him.

  He accepted her offer and followed her to the veranda. It was one of his favorite parts of the house. The veranda was spacious and yet it wasn’t too big. It overlooked the vines and that normally made him smile. There was just something about the fresh earth, the abundant vines and the promise of a bountiful harvest that made him happy.

  But right now his attention was fully focused on Sylvie. She moved toward the balustrade and then turned back to him. With the setting sun splashing brilliant oranges, pinks and purples across the sky, it was like she’d just stepped into a painting. And he was totally captivated by her beauty, both inside and out.

  For a moment he imagined what it might be like if they’d carried on their fling after returning from Paris. Would they have romantic evenings like this followed by passionate, sleepless nights?

  Or would their hot flame have burnt out by now? If so, where would that have left them? He definitely didn’t think they’d be standing here sharing cake.

  He told himself he was right to end things when he did. But looking at Sylvie now with her hair down over her shoulders and a light breeze combing through her silky hair, he didn’t feel right. He felt like he’d made the biggest mistake of his life.

  “Aren’t you going to sit down?” Her voice jarred him from his thoughts.

  “No. I have to check a new valve we installed at the winery earlier today. And if I sit down now, I might not move again.”

  “I understand. I have days like that.”

  They turned back to the beautiful scenery. They ate their cake in silence. The cake was so delicate that it practically melted on his tongue. The mascarpone frosting was whipped to perfection. And the berry filling gave the cake a pop of flavor. He might have preferred skipping the singing clown but his sisters had outdone themselves with this cake.

  All too soon the cake was gone. And the moment he’d been dreading had arrived. How did he say this to her without ruining this easiness that they’d regained? Maybe that was it. Maybe he should let her know how much all of this meant to him.

  “I should get moving,” she said. “I need to go over my to-do list for the wedding this weekend.” She took his empty plate from him, stacking it with her own and then turned toward the house.

  “Wait,” he said, still trying to figure out how to word this.

  She turned back to him with curiosity showing in her eyes. “What do you need?”

  “I need to talk to you.” He rubbed his damp palms down over his jeans. “I mean, I wanted to apologize to you about Paris.”

  “We’ve been over this. I really don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. What I was trying to tell you in my own jumbled way is that I don’t want it to ruin our friendship.”

  “It hasn’t.” She sent him a reassuring smile. “You and I, we’ll always be friends.”

  He stepped toward her. His gaze met hers. “Do you really mean that?”

  “I do.” There had been no hesitation in her words.

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Giving me a second chance.”

  She had no idea how much her words meant to him. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized just how important their relationship was to him. She meant more to him than he was willing to admit, even to himself.

  His gaze dipped to her lips. There was a tiny dab of frosting on her bottom lip. He longed to lean forward and lick it off her berry-red lips. The urge swelled within him.

  The truth was that he couldn’t forget about their steamy encounter in Paris. It haunted his dreams at night. Teasing and taunting him.

  During the day he thought he’d finally gotten a handle on things. But standing here so close to Sylvie, he realized that he’d only been fooling himself. She had gotten into his blood and he had no idea how to undo the spell she had over him.

  When he lifted his gaze upward, he noticed the twinkle of interest in her eyes. Desire stirred in his gut. In that moment he started to question his judgment. Maybe just a little kiss wouldn’t be so bad. After all, she didn’t seem to reject the idea. In fact, the look in her beautiful brown eyes was one of interest. She was interested in him?

  Was it possible she didn’t regret their night together like he’d been imagining? Had he jumped to all the wrong conclusions?

  He halted his rambling thoughts. He stepped back and raked his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t believe he’d almost talked himself into kissing her.

  “Sorry about that,” he said. “I need to get going.”

  Before she could say anything, he strode away. He didn’t trust himself to stay there in the last lingering rays of the sun with the most beautiful woman he’d ever known.

  It wasn’t until he was almost to the vineyard that he realized he hadn’t done what he’d set out to do. He hadn’t talked to her about winding down the wedding business. And now he was hesitant to go near her again. She had to know that he’d almost kissed her.

  His feet kept moving. Their talk could wait for another day—a day when he
had his head screwed on straight.

  Sylvie was off-limits to him. It was the way it had to be. He refused to hurt her again when he couldn’t commit to a relationship—not when he let down the people closest to him.

