“Maybe I need your nonna as a life coach.”
“Maybe you just need to believe in yourself.”
He sat up, chewing on his lip as he thought about that. “Maybe you’re right. And maybe, just maybe, your nonna’s granddaughter is a wise woman.”
~*~
Gabriella couldn’t help but notice that Edouardo placed a proprietary hand at the base of her back as they left the restaurant, and once they were walking on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the beach, he reached for her hand, tucking it inside his.
“What do you say to a little dessert?” he asked.
“Dessert?” she said. “I just had that huge milkshake!”
“Yeah, well, you did have that hard yoga workout earlier...”
She laughed. “I barely exerted myself. I walked around correcting poses.”
“Although in my case, that was hard work.”
She blushed as he smiled at her.
They turned into the nearby gelateria. “Un po’ di gelato per favore?” he said to Gab, holding his thumb and pointer finger a small distance apart and making a fake pout. Have a little gelato, please?
“Oh, all right, I’ll have a little bit. Anything to please you.”
He cocked his eyebrow. “Anything?”
“Within reason,” she said, ordering a piccolo limone cone.
Edouardo paid and the two left the shop, he with two scoops of something that looked positively scrumptious.
They crossed the street and took a seat on a bench so they could eat their gelato, and Edouardo reached over for a taste of Gabriella’s. “Ummmm... tart yet sweet,” he said. “Kind of like you.”
“Hey!” she said. “You’ve got your own cone.”
“I know, but I simply couldn’t resist the chance to put my tongue where yours has just been.”
Gabriella blushed.
“You’re welcome to have a taste of mine,” he said, holding up his cone.
“What flavor did you get?”
“Bacio,” he said, “a combination of hazelnuts, pralines, and chocolate.”
“Ahhh...” she said. “I should’ve known.”
He looked at her, curious. “And why do you say it like that?”
“Because bacio means kiss.”
The ball’s back in your court, girl.
She reached out to take a lick of his cone, just as he was drawing his tongue up the other side of it. Their tongues met in the middle, warm and cold and so unexpectedly erotic as they stroked against each other. Gabriella wasn’t comfortable making the next move, but luckily Edouardo took charge, moving his cone out of the way to place his mouth firmly over hers, pressing his tongue into her welcoming mouth, mixing the flavors of his bacio with her limone, a lemony kiss that tasted sweeter than any kiss she’d ever known before.
Chapter Twenty
As much as Edouardo wanted to continue what he’d started, Celeste’s words rang in his ears. He had to be careful. He didn’t want to hurt Gabriella, and he didn’t know what end was up in his own life, so how could he do anything to advance things between the two of them? It wouldn’t be fair to Gabriella.
So when she offered for him to come back to her place, he made up an excuse about some commitment with his uncle, which only aroused all levels of stress in him after his stress-free day. The last thing he needed to think about now was that whole debacle.
When Gabriella pulled up in front of his home, he leaned over and placed her face gently in his hands. “Thanks for a perfect day,” he said, placing a soft kiss on her nose. “We still on for our date this weekend?”
She nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
With that, he got out and walked toward the manor house, turning and walking backward to wave good-bye.
~*~
The house was empty, but rather than seeking solace in front of the television, he decided to take a walk. He called for the dogs and headed for the fields. Spring was threatening to arrive, and it brought to mind the planting seasons of his childhood, when he would be out there dropping handfuls of seeds in the tilled fields as his father supervised. After about fifteen minutes, he came upon a stretch of land removed from the rest of the property. This was land that had lain fallow for many years. When he was a child, his father told him it was his to do with what he wanted, and for a while he did work it. As much as a young boy could.
But then he got older and busy with other pursuits, and the weeds took over. Now it was a wild field with arable land, one that would need a lot of work. Well past it, up a slight hill, stood a very old building that had been on the property for hundreds of years. The kids used to play games in it but eventually outgrew that as well. The house remained uncared for, with wild animals moving in when the kids abandoned it. The place was a wreck, but it had great bones and the right person could do something with that property, fix it up and make it a treasured home.
He hiked into the woods with the dogs running ahead, and occasionally whistled to be sure they were okay. There wasn’t much in these woods to fear except for wild boar and perhaps an occasional bear, though it had been many years since the last bear sighting. He couldn’t help but think about being stranded in the woods with a young Gabriella, spread atop her to keep her warm. What he would give to be able to reenact that all over again, this time without such heroic intent.
As he meandered toward the manor home, the warm glow of lights called him home with wisps of smoke curling from the fireplace and a cozy fire to stave off the still-cool nights. Here, he truly felt a sense of belonging. This was where his life always was. It was what he knew. It was what made him happiest. Why couldn’t he figure out a way to continue on that path?
~*~
As he passed the barn, Alastair came out to greet him.
Edouardo gave him a cursory nod.
“Son,” Alastair said. “I think we could both use some reassurance right about now.”
Reassurance? What did he need that for? Alastair was successfully moving in on his father’s territory. Surely he was confident in his actions.
Edouardo fell into line with him, but didn’t say much.
“I know it didn’t please you to hear our news,” he said. “And I’m sorry there wasn’t an easier way to share that with you.”
