by Fiona Grace
So why shouldn’t she go over there, deliver his sweatshirt, and tell him she was back?
She checked the time on her phone. It was just after nine-thirty. He usually stayed up late. He’d be up. If his girlfriend was there, fine. She’d do the grown-up thing and ask to be introduced. That would be great.
Closing up the clinic, she headed toward the house. But instead of going straight to Piazza Tre, her home, she veered north, toward via Milano. Nick, walking two steps ahead of her, stopped and gave her a questioning look.
“Just one second,” she told him, hoisting her bag higher up on her shoulder. “I have something to do first.”
And this time, I hope I don’t need to go home and console myself with a bowl of maccu di fave.
She stood outside his home, which was once again awash in light, fighting off those tendrils of déjà vu that threatened to sap away her courage. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward and rapped on the door.
It opened at once, and this time, thank goodness, it was Mason who answered. “Hey!” he said again, once again, his voice full of surprised delight.
“Hey,” she said, looking cautiously behind him. She couldn’t see anyone else in there, but that didn’t mean he was alone. “Am I interrupting anything?”
He shook his head. “No. Not at all.” One of his eyes fell on Nick. “Oh, hey, Rat. I’m just—when did you guys get back?”
“Just now.”
“Yeah?” That seemed to please him. He pointed behind him. “You want to come in?”
“Oh, no. It’s fine. If you’re entertaining—”
“I’m not, I’m alone,” he said, and then let out a breath. Just as he did, Polpetto lumbered forward, clearly not wanting to be forgotten. Nick hissed and scampered off into the alley. “Audrey, about Simone—”
“Oh, hi there, big fella!” Audrey said, bending forward to rub the Mastiff’s scruff, purposefully ignoring Mason. She didn’t want to hear awkward explanations right now about Simone. Simone. Was that really her name? It wasn’t Tamika, but it was just as exotic. Polpetto leaned into her pets, the big sweetheart, as she lavished her attention on him. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Audrey . . .” Mason’s voice was a low murmur.
She didn’t raise her eyes to meet his. She couldn’t. She didn’t want to go there. “I missed you so much!” she said in the baby voice she used with all her animals. “You’re such a good boy!”
“Audrey . . .”
“Hmm?” she mumbled, continuing to rub him all over, making his tail wag frantically.
“Audrey!” His voice was almost a bark.
She lifted her eyes to his at once, stunned. When had easygoing Mason ever used that tone of voice with her before. “What?”
“Simone isn’t who you think she is.”
“Oh?” Audrey asked nonchalantly, sure her face was turning red. It felt hot. “Just who did I think she was?”
“You know,” he said, clearly not buying her act. “Yeah, we did go out. But years ago. When I ended it, I thought she got the picture. But I guess not.”
Audrey stared in shock for a moment. “Yeah. I guess not.”
“Anyway. When you showed up, she’d just gotten here. I told her she had to go, but there were no flights. She didn’t have the money for a hotel. But the next day, I made her change her ticket and sent her back to Charleston on the next flight out of Palermo.”
“You . . . did?” she stammered, stunned. Polpetto kept wagging his tail, eager for the love, but she’d stopped petting him. “Seriously?”
He smiled, a half-smile that quirked up one side of his mouth. In her chest, her heart felt like it would ignite at any second. She loved that smile of his. “Yeah. Of course.”
“Why did you do that?” she said, breathless.
He chuckled. “Why do you think?”
Think? What’s that? She shook her head slowly. “I . . . don’t . . . know?”
He laughed a little more. “You’re gonna make me say it out loud? All right,” he said, pausing for effect before looking up and down the street. “I’ve got a thing for you, Boston.”
“You . . . do?”
He came down the step so that they were standing on the same level, and gently nudged Polpetto back into the house, so they were alone. “Don’t act so surprised. You’re damn adorable. And I’m glad you’re back. I missed you.”
“You . . . did?” she mouthed, now aware that her mouth was hanging open. How long had that been going on for? She clamped it closed. “I mean . . . oh. I’m glad to be back. And yes. I missed you, too.”
“You think you might want to go out to dinner with me? This weekend? Just the two of us?”
Audrey gazed up at him. In the dim orange light from his house, he’d never looked better. He’s asking me out on a date. Mason Legare is asking me out! Wait until I tell Brina! She forced down the teenage urge inside her to giggle like a little girl and managed a polite, mature nod. “That would be lovely.”
