Romance In The Tuscan Hills: A New Beginning

by Jenniffer Cardelle

  9. Chapter Five

  They traversed the rolling hills of green lush countryside and vineyards full of plump ripe grapes, both green and red. Dani thought it was paradise on Earth. It was easy to see why Nonna never wanted to leave this place. It was so beautiful, there was almost a spiritual quality about it. Dani wasn't immune to the land's charms either. For the first time in maybe, well, ever she felt like she found home. Home wasn't her tastefully decorated but cold and clinical townhome or the battle oa subway commute or even the job she did so well, though was slowly beginning to resent. Home was the rolling hills of Italy....and she would never have known that if Nonna hadn't passed and left everything to her. Not that she wanted to be completely alone in the world, but it somehow didn't seem so bad when faced with the beauty of the Italian countryside. She could heal here, Dani realized. She could become the person she wanted to be. Nonna must have known and planned for that. Nonna planned for everything.

  Each mile along the journey was even more breathtaking than the previous mile. The sun was low on the horizon and the shadows draped the hills in a shimmering blanket of light when Vincenzo slowed the car.

  “Do you see the house on the hill up there? You're home!”

  7. Chapter Five

  Upon entering the house, Dani walked around from room to room, soaking up everything. Her grandmother had pictures of both her and her mother displayed all over the home. Many of the pictures were new to her. Usually looking at pictures of her Mom and Grandmother filled Dani with regret and pain of all the 'what could have beens' if they were still alive. Yet, somehow, seeing the bright smiles grinning at her from the pictures now made her feel as if they were embarking on this adventure with her instead of watching from Heaven.

  “I can do anything thanks to you,” Dani said. “I still wish you were here with me, but I know you've made me stronger just by being near you.” “I promise to make you both proud. “Until we meet again, Mom and Nonna.” “Until we meet again.”

  All the travel and emotions of the trip finally caught up to Dani. She laid down for a nap and dreamed of happier times. She was a little girl again running around Nonna's house with Mom laughing about all her pent up energy in one breath and warning her to not get out of sight with the next. Mom's greatest fear was losing Dani but, in the end, it was Dani who lost her...and now she lost Nonna.

  Dani laid in bed trying to remember the happy parts of the dream once she woke up. The memories slipped away like smoke on water. Wispy fingers of memories reached for her, only to withdraw and curl to nothingness when she tried to hold on to them. Instead of trying to grab onto the happiness she briefly found in her dreams, Dani decided to make lunch and explore the villa more.

  After she ate a light lunch, Dani checked out the tool shed in back for some gardening supplies. It looked as if some of the plants in the garden were ready to be harvested. Green peppers, tomatoes and lettuce. She had everything for a salad growing right in her own backyard. Dani tinkered around, enjoying the feel of the sun on her back and the smooth, cool dirt in her hands. This was living. Not that go-go-go lifestyle she was used to back in the States. That wasn't living. That was passing time. This! This was living!

  Dani stood and wiped her hands down her pants when she heard the approaching put-put-put of a tractor. She walked through the garden toward the vineyard to follow the sound. Sure enough. A white haired old man sat atop a tractor parked in the small field between the villa and vineyard. He grinned when he saw her before hopping down.

  “Buongiorno,” the exuberant old gentleman called. “My name is Alberto. You must be the young Miss Vierra.”

  “Please, call me Dani.”

  Alberto nodded. “As you wish.” He pulled a box off the back of the tractor which held a bottle of wine, some local cheese, and fresh baked bread. “I brought you a welcome package. The wine is one of our finest vintages.” Alberto motioned at the vineyards as far as the eye could see and another villa just barely visible from where they stood. “All this is mine. Your grandfather and grandmother were my school chums growing up. Of course back then there were only a dozen children in the whole school and only one teacher! We always remained very good friends.” Alberto carried the basket of goodies over to a small wrought iron patio set near the garden. He set it on the table before arranging the cheese and bread on a plate from the basket. He cut a slab of cheese off and sawed off a couple of slices from the loaf for he and Dani to share. He poured two glasses of wine and held up his glass to toast Dani.

  “To new friends and new doors opening, even when another closes on an old friend.”

  “To new friends and new doors,” Dani repeated. She took a long drink of the wine. It tasted amazing – a million times better than anything she could get back in the states. As they snacked on the bread and cheese, Alberto told her more about the country and his long time friendship with Nonna.

  “It seemed a very natural thing for Catalina to live here even after your Nonno passed. She loved the land so much. I kept watch over her, though, so don't you worry. Your Nonna was like family. She always has been and always will be. And now you are like family too.”

  “Thank you, Alberto.” Dani smiled before taking another drink of wine. “That means a lot to me.”

  Alberto glanced at his watch. “Unfortunately, I must go. I shall see you tomorrow at your Nonna's funeral. I only wish it was under better circumstances, Dani.”

  She nodded. “So do I, Alberto. So do I.”

