Eliza frowned. “Kat, I’m a nun, I’m not dead.” She laughed and tossed her head. “Nuns still want to have fun.”
As they crossed the bridge over the Rhine, Kat glimpsed the beautiful embankment promenade crowded with tourists. Her thoughts immediately turned to the Embarcadero and the day she and Alex had spent. The brief lift of her spirits threatened to dissipate as the realization her time in California had come to an end. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and returned her attention to her sister. “You hadn’t been home in so long, I didn’t know what to expect anymore.”
Eliza took a hand from the steering wheel and patted her knee. “I know and I’m sorry. That was part of the process. But I’m in a different stage now, and I’ll visit more often, to have more of a normal life. If you want something badly, sometimes sacrifices must be made.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Eliza.” Her throat tightened as tears threatened. “Sometimes I felt so alone at home. I felt like I was the only one who cared about Papa and the vineyard.”
Eliza pulled onto the autobahn and increased her speed, her gaze checking the mirrors as cars sped past. “Al and I had to grow up, Kat. Things are different now.”
“I can’t imagine Al ever growing up.” She glimpsed a castle high on a rocky outcropping. Accustomed to the rolling hills and modern buildings in the States, she viewed the ancient structure as if for the first time
Eliza smiled, and then continued. “In your email, you said something about going horseback riding with a man who rode in the Olympics. Did you learn to ride?”
“Not the Olympics, he rode in an endurance run in Abu Dhabi. He’s very good.” Her chest tightened. Talking about her time in California was more difficult than she had anticipated. “Yes, Alex took me riding quite a few times. Once I was no longer afraid, I actually enjoyed it.”
When Eliza didn’t answer, Kat looked across the seat and noticed a smile playing about her lips. “What?”
“Did you enjoy the riding or enjoy the trainer?” Eliza winked before turning her attention to the road.
Kat glanced back at the castle, almost hidden now behind a forest of tall evergreens. What would a nun know about love? “You wouldn’t understand, Eliza.”
“What?” A shoulder shrugged. “Like I said, I’m a nun, I’m not dead.” Two motorcycles whizzed by, disappearing quickly around the next turn. “Did you fall in love?"
Kat stared out the window at the scenery, so different from California, rushing by. “Doesn’t really matter. My place is here, at home. I had an adventure. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?” She squeezed her eyes tight shut, blocking out the familiar sights.
Leaving the Rhine behind, they drove through a wooded area and descended into the small picturesque town nestled along the Moselle River. The family’s vineyard grew on a hillside just outside.
“Should we stop and get something for dinner?” Kat came out of her reverie as they passed a familiar restaurant.
Eliza slowed as she maneuvered through a roundabout and took the third exit toward home. “No, Albert said he’d take care of dinner.” She shifted gears.
“Are you sure, Eliza? He didn’t leave all the work to Papa, did he?” She slapped her hand against the dash of the small car in annoyance. “And what’s he doing home, anyway? I thought he and Emma were living in Düsseldorf.”
Eliza grinned as she maneuvered the car through the small streets. “They’ve moved back home.”
“What?” Her mouth open in shock, Kat’s gaze jerked to Eliza’s face. “You are joking.”
“Emma was let go at the bakery. So, after taking everything into consideration, she and Al decided to move home.”
Familiar irritation ate at her as Kat threw her hands in the air. “I don’t believe it. I just hope they haven’t taken advantage of Papa. How could you let him?”
Eliza pulled into the vineyard, parked the car, and placed a hand on Kat’s knee. “Calm down. God takes care of everything in His own time.”
Kat got out of the car and looked around at her home, muttering. “He sure is taking His time with Al.” But her irritation faded as she looked around at the familiar house and gardens. Since she was in California during the spring when she normally would have planted the gardens, the last thing Kat expected to see were flowers blooming in the pots in front of the house. But there they were—blue cornflower, chamomile, and white edelweiss waved cheerfully in the breeze. Puzzled, she put a finger to her lips, wondering which of their neighbors might have done the planting.
