by Unknown
“Happy Thanksgiving to you, as well. I’m sure raising them must have been challenging,” I say with a chuckle.
“Honey, I can tell you some stories that will turn your hair gray,” she says laughing.
“I can’t wait,” I reply.
“Maria, you better not scare her away, or I’ll come hunting you down.” Michael points his finger at her with a grin then kisses the top of her head.
“Promises promises,” she chastises with a wave of her hand. “Go show her to your room. Dinner will be served at five. You have plenty of time to relax.”
“Can I help with anything, Maria?” I ask.
“No, darlin’, you rest. You seem a little pale. Are you okay?”
Michael stares closely at me with wary eyes. “Ariana, Maria is right, you are a bit ashen.”
“I’m fine, Michael. I’m exhausted. We did take a five thirty flight out, and I’ve been up since two thirty this morning.
“Well, let’s get you upstairs to my bedroom and settled so you can nap,” he says and leads me to one of the staircases.
We reach the top of the stairs and turn left. I follow him to the second bedroom. It’s enormous with a four-poster king-sized bed and a set of French doors leading onto a balcony.
The soft beige and elegant yellow-striped wallpaper cover the walls with elegance. A blue and white comforter and scattered pillows embellish the large bed.
“This is your room?” I ask, surprised at the size.
“Yes, a bit colossal.” He places the bags next to a polished dark cherry dresser.
“How many bedrooms if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Not at all. It’s ten bedrooms with twelve bathrooms. I know it’s ostentatious.”
“No, not at all. It’s beautiful, but why so many?”
“My parents’ planned to have six children in the hopes the amount would blossom to plenty of grandchildren.” He shrugs, raising his hand to gesture it was a crazy idea with a lift of his eyebrows. “My dad doesn’t speak about my mom’s death, and I would prefer if you don’t bring her up,” he pleads.
“Of course not.” I look into his eyes and see his grief. God, how painful this must be for him and his family. She must have been an amazing woman and mother.
He smiles and then changes the subject, which I’m grateful for. I love seeing Michael’s eyes light up, not dim like they were moments ago. “You’re exhausted, Ariana. Let’s get you into bed.”
“Just a little.”
He stands up to close the drapes. He walks back over to me and takes my shoes off. He pulls the comforter down, picks me up, lays me on the soft bed and shelters me beneath the soft duvet.
“Sleep, I’ll be back for you before we eat.” He kisses my lips.
The moment he walked out, it was lights out for me.
***
I stir beneath the warm covers to the sound of Michael’s sweet voice. “Hey, sweetheart, time to wake up.”
“Hmm,” I moan. I just need a few more minutes.
“Come on, Ariana.” He nibbles on my ear.
I giggle, pushing him away. “Okay, I’m getting up,” I say, but instead, I end up falling back to sleep.
“Ah! Jesus, Michael.” I jerk up, startled after Michael places a cube of ice over my chest.
He sits beside me, laughing, all smug. “I was desperate. I had to do something. You fell back to sleep.” He shrugs, still laughing with tears rolling down his cheeks.
“I’m glad I amuse you. Damn, that was . . . that was cruel and cold,” I say, pointing at him and knocking him down onto the bed.
He pulls me into his arms, and we kiss, our bodies raising the room temperature. He tugs me away.
“We need to meet everyone for dinner. Go get yourself freshened up. I’ll be downstairs waiting for you.”
I brush my teeth and hair and change into a simple silk green-and-black dress with a thin gold belt wrapped around my waist. I slip into a pair of gold flats and rush out of the room.
I walk into the dining room. Michael, his family and four others are laughing and conversing with one another.
Jacob looks up with a big smile across his face. “Ariana, this is my older sister, Loretta.” Jacob points to a beautiful woman with a gorgeous, radiant smile and short blond hair and blue eyes.
“My younger sister, Cheyenne, with her son, my nephew Jared, and this is my grandson, Gabriel,” Jacob introduces the women and the two young men sitting beside him.