  CHAPTER SIX

  HAD THAT REALLY HAPPENED?

  Had Enzo almost kissed her?

  Saturday morning Sylvie was still thinking about that moment on the veranda a few nights ago. In fact, it’d taken up a lot of her thoughts. Perhaps too many because she’d had to rush to put the finishing touches on this wedding. A wedding that was about to take place in the garden.

  And yet, when she was supposed to be checking last-minute things off on her to-do list, she was thinking about the way Enzo had stared into her eyes—the desire that had flashed in them. And then there was the way his look had sent her heart racing.

  At times his gaze could be so intent that it was like he could see straight through her—like he could see what made her tick. All this time she’d been fooling herself into thinking she had kept her attraction to him under wraps—that there was no way he knew just how much she wished he would pull her into his arms and kiss her. But then what?

  This is where things got really muddled. In her daydreams and for that matter, in her nighttime dreams, she never got past the arms wrapped around each other and the lips pressing to each other. She supposed it was because she couldn’t imagine what normally came next—a loving and committed relationship.

  The truth was relationships didn’t last. She’d learned that lesson over and over again in her life. It was best to just keep things light and simple.

  Because putting her tattered heart on the line wasn’t something she was willing to do. The thought of letting herself feel deeply for Enzo and then losing him—she gave herself a mental shake. It wasn’t going to happen. She wouldn’t let it.

  The only reason she had planned the surprise party was to remind Enzo of what he had here at the estate—what he would lose if he were to sell it. The party, the cake and all the other arrangements she’d seen to... Well, those had nothing to do with her feelings for him because...because she had those all under control.

  So how did she explain what had happened in Paris? It was that city—the city of love. It had cast some sort of spell over her—over them. But once they’d returned to Tuscany, they were both able to see what a mistake they’d made. There was nothing between them—nothing more than a casual friendship.

  Okay, maybe that wasn’t quite true. Maybe it was more like a close friendship—at least that was the way things used to be. Enzo used to confide in her and she had done the same with him. But ever since that one night, there had been an awkwardness between them—much like a wall. One that each of them had taken some comfort in hiding behind. But now it was getting in her way. Now she needed to knock it down, if she was going to convince him not to sell the estate.

  Ring. Ring.

  It was the house phone. The only thing it was used for these days was business. Personal calls went to their cell phones. Sylvie checked the time on her fitness tracker. There was less than an hour now until the wedding ceremony. Surely, this wasn’t bad news regarding the wedding.

  The phone rang again.

  Her gaze quickly skimmed down over her checklist. No. Everything was done and the caterer had already set up finger food in the dining room. There was nothing to worry about.

  And yet, as she picked up the phone, she couldn’t help but wonder if this phone call would somehow help or hinder her efforts to keep her home and a job at which she was quite skilled.

  “Hello. This is the Barto Vineyard. How may I help you?”

  “Hello. My name is Jameson Asaro and I’m with Tuscany Views magazine. We’re interested in doing a big spread about your vineyard and the prestigious award your winery won in Paris.”

  “Oh. Wow.” Her mind was racing. This could be the help she needed to sway Enzo’s decision about keeping or selling the estate. “That would be wonderful.”

  “Can I take that as confirmation that you’d like us to visit the estate to do our research for the article?”

  “Um, can you hold on for a moment?”

  “Sure.”

  She pushed a button on the phone, putting it on hold while she fished her cell phone out of her pocket. She quick-dialed Enzo. The phone rang and rang before going to voice mail.

  She knew if Enzo was out in the fields that there were many places with no reception. Of all the days for him to be out of reach. Frustration balled up in her stomach. This was so important.

  She moved the landline receiver back to her ear. “I’m sorry about that. I was just trying to reach someone at the vineyard. Could we get back to you—?”

  “I don’t think you understand the urgency of this. We just had a last-minute cancellation and we need a big story. Something we can cover right away.”

  “Oh. I... I...uh...” What was she supposed to say? She tried to imagine Enzo’s response. Would he welcome the coverage? It was really special. This online and print magazine stretched throughout Italy and beyond its borders. It was quite a coup.

  “I need a decision now.” The man’s voice was firm.

