Million-Dollar Marriage Merger

by Charlene Sands

  “Shutting down a restaurant for the night to have a private dinner?”

  “Yeah, among other things.”

  “I guess I should feel honored that you served me dinner. You must have a good reason.”

  “I do.” He glanced at the desserts on the table and moved a dish of spumoni her way. “You love ice cream. Dig in.”

  Rena didn’t hesitate. She picked up a spoon and dove into the creamy Italian fare.

  Tony dipped into it as well, butting spoons with her. They made eye contact, and Rena turned away quickly. How often had they shared ice cream in the past?

  After three spoonfuls of spumoni, Rena pushed the dish away. “Okay, Tony. I’ve had dinner with you. No one is around. So are you going to tell me why you needed to speak to me?”

  “I know you hate me, Rena.”

  She steered her gaze toward the fountain in the middle of the dining area. “Hate is a strong word.”

  “So, you don’t hate me?” he asked, with a measure of hope.

  She looked into his eyes again. “I didn’t say that.”

  Tony didn’t flinch. He’d prepared himself for this. “What did David say to you before he died?”

  She straightened in her seat, her agitated body language not to be missed. “That’s none of your business.”

  “Fair enough. But I need to tell you what he asked of me, Rena. I need you to hear his last words to me as I rode beside him in the ambulance.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. Tony was a sucker for Rena’s tears. He never could stand to see her cry.

  For a moment, fear entered her eyes as if hearing David’s words would cause her too much pain. But then, courageously, she nodded, opening her eyes wide. “Okay. Yes, I do want to hear what he said.”

  Tony spoke quietly, keeping his voice from cracking. “He told me he loved you.” Rena inhaled a quick breath, and those tears threatened again. “And that you deserved a good life.”

  “He was the kindest man,” she whispered.

  “His last thoughts were only of you.”

  A single tear fell from her eyes. “Thank you, Tony. I needed to hear that.”

  “I’m not through, Rena. There’s more.”

  She sat back in her seat and leaned heavily against the back of the booth, bracing herself. “Okay.”

  “He asked me to to watch out for you. Protect you. And I intend to do just that. Rena, I intend to marry you.”

  Four

  Tony might as well have said he was going to fly to the moon on a broomstick; his declaration was just as ridiculous. Still, Rena couldn’t contain her shock. Her mouth dropped open. She couldn’t find the words.

  Her heart broke thinking that David’s very last thoughts and concerns hadn’t been for himself but for her. But at the same time, if what Tony had said was true, then a wave of anger built at her departed husband as well. How could he even suggest such a thing? Asking Tony to take care of her? To protect her? He was the last man on earth she trusted, and David knew that. Didn’t he?

  “You can’t be serious,” she finally got out once a tumultuous array of emotions swept through her system.

  “I’m dead serious, Rena.” He pinned her with a sharp unrelenting look. “It’s ridiculous.”

  “Maybe. But it’s David’s last wishes.”

  “You’re saying he asked you to marry me?” Rena kept a tight reign on her rising blood pressure.

  Tony nodded. “I promised him, Rena.”

  “No, no, no, no, no, no.” She shook her head so hard that her hair slipped out of its clip.

  Tony held steady peering into her eyes. “Tell me what he said to you. His last words.”

  “He said,” she began, her voice shaky, her expression crestfallen. “He said he loved me. And that he wanted me to keep Purple Fields.” She looked down for a moment to compose herself. “He knew how much it meant to me.”

  “And you promised him?”

  “I did. But I—” Flashes of her conversation with Mr. Zelinski earlier today came flooding back. There was no hope of saving the winery. As much as it hurt her, she’d resolved that she had no other option but to sell Purple Fields. Not only would her family’s legacy be lost but so would her livelihood. Yet she needed to provide for her baby. That’s all that mattered now, and selling out meant that she’d have enough cash for a year or two if she were very careful. “I can’t keep it. I’ve already decided…to sell.”