Cheyenne’s hair is long and black, and her facial features resemble Jacob and Michael. Jared’s hair is dark brown, and he wears his mother’s smile. As for Gabriel, he resembles Josh with matching blue eyes. However, his smile is different from the others, maybe it’s Lara’s, his mother, or his father’s. Jared is the only family member with brown eyes.
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you. I can’t believe we have a live celebrity having Thanksgiving dinner with us,” Loretta exclaims out with joy, and everyone laughs.
“I’m the one who is lucky. Thank you for inviting me, but I’m no celebrity.”
“Oh nonsense, you most certainly are,” Cheyenne says, jumping into the conversation making me blush.
“Did you sleep well?” Josh asks.
“Yes, although I could go for more.” Everyone laughs.
“Please sit, Ariana.” Josh gestures.
The array of dishes Maria prepared was out of this world. I’ve never been surrounded by such a vast variety of food.
Dinner was magnificent. Maria conversed about the men and their adolescent years, the trouble they caused and the mischievous jokes they would play on each other and her. The family teased Michael about his English accent and that no one will believe he’s part of the family or that he comes from Texas. I’m delighted I came. We had a fun-filled evening with full of laughter. One I will always treasure.
After dinner, I headed straight to bed, with legs that felt like lead. Let’s just say I was exhausted. I hope Michael didn’t mind, but I didn’t have the energy to even cuddle.
Chapter 32
Newsflash
I wake up moaning, and my hands clutched against my stomach. I roll to my side feeling nauseous. Oh, God, I’m sure it wasn’t anything I ate last night. There is only one explanation for my discomfort. I’m dreading to get on that horse. Don’t get me wrong, I love horses, when I’m standing next to them, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever have a desire to ride on one. Come on, let’s face it, they’re big, enormous, oversized animals.
My grandfather tried many times to get me on one every year since I was a little girl when I would go and visit him during the summer months in Monaco, but I refused. I would crinkle my eyes brows, stomp my feet, and yell out “no way, nonno” and ran the other direction. My grandfather would laugh and say, “Ah, my beau Ariana, one day you will meet your true love and for him you will ride on a horse.” He would always quote me the same phrase year after year in his Italian-French accent. Well, grandfather, if you can see me now, I hope your watching over me.
I let out a long sigh and stare at Michael’s pillow, covered in blue cotton and fluffed up except for the indentation in the center from his head. I pull it to my chest, embracing it close to my face, smelling his wholesome scent. I gasp and jump up, Oh, my God, I didn’t have a nightmare last night. Since I got back from the hospital I’ve had the same one, but last night, I slept right through the night. Thank God. I’m not sure how Michael would have reacted, especially to my screaming. Maybe having Michael’s warm body against mine gave me a secure and solacing feeling.
I glance at the time and groan. I need to get up and face the music, get it over with, and be brave. You can do this Ariana. It’s for Michael, he’ll be there, and he won’t let anything happen to you. I get out of bed and plant my feet on the cool tiled floor and head for the bathroom to take a long, hot shower, brush my teeth, and get dressed in a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt and slip on a pair of riding boots. Thank goodness I purchased the
se before I left.
I rush downstairs, running into Maria on the way to the kitchen. “Good morning, Ariana, How did you sleep, dear?” Maria wears a slim-fitting yellow and green dress and a white apron wrapped around her waist.
“I slept like a baby. Thank you for asking.”
“I need to get my list ready. I’m heading to the market in ten minutes. Is there anything in particular you care to eat for lunch?” Maria asks.
“Oh, no, not at all. I’m not fussy, but thank you for asking.” My mouth drops when my eyes catch a glimpse of a portrait of a beautiful woman hanging on the wall near the main entrance. I’m surprised I didn’t see that yesterday. She has long, thick, blonde hair with blue eyes the shape of almonds like Josh’s. Her smile matching Trent’s, and her nose resembling Michael’s. Oh my God, that must be their mother.
“Maria, who is that woman,” I ask pointing at the picture.
“That’s Elizabeth, Jacob’s wife and the boy’s mother,” she says with a shaking voice. “I’m glad you asked me and not Jacob. He still gets all choked up when anyone asks about her.”
