Her Italian Soldier

by Rebecca Winters

  “Otherwise I would have followed you because I couldn’t have helped myself and curiosity would have killed the proverbial cat.”

  “Yes.” She laughed softly.

  “My father knew what he was doing when he stole you away from Mel. More than the fact that you’re incredibly beautiful, you didn’t let him down. After watching the slide show tonight, I’m convinced you could have a career as a top model.”

  “Those are heady words, signore, but for now I like being Mel Jardine’s assistant at the showroom in L.A. when I’m not nursing.” She’d leave Italy with a smile on her face if it killed her. Looking at the Italian soldier she loved to the depth of her soul, it already was killing her.

  “Signorina Marsh?”

  She jerked her around. Since Lucca had come to the table, she hadn’t been aware of anyone else. “Hi, Fortunato!”

  He broke into a broad smile. “Those pictures were fantastic. You look fantastic! Would you autograph the rest of these posters for me? I’m going to give them to my friends. They’re going to eat their hearts out when they find out I know you.”

  Annabelle chuckled. “You know how to make an old lady feel good.”

  “Old lady—are you crazy?”

  “Thanks, Fortunato. You’ve made my night. I’d be happy to sign these.” She felt Lucca’s hot gaze on her while she autographed the last six for his nephew.

  “Thanks.” He gathered them up and turned to Lucca. “Do you want me to drive you home now?”

  She held her breath while she waited for Lucca’s answer. “That’s very nice of you to offer, but Annabelle’s going to drive us back to the farmhouse. Here.” He pulled some bills out of his pocket and put them in Fortunato’s hand. “I owe you for today.”

  He stared at the money. “What’s this for?”

  “For chauffeuring your old uncle around town and showing me the hottest clothes to buy. See you later.”

  “Ciao.” Fortunato’s eyes lingered on both of them before he disappeared.

  “He’s darling,” she remarked.

  “Ruggero says he’s incorrigible, but I couldn’t ask for a nicer nephew.” He shifted his weight. It made her wonder if his leg had started to ache. “Do you have to stay around here much longer?”

  “No. I’m through. Your father will be talking business half the night. I’ll go inside the villa to change and meet you at the car in the courtyard. Give me ten minutes.”

  “Make it five.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  “Try.” He sounded out of breath. “While you’re gone, I’ll gather up some food for us from the party and we’ll eat when we get back to the farmhouse.”

  His male virility was so potent, she’d forgotten all about food.

  The blood surged through her veins as she left the table and rushed inside the villa. Marcella was there to relieve her of her clothes and jewels. She hugged Annabelle.

  “Because of you, my shop in Rome will be besieged by women wanting to look just like you. Of course that’s impossible, but it’s the thought that counts.”

  Annabelle burst into laughter. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. I know Guilio is very grateful.”

  “You were a delight to work with.”

  “I’ll never forget you, Marcella.”

  After she left, Annabelle removed her makeup and tied her hair in a ponytail. Once she’d slipped into pleated khaki pants and a light blue cotton knit top, she hurried back outside.

  Lucca stood by the car, holding the door open for her. There weren’t words to describe his looks adequately. She felt like a frump in comparison, but kept a smile pasted on.

  “The Amalfi Girl is gone.”

  “No.” His eyes traveled over her before coming back to her face. “The real Amalfi Girl is standing in front of me, the one my father saw when he went to California.”

  “Incredible, isn’t it?” She got in the car and waited for him to go around and get in the other side. “He said he saw my bones and knew I was the one he wanted.”

  “My father has a visionary side to him. The other side is the persuasive businessman.”

  She started the motor and drove down the gravel drive to the road. “I found that out.”

  Lucca’s hand slid to her thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m not going to apologize for touching you like this. After the way I saw all the dealers devouring you with their eyes, I’m feeling possessive of you. Since I came home, we’ve lived in our own private world and I’ve grown to crave it.”