Through the masses of grape leaves, she glimpsed her father inspecting vines and a smile returned to her face. “I’ll just say hello to Papa.”
Eliza popped the trunk. “You go ahead. I’ll get your suitcase.”
At her voice, Fritz Bauer pulled his head from under a profusion of grape leaves and opened his arms wide. “Welcome home, Katerina. I have missed you.”
Running up the steep hillside, Kat met her father at the end of the row. She planted a kiss on the older man’s ruddy cheeks. Finally home. She breathed deeply and smelled the familiar rich scent of the ripening grapes and the nearby roses, the scents of her childhood. “I’ve missed you too.” Hands on his shoulders, she leaned back and eyed her father. “Have you gained weight?”
Wrapping an arm around her waist, Fritz chuckled. “Since Al and Emma moved back home, I’ve been eating too much. Did you know your brother could cook? And Emma is quite a baker.”
Kat looked sideways at the man to see if he was joking, but he continued to inspect each row of grapevines they passed. If his weight was any indication, somebody was cooking for her father. She threaded her arm in his and together, they strolled through the vineyard toward the house. For the first time in days, the pressure in Kat’s chest eased. Perhaps with time, she could look back on her time with Alex as just an adventure.
In the distance, the river glistened in the setting sun. “It’s so good to be home.” She squeezed her father’s arm. “Thanks for supporting my decision to work abroad these last six months.”
Fritz grunted. “Better late than never, eh?” He glanced at her, one gray eyebrow quirked. “I don’t think I supported you as much as I should have.” With a shake of his head, he sighed. “Sometimes I think I made you grow up too quickly. I didn’t allow you to have a childhood.”
Uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, Kat broke off a cornflower and stuck it in his lapel. “Nonsense. I had a perfectly good childhood.”
“After your mother died…I relied on you too much.” They strolled along the leafy bower.
“We made out okay, Papa.” Kat whisked away a tear at her father’s sudden melancholy. She tugged on his arm, pulling him toward the back door. “I can’t believe your son has found the kitchen. Let’s see what Al has cooked for dinner.”
When they entered the kitchen, Al turned from the stove with raised eyebrows and a half smile. “Just in time, you two.”
Kat froze in the doorway to the kitchen. Enticing aromas came from two steaming pots on the stove. On the counter an apple strudel steamed, still warm from the oven. A movement in the hallway drew her attention and she turned to see her sister-in-law in the doorway. Her father’s hand, still at her waist, pushed her into the room.
Al set a spoon on the stove and took a step toward his sister. He paused, uncertainly written on his face. “I suppose finding me in the kitchen comes as a bit of a shock.”
“Shocked. I’m speechless.” Kat ran forward and wrapped her arms around her muscular brother. She kissed him on the cheek. “I can’t wait for dinner. And to think, all this time you’ve been hiding your talents.” She beckoned to Emma. “I’ll bet I have you to thank for the flowers. They look lovely.”
With a shy nod and a glance at her husband, Emma walked to her husband’s side. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. You did a good job.” Kat’s gaze slid between her brother and his wife as they smiled happily, obvious love in thei
r shining eyes. Jealousy’s ugly head rose from somewhere deep inside, from a place she didn’t even know existed. No male, as Nonna would say. She had made her decision. Her single status was no one’s fault but her own. Alex had offered his love and she had refused him.
She took a seat at the table next to her father who sat engrossed in the paper. At the similarity between Alex’s father and her own, she suppressed a chuckle. The two men would probably get along well. The familiar rich scent of sauerbraten reached her, eliciting a loud stomach growl, as Al set the meat in the middle of the table. “The food looks delicious, little brother.”
Al flushed at the praise. “What kind of food did you eat in California?”