  8. Chapter Six

  Lorenzo had arranged everything for Nonna's funeral. It hadn't quite sunk in for Dani that Nonna was actually gone – let alone plan a funeral in a short amount of time. That's where Lorenzo came in. He made the calls that needed to be made, placed the notice of the service in a local paper to invite everyone who wanted to celebrate Nonna's life and legacy, and even bought a modest black dress for Dani to wear at the funeral. She didn't want to wear a business suit. It seemed so cold and impersonal as if to say 'work means more to me than you do, Nonna.' Nothing meant more to her than Nonna.

  The service was held at a small chapel at the top of winding hill. The vineyards and hills created a picturesque backdrop. It would have been breath-takingly beautiful, except there was another reason Dani was having trouble breathing. Today was the day she would need to say her final good bye to Nonna.

  Alberto was one of the first to arrive. He had a group of family members with him. Dani tried to put on a brave face and focus on what he was saying as he introduced the people with him. “Dani, this is my wife Isabella, my daughter in law Anna, and my grandson Carlo.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Dani said absently. It was almost time to start. She already felt a tightness in her chest as the realization that this was it – this was the final good bye – fully set in.

  The local priest led the service in Italian. Alberto gave the eulogy. He spoke first in Italian and told funny stories of growing up with Dani's Nonna and Nonno before the tone turned serious. Dani didn't need to understand Italian to know Alberto was now talking about Nonna's final brave battle with the illness that released her from her Earthly chains to be reunited with Nonno. In a way, that could be considered something good that came out of the situation. She was finally reunited with her beloved husband and daughter in Heaven.

  After the service and burial, Dani felt lost. She stood next to the fresh grave, staring down into the covered hole that Nonna's body now rested in, and kept thinking over and over “now what?” What was she supposed to do now? Alberto solved the problem for her – even if just temporarily.

  “Dani, my grandson Carlo is going to see you home,” he said. “You are in no position to drive after such an emotionally draining day.”

  “I'll be fine,” Dani said automatically. “I'm used to taking care of myself.”

  “Nonsense,” Alberto insisted. “We watched over your Nonna and now we will watch over you. Carlo? If you will.”

  “I wouldn't argue with Nonno Alberto if I
were you.” Carlo put a hand on the small of Dani's back and steered her to her rented car. “When he gets an idea in his head, there's no stopping him.”

  “And his latest idea is to have you do all my work?” Dani asked. “It's sweet and all, but I can really take care of myself.”

  “I'm sure you can,” Carlo agreed. “But at least act like you need a little help now and then. It will make Nonno Alberto very happy.” Carlo glanced at her as they drove down the windy hill. He had the chiseled jaw, olive skin, and wavy black hair that she imagined Alberto must have had when he was young.

  Well, if I'm going to have an escort, at least he's a good looking one, Dani thought.

  “What do you think of our little slice of paradise?” Carlo asked. He propped one arm on the rolled-down window. His muscles strained against his white dress shirt. Here was someone used to hard work, exercise, and healthy living. Dani tried to imagine Robert or James running a vineyard and spending all day in the sun. The mental image alone of Robert picking grapes instead of yelling about reports made her laugh out loud.

  “I didn't think it was a funny question.”

  “No, no, it's not that,” Dani insisted. “I was just imagining what would happen if my boss tried to do what you do. They wouldn't last a day.”

  “I think your kind of life tethered to a smart phone and computer and punching a time card day in, day out makes you soft,” Carlo said. “Out here we have the land to guide us. We don't need technology when the old methods work just fine.”

  “I never said they didn't,” Dani said. “This is my heritage too. Mom gave Nonna more than enough chances to move in with us in America, but she never budged. She said 'I was born here. I am going to die here.' Believe me, I can see why she loved it so much. If I didn't have so much waiting for me back home, I'd stay too.”

  “Why don't you stay?” Carlo asked.

  Dani turned toward him. She meant to say 'it's not that simple' and go into a list of all the reasons she couldn't just up root her entire existence on a whim to be close to her heritage and her last piece of Nonna's love, but, instead, Dani got lost looking at Carlo's near-perfect profile. Seriously, the guy could be on a romance novel cover.

  “If you want to stay, stay,” Carlo said when she was quiet for too long. “Why must you run off if you feel the pull of the land? If it's this strong already, think how much you will grow to love it by the time your two weeks are up.”

  “I never told you I was staying for two weeks.”

  Carlo looked at her briefly and grinned – his white teeth a sharp contrast to his tan face. “News travels fast. Or, should I say, Nonno Alberto sniffs out the news fast. You may not remember, but we used to play together as children.”

  Dani tried to pull up any memory of a pint sized Carlo running around with her the handful of times she visited Nonna. Nothing. “I think I'd remember you.”

  “I remember you.” He pulled into the circular driveway and parked the car before going around to open Dani's door for her. “I would never forget you.”

  “You don't have to see me to the door or anything, Carlo,” Dani protested when he started to do just that. “I know Alberto expects you to report back, but I'm fine – really.”

  “You may be fine, but the villa isn't.” Carlo roamed the villa as if he was a familiar with it as he claimed, pointing out everything that was falling into disrepair. Termite holes there, drywall needing touch up there, retaining wall needing shoring up in the garden.