Edouardo just nodded.
“You know your father and I were boyhood friends,” he said. “Loved him like a brother. For that matter, I love you all like my own.”
“So why are you poaching his wife then?”
Alastair looked at him. “Perhaps it takes age to understand the brevity of life, Edouardo,” he said, resting his hand on his shoulder. “Maybe you can appreciate that, having lost your father so suddenly as you did. But I’ve been around long enough to understand that life is for the living. I loved your father. Your mother loved your father. We both still love the man we knew. But he’s no longer here, son. We all have many memories of him that will last us the rest of our lives. But there’s no point in being dead just like him, is there?”
Edouardo shrugged.
“Your mother was lonely and hurting,” Alastair continued. “We were dear friends. I wanted to help her. And we’ve spent a lot of time together this past year. She needed my help to learn about everything that Hubert left behind. Plus, she needed support to help her children survive and thrive after losing their beloved father.
“I just wanted to help her. For her. And for you. Because you are practically my own flesh and blood, you know. Like it or not. Now, I know you’re unhappy about this, and to tell the truth, I don’t blame you. If I was you I’d probably want to kick my ass. But I’m grateful you haven’t felt the need to do so.”
Edouardo whistled for the dogs who’d wandered back off toward the woods.
“Son,” Alastair said. “I love your mother. On many different levels. Before I loved her as your father’s wife, but now I love her as only a man can. I hope you will be able to come around to understanding that. It really has nothing to d
o with your father and everything to do with two people wanting to take advantage of their lives while they still have them.”
They walked together in silence for several minutes.
“One more thing you ought to know,” he said. “When your brother and I were going through yet more paperwork of your father’s, we came upon this.” He held up a deed to some land. “Go on, take it.” He handed it to Edouardo.
“What is this?”
“It’s your land, son,” Alastair said. “It’s what your father knew you’d want back someday. It’s yours to cultivate as you see fit. The old house down there is yours too. Might take a bit of work to make it habitable, but at least it’s something you can call yours.”
Edouardo stood stock-still, breathing heavily, staring at the piece of paper.
Follow your heart and your dreams will come true.
Could it really be possible?
Chapter Twenty-One
Gabriella was fit to be tied. “How can I have all of these clothes and not one thing to wear tonight?” she said, shifting dress after dress from one side of the hanger rack in the closet to the other.
“Um, I wasn’t going to say anything but, since you brought it up, well, yeah,” Celeste said. She was sitting on an overstuffed chair in her sister’s bedroom, filing her nails while watching the what-to-wear-on-a-date drama unfold. “So far, I’ve counted about thirty outfits that you’ve nixed for a variety of reasons. And if you ask me, they’re all pretty much perfect. Maybe you’re trying too hard?”
“Grrr,” Gabriella snarled. “This is so frustrating.”
“Why don’t you just put on a damned dress and go with it?” her sister said. “I’m sure Edouardo will be happy with anything you wear.”
What she failed to realize was Gabriella’s dark little secret: clothes were so loaded with meaning to her, depending on whether she was, in her estimation, fat or thinner when she bought or wore them. And if she was one or the other, it was tied to how she felt about her body, which then somehow tainted everything. She hated that this was the case and really just wanted to accept herself however she was: her exterior appearance should have nothing to do with who she was as a person, right?
“It’s not that simple, Celeste,” she said. “Suffice to say I have self-image issues.”
Her sister shook her head. “Well, then maybe it’s time for you to figure out how to get rid of those things, if they’re causing you such problems.”
“It’s not always easy to do that,” she said. “You don’t just snap your fingers. We live in a society that rewards thin people and at times even reviles those who aren’t. It’s hard to overcome that mentally, and it leads to self-loathing.”
Her sister frowned. “Gosh, Gab,” she said. “I hate to hear you beating up on yourself like this. So you might have a fat ass sometimes—who cares? But even if you think people care, or even if it only matters in your mind, how can you figure out a way to not let it bother you?”
“Drown my sorrows in chocolate mousse?” Gab said with a wide grin, pointing at her sister. “Kidding!”
“No, seriously,” Celeste said. “You’re into yoga. Don’t you think this self-loathing is completely counterintuitive to the principles of yoga?”
Gab held a dress up against her in the mirror as she thought about that. “Of course it is.”
“So how about employing some of those yoga mantras—or just the philosophy you learned from doing yoga for so long—to help you get past that and to just accept you for you.”
“That sounds like such a mature thing to do, what with all that introspection and self-forgiveness,” Gab said. “It’s so much easier to just wallow in self-pity.”
“Right. But if you think a flabby stomach is unsightly, trust me, feeling sorry for yourself—especially when you have nothing to feel sorry about—is a particularly unattractive quality,” her sister said, pulling a dress from the closet and handing it to her. “So look, just put on this dress and go have fun. If you go feeling confident about yourself, you’ll be beautiful to him.”
Gabriella gave her sister a hug. “Thanks, sweetie. And it’s good to see that psychology degree you earned has come in handy.”
“Yeah, who knew I’d have to employ it on my nutty sister,” she said, twirling her pointer finger at her head like she thought she was crazy. She swatted her on her butt. “Now, go have fun. Woo the man with your impressive charms.”