“I would never, and I’ve already been warned,” I reassure her and see the moisture in her eyes.
Maria clears her throat and changes the subject saying, “I made plenty of food for breakfast. Please don’t be shy. Help yourself. Josh is inside now. He’ll show you where the warmer is,” Maria says, waving her hand in the air. “Now you go eat. You’re still a little pale, and you can use the extra pounds.” She grins and hugs me.
“Thank you, Maria.” I smile, and before I walk into the kitchen, she stops me.
“I don’t know how much Michael told you about himself, or our family, but they had a sister,” she whispers, her eyes shimmering with tears.
I place my hand over her arm. “You don’t have to tell me. Michael and his brothers explained to me how Lara passed away.”
She pats my arm. She must be only four foot eleven, weighing about a hundred and ten pounds, yet she’s full of power. When she speaks, everyone listens. “Then I guess they told you about Michael’s former fiancée?”
My heart stops, and I pale, suddenly dizzy and unbalanced as if the ground shook beneath my feet. Michael never mentioned to me about an engagement or even spoken to me of his previous relationships.
“No,” I whisper, shocked at the newsflash.
“Oh, dear, I’m so sorry. I thought he might have told you. The poor woman was in a car accident two days before their wedding and died not long after the incident. He was twenty-five at the time,” she explains with a firm grip on my arm, tears filling up in her eyes. “This house has seen a lot of tragedies.” She frowns.
Oh my God, how many losses can one human endure? First, he loses his mother than his sister and then his first love. A sharp pain wraps around my chest, aching to the point I want to scream and cry. Oh, Michael. No wonder he gets so worked up and nervous of my well-being. He’s scared of losing another loved one, more like petrified.
“You go eat, dear. Put some color back in your face.” Maria gestures toward the kitchen.
How can I even think of eating after finding out about Michael’s fiancée? I nod and head in that direction and see Josh by the stove, dressed in his blue jeans, T-shirt, and boots and casual, not the doctor persona he usually portrays.
“Good morning, Ariana.” Josh smiles, pouring himself coffee. “Would you like some?” He holds up his cup.
“Morning, Josh, yes please, thank you,” I say and sit on one of the chairs closest to where Josh is standing.
“You okay, Ariana? You’re a bit pale,” he expresses attentively, picking up both our cups and sits next to me, placing mine before me.
“I’m doing well, but my stomach isn’t.” I take a sip and want to spit it right out, and I don’t want to bring up Michael’s fiancé, which is probably why I walked in looking like a ghost.
“Would you like something to ease the queasiness?” Josh asks, taking a sip of his coffee. His eyes stare up, and he nods. My heart is accelerating, already sensing his presence before he even walks into the room.
“What’s wrong, Ariana?” Michael stands behind me, arms over my shoulders, and I begin to melt. I glance at Michael, and gasp inwardly at how sexy he looks with his wet, thick, black hair, and dressed in dark blue jeans and T-shirt, hugging every beautiful asset God blessed him with. He glares at me with his suspicious eyes.
“Nothing, Michael, my stomach is a little uneasy,” I confess.
“Nothing that peppermint tea can’t help,” Josh rushes out as he goes into the kitchen cupboard to prepare it.
Michael sits beside me, placing his hand over my forehead. “Are you nervous about horseback riding?” he says with a slight chuckle.
“No. Maybe. Okay, a little,” I rush out and clasp my hands together.
“You’ll be fine, Ariana. You’ll love Daisy,” Michael reassures me.
“Daisy is one of the sweetest horse we have,” Josh confirms.
“Thank you both for the encouragement,” I say, as my stomach flutters.
We eat in silence, indulging in Maria’s homemade buttermilk pancakes with warm sugar-glazed apples with bananas and fresh baked muffins. “God, these are delicious,” I rave, licking my lips.
“Maria is an excellent cook. You’ll definitely leave here with a couple of inches around your waist,” Michael comments with a chuckle, and Josh bursts out laughing.
“I think Maria prepared all this food because of you, Ariana,” Josh says, gesturing to the breakfast.
