by Donna Alward
It made sense. He’d missed the signs but he could see them now. Her aversion to touching, to arguing. The way she’d looked at him in the attic, the way she stood now, by the door, like she was ready to flee. The way her eyes wouldn’t meet his, keeping her distance. In his family, arguing was something done often and passionately, the same as loving. One didn’t negate the other. He couldn’t live life with his sister and father and not argue, it was part of who they were. But he’d been right about the loving, too. As much as he chafed at his father’s control of Fiori, it didn’t stop the love between them. It was the love that had made them safe. But he could see now that somehow, with Mari, someone had taught her differently. Someone had taught her that love hurt.
But he couldn’t broach the topic. They hardly knew each other. He was her boss, and it would be crossing a personal line. But he couldn’t help but wonder what—or who—had made her so afraid. The last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him. He was no threat.
“Mari, I’m sorry. I certainly didn’t mean to upset you. We’ve both been under some stress.” He decided a little insight into himself wouldn’t hurt, to put her at ease. He smiled at her. “I’m Italian. In my family we argue as passionately as we love each other. We know that we’ll be there for each other, no matter how much we disagree. I didn’t think that perhaps not everyone is the same way.”
She turned her eyes on him and he was caught for a brief moment. The same as that day in the attic, her eyes shone like gray dawn at him and he saw there was much more to Mari than he’d imagined. He could see the pain. The pain she thought she kept hidden inside behind the wall she’d built around herself. He’d seen that kind of ache before. In his father’s eyes, and in his sister Gina’s. It was, he realized, the look of the death of hope. As hard as he’d tried over the years, he’d never been able to make that look go away for them completely. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.
Her voice was soft. “And I lost my temper before and owe you an apology.”
“Accepted.”
They couldn’t go on being at each other’s throats all the time. It wouldn’t be good for the hotel, or the staff, or for either of them. And the first step was for him to offer her an olive branch. “It’s a beautiful day outside and from what I hear, one of the last. Let me treat you to lunch. Now that we’ve cleared the air.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He began to hold out his hand, but pulled it back. He normally would have taken her fingers in his, but he remembered her aversion to touching.
“I’m offering a truce, Mari. I would like us to be friends. I’d like for you to be comfortable enough with me that you can feel free to offer an opinion. You know this area. You know the staff far better than I. You are a great asset to the Cascade, Mari, and it won’t be good for either of us if we cannot find a way to work together. We can’t have more arguments like we did today. It’s counterproductive.”
“Luca, I appreciate the gesture, but I have a list of phone calls to make, not to mention the actual running of the hotel. We’re shuffling so many things around I’m having to adjust everywhere…”
“You need to take a break and come back refreshed. A little relaxation now means higher productivity later. Besides, I’m hungry. You have to eat. I insist.”
For someone who didn’t like orders, she seemed to understand them well enough. He saw her capitulate as her shoulders slumped slightly.
“Oh, all right.”
He smiled, his mind already working. She was still uptight—they both were. This wasn’t finished. The best plan was to get away from the hotel altogether, somewhere they could meet on middle ground. He wanted her to look at him without the guard she put up all the time.
He wanted her to trust him.
“Meet me in the courtyard. And bring a sweater.”
“The courtyard?”
He went to her, reaching around and opening the door. “Fifteen minutes, si?”
She stepped outside into the courtyard, her boots making dull sounds on the cobbled walk. He was standing by a bench to the right, by the remains of the rose garden. Now that most of her anger had dissipated, she felt that unfamiliar crawl again. No matter how hard she tried, he pushed her buttons. Either one extreme or the other. And she didn’t know which was more difficult—fighting with him or fighting the attraction that seemed to be budding. He’d been completely right this morning, and then had offered an apology. To her recollection, no man had ever apologized to her before. Damn it, she was starting to like him.
