VINA IN VENICE (THE 5 SISTERS)

by Kimberley Reeves

  “I’m sorry, Max. I shouldn’t have asked.” She fumbled with the clasp on her purse and pulled out the card key, but her hand was trembling so bad she couldn’t fit it in the slot. “It…it’s none of my business what Travis does with his time.”

  “Isn’t it, mio piccolo?” Max said as he reached around her and took the card key.

  A few seconds later, Vina was ushered into the suite. Max gently pried the purse from her hands and dropped the card inside, then tossed the purse on the stand beside the door. He studied her face for a moment before shaking his head with a rueful smile.

  “You know, my brothers and I don’t usually compete for the same woman.”

  Caught off guard, Vina replied without thinking. “I didn’t realize that’s what you were doing.”

  “My point exactly,” he chuckled. “At first, we assumed the reason you hadn’t allowed any of us the opportunity to kiss you was because you couldn’t decide who you were attracted to the most. It was pure arrogance, of course, because it never occurred to us that you wouldn’t show a preference for one of the charming Andollina brothers sooner or later.”

  “Max, I…don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t need to say anything. I’m just surprised it took me so long to figure it out.”

  Vina hesitated before asking, “Figure what out?”

  “That we never had a chance with you. Tell me, cara, does Travis know you’re in love with him?”

  ***

  Vina sat on the sofa with her feet curled beneath her, clutching a cup of tea that had gone cold over an hour ago. She hadn’t bothered to turn on any lights after Max left; there was enough moonlight to cast a soft glow throughout the room and afford her a small sense of serenity. Poor Max had tried to comfort her when she’d burst into tears, but the strong arms that had gathered her close only served to remind her of Travis and how every different it felt to be held by him.

  Was he with Stefana right now? Was he holding her, touching her, kissing her? Was Travis making love to her, whispering all the things Vina longed to hear, giving Stefana a part of himself that he had denied to her? It was driving her mad to think they could very well be right next door, in his suite, in his bed. And yet she couldn’t stop the torturous images that were slowly shredding her to pieces.

  “I have to know,” she murmured to herself. “Regardless of the outcome…I have to know.”

  Setting the cup firmly on the coffee table, Vina unfurled her legs and stood up. With a determined lift of her chin, she crossed the room and flipped on the light then turned to the small stand just inside the archway. Drawing in a shaky breath, Vina reached for the phone and pressed the numbers for Travis’ suite.

  “Hello.”

  He sounded groggy, as if he’d been roused from sleep. Vina squeezed her eyes shut, straining to hear a feminine voice in the background and praying that she wouldn’t. Travis waited a few seconds before asking who was calling, but she couldn’t seem to make her voice work. Hang up, she told herself. Not knowing couldn’t possibly hurt as much as having confirmation he isn’t alone. Her bravado abandoned her like a rat fleeing a sinking ship, but just as she started to disconnect the call, Travis spoke again.

  “Vina? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  “I’m…fine. I’m sorry to wake you but I…uh…have a horrible headache and wondered if you had anything for it.” As excuses went, it was pathetically lame, but Travis seemed to accept it at face value.

  “I’ll be right over,” he said and hung up before she could reply.

  The phone was still in her hand when Travis rapped on the door. Gnawing on her lip, Vina hurried to answer it. She really did have a throbbing headache so it wasn’t a complete lie, she justified her actions. Okay, maybe there was a bottle of aspirin stored in the bathroom medicine cabinet where she’d placed it when unpacking her toiletries. With her head aching the way it was, she could easily have forgotten she’d brought it with her.

  Vina reached for the door handle, wishing she would have thought to change out of the comfy shorts and oversized t-shirt she’d slipped into after taking a shower. Well, there wasn’t much she could do about it now. She pulled the door open just as Travis was about to knock again. His hand dropped to his side, a look of genuine concern lining his face when he saw how distraught she was.

  “You should have called me sooner,” he gently chastised.

  “I wasn’t sure you were in your room.” Or if you were alone.

  “I’ve been back for quite some time. Even if I wasn’t, you could have called the reception desk and had them send someone up with the aspirin.”

  “I didn’t think of it,” Vina replied, hating the way her voice wobbled.

  Travis grimaced. “I’m sorry. Here you are with your head about to explode and I’m rambling on instead of taking care of you. Why don’t you go crawl into bed while I get a glass of water.”

  “Travis, you don’t have to…”

  “I want to,” he insisted. “Now be a good girl and go get in bed.”

  Vina did as he asked, torn between feeling ashamed of herself for playing on his sympathy and enjoying the notion that he wanted to take care of her. Stripping out of her shorts, she slipped between the sheets and propped a couple of pillows against the headboard so she could lean back. Her head was pounding out a tempo that made her wish she really had taken something for it earlier.

  “Thanks for coming to my rescue,” she said, offering Travis a grateful smile when he handed her two tablets and held the glass of water to her lips.