  “There's a lot of work to do,” he said after the impromptu home inspection. “And I'm going to make sure you don't have to worry about anything going wrong in the villa once I'm done.”

  “I don't want you to go through any trouble,” Dani protested. “I can hire someone from the village.”

  “Nonsense,” Carlo said. “It's the least I can do for Catalina's granddaughter. I'll see you tomorrow.” He winked. “I'll be the one with the tool belt.”

  What a strange guy, Dani thought as she watched him climb into the car and drive the short distance to his grandfather's villa. Maybe something is lost in translation.

  9. Chapter Seven

  Dani heard the rumble of a tractor as she was finishing breakfast the next morning. She picked up her coffee mug and went into the garden to investigate. Carlo sat high atop Alberto's tractor. The rising sun cast a golden halo around him.

  “I didn't think you vineyard owners actually rise with the sun,” Dani said. “I thought you weren't serious about fixing up the place.”

  “Nonno Alberto is very insistent on taking care of you just as we took care of Catalina.”

  Carlo hoped down from the tractor before reaching back and pulling out a tool belt. Dani couldn't help but watch as his shirt rode up over his trim hips and well defined abs. Picking grapes did a body good.

  Carlo finished buckling the tool belt around his waist before grinning at Dani. “See anything you like?”

  She shook her head to scatter thoughts of a shirtless Carlo or – better yet – Carlo in the shower. The water would boil once it touched him because he was so hot. Geez, Dani, get a grip, she told herself. You're leaving in a week. You don't need to get all hot and bothered by some local that you'll probably never see again.

  “Just come what you came to fix and go home.”

  “Such hospitality,” Carlo teased. “I can see why you are not married with that attitude of yours.”

  “I can see why Alberto wants to pawn you off on me,” Dani shot back. “You're so full of yourself.” She turned on her heal and headed back inside. “Just make this quick, okay? I'd rather be alone.”

  “No you don't.” Carlo followed Dani inside. “No one really wants to be alone. It's just something you say to make it hurt less. If you tell yourself being alone is your choice, then it's okay, when really it is not. Everyone deserves happiness, Dani. Don't build the wall up around you so tall that no one can get in.”

  “Do you always give advice when people don't ask for it?”

  Carlo shook his head. “No. No, only when I think what they really need is to hear it.”

  ~*~

  Instead of following Carlo around watching him fix dripping faucets, Dani grabbed a book and retreated to the garden. She found a wicker bench and curled up on it. She soon lost herself in the world created on the pages of the book. How long had it been since she had time to relax and read? It seemed she was always going, going, going and never giving herself time – or permission – to relax.

  Before she could turn the next page, Dani heard a string of Italian curse words from inside. “Carlo?” She hurried inside to see what was wrong. “Carlo?”

  He leaned against the bathroom door frame with his hand wrapped in his white shirt. Red stained the fabric.

  “Carlo, what happened?”

  “It's nothing.” He tried to shrug off the severity of the injury. “The wrench slipped and cut my hand. I'm fine.”

  “No, you're not – you're bleeding.” Dani rummaged around in Nonna's medicine cabinet and linen closet until she found a first aid kit. “Let me help. You can fix yourself up one handed.”

  Carlo grudgingly let Dani lead him to the kitchen table. He bit his lip and tried not to wince as she cleaned out the cut with antiseptic, put on antibiotic ointment and wrapped it in a gauge bandage.

  “I do appreciate you helping out around here, you know,” Dani said after she was finished patching him up. “I may not ask for help – okay, I never ask for help – but it's nice all the same. So, thank you. Can we maybe start over? I don't want you to think of me as some city rich bitch kind of girl. I'm not like that. Not really. I may come across as cold sometimes, but it's because I don't want to get hurt.”

  “The wall,” Carlo said. “You build a wall around you so tall, I and no one else can climb it.”

  “I'll try to knock it down a bit if you agree to start over,” Dani said. “Let's just go back to the beginning. I'll start. 'Hi, I'm Dani. Thanks for dropping by to fix up Nonna's pl
ace. I know she would really appreciate it, and so do I.'”

  “I'm Carlo,” he played along. “And it is my pleasure to help take care of a woman as beautiful as you.”

  Dani looked up. The air between them was charged with an almost tangible electricity. He was magnetic. There was no other way to describe it. Dani was drawn to him. There was no rhyme or reason to it. It just was. She bit her lower lip, letting a brick on her invisible wall fall as she admitted that to herself one more time. There was no rhyme or reason to it. It just was.

  10. Chapter Eight

  Dani grew accustomed to her and Carlo's routine as the week went by. He'd show up in the morning, tool belt at the ready, fix whatever needed fixing that day, they'd sit around over afternoon coffee and talk. It had been a long time since Dani just talked to someone without no real agenda in sight. Carlo didn't care about a stack of reports she analyzed which was really the only reason she talked to Robert, her boss. Carlo seemed vaguely interested in getting to know her on a more personal level like Steve, but knew better than to dip his toe into stalker waters. He seemed content to just let things evolve naturally without pushing. Dani liked that. It made her feel comfortable and at ease.