  Her palms grew damp. The last thing she wanted to do was to make the wrong decision and have Enzo upset with her. As it was, they were just starting to find an easiness with each other after Paris. If she were to make the wrong choice here and they went back to acting like strangers again, she’d never convince him that selling the estate was a big mistake—a huge mistake.

  But what if she were to pass on the publicity, would Enzo get upset? In fact, she’d been so busy worrying about what he’d do if she were to accept the offer that she hadn’t stopped to think about it in reverse. Turning down the offer could be a mistake, too. Either way it was a gamble.

  Her stomach knotted knowing the man on the other end of the phone was expecting her to make a decision now—right now. And if she picked the wrong one, it could mean losing her ability to reason with Enzo.

  She worried her bottom lip. All her attention was focused on whether she should or shouldn’t. Should or shouldn’t. The words revolved around in her mind at a dizzying pace—

  “Hello,” the man said, “are you still there?”

  The moment of truth had arrived. “Um, yes, I am.”

  “And are you willing to do the article?”

  “Yes.” The word popped out of her mouth and then she realized it was too late to take it back. Her fate had been sealed. She just didn’t know how any of this was going to work out. And dealing with the unknown was something she didn’t do well. She liked plans and certainties.

  “Very good. We’ll arrive Thursday.”

  “As in this coming Thursday? Less than a week from now?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Is that a problem?”

  A problem? Not that she could think of, but Enzo might have a differing opinion. “No, it’s not.”

  “Good. We’ll need a tour of the vineyard. We’re going to need photos.”

  “Photos?” She hadn’t considered what all would be involved with this.

  “Yes, we’ll need photos to go along with the write-up.”

  “Of course.” She would normally have anticipated this if her thoughts weren’t being pulled in so many different directions.

  Thankfully, the estate was in tip-top shape. So pictures shouldn’t be a big deal. Right? Surely, Enzo would be happy about this interest in the vineyard, wouldn’t he?

  She assured herself that she had nothing to worry about. After concluding the phone call, she wrote Enzo a note and left it in what was now his office. And then she set off to change into her dress for the wedding. It was almost time for the bride and groom to say I do.

  * * *

  What was wrong with him?

  Every time Enzo was in Sylvie’s vicinity, he was nearly kissing her or thin
king about kissing her. And that just wasn’t right. He was the one taking away not only her job but also her home.

  And there was another thing. He kept delaying talking to her about the final date for the last wedding at the estate. No matter how much he dreaded doing it, the talk had to take place. In fact, he’d put it off too long as it was.

  After a long day in the fields, he had one more thing he needed to do. He wanted to test these new oak barrels for leakage and then he would head to the little guesthouse on the property where Sylvie lived. He was certain she wouldn’t want to see him, not after the way he’d handled himself earlier that week—or rather how he’d been out of control, letting his desire dictate his actions. That was why he’d been up extra early every morning and returned late each evening.

  “Something on your mind?” Vito asked.

  “No. Why?”

  Vito nodded toward the hose. “Because you’re spilling water all over the floor.”

  “What?” Enzo glanced down to see that the barrel was full and the excess water was forming a puddle on the floor. He rushed to turn off the water. When the hose was drained, he turned to an amused Vito. “Aren’t you supposed to be on holiday with your family?”

  “I just stopped on my way out of town to check on things and see if you need anything.”

  Enzo grabbed a rag to clean up his mess. This accident was minor but it was indicative of why he didn’t belong here any longer. He was forever distracted. Where once his work had been all-encompassing and fulfilling, now his mind was on other things. “Thanks, but I don’t need a thing. Have a good trip.”

  Vito didn’t say a word for a moment. He just stared thoughtfully at him.

  Enzo grew uncomfortable beneath his friend’s stare. “Whatever it is, just say it.”

  “I’m wondering what’s on your mind.” Vito’s expression turned serious. “Or should I say who?”

  Enzo shook his head. “No one is on my mind.” Liar. “I just have a lot to do before the estate sale goes through.”

  For a moment a strained silence filled the air. Enzo knew Vito didn’t agree with his decision to sell the estate. They’d already had a heated disagreement. Enzo was hoping Vito would accept the inevitable, even if he didn’t agree with him. Enzo was certain the new owner would keep him on to manage the place, as they’d already discussed it.