  Travis set the glass on the nightstand. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  Vina lifted her eyes to his. If she said no, Travis would leave and she would never know if he was returning to an empty bed. And if she asked him to stay, there was a chance her worst fear would be confirmed when he told her Stefana was waiting for him in his suite. The way she felt right now, Vina didn’t think her heart could take it.

  “No, I’ll be fine,” she said.

  “Are you sure? I hate to leave you alone when don’t feel well.”

  “You mean it? You would stay with me…at least until I fall asleep, that is.”

  “I’m yours for as long as you need me.”

  Maybe it was the somber pitch of his voice or the way his eyes moved over her face with such tenderness that made her pulse jump. Renewed hope sprang to life when he leaned down and turned off the bedside lamp then waited for her to pull the pillows out from behind her and move over. He had on a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt, but they did very little to keep the warmth of his body from seeping into her skin as she curled up next to him and settled her head on his shoulder. Vina let out a sigh of contentment and closed her eyes.

  “I’ve missed you,” she whispered in the dark.

  “I’ve missed you too, sweetheart,” he whispered back.

  “I wish we could…start over, that we’d never had that horrible disagreement and…”

  “Shhh, we’ll talk about it tomorrow when you’re feeling better.”

  “Travis…will you stay with me?”

  “All night,” he promised. “Now go to sleep.”

  Vina was elated by the prospect of talking it out. Now that she knew he’d been back in his suite early and that Stefana was tucked into her own bed at the manor, the ache in her chest began to ease. Tomorrow she would tell him how sorry she was they’d quarreled and that she hadn’t meant the horrible things she’d said. And if she could muster enough courage, Vina was going to follow Max’s advice and tell Travis how she felt about him.

  ***

  Travis woke with a start. Beside him, Vina stirred in her sleep, mumbling his name on a sigh before drifting off again. He waited until he was sure she was deep in sleep before easing his arm from beneath her head and slipping out of bed. It was early yet, but he’d promised Stefana he would pick her up before breakfast. He should have told Vina last night, but he’d been so concerned about her, he’d forgotten all about
it.

  Vina had put up a brave front, but it was obvious she’d been crying so her head must have hurt a lot more than she let on. That was probably why Max brought her home early. He hadn’t stayed long either. Travis knew this because he’d been standing by the window when their gondola docked. He stayed there too, counting the minutes until Max left, praying that the oldest Andollina brother wouldn’t succeed where the others had failed.

  He hadn’t realized how tense he was until he saw Max walking briskly towards the gondola a short time later. His muscles had instantly relaxed, and the God awful pain in his chest gradually faded. He’d trudged off to bed, wondering how much longer he could stand idly by while the rich and handsome Andollina brothers did their best to seduce her away from him. If it wasn’t for Stefana…

  Mentally shaking himself for wasting time when he had little spare, Travis crept quietly from the room to scrounge up a pen and paper. What he really wanted to do was wake Vina to let her know he was leaving and explain why, but it was more important that she get as much rest as possible so he resisted the urge. He scribbled a couple of lines then added that he’d be back in time to take her to lunch, assuming she was feeling better.

  Stefana looked as stunning as ever and was, thankfully, too busy detailing the fabulous gown she’d purchased the day before to notice how preoccupied he was during breakfast. She was a bright, vivacious young woman and Travis thoroughly enjoyed being with her, but he was anxious to leave the restaurant. Il Ballo del Doge was only one day away and there were a few things he needed to do beforehand. He wondered if Stefana had any idea what he was up to, then quickly dismissed the thought. If she even suspected what he planned for tomorrow night, she would have been just as anxious to get going as he was.

  It was going to be a special night for her, and for him too. Travis had done a lot of thinking over the past week, mostly about Vina and how he’d botched their relationship. He’d had such high hopes when they’d taken off for Venice, and the time he’d spent apart from her had taught him a hard lesson on how rarely things go as planned. But he’d come here with the intention of getting engaged before returning to the states and that was exactly what he was going to do.

  Travis signaled for the check and asked the waiter to bring a phone. “Vina had a bad headache last night,” he explained to Stefana. “I just want to make sure she’s all right before we set out.” Several rings later, he hung up with a worried frown.

  “Maybe she’s in the shower,” Stefana suggested.

  “You’re probably right,” Travis said absently, his mind running through a dozen reasons why she hadn’t picked up the phone.

  She was sleeping pretty soundly when he left; it was possible she just didn’t hear it ring. Or she could be in the shower, as Stefana said, or gone to breakfast and then shopping. But there was also the chance the headache had gotten worse and worked into a full blown migraine. If that was the case, she would have had to seek medical attention. Travis knew he was probably worrying for nothing, but not even Stefana’s bubbly enthusiasm as they entered the jewelry shop could curb the anxiety that was burning a hole in his stomach.