~*~
Edouardo just wanted to get out of the house without the secret police interrogation he usually endured. Everybody around him made it their business to know what the others were up to. And since he hadn’t a clue what he was up to and certainly wasn’t willing or ready to admit he was even up to anything anyhow, he just wanted to slip under the radar so he could have a lovely evening with Gabriella.
Lovely evening... with Gabriella. The idea of that made his heart skitter in his chest. He tried hard to push it away—he didn’t deserve to have those feelings; now was not the time to start caring for anyone. It was much easier to protect your heart if you didn’t risk it by giving a shit about someone. The problem was, he knew he had feelings for Gabriella. How could he not? She was smart and sweet and beautiful and warm and kind. How could he not find her exceedingly attractive?
He pulled on his suit jacket, patted down his pockets to be sure he had his wallet and keys, and reached for the door just as the doorbell rang.
“Crap,” he said, stuck as he was answering it. So close to getting out unnoticed.
“My, my,” Isabella said, as she stood before him on the threshold, checking him out. “Look at you!”
She practically ogled him in his charcoal Giorgio Armani wool-and-silk suit.
“I’ve got a date,” he said. “So if you’ll just excuse me—”
“A date!” Bella said. “What is this thing you call a date? I’ve not known you to partake in this ritual of mating before!”
Clementine walked into the room. “Please,” she said, holding her finger to her lips to silence her friend, “whatever you do, don’t say anything that might discourage the man from actually going through with this commitment.”
“Ahhh, so there’s an actual other person involved with this date? And we don’t want Edouardo to, what, chicken out? Eddie wouldn’t do that!” Ohhh, he was never going to live down Gab referring to his childhood nickname like that at her party.
Edouardo glanced at his watch while the two of them blathered on, giving him a heap of shit. He finally held up his wrist, pointed at the watch to indicate he was going to be late, and slipped out quickly just as Isabella admonished him not to do anything she wouldn’t do. He didn’t know—nor did he want to know—what Bella’s limits were, but he knew if he could muster up the courage, he’d sure love to revisit his cowardly decision from Gab’s party and rectify that. He had his work cut out for him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Edouardo wiped his sweaty palms on his pants as he rang Gabriella’s doorbell. He would be grateful to get out of here without having to field the third degree from her sister. The more he had to confront anyone about behaving like a normal man doing conventional things, the more uncomfortable he became. This was out of his wheelhouse. He could only hope it was like riding a bike and eventually it would become second nature.
The door opened, and naturally it was none other than Celeste. The one who’d already warned him not to fuck with her sister. Great. She greeted him with two kisses and ushered him into the foyer. The home was as beautiful as his own family’s estate, filled with antiques and valuable artwork. He knew that Gab was some sort of royalty from her Italian side—a contessa, he seemed to recall. Like maybe her mother was Prince Enrico’s sister and that was the royal connection? Whatever it was, clearly she’d grown up in comfort, as had he. He tried not to tell himself that she would want a man who had a more viable future and earning capacity than he did; unfortunately it was hard not to sabotage yourself when your confidence was at its lowest. She
was used to living in luxury and he wasn’t going to bring that to the table in a relationship. At least not to the degree to which she was likely accustomed.
Celeste led him into a room he’d not been in during the party. In the center of it was a large marble statue of a mythical faun at play. He nodded at it.
“Frolicsome thing,” he said, chuckling at his masterful attempt at small talk. Frolicsome. Who the fuck says words like that?
“It’s a Bernini,” she said. “Someone in our family long ago was related to Pope Paul the Fifth, and somehow this beautiful statue filtered down to the Girasole side of the family.”
Edouardo frowned in thought. “Not a shabby piece of art,” he said. “Funny, I used to want to be a faun. Sounded like a good gig when you’re a kid. You could channel your animal spirits and intercede to help or hinder humans at will. Not a bad superpower.”
Luckily Celeste didn’t have much time to analyze that dumb-ass response, because he heard heels clicking on the tile floors just as Gabriella entered the room. She had on a champagne taffeta sleeveless dress that flared at the waist to a pleated thigh-high skirt, coupled with a pair of sky-high crisscross-strap Christian Louboutin pumps. Thigh-high and sky-high, Eduoardo thought. Just what the doctor ordered.
“Ahhh,” she said. “So you’d be guided by your spirit animal, a faun, then?”
“Gabriella,” he said, staring at her, speechless, for several long seconds. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”
Celeste looked at her sister and gave a knowing nod.
Because she was breathtaking, what with that dress that showed off her rack and those shoes that emphasized her shapely calves and that sweet butt of hers, which looked all perky and inviting. He was so doomed.
Finally, he reached over and kissed her cheeks. “I missed you,” he said, immediately kicking himself for saying that. Too intimate. What if she hadn’t missed him? Then he’d be the weird one putting himself out on a limb. Argh.
Gabriella blushed. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ve missed you as well.” She turned to tell her sister they would be leaving, only to see Celeste had already hastened away. “Well,” she said with a shrug, “I guess it’s just you and me, then.”
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