“Good. Say . . . eight? Saturday?”
She bobbed her head again. “I’d have to check my schedule, but I think that will work just fine.”
He looked behind him. Polpetto was scratching at the door. He opened it and stepped in, still smiling at her. She smiled and stepped off his front stoop, and realized she was still nodding. She tried to stop herself, and managed to, just as she took another step back and hit the building across the street. When had that gotten there?
“See you,” she said with a rather goofy wave, then turned and headed in the direction of her house.
Or was it in the direction of her house? Where was she again?
Finally, she managed to find her way. By the time she got to her front doorstep, the shock had faded, replaced by outright excitement. Nessa’s cameras were out there, recording again, but this time, she didn’t care.
She jumped up and down and squealed as loud as she could into the quiet Sicilian night.
*
The following day, Audrey woke up bright and early to get a few hours of work in on the house before heading the clinic. As nice as it would have been, no fairies had broken into Piazza Tre while she was gone to fix the place up, so the living room, and its holey walls, were still waiting for her when she got back.
Now, though, she was energized to do the work. And she was excited to call some contractors and possibly see if they could help her speed things up, with the cash she’d gotten from the Lipari trip. She grinned goofily as she spread the spackle on another divot in the plaster and smoothed it out. Maybe that was Mason’s effect. Probably, it was. As tired as she’d been, she hadn’t slept all night. Instead, she’d kept thinking about the way he’d smiled at her. I have a thing for you, Boston.
How cute was that? And he’d called her adorable. Damn adorable. Insane!
She finished smoothing out the spackle, her phone buzzed with a text from Brina. Of course, she’d had to text her last night, just to spill the tea.
Brina’s response made Audrey burst out with laughter. OMG! But . . . why no more pictures of his abs?
Audrey shook her head. Brina and her obsession with Mason’s abs. Yes, Mason loved to parade around shirtless, and he had every reason to, but the fact was, he didn’t need to. There was so much about him that Audrey loved, it made her insides flutter, just thinking about him. And now . . . now they were finally going to go on their first real date. Of course Simone was nobody to him. Mason was a good, decent guy. He’d never two-time her.
Just then, a shriek came from outside.
Alarmed, Audrey ran to the picture window in the living room and threw open the enormous shutters to find Nessa standing in her doorway, leaning against the jamb. She studied her fingernails before giving Audrey a cool look. “Just wanted to see how you liked it,” she said.
Audrey looked around. The film crew was already there, setting things up. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the godawful shriek you made last night.
Some people have to sleep, you know! I had to get up at five this morning for makeup!” she complained, fluffing her perfectly curled tendrils. “We have a full day of filming . . .by the way, where were you?”
“In Lipari. I was helping with—”
She waved Audrey away, bored. “No clue where that even is. But I don’t care. Could you try to leave the shutters on your place closed? Your mess is interfering with the ambience on the street. Okay?”
“With pleasure,” Audrey said, smiling sweetly. Even Nessa’s constant complaints couldn’t bother her now.
Nessa brought her cell phone to her ear. She started to speak loudly. “Yeah? Talk to me.”
Audrey began to pull the shutters closed when Nessa suddenly said, “Montagnanera? Where’s that?”
Audrey slowed. Montagnanera. The place where her father might be. She’d bought that ticket over a month ago, but since then, kept putting it off. At this rate, she’d never have the time.
But maybe this was a sign. I sign that she needed to go there and check it out, sooner rather than later.
Nessa said, “You know what? Forget it. I don’t care. So they’re coming here? They bought the place where? Oh. Outside of town? All right. Keep me posted.” A pause. “Yeah. Whatever. Later.”
Audrey closed the shutters fully and locked them, then went back to the work she was doing on the wall. Yes, her father had been gone from her life for almost twenty years. But not a day went by that she didn’t wonder where he was, why he’d left, and if she’d ever see him again. Maybe it was time to stop wondering. Maybe, if she just took that flight, she’d finally know for sure.
I’d have to make sure Concetta is comfortable handling the clinic. I can’t leave again right away. But in another few months . . . Hmm. . . who knows? Depending on how well this date goes, maybe Mason would want to come with me?
Her mind whirled with the ideas. She imagined herself walking down a volcanic-sand beach like the one in Lipari, hand-in-hand with Mason, and shivered with excitement.