  He tried to reach Vina again before they left the jeweler’s with the same results. When they reached the Andollina’s manor, he helped Stefana out and asked if he could use the phone to call one more time before heading back to the hotel. Stefana looked as concerned as he did when he hung up without receiving an answer.

  Stefana slipped her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s find the boys and see if any of them have heard from her.” Still holding his hand, she led Travis to the back of the manor and through a set of sliding glass windows. They stepped out onto a tiled deck adorned with several small round tables with huge umbrellas hanging over them. Beyond that was an enormous swimming pool encircled by a colorful array of loungers. Standing beside one of them was Max Andollina. Wrapped tightly in his arms was Vina.

  Travis stared mutely at the couple for a moment, then turned without a word and walked away.

  ***

  “Max, how could you!” Stefana glared at her brother.

  Vina let out a startled gasp and turned away from Max, embarrassed to have been caught in what must look like a lover’s embrace. Grabbing her robe off the lounge, she tried to pull it on with one hand while brushing away her tears with the other. Max helped her with the robe, gently pushing her fumbling fingers aside to tie it for her. It didn’t cover much; the silky material that matched her sapphire blue bikini was sheer and only went mid-thigh, but she felt a little less exposed with it on. She turned back around to face Stefana, whose expression instantly changed to one of sympathy when her gaze shifted from Max to Vina.

  “Maybe you should go after him,” Stefana said.

  “Go after him?” Vina asked, confused as to who Stefana was referring to since there was no one with her.

  “Travis. When he saw you with Max…”

  “Oh, God,” Vina choked out, “he thought that I…that we…”

  “Go,” Max interjected, “now, before it’s too late.”

  Vina bolted for the house, her heart hammering against her chest as if it was fighting to get out. What if it was already too late? What if he wouldn’t listen to her? Oh, why hadn’t she waited for him as he’d asked? Vina’s footsteps faltered. She knew why she hadn’t waited. She’d been so incredibly hurt to discover Travis had gone off to meet with Stefana that all she could think about was getting out of there before he came back.

  Flinging the front door open, she raced across the porch and down the stairs, wrenching her ankle when she missed the last step and nearly fell in the process. Vina was sobbing uncontrollably as she hobbled toward the dock. Travis was already seated in the gondola, his back ramrod straight, his face a mask of granite. She called out his name, her scratchy voice growing weaker with each successive plea for him to wait, but Travis refused to even look at her.

  Vina watched the gondola pull away from the dock through a haze of misery and tears. What was she doing? Why was she chasing after him when he obviously had no desire to hear her explanation? He’d made it perfectly clear whose company he preferred when he sneaked out of her room to be with Stefana. What right did Travis have to be upset with her anyway? Did he really expect her to play second fiddle to another woman?

  And if he hadn’t rubbed her nose in it by writing that note, she wouldn’t have been crying her eyes out when Max called. It wasn’t her fault Max felt compelled to come and get her either; Vina told him not to, but he refused to listen. It hit her hard; the grief she carried with her over the loss of her parents, and now to lose Travis when she’d only just begun to realized the depth of her love for him.

  Max had been her life line, and she was touched that he not only offered her comfort but insisted she come back to the manor with him. She wasn’t particularly interested in swimming or sunbathing, but Max coaxed her into the pool. He’d challenged her to a race and kept pace with her when one lap became two, followed by another and another until she’d lost count and finally dragged herself from the pool, too exhausted to even think.

  Max had known it would be therapeutic, and for awhile Vina was able to relax on one of the loungers and enjoy the feel of the sun bronzing her skin. She’d even nodded off and found solace in a dreamless sleep until Max woke her.

  “You’re going to burn if you stay out here much longer without sun-block,” he told her.

  Still feeling a bit sluggish, she’d gotten up from the lounge so he could apply lotion to her back. When she turned around to thank him, Max lifted his hand and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, just as Travis had done on so many occasions. Vina lost it.

  “Oh, Max, what am I going to do?” she cried, and then promptly burst into tears.

  Max put his arms around her and held her close, letting Vina cry it out while he crooned assurances that everything was going to be all right. But it wasn’t all right, and it never would be right again if she let Travis walk out of h
er life. Okay, so he was a rat for getting angry when he saw her with Max after he’d just spent half the day with Stefana. But he wouldn’t have gotten so uptight if he didn’t feel something for her, would he?

  She hadn’t exactly made it easy for Travis, she conceded. If he did have feelings for her, it must have been difficult to know she was out with one of the Andollina brothers every day. And then to find her in Max’s arms…how could he possibly know that he was the reason? Maybe…and this was a really big maybe…he’d been spending time with Stefana because Vina had all but abandoned him.

  Wiping away her tears, Vina retraced her steps back to the manor, wincing at the shards of pain that shot through her ankle. There was only way one to find out exactly where she stood with Travis, and that was to confront him and ask. But not today. Emotionally, she was a train wreck and didn’t have the fight left in her to face him without falling to pieces. She would give herself a day to pull herself together and have it out with him tomorrow before the ball.