“Me, why me?” I ask, surprised, glaring at both brothers who wear smug expressions.
“She said you were too thin,” Michael answers.
“Ha! I’ll have you know I’m the perfect weight for my height, wise guys,” I say as I lift up my cup of tea and point it at them. “And thanks for the tea, Josh. I’m doing so much better.”
“You regained your color,” Josh says.
Michael looks at me warily. “Are you up to riding this morning?” Michael asks, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Yes, sir.” I salute.
Michael grabs his beige Stetson hat as we head out through the back door and walk toward this beautiful, big yellow barn.
As we approach the stable, I watch the hands saddling up the horses. I’m excited and yet scared out of my wits. My heart disguises herself in camouflage, hiding in a corner. I have to laugh because she can be so cowardly.
“You ready, sweetheart?” Michael asks, his eyes sparkling.
“Yes, fair warning. I am a bit nervous.”
“Daisy’s a gentle horse. She walks at her own slow pace. Come, let me help you mount her.”
Michael helps me settle on Daisy. “She’s beautiful, Michael.” Her brown coat is soft as silk, and she has white markings from the top of her head to the tip of her nose.
“EEEE.” Daisy makes a sound, shaking her head up in the air, and I’m not sure why.
“She’s just happy she’s going for a walk,” Michael explains.
Michael mounts on his horse, a beautiful black stallion. “He’s stunning. What’s his name?” I ask.
“This is Thunder; he’s an Arabian, which is the type of horses we breed here.”
“He’s gorgeous.”
Thunder jerks a little, frightening Daisy, which causes her to jerk back and startle me. “Whoa,” I call out.
Michael takes a hold of Thunder and pulls the reins. “Gently pull the reins toward you. That will keep her from moving,” he instructs.
I do as I’m instructed, and Daisy relaxes.
“Ready? Are you comfortable? Do the stirrups feel even to you?” Michael questions.
“Yes to all of the above.” As I settle comfortably on the saddle, I’m stunned at the view of my surroundings. I thought I had seen it all, but this brings an entirely different aspect of Mother Earth’s pure beauty. An overwhelming sense of peace and harmony leaves me breathless.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Michael
remarks, getting my attention.
“Oh, Michael, words cannot describe its magnificence,” I say, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.
“Wait until you see the trails. Give her a gentle squeeze near her belly,” Michael instructs.
I follow his directions, and Daisy moves a little too fast for me until we are head-to-head with Michael, and then she slows her pace down, matching Thunder’s.
“This is so lovely and therapeutic. This will be my therapy,” I comment to him with humor.
“Ariana, I thought we went over this, and Josh agrees. You need to see a therapist.” He makes a clicking sound, and Thunder begins trotting. Daisy follows suit. I watch Michael, and I mimic his movements.
“Not bad for a newbie, Ariana. Your posting is excellent. Are you sure you’ve never ridden a horse before?”
“Positive.” We trot across the rolling meadows and enter a trail leading us into a forest of evergreens. The lush greenery radiates an awe-inspiring spirituality. I inhale the pure fresh air, and my lungs sing out with merriment. I smile embracing the warm sun against my skin.
Michael taps me on my shoulder to get my attention. I glance at him, and he points to a peacock, its feathers spread open, the luminous colors reflecting the rays of sunlight. I gasp and smile at Michael. “It’s beautiful,” I mouth.
We move deeper into the forest, the light grows dim as the trees and evergreens shadow us from the rich sunlight in patches. The sweet smell of wild flowers and pine tickle my nose. We cross a bubbling creek and stop. Michael dismounts Thunder, securing him onto a metal hook, which is embedded into a tree. He pulls Daisy and does the same. I gaze at a spider web covered in tiny droplets of moisture clinging to each thread. I glance around the terrain and I soak up the beauty around us. The tree trunks covered in moss and branches that were once filled with hunter green leaves now lay on the moist earth. This is heaven.
“You ready to get down?” He asks.
“I don’t think so. The view from here is glorious. It’s a whole other world from here, peaceful and full of serenity.” I shake my head and wonder what it would have been like growing up here.