  What he’d just said had silenced her. In the palpable quiet that followed, his cell phone rang. Annabelle bet it was Guilio wanting to talk to his son. It was only ten o’clock, but she knew Lucca’s leg was hurting. He’d been at the party long enough to start feeling uncomfortable.

  He gave her leg another squeeze before removing his hand to answer it. She expected to hear him talk in affectionate tones to his father, but there was silence. She glanced sideways at Lucca and her spirits fell. There were long periods where he listened, then spoke in low tones. Annabelle couldn’t make anything out except that his body had tensed and that wasn’t a good sign.

  After he hung up, her anxiety increased while she waited for him to tell her what was wrong. By now they’d reached the farmhouse.

  “That was Stefana Beraldi’s mother calling from the hospital in Naples.”

  Uh-oh.

  “Stefana started bleeding earlier in the day. She was rushed to emergency hoping the baby could be saved, but it wasn’t possible. It seems she’s in the operating room right now having some kind of procedure done.”

  “A D and C,” Annabelle said quietly.

  “What is that?”

  “An abbreviation for a dilation and curettage. Sometimes tissue remains in the uterus and it has to be removed.”

  Lucca grimaced. “Her mother said she’d be in the hospital for another twenty-four hours. I’ve got to go to her.”

  “I’ll drive you now, but before we leave here, I’ll run inside for your pills. Don’t move. By morning you’re going to be exhausted and will start hurting without them.”

  When she came back to the car a minute later with his pills and a couple of colas, Lucca had pulled some ham-and-cheese rolls from a sack. He handed her one with a napkin. “After the day you’ve been through, you need to eat first or you’ll be too tired to drive.”

  She finished hers fast and drank half her cola before starting up the car once more. Lucca devoured five in a row and swallowed all his drink before settling back against the seat with a heavy sigh.

  “Why did this have to happen to her?” The bleakness in his tone caused her to groan inwardly. To hear this awful news after the wonderfully unforgettable night…

  Annabelle drew in a shaky breath. “One obstetrician I worked with told me a miscarriage can mean something was wrong with the baby and it wasn’t meant to be, but I realize that won’t be of any comfort to Stefana.”

  He turned toward her. “Do you know my mother had four miscarriages before I was born? I only found that out the other day.”

  “Your poor parents. How hard that had to have been on them, but especially your mother. With every conception, all the hopes and dreams start up. Thank heaven she was able to carry you to term.”

  A harsh sound escaped Lucca’s throat. “Now Stefana’s hopes are dashed.”

  “She’ll mourn the loss for a long time because it has followed on the heels of losing Leo, but it won’t last forever.”

  “I won’t know what to say to her.”

  “There isn’t anything to say. Platitudes don’t help at a time like this. What she needs is for people to be there for her, Lucca. Seeing you, drawing from your strength—that will do her the most good. She’ll probably want to talk about her husband because you were with him at the end. It’ll do you good to mourn with her too. There’s comfort in doing that together. One day she’ll get better.”

  Lucca moved his arm to the back of the
seat. She felt his fingers massage the nape of her neck. “Are you better, Annabelle?” he whispered. “Some people say divorce is worse than death for a spouse.”

  Not since I came to Ravello. Annabelle wanted to say those words aloud, but then Lucca could be in no doubt how she felt about him. Until he spoke the words she needed to hear, they’d remain unsaid.

  “It’s true my divorce left a void because my husband took up space. But I feel fine. Who would want a rootless man who isn’t capable of love? You taught me that.”

  He reached for her hand and grasped it. “Did you want a baby from him so badly?” He was terrified for Stefana.

  “I thought I did, but with hindsight I can see I wouldn’t want to raise a child alone. In time Stefana will meet another man and have babies with him. Wait and see.”

  Annabelle didn’t tell him that to a girl growing up, the idea that one day she’d become a woman and carry the child of the man she loved was part of what a woman believed was her rite of passage. To see him in her child, to see his smile or his eyes, or the way he walks or laughs—that was a woman’s dream.