  Tony sat back in his seat, watching as Rena tried to compose herself. So many thoughts entered her mind all at once that her head began to ache. She put her head down and rubbed her temples, to alleviate the pain and to avoid Tony’s scrutiny.

  “You don’t want to sell Purple Fields,” he said softly.

  “No, of course not.”

  “You know what it would mean to Purple Fields if we marry? You’d have no more worry…I’d make sure of it.”

  She kept her head down. She didn’t want to admit that marrying Tony would solve her immediate problems and she’d be able to keep her promise to David. But she also knew that her emotions would rule it out this time. She couldn’t marry Tony Carlino.

  He’d abandoned her when she’d needed him most.

  He’d hurt her so deeply that it took a decent man like David to heal her and make her trust again. She had no faith in Tony, and marriage to anyone, much less him, was out of the question. Her wounds were still too raw and fresh.

  Tony reached over and caressed her hand with his. Again, an instant current ran between them. “Think about it, Rena. Think about the promises we both made to David.”

  Twenty minutes later, as Tony drove her home, she still couldn’t think of anything else. She wanted to save Purple Fields, to see it thrive and be successful again, but the cost was too great.

  Tony walked her to the door. She slipped the key into the lock and turned to face him. “Good night, Tony.”

  Tony’s dark eyes gleamed for a moment. He glanced at her mouth, his gaze lingering there. Her heart pounded, and for an instant, she was that young smitten girl who banked on his every word. He leaned his body closer, his eyes on hers, and she remembered the chemistry between them, the joy of loving him and having him love her. Images that she’d thought had been destroyed came back in a flash. He slanted his head and she waited. But his kiss bypassed her lips and brushed her cheek. He grabbed the doorknob and shoved open her door. “I’ll come by to see you tomorrow, Rena.”

  Rena stepped inside and leaned heavily on her door, her fingers tracing the cheek he’d just kissed. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for a way out of her dilemma.

  A way that didn’t include marrying Tony Carlino.

  The next day, Tony knocked on Rena’s door at noon. When she didn’t answer the knock, he walked toward the gift shop and peeked inside the window. Solena Melendez waved to him, and he walked inside the store. “Good afternoon.”

  “Hello, Solena.” Tony had met her at David’s funeral for the first time. He’d learned enough to know that Solena and Rena were good friends, Solena being just a few years older. She lived in a residential area of Napa with her husband, Raymond, and they worked for Purple Fields since Rena and David took over from her parents. A quick glance around told him that though Solena kept the quaint gift shop immaculate, the shelves were only scantily stocked with items for sale. “I’m looking for Rena. Do you know where she is?”

  “I’m right here.” Rena came out of the back room, her arms loaded down with a few cases of wine.

  Tony had an instant inclination to lift those heavy boxes from her arms but restrained himself. Rena was a proud woman.

  She set the boxes down on the front counter. “I’ll help you with these bottles in a minute.” She smiled warmly at Solena and turned to Tony, her face transforming from warm to cold in a flash. “Follow me,” she said and walked outside the shop and down the steps.

  The air was fresh and clear, the sky above as blue as Rena’s eyes. She walked past her house to the vineyards, an
d once they were out of earshot she turned to him. “Do you plan on showing up here whenever you want?”

  Tony grinned. “Are you mad because I didn’t call to make an appointment?”

  “No. Yes.” Her brows furrowed. “I’m busy, Tony. I don’t welcome drop-by company unless they are paying customers.”

  “You’re working with a skeleton crew. And working too hard.”

  Rena rolled her eyes. “I’ve been doing this work since I learned to walk, practically. Yes, I work hard, but I don’t mind. Why are you here?”

  “I told you I’d come by today.”

  “Checking up on me?”

  “If you want to look at it that way.”

  Rena’s face twisted in disgust. “I can take care of myself. I hate that David made you promise to watch out for me.”

  “I know you do. But a promise is a promise.”