He was talking to another couple—Mari recognized them as the Townsends, the anniversary couple—and it took a lot of effort not to turn around and go back inside. The morning, combined with their argument and then apology had left her exhausted and off balance. She wasn’t sure what to say.
He’d apologized for arguing with her. He wanted to establish a better working relationship. And she knew by Christmas he’d be gone back to Italy and everything would go back to normal. It was only for the short-term. It all should have made her feel much better. But it didn’t.
She approached with a smile. “Good afternoon.”
“Ah, Ms. Ross. You’ve met Mr. and Mrs. Townsend?”
She appreciated Luca using her surname. She held out her hand. “It’s nice to see you again. Are you enjoying your stay with us?”
Mrs. Townsend beamed. “We are. It’s just beautiful here. And that dinner the other night…what a lovely way to celebrate our anniversary. Thank you so much.”
Mari smiled. “You are very welcome. Such a milestone deserves special treatment.”
“Indeed it does,” Luca remarked.
Mr. Townsend noticed the picnic basket. “We’re keeping you.”
Luca smiled back. “Not at all. We’re just testing out a new program we may implement, and the day was too beautiful to waste.”
Mr. Townsend lifted a hand in farewell. “Enjoy then. And thank you for a memorable week.”
“Congratulations,” Luca and Mari said together, then looked at each other and smiled. As the Townsends walked off, Mari lowered her gaze as she felt her cheeks bloom.
“Thank you for coming.”
“When the boss gives an order…” She chanced a look up. Their brief encounter with the Townsends only served to remind her of how personable he was. He remembered details, and knew how to put people at ease. She admired that; it was a quality she’d never mastered. She tried hard to ignore the older couple’s smiles as they’d seen Luca holding the picnic basket. A warmth spread through her at the thought of them paired together.
He laughed shortly. “I thought you said I wasn’t to give orders anymore.”
“I don’t think you can help it…it’s in your nature. Where are we going? I’m hungry.” She wasn’t, really, but knew her body needed nourishment. More than a muffin and several cups of coffee, which was all she’d eaten so far today. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could get back.
He stood to the side, revealing a wicker picnic basket. “I had the kitchens put together a meal for us. And if you’ll follow me, I have the car waiting to take us to our destination.”
“A picnic.” Mari wasn’t sure if she should be happy or aghast. What would the staff say if they went gallivanting away on a picnic for two?
“Colleagues and friends enjoying a late fall day. Nothing shocking about that.”
“Can’t we eat here?” She looked around. The gardens were filled with benches and grassy expanses. It would certainly be more seemly. She was still trying to grasp the fact that he’d referred to them as friends.
“Mari, we’re changing more than cosmetics here. Remember what I said to you that night at dinner?” He turned slightly, lifting his arm to encompass the gardens. “Remember the Romance. Restoring the Cascade is more than furniture and fabrics. It’s also services, special touches. Imagine being here in this town, with the man you love. Venturing out on a sunny day to a mountain meadow where you sh
are lunch, a bottle of wine.”
With the man you love. She couldn’t actually imagine it. She couldn’t imagine letting herself be in love, giving someone that much power. This…this magnetism to Luca was just that. Magnetism. She stared at his chest, which was a mistake as she couldn’t help wondering what was beneath the sweater he’d put on against the brisk autumn chill. She had to deflect the intimate mood somehow.
“As long as you don’t share lunch with the bears. Or elk. They can be mean this time of year, you know. The elk.”
Luca’s jaw tightened; he wasn’t amused. “Fine, Mari. Don’t go if you’ve not a mind to.”
He picked up the basket.
She closed her eyes, frustrated. “Luca, wait. I’m sorry. I just find this…awkward. I’m not used to catered picnics with my boss.” That wasn’t all. The very idea of being alone, secluded…it made her feel closed in, defenseless.
“I thought we could both use an hour away from the hotel. A chance to see something else. I’ve hardly seen any of the townsite yet. I thought you would be a good tour guide.”