  To have Lucca’s babies, to watch for his traits in them—for Annabelle that would be one of the ultimate joys of marriage to him. But she feared it wasn’t going to happen.

  It was seven in the morning when Annabelle pulled into the drive of the farmhouse. The visit with Stefana had drained Lucca. Upon leaving the hospital, he’d taken three pain pills because the pain was worse. Ten minutes ago he’d fallen asleep. She’d almost gone to sleep at the wheel herself.

  Somehow she managed to wake him long enough to get him to his bedroom. She undressed him down to his suit trousers, then made him lie down so she could pull off his shoes and socks. After adjusting the pillows between his legs, she started to draw the lightweight cover over him and felt him tug on her arm.

  “Don’t go away,” he begged, sounding drugged. “I need you next to me.”

  To appease him, and herself, she curled up next to him. His arm automatically went around her and pulled her closer, as if they’d been doing this for years. She was in love with this man, the heart-wrenching kind you never got over. To lie in his arms all night was her dream, but he was in a deep sleep and most likely wouldn’t waken until afternoon.

  When next she had cognizance of her surroundings, she heard her cell phone ringing. It came from her purse, which she’d put on the dresser when they’d come in. Carefully she slid off the bed and made a grab for it, afraid it would waken Lucca.

  She hurried out in the hall to a kitchen filled with daylight. One glance at the caller ID showed it was her boss. She’d assumed it was her parents, whom she’d neglected for the last few days during the rush to get ready for the party.

  “Mel?” Her mind was so blank, she had trouble gathering her wits. “Hi! How are you?”

  “More to the point, how’s the Amalfi Girl this afternoon?” She looked at her watch. It was one o’clock. She’d slept close to six hours. Lucca was still out for the count and probably wouldn’t stir till later in the day.

  “I’m back to being Ms. Marsh.”

  He laughed. “Lovely as she is, that’s good to hear. I miss my assistant. Guilio and I had a long talk at breakfast with his staff. He said he was through with you until August. He said he felt guilty to have kept you away from me this long. But not too guilty obviously.” Mel chuckled. “Since I’m flying out of Naples at five this evening, do you want to fly home with me?”

  No. No. No. No.

  “Annabelle? Are you still there?”

  “Yes.”

  “For a minute it went so quiet, I thought our call had been dropped.”

  “I thought the same thing,” she said.

  “If you’re going with me, it means we’ll have to be at the airport by three at the latest. Because of traffic, Guilio said we’ll need to get going within the hour. He’s going to drive us to the airport. On the way he’ll tell you all the wonderful things everyone said about you.”

  She’d just come from Naples. She’d spent all night with Lucca. How could she just leave?

  How can you not, Annabelle!

  Her work was done here a few days earlier than originally planned.

  Lucca and his father had enjoyed the long-awaited reunion. They needed time to cement their new relationship. He was starting on his remodeling plans for the farmhouse. He had a doctor’s appointment on Monday to see about his leg. The man had a new life to put together, plans to make.

  Except for him to want her as his nurse, at no time had he talked to Annabelle about a future with her. If he’d ever told her he was in love … If he’d ever said he couldn’t live without her … He’d had opportunity after opportunity. Though they’d discussed her future, he hadn’t indicated he wanted to be a part of it, or her to be part of his.

  She left a note on the terrace table for him.

  Dearest Lucca. I’ve enjoyed this unexpected interlude with you more than you can possibly imagine, but interludes by their definition always come to an end. Ours is over, but I’ll never forget. The Amalfi Girl is gone until August, when I’ll be resurrected for the media blitz. I hope to see you then. Annabelle.

  Steeling herself not to peek in on Lucca and kiss his mouth one more time, she stole out of the farmhouse with a heart heavier than the bags she’d packed. After closing the door behind her, she took off in the car with her purse. With a whole family ready to wait on him, Lucca would be perfectly taken care of.