  “And you don’t break your promises, do you? Except to young girls you’ve pledged your heart to. Then you have no problem.”

  Rena turned away from him, but he couldn’t let her get away with that. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, turning her around to face him. “I loved you, Rena. Make no mistake about that. I’ve apologized for hurting you a hundred times. But I couldn’t stay here then, and you know it. And you couldn’t leave with me, and you know that, too. We weren’t destined to be together back then.”

  She yanked her arm free and hoisted her pretty chin. “We’re not destined to be together ever, so why don’t you go away.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. Not until I make myself clear. I’m offering you a business proposition, not a real marriage proposal. If you let go of some of your anger and pride, you’d see that. I’m offering you a way to save Purple Fields.”

  She remained silent.

  “How long before you have to let Solena and her husband go? How long before you’ll have to close the winery? You don’t want to sell. Purple Fields is a big part of you. You love what you do.”

  “Don’t,” she said, her eyes filling with moisture. “Don’t, Tony.”

  “Don’t what? Speak the truth? You know damn well marrying me is the best thing all the way around.”

  “David’s been gone only a short time. And…and, I don’t love you.” She pierced him with a direct look.

  “I don’t love you either,” he said, softly so as not to hurt her anymore. “But, in all these years, I’ve never wanted to marry another woman. I’ve never even come close.”

  He put his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him. Without pause, he brushed his lips to hers softly at first. When she didn’t pull away, he deepened the kiss, relishing the exquisite softness of her lips, enjoying the woman that Rena had become. Soft, lush and incredibly beautiful.

  When he broke off the kiss, he gazed into Rena’s stunned blue eyes. “We may not have love anymore, but we have history and friendship.”

  She tilted her head stubbornly. “I’m not your friend.”

  “David wants this for both of us.”

  “No!” Rena pulled away at the mention of David’s name. Confusion filled her expression, and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, as if wiping away all that they’d once meant to each other. “I can’t marry you—no matter what you promised David. I still blame you for his death and, and…”

  “And what, Rena? That kiss just proved we still have something between us. You can save your winery and honor David’s last wish.”

  “You don’t understand.” Then Rena’s eyes reflected dawning knowledge, as if a light had been turned on inside her head. She covered her flat stomach with her hand. “Your family prides itself on bloodlines. It’s instilled in your Italian heritage. Everything has to be perfect. Everything has to be pure from the wine you make to the babies you bring into this world. Well, I’m pregnant, Tony. With David’s baby. You’d be raising David’s child as your own.”

  Tony didn’t flinch. He didn’t turn away. He didn’t move so much as a muscle in surprise. That was his mistake. Rena expected shock. She expected him to change his mind, to withdraw his marriage proposal. It irked him that she thought so little of him.

  Rena backed away, gasping at his nonresponse. Her mouth dropped open, and when she spoke, her voice broke with accusation. “You know. How? How do you know, Tony?” She pressed him for an answer.

  “I didn’t know for sure, until now.”

  Rena narrowed her eyes. “Tell me.”

  Tony sighed. “It was David. He suspected it.”

  Rena backed away, her hands clutching at her hair. Her shoulders slumped, color drained from her face. It was as if she relived his death all over again. She looked down at a patch of shriveled grape leaves on the ground. “He knew about our baby.”

  “I’m sorry, Rena.”

  Her eyes watered. “David won’t ever meet his child.”

  “No, but he wanted to protect him and…you. I’m capable of doing that for you, Rena.”

  “But I don’t want to marry you,” she said softly.

  Tony heard the resignation in her tone. She was considering her options. “I know.”

  She peered into his eyes. “How would it look? I’m barely a widow—and now I’m marrying my husband’s friend.”

  Tony made this decision to protect Rena days ago. “No one has to know. We’ll keep it secret.”

  “Secret?” She looked at him, puzzled.

  “For a time, anyway.”

  She closed her eyes, contemplating. She battled with the idea of marrying him. Her facial expressions reflected her thoughts as they twisted to and fro.

