Keep Me At Christmas (Romano Family Book 4)

by Lucinda Whitney

  “What about the kids?” Luciana asked. According to what they’d told her, there were six kids and a baby.

  “They all bunk in the attic,” Paola said. “They love it. All the cousins together. Even the older ones do.”

  Luciana frowned. “In the attic? Doesn’t it get too cold up there?”

  Paola turned to the linen closet in the hallway and pulled out a stack of sheets. “Jack, why don’t you take Luciana to see the attic and you two can make the beds?”

  Jack grabbed the sheets from his mom and smiled at Luciana. “Follow me.”

  She followed him up the stairs to the second floor. At the end of the hallway, Jack opened a door that led to a second set of stairs. At the top they came to a wide room with two sets of bunk beds, one of each side. Windows at each end of the room and two skylights strategically placed let plenty of light in.

  “This is a really cool room,” Luciana said.

  “It was my favorite when I was a kid,” Jack said.

  He put down the sheets on the carpeted floor and grabbed the mattresses from each of the top bunks. In a few minutes, he and Luciana had placed the fitted sheets on each mattress. Then he pulled out from under the bottom bed to reveal one more.

  “Trundle beds,” he said. “A place to sleep for everyone.”

  “What about flat sheets?”

  “They bring their own sleeping bags. It’s part of the experience at Grandma DiLorenzo and Nonna’s.”

  Luciana looked around. “If my brothers and I and our cousins had such a room this far from the adults, we’d never would have slept.” It had been bad enough with the lot of the spread over two or three bedrooms when they got together.

  Jack chuckled. “Yeah, there’s a lot of that going on. But the door stays open always and I come and check on them.”

  “To play with them, I bet,” Luciana said.

  This time Jack laughed. “Don’t tell my sisters. They don’t know.”

  “Of course they know. They’re mothers, and mothers know everything. Most likely they don’t want to get out of bed and they let you deal with their kids instead.”

  Jack approached Luciana. “You’re going to tell on me, aren’t you?” His voice was playful and his eyes shone with amusement.

  “I wouldn’t dare,” she said.

  When he looped an arm around her waist, the playfulness turned into something more intense and intimate. Jack leaned in, parted her hair away from her neck, and kissed her in the spot bellow her ear.

  “I’ve been dying to do this all day,” he murmured.

  Luciana closed her eyes and grabbed on to his arms.

  “Jack. Luciana.” Paola’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs. “Are you done up there?”

  Jack took a small step back, but kept his hands on her waist. “We just barely started,” he whispered, then shook his head. “Yep, we’re done,” he said turning his face in the direction of the stairs.

  “I think Leah’s here,” his mom said from the same spot.

  “Coming,” Jack replied to Paola. He took a breath, then touched his forehead to hers. “There goes all the privacy.”

  Luciana chuckled. “I didn’t know you could be so dramatic.” She gave him a peck on the lips and hurried out of the attic room. “Come on, let’s go see who’s here.”

  She was looking forward to meeting the rest of Jack’s family.

  * * *

  Monday, December 25th ~ evening

  From his spot on the kitchen island, Jack looked around the living room and a slow smile formed on his lips. Amy and her family would be coming for New Year’s Eve, but Kate had arrived soon after Leah, despite the road conditions. The craziness had officially started. Four extra adults and seven children in the house certainly made for a special day.

  Dinner had been served at five and, after cleaning up the table to set up the desserts, everyone had congregated around the Christmas tree to open presents and play games. The children took turns between the game playing and the gift-opening, while their parents tried to keep them from getting overly excited. Luciana sat in one of the stuffed chairs reading a Christmas book to two of his nieces, both four and only three months apart. Sometimes cousins were as close as siblings.

  Watching the two couples—Kate with her husband Ryan and Leah with Kyle—as they laughed and sat together and shared inside looks and specials moments, had Jack wishing he could have that kind of closeness with someone else. The feeling was one he’d almost forgotten—two years ago he’d been numb and shocked at Madison’s departure, and last year he’d barely participated in any of the Christmas festivities. His holiday depression had been strong enough to warrant medicine. He still had the occasional bad day, but since he’d met Luciana he couldn’t remember having one.

  As if sensing him looking at her, she lifted her eyes to him and smiled. Maeve, one of his nieces, pulled at Luciana’s arm and pointed at the book, and Luciana resumed the reading.

  Throughout most of the day, Luciana hadn’t strayed too far, working along side him comfortably, or playing with the children who’d taken an interest in her. At times, Luciana caught him watching her and they’d exchange a smile and a look, as they had just now, and it left Jack wishing he could take her in his arms and kiss her. Just the suggestion of a kiss sent his pulse soaring.

  It was useless denying it—he was falling in love with Luciana.

  How had his stunted, frozen heart fallen for a woman who didn’t even live in this country? She was the one who’d melted the ice block in his chest, who’d made him believe in love again, who’d given him the courage to put aside his fears and want to take a leap of faith. He wanted happiness with Luciana and no one else.

  What would happen when she left this week? Her life was in Portugal, where she had her family and her work, the career she’d built for herself. What was Jack going to do to keep himself in her life? She was his first thought every morning and his last every evening, and he couldn’t go to the way he was before she’d entered his life—he didn’t want to.