Peppering Kat with questions about her adventures in the States, they settled around the table. Al and Emma talked about the move from the city and the changes they hoped to make at the vineyard.
“Emma found some restaurants in Düsseldorf who want to serve our wine.” Al leaned back in his chair and tipped his wineglass toward Emma.
Emma looked down at her hands, a small smile on her face, and then shot a look at Al. “Should we tell them about our other news?”
Clearing his throat, Al shifted in his seat. “We’ll have to tell them sooner or later.”
Kat’s father pushed away his plate and crossed his arms. “Is this good news or bad news?”
His arms wrapped around his wife, Al raised an eyebrow. “It’s good news, Papa.”
“We’re going to have a baby, around Christmas.” Emma grasped her husband’s hand and bit her lower lip.
Feeling as she had been hit with a brick, Katerina sat back in her chair and stared at her brother. She shot looks at Fritz and Eliza, both of whom looked as surprised as she. For a moment, dread stilled her tongue as memories of Al’s irresponsibility flooded through her mind. Then she looked at the juicy sauerbraten on the table, and remembered the flowers in the garden, and hope replaced the dread. Kat jumped out of her chair and rounded the table. “How wonderful.” She hugged her sister-in-law before thumping her younger brother on the head. “Imagine, you, a father.”
Al shrugged before tossing a shy grin in Kat’s direction.
Kat caught her father’s eye and his unspoken question. Was it possible? Was her baby brother finally growing up?
When all that remained of the apple strudel was a few crumbs, Katerina climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She looked around at the single bed and the collection of dolls accumulated since childhood. The room would make a perfect nursery. She wondered if the university had any faculty housing available and decided she would check when she returned to work. She was happy for her brother and the joy in her father’s face had been a long time coming. If only she had known, then perhaps she could have given Alex a different answer. With sadness, she realized their fathers meeting was unlikely ever to happen, considering the circumstances.
She sank down on the bed. Alex had been right. She hadn’t considered her brother and sister as dependable as she. But this time her belief, as the Americans would say, had bit her in the butt.
****
“Do you want to go back to school?”
Alex stared out the window of The Tin Cup and pondered Matt’s question. The two men, each with a black coffee, had run into each other early the Monday after Kat left.
“I don’t know. I thought if I did, Kat would feel better about me being around her colleagues.”
“That’s ridiculous. Kat doesn’t care how much education you have. You obviously care, but she doesn’t.”
Irritation flared. At least here he thought he would get some support. But then why should Matt understand? He was a professor too, comfortable in the academic world. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Matt leaned back in his chair and rested one hand on his chest. The other hand rested on the table, his finger curved loosely in the cup handle. “Look at me and Colleen. She had a hang up about our ages. Once I convinced her the age difference didn’t matter, she decided she was holding me back from having a child to inherit the family business.”
Alex stared out the window. Across the street diamonds winked from the display windows. His last foray into the jewelry store had failed. The crystal butterfly remained hidden in a box on his dresser. He returned his gaze to the lanky man across the table. “What did you do?”
Matt’s blond eyebrows rose. “My sister talked to her. Colleen discovered my niece Jess is studying agri-business and planning on working with us when she graduates. After the issue was resolved she finally gave in. Besides, she was crazy about me.” His hand flew out to the side. “Who could resist?”
Alex grunted. Easy for Matt to be confident now, after two or three years of marriage. Somehow, he doubted Colleen had succumbed to his charms that easily. “Our problems are different. We haven’t even discussed children.”
“You’re missing my point. Your problem is distance. Whether or not you go back to school is irrelevant.” Matt took a deep breath and pursed his lips, his brow wrinkled in thought. “Where would the two of you live? Can you go to Germany? Would Kat return to the States? That’s the big question, my friend. I hate to say it, but I think your dilemma is worse than the one Colleen and I faced.”
Alex shoved his cup to the side and, propping his elbows on the table, covered his face with his hands. “I know. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, and I keep forgetting things at work.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve got to do something.”