  He pressed his point. “Your winery needs help fast,” he said quietly, and then added, “but more important, your child needs a father.”

  “Maybe that’s true.” Rena’s eyes flooded with tears now, her voice filled with surrender. “But I don’t need you, Tony. I’ll never need you again.”

  That was the closest she’d come to a yes.

  Tony made mental plans for their wedding day.

  Rena cried herself to sleep for two nights, realizing the futility in denying the inevitable. She was cornered and had nowhere to run. She’d been waging mental wars inside her head since Tony’s proposal for a secret marriage. She couldn’t come up with any other viable solution to her dilemma. She was so heavily in debt she doubted she’d find anyone willing to take on such a big risk.

  But how could she marry Tony?

  How could she allow him to be a father to David’s child?

  It all seemed so unfair.

  Rena stepped outside her house and squinted into the morning sunlight rising just above the hills. Golden hues cast beautiful color over the valley. This was her favorite time of day. When David was alive, she’d often wake early and come outside to tend her garden and open her mind to all possibilities. David would sit on the veranda to drink coffee and watch her. They would talk endlessly about little things and his presence would lend her peace and comfort.

  But since his death, Rena had sorely neglected her garden. Today, she hoped she’d find solace working the soil and nurturing the lilies and roses. She needed this time to come to grips with what she had to do.

  She put on her gardening gloves and took to the soil, yanking out pesky weeds, and with each firm tug, thoughts of what David asked from her in his death plagued her mind. He hadn’t given her what she needed most—time to grieve. Time to try to figure out a way to save Purple Fields on her own. Instead, he’d hidden the facts from her and shielded her from bad news. David had always been a man she could count on, but he hadn’t realized the toll his dying request would take on her.

  She tugged at a stubborn weed, bracing her feet and pulling with all of her might. Emotions roiled in the pit of her stomach. Feelings she’d held in for a long time finally came forth as she felt the weed break with the ground. “I’m so mad at you, David, I could spit.”

  The weed released, easing from the soil slowly and Rena held it in her hands, staring at the roots that had once
been secured in the earth. “You died and left me with this mess.”

  And when she thought tears would fall again, instead simmering anger rose up with full force. She was angry, truly angry with David. She was angry with herself. But most of all, she was angry with Tony Carlino. Her anger knew no rationality at the moment. And for the first time since David’s death, Rena felt strong in that anger. She felt powerful. She refused to let guilt or fear wash away her innermost feelings. David had let her down. Tony had blackmailed her.

  But she didn’t have to take it without a fight. She didn’t have to lose control of everything she loved, just because fate had stepped in and knocked her down. New strength born of distress and determination lifted her. She still had a say in what happened in her life. Her primary obligation was to protect her unborn child and secure his future legacy.

  Rena whipped off her gloves and stood up, arching her back and straightening out as a plan formed in her mind. With new resolve, she headed back into the house. She had a call to make. She needed expert legal advice and knew that Mark Winters, David’s longtime friend, would help her.

  She may be down temporarily, but she wasn’t out.

  For the first time in a long time, Rena felt as though she had some control about her destiny.

  And it felt darn good.

  Tony glanced at his watch, his patience wearing thin as he sat in a booth by the window at the Cab Café. Rena was ten minutes late. Had she backed out of this meeting at the last moment?

  This morning, he’d been happy to hear Rena’s voice on the phone. She’d called early, just as he was leaving for work and she’d sounded adamant that he meet with her today. She wouldn’t give him a hint as to what the meeting was about, but since he’d proposed to her last week, he figured she’d come to realize that marrying him was inevitable. Not one to ever look a gift horse in the mouth, he’d cleared his schedule and shown up here five minutes early.

  The boisterous teenage hangout held a good deal of memories for them both, and he wondered why she’d picked this particular place. At one time the Cabernet Café was a wine-tasting room but when that failed, the owner had changed the café’s focus and now it thrived as a burger-and-fries joint.