  Before she reached the villa, she phoned her parents, who were still up watching television before going to bed. They were overjoyed to hear she was coming home and told her they would pick her up at the airport. Her mom wanted her to stay with them for a few days, but Annabelle told her she had to get right back to work Monday morning.

  She adored her family, but right now she was in too much pain to be leaving Lucca to think about anything else. Once she’d gotten off the phone, she had to pull over to the side of the road because she was sobbing so hard. Emotions she’d been holding back began to pour out of her. She didn’t know if she could stop.

  In truth she felt more married to Lucca than she’d ever felt with Ryan and they’d only been together a week. When the worst of her paroxysms had passed, she wiped the tears off her face and lifted her head.

  She needed to get going, not daring to hold up the men. For the first time since she’d been in Italy, she wished her makeup woman were here to give her a fresh face, but all that was over and Annabelle would have to make the repairs herself from now on.

  Just like Stefana, you’re going to have to find a way to go on, Annabelle.

  CHAPTER NINE

  DR. COZZA motioned Lucca over to the screen to see his X-rays. “I’ve been through your file. The doctor who operated on you did an excellent job. I see no fractures. It appears the pain you’re having is local.”

  He turned off the light and looked at Lucca. “I can take your plate and screws out right away.” The news elated him. “I believe it’s the right decision to prevent deterioration and stop the stinging. Some people don’t realize this procedure can be done and they wait years. Your doctor didn’t tell you?”

  “He probably did, but I wasn’t listening at the time. Actually it was a friend of mine who’s a trained nurse. She said it was possible.”

  “You’re lucky she was so on the ball.”

  Dr. Cozza didn’t know the half of it. “This isn’t too soon?”

  “No. You were operated on close to four months ago. You’re good to go. Let me talk to my nurse.” He stepped out of the examining room while Lucca paced the floor. Before long he came back. “I have an opening on Friday morning. You’ll have to be here by five-thirty to get prepped.”

  “You can fit me in that fast?”

  The doctor smiled. “I make room when my patient is a returning war vet hero.”

  “Grazie,” Lucca murmured with heartfelt gratitude. That was only four days away. Lucca’s mind reeled. “If all goes well,
how soon can I get back to regular activity?”

  “Two weeks on crutches, more to give the incision time to heal than anything else. You’ll need someone to help you. Then you can throw the crutches away.”

  “Does that mean I’ll be able to drive and swim?”

  He nodded. “And have sexual intercourse. That’s the greatest concern of all my patients with your kind of injury.”

  After they shook hands, Lucca left the hospital and climbed in the limo he’d hired. He instructed the chauffeur to drive him back to Ravello. He called ahead to the villa and was relieved when Maria told him his father was busy in his office off the screening room, working out the details of the media blitz he was planning. After telling her to expect him, Lucca stared at the view, not seeing it because Annabelle’s image got in the way.

  After waking up at four on Thursday afternoon and not finding her there, he’d called the villa, assuming she was having a conference with his father. When Maria told him she’d left for the airport with Mr. Jardine to fly home to Los Angeles, he almost did go into cardiac arrest. Then he saw her message on the patio table that left him shocked and then hurt to the quick.

  At that point it had been too late to reach her by phone. She’d already boarded the plane. By the time he figured she’d touched down in California, he’d decided it was best to leave her alone until he’d been to the doctor.

  When he knew anything about his condition and prognosis, then he’d know what to say to her.

  “Lucca, come on in,” his father exclaimed when he saw him in the doorway. He got up to give him a hug and kiss him on both cheeks. “Do you have any idea how happy it makes me to know you’re just down the hill and can drop in on your old dad when you feel like it? Sit down. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  He explained about the new surgery planned for Friday, delighting his father that this operation could take away his pain altogether.

  “Do you want to recuperate at the villa, or would you like me to find someone to care for you? Whatever suits you best.”