Mari’s level of discomfort grew. Here at the hotel they were surrounded by staff. It was her turf, as well as his. But this picnic, it was completely organized by him and she had no idea where they were going. She wasn’t great at following someone else’s plans.
“Maybe I could pick the place, then,” she blurted out. At least then she would feel more comfortable. “As you said, I do know the area.”
He carried the basket and she led the way out to the new luxury car he’d purchased for the hotel. The most senior of their shuttle bus drivers had taken over chauffeur duties and he opened her door with a smile, “Ms. Ross.”
“Thank you, Charlie,” she murmured, sliding in, sinking into the soft leather seats.
Luca slid in beside her after placing the basket in the trunk.
“Where to?”
“To my place, if you could.” Mari leaned forward. “You remember the way?”
“Sure do, Ms. Ross.”
“Your place?”
She felt Luca’s eyes on her and she nodded without looking at him. Her place, her turf. A tiny element of protection. “Yes. I’d like to change into jeans and a sweater. And introduce you to someone.”
CHAPTER FIVE
IT WAS only a matter of a few minutes until the car pulled up outside a stone cottage, perched on the side of a hill dotted with spruce trees and shrubs. Charlie opened her door and she got out. “Would it be too much to ask you to wait for us, Charlie?”
“You’re the boss, Miss Ross.”
She smiled at him then. She was glad Luca had chosen him as their driver. He’d been driving shuttle bus for several years, and she’d always enjoyed his anecdotes about his grandchildren. Charlie was one of the few men she felt very comfortable around.
“You may as well come down, too, Luca. We’ll walk to the spot from here.”
She walked down the stone path to her door while Luca retrieved the basket from the car. As soon as her feet hit the veranda the barking started and she smiled. As she opened the door, she called out, “It’s just me!” and was greeted by happy licks and tail wags.
Tommy. Her companion, her protection, her one bright spot of unconditional love.
“You wanna go for a walk, boy?”
More butt wiggling as his tail beat a furious pace. Then he spied Luca at the top of the path and leaped out the door.
“Tommy!”
For once he ignored her command, reached the top of the path and with a loud bark, jumped up on Luca, planting firm paws on Luca’s chest.
What next?
Luca rubbed Tommy’s blond ears. “Aren’t you handsome.” He called down to Mari. “I didn’t know you had a dog!”
At least he wasn’t angry. Even if she was mortified that her dog had met him with more exuberance than he should have.
“Tommy. Come.”
At her sharp command, the Labrador slunk back down the stone steps to where she stood on the veranda. “Lie down.”
He dropped by her feet.
“If he’s that well trained, I can only assume you whispered something in his ear as he went out the door.” Luca’s teasing voice came closer as he descended to the cottage.
“I’m sorry about your sweater.”
“It’s not even dirty. Besides, that’s what laundry service is for.”
“Tommy, stay.” She left the dog on the porch floor and opened the screen door. “I’ll just be a moment.”
“So this is who you wanted me to meet?”
She paused. “Yeah. I figured if we’re going to be lunching outside, it would be a good chance to let him out for a run. He’s such a good boy, staying in all day and waiting for me.” She knelt down and rubbed the top of his head. “It would be a big treat for him to get out in the middle of the day for a romp.”
“You don’t leave him out in your garden?”
Mari ceased patting and looked up. “I know it sounds cruel, leaving him shut up all day. And I probably could leave him out, but I don’t trust the bears.” She leaned her forehead against Tommy’s warm neck. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to him.”
He was also a level of protection for her. Nothing would hurt her while Tommy was close by. He wasn’t vicious by any stretch, but he was big and he was loyal.
“We’ll wait for you, then. Enjoy the outside and get acquainted.” Luca put the basket down and sat on a deck chair, rubbing Tommy’s silky ears in his fingers.