“You’ve got to make a decision.” Matt shook his head as he stood. “You should’ve seen this coming. Either go after her, or forget about her.”
Alex watched his friend leave the coffee shop and turn toward campus. Matt was right. He and Kat should have discussed the issue instead of pretending things would work out. Alex had always been good in a crisis, but when long-term planning was needed, he had left it up to his father and brothers. Long term planning was too boring for the adventurous Alex Marino.
Alex drained his cup. He had thought he was too old to learn, and he had just learned the biggest lesson of his life—don’t let the important things in life to chance.
****
Kat’s first week home the university was closed between semesters. So each afternoon, wearing her now comfortable jeans from California, she borrowed Emma’s bike and rode into town, where she would read and drink espresso at a konditerei along the river. Passing the familiar brown and white half-timbered buildings along the cobblestone streets, she reflected how different the village looked from the white stucco buildings with orange tile roofs and paved streets of California. Yet both, in their own ways, were beautiful.
Friday morning, she biked to the bakery. The sun shone brightly on the masses of colorful flowers trailing from balconies and decorating storefronts. After being home a week, she was anxious for school to begin. She chose a table for two at the far end of the patio where she could be away from the patrons’ chatter and watch the boats. From there, she could see the rows and rows of grape vines lining the green hills of her father’s vineyard. Settling into a chair, she ordered an espresso and propped her feet on the low wall to read. Wendy had loaned her a paperback romance novel and Kat had become involved in the tale of three sisters living in Pennsylvania, the descriptions of which sounded much like Germany. She hadn’t read anything but twentieth-century German authors for years. The paperbacks helped her learn American slang, as well.
Engrossed in the story, Kat finished her espresso but continued to read, only pages from the end. Of course, the novel would end happily, but she remained curious as to how the couple would resolve their issues. When she finished the last page, Kat raised her head and stared out over the river. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Everything worked out in the end. Too bad things hadn’t worked out for her and Alex. If she had only given her brother and sister some credit, she might have given Alex Marino a different answer.
Her hand remained splayed on the open book as she watched a coup
le in a boat splashing each other and laughing. Any minute they would both end up in the water. Where once she wouldn’t have even noticed the couple, now she envied their fun, their enjoyment of a shared activity.
This, then was her life…books, espresso, her work. No happily ever—
A thump sounded. At the same time something bounced off her fingers.
A penny. A shiny, copper penny rested in the crease between the pages.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
Kat’s mouth went dry as she stared at the coin. Was she dreaming? A full minute passed before she thought to reply, “A penny isn’t much for one’s innermost thoughts.”
The chair opposite squeaked on the wooden floor as her visitor pulled it out from the table and sat. “You were thousands of miles away. I wanted you closer—you and your thoughts.”
Kat squinted, the sun halfway down the sky in the west blinding her to the person. The sense of déjà vu was so strong that for a moment she lost all track of time. The figure outlined by the sun took her back to the January day in California, when the big, bay horse and his rider had startled her into the trunk of her rental car and turned her and her life upside down. In an attempt to slow her suddenly racing heart, she took a deep breath. “Are you on vacation, Alex?”
“In the middle of the season? Hardly.” He stretched his hands, palms up, across the wrought iron table. “I’m on a mission.”
Kat stared at the work-roughened hands in front of her. Memories of those same hands caressing her face flitted through her mind and she fought the urge to grasp them in her own. “Business or pleasure?”
Alex wiggled his fingers. “Take my hands, Kat. Stop fighting me. I think you know why I’m here.”
Kat stretched one hand across the table and rested her fingers in his palm. Every nerve in her body seemed to quiver in excitement. “Would you like a coffee, Alex?”
“She changes the subject.” Blowing out a breath, he tilted his head. “Espresso and a pastry? I’m starved. I’ve been traveling nonstop.”
Never Too Late Page 13