  Nonna came and sat at the nearby table on the chair closest to him. “It’s good to see you happy, ragazzo.”

  “I am happy.” He couldn’t fool Nonna, even if he wanted.

  “But you also have worry,” she said.

  Jack nodded slowly. “I do. She’s leaving soon.”

  “And she lives very far away. I understand.” Nonna raised her finger at him. “You need to understand that love has no… frontiere. Come se dice?”

  “Fronteers? Boundaries?” Jack offered.

  “Si. Love has no boundaries of country or time. I marry your Nonno and we come to America right away. No family, no friends. He work all day, I work all day. Very lonely.” She paused for a moment, as if remembering those days. “But I come with him because I know our love was true.”

  “You’re saying I should follow Luciana to Portugal?”

  She shrugged. “No. I only tell you what I did. You decide what you do. You decide if the love is good for a fight.”

  She stood from the table and kissed him on the cheek. “Me and your Mamma, we see something in that girl when she come for the first time. Now you do what is best.”

  Nonna walked to the sofa, leaving Jack there to think about what she’d said. Her words had been plain, even if the English was less so—she’d meant Jack had to decide if the love he had for Luciana was worth fighting for.

  But what if Luciana didn’t feel the same way for him? How would he find the courage to risk his heart again?

  Later, after the children were tucked in their beds, and the adults retired to their bedrooms, Jack sat on the sofa in the living room and sent Luciana a text.

  Are you still up?

  Knitting a little project, came her reply.

  Come knit down here.

  Coming.

  She appeared with a small canvas bag in her hand and took a seat next to him. “Where’s everyone?” she asked.

  “It took a few tries, but the kids
are finally out. I checked to make sure. Their parents claimed to be too tired and went to bed too.”

  Luciana glanced at the clock. “It’s already after ten thirty. A little later than I thought.”

  “It was a long day, too.” Jack scooted closer to Luciana and brought his arm around her shoulders.

  Luciana turned to him. “You have seen your Nonna knit, right?”

  Jack smiled, pleased to hear Luciana call his grandma the same way he did. “Plenty of times,” he replied.

  “So you know a knitter needs lots of elbow room?” She looked down at their arms pressed together, then brought her eyes back to him.

  Jack smiled, guessing what she implied. “This is when I should probably confess I didn’t ask you to come down here to knit.”

  “Honesty is good,” Luciana said, her eyes locked on him. “What do you have in mind I do then?”

  Jack reached for her hand with his free one. “Maybe we can talk?” If only he could have more time to get to know Luciana. “How did your Christmas Day go? I noticed you looked a bit emotional when you came down for breakfast.” He hoped she wouldn’t think he was prying.

  “Talking to my family made me homesick,” she replied. “Even though my parents and brothers live in Porto and I live in Lisbon, I always make the trip up north for the holidays where we go to my grandparents and all the cousins get together.”

  “You miss them,” Jack said.

  “I do. I did,” she corrected herself. “Spending Christmas with your family has been the best experience.” Luciana leaned her head on his shoulder and they settled more comfortably against each other. She played with his fingers almost absentmindedly, as if they did it often.

  Everything with Luciana was new, with a hint of familiar in his heart, like they’d known each other before and were finally reunited now.

  “I took this job to avoid my cousins’ wedding planning and what I got in return went beyond any expectations I ever dreamed.” Luciana lifted her head and looked at him. “Especially you.”

  Jack kissed her, unable to find the words to respond. His arm tightened around her back and his other hand slipped to the back of her head as the kiss deepened. A thrill of emotion surged in his chest and radiated in a wave of heat.

  How could he let Luciana leave without letting her know how he felt about her?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Wednesday, December 27th

  The snow stopped late on Christmas Day.

  Early on Tuesday December 26th, Jack took Luciana back to the inn and an hour later she returned to work at the museum.

  The weather center reported a total of thirty inches which was almost seventy six centimeters, and Luciana could hardly believe the piles of snow that had been shoveled to the side of the streets and sidewalks. How messy would it get when it started melting?

  Paola had insisted Luciana borrow the insulated coat and snow boots and Luciana promised to return the items before she left. She’d have no use for them in Lisbon. Until she traveled back, Luciana walked to the museum in the morning and Jack picked her up in the evening to have dinner at his home. How quickly new habits formed.

  Luciana’s work at the museum was a day and a half behind schedule and she started an hour earlier and stayed an hour later on Tuesday, trying to catch up. By midday on Wednesday the snow returned, this time heavier and fiercer than before. Within the hour, she received an email from the airline informing her the flight to Lisbon had been canceled.

  As the weather conditions worsened, Augustus Wynthrop sent everyone home and closed the museum, and when Luciana texted Jack with the news, he showed up to get her in ten minutes. This time she was already packed as she’s checked out of the inn earlier that morning.

  Paola and Nonna hugged Luciana when she came in the door.

  “Luchana, you are back,” Nonna said with a big smile.

  “Can you believe they closed the airports?” Luciana said to the ladies. “Looks like I’m stuck with you again.”