Mari went into the bedroom and pulled jeans and a soft sweater out of her closet. It felt strangely intimate, undressing and knowing Luca was only a few steps away. She slid the jeans over her panties, pulled the sweater over her head and re-did her ponytail.
All the while aware that he was out on her porch, with her dog and a picnic.
This could technically be classified as a date.
She sat heavily on the bed. No, it was a working lunch, that was all. A break from the craziness that had become the Cascade and testing out guest services. They could eat and still classify it as work. They could forge a truce of sorts. That was what Luca had said, right? That he wanted to be friends. She was torn. She wanted friends, she did. And yet the idea of getting close to people frightened her. She wished she were different. That she could leave the past where it belonged, behind her. That she could shed all the hurt and fear and live a normal life. Instead she tied herself into knots over the mere thought of being alone with her boss for a simple lunch.
Mari wasn’t prepared for the tumbling feeling in her belly when he came into a room. She’d spent so long on her own, focused on getting her life together that it was a new and unsettling experience. Bringing him here today wasn’t an accident. Knowing Tommy was with them—between them—would help. He was her reinforcement. Charlie would be waiting here, with the car. She would not be alone. And perhaps with this one lunch Mari and Luca could finally set a consistent tone. Perhaps they could come to some agreement on how to deal with each other during the coming weeks. He was right about that. They had to find a way to work together.
“Mari? Are you all right?”
She startled at the sound of his voice. She’d been daydreaming for several minutes, leaving him to his own devices on her veranda.
“Coming,” she called out, standing and smoothing her clothing. He hadn’t made this into anything other than lunch. It was Mari who was off balance. She either sniped at him or stared at him stupidly. It was her imagination running wild because he caused her temperature to rise a little bit each time he was around.
And because she hadn’t felt like this in such a long time the novelty was jarring.
She met them back on the porch. “Let’s go. Tommy, come.”
The dog fell in step at her heels, while Luca carried the basket, and the black Cadillac rested down the hill from them.
She led him across the lane and up a small, single track path. Little traffic ventured along here, but she c
ould always see her little cottage just below. The grass was drying, golden in the noontime light. When she reached the crest of the hill, she stopped, picked up a stick and threw it a short distance for Tommy, who bounded off and then brought it back, tail wagging.
From the crest of the hill they could see down the valley. Her cottage and their car lay below them; the hollow was cradled by spruces and pines and the ever-present poplars and birches that were rapidly losing their plumage. The nearly round leaves scattered everywhere, forming a golden carpet, while the air held the sharp tang of evergreen. “Is this okay?”
Luca put down the basket and reached inside for a blanket. “It’s perfect.”
She sat down on the blanket, throwing the stick for the dog again. “We won’t have many more days like this,” she murmured, feeling the sun warm her face. “I’m surprised it’s held on this long.”
“Then we must make the most of it.” He began unpacking the basket. “Tomato bocconcini and peppers, marinated lamb and minted potato salad, and I’m not telling you what’s for dessert because good girls eat their vegetables first.” He laid out real china and silverware along with their parcels and said, “If you’ll serve, Mari, I’ll pour the wine.”
For a few minutes they busied themselves with laying out the picnic. Mari sat with her legs crossed, arranging the meal on the plates. Already she could feel the stress of work ebbing away and filled with a newer, sweeter problem—the fact that she was, indeed, enjoying his company. She tilted her chin up to the sun, letting its warmth absorb into her sweater. She was glad to be here with him, sharing something as simple as a picnic on a fall day. But that was as far as it could go. She had to remember why she had come. To establish some sort of truce. Some sort of equilibrium between them. She wasn’t capable of anything more.
“Fresh air and good food does wonders for stress.” Luca’s voice came from beside her and she turned to look at him, squinting against the sun.
“This is one of those times I’m going to have to admit you’re right again.” She handed him his plate, smiling. “I didn’t realize how tense I was. I’ve been so focused on trying to get everything accomplished with the same number of hours in the day.”