  “I’m taking your suitcase up to your bedroom,” Jack said as he climbed the stairs.

  She smiled. Her bedroom, as if she had a regular spot with the DiLorenzos. “Thanks, Jack,” she said.

  Luciana hung her coat and put away the boots to dry, grabbed the slippers from the closet, then followed Paola and Nonna to the kitchen.

  “Are you staying an extra day?” Paola asked.

  “I’m staying until the airport reopens, if that’s okay with you,” Luciana replied. “My room reservation at the River View Inn ended today, and Mrs. Wells is bursting at the seams with skiers.”

  “Of course it’s okay. Nobody’s using the bedroom and the house is back to being quiet after Kate and Leah and their families left. Amy and her family will be here on Saturday to spend New Year’s Eve with us. We won’t be half as crowded as before, so don’t worry about space.”

  “As long as you’re sure. I don’t want to be the guest that overextends her stay. If I find any upside down brooms behind your front door, then I’ll know.” Luciana chuckled at her joke, but the ladies remained impassive.

  “What does the upside down broom mean?” Paola asked.

  “It’s just an old Portuguese joke, like a solution to get unwanted guests moving on.” Luciana’s cheeks heated. “Sorry. I guess cultural jokes are not good to use when other cultures don’t have the same customs.”

  Paola waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. We have plenty of those customs in Italy too.”

  Since spending time with the DiLorenzos, Luciana had become aware of the similarities between Portugal and Italy. In some ways, the two cultures were closer than what Portugal had in common with the neighboring Spain.

  “We had minestrone soup for lunch. Would you like some?” Paola asked.

  “That would be great, thank you,” Luciana replied. “I left early this morning and worked through the lunch hour trying to get as much work as I could, and just realized how hungry I am.” Her stomach rumbled and she covered it with her hand. “And there you have the sound effects to prove my statement.”

  Paola chuckled and placed a bowl of steaming soup and a sliced loaf of bread in front of Luciana. “It smells divine,” Luciana said. “Both the soup and bread.”

  “Jack make it,” Nonna said, settled on her chair with a different project in her needles.

  “Do you mean he made the bread?” Luciana asked in between bites.

  “And the soup,” said Paola. “He was restless this morning, woke up even earlier than normal.”

  “Because you leave today,” Nonna said.

  “Mamma,” Paola replied to her mother’s statement with a raised eyebrow.

  “I was planning to come after work and say goodbye,” Luciana said. “But I didn’t leave. I’m here again.”

  Nonna and Paola exchanged a knowing look and resumed their tasks, leaving Luciana to wonder what they thought about her being back.

  Had Jack thought Luciana hadn’t planned to come by before she left?

  Their time together on Tuesday evening had been charged with unasked questions and a latent tension. How could she say goodbye to Jack?

  But thanks to another snow storm, she wasn’t leaving yet. Not today and probably not tomorrow.

  Luciana washed her dishes, then excused herself to call her family and break the news she wouldn’t be back in the morning. As long as she made it back to Catarina’s wedding on January 1st, she would put the worry aside and enjoy her time with the DiLorenzo family.

  In the early afternoon, while Nonna took a nap and Paola closed the café, Luciana retrieved her bag of works-in-progress to work on the hat she was knitting for Jack. He was out delivering bread and clearing steps and porches around the neighborhood, and this was the perfect time for Luciana to knit without being interrupted.

  The wool blend she’d bought at The Knotty Knitters was of superb quality. Luciana had noticed Jack didn’t have a hat to wear under the hood of his coat, which made the perfect gift to give him. S
omething she made herself.

  She’d knit scarves, hats, and even sweaters for family members and friends, but she’d never knit an item for a man she cared for.

  She cared for Jack. She actually liked him a lot and knew she could easily fall in love with him, if she wasn’t already there. Knitting the hat for him was giving him a part of her that was tangible, something that would warm him physically, and maybe even remind him of her.

  When the back door clicked and the sound of steps reached Luciana, she put the knitting away and rose to meet Jack. She found him in the laundry room, standing on the rug and shaking himself of the snow clinging to his outer clothes.

  “You must be freezing,” Luciana said.

  He hung up his coat and slipped off his boots, one at a time. “Not too bad,” he replied. “Nothing a hot shower won’t cure.” He removed his snow pants next and hung them to dry as well.

  He removed his flannel shirt and stood there, in sweatpants and a thermal long sleeve top, smiling at her. “I was going to hug you, but I need to shower first. Can I ask you to wait a few minutes?”

  “Take your time. I’ll be here.”

  After Jack was gone, Luciana walked to kitchen to warm up soup for him. The words she’d said to him lingered—I’ll be here.

  Such three simple words with so much meaning.

  But she wouldn’t be here for much longer.

  * * *

  Friday, December 29th

  Jack had been waiting all morning for Luciana. She’d gone to the museum to finish the project and to say goodbye to everyone there. She said she’d come to the café by lunchtime, but, of course, his patience was wavering. He wanted to see her—it was as simple as that. If someone had told him how quickly and deeply he’d become attached to a woman in only twelve days, he would have laughed in their face. But here he was, looking up to the door every time it swung open.