She’d lived thirty-five years of her life alone. Maybe this time, she’d finally found the one.
She’d just scooped some spackle onto the putty knife when there came a knock at the door. Setting the tool down, she went to the door and pulled it open, expecting to find one of Nessa’s camera crewmen, telling her she needed to fix something on her house “for the camera.”
But it wasn’t anyone from the camera crew.
It was G, the café owner. “Buonosera, Principessa.”
“G?” she said, confused, as he smiled up at her. “Hey! How are you?”
“I have not seen you in a long time,” he said earnestly, giving her his charming smile. “And I was missing you.”
“You were?” She grinned. G was such a charmer. Though he was handsome and had a way with people, Audrey had learned not to take him all that seriously. After all, she’d been on many of what she’d thought were “dates” with G, only to have him constantly put the brakes on. He’d never made a move on her. Oh, he’d hug her, but he likely hugged everyone. He was just a friendly guy, with a warm, larger-than-life, Sicilian personality. “That’s very nice of you. How sweet. I missed you, too.”
His brow knitted, and for the first time, Audrey saw something other than joy on his tanned, attractive face. “No . . . I meant that I missed you. Audrey . . .”
She stared at him, confused. What other meaning could there be? “I know . . .”
“When you no come around no more, I think maybe I did something wrong?” he asked, pulling off his skull cap and holding it in his hands, revealing his closely trimmed dark hair.
“Oh, no. Not at all. Didn’t anyone tell you?” He had so many friends, it seemed odd that he wouldn’t have heard. “I was in Lip—”
“I know. I heard that. But I thought you left maybe because I did something that made you mad?” he asked. “After that night, all those weeks ago . . . with the desserts, you have not been happy with me. I see. I did something wrong.”
That night? Audrey blinked. It had been so long ago, she barely thought of it now. Yes, she’d been upset. She’d wanted a romantic evening alone, and then he’d gone and invited his friends. But after that—
“And the night we went to dinner. You’d wanted something. And I did not deliver.”
Her eyes widened. Yes. She’d been a little tipsy. And she’d stared up into his eyes, getting lost in them. She’d been overcome with the cool night air, and the magic of the full moon, and a little bit of desperation, too. She’d wanted . . .
Oh no.
He took a step forward.
She took a step back.
He sighed, and started to rub the back of his neck anxiously. “I am sorry, Principessa. You see, I am not very good where beautiful women are concerned. I missed a grand opportunity, and I’ve thought of it every night since. How I have failed you. So I ask you—no, I beg you—to please forgive me? To give me another chance?”
He bowed his head humbly.
Audrey clasped at her heart. Was this really happening?
“Uh . . . sure?” she said, not really certain that this was actually happening. This past twenty-four hours, with Mason, and now G? It had to be some kind of dream. This wasn’t her life.
G grinned broadly, hopefully, and suddenly lunged forward and grabbed both of her hands. He kissed them, again and again and again, until she really wished he was pinching her, so that she could wake up.
“Principessa!” he shouted, like she’d made him the happiest man on earth. “Let us go out this weekend!”
“Well . . . actually . . .” Audrey started.
“Venerdi! I will treat you like the beautiful princess you are.”
She looked down at Nick, who gave her a look like, This is a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into. But really, Audrey knew, it wouldn’t be her life unless it was complicated. She’d just have to figure things out like she always did.
And hope that she didn’t break anyone’s heart in the process . . . including her own.
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!
A VILLA IN SICILY: ORANGE GROVES AND VENGEANCE
(A Cats and Dogs Cozy Mystery—Book 5)
"Very entertaining. Highly recommended for the permanent library of any reader who appreciates a well-written mystery with twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend!"
--Books and Movie Reviews (regarding Murder in the Manor)
A VILLA IN SICILY: ORANGE GROVES AND VENGEANCE is book #5 in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Fiona Grace, author of Murder in the Manor, a #1 Bestseller with over 100 five-star reviews (and a free download)!
Audrey Smart, 34, has made a major life change, walking away from her life as a vet (and from a string of failed romances) and moving to Sicily to buy a $1 home—and embark on a mandatory renovation she knows nothing about. She finds herself busy running the town’s new shelter, while also renovating her own problematic home—and dating again.
When Audrey gets a call to find an injured stray in an orange grove at an old estate, the last thing she expects to find is love. The estate owner is charming, handsome—and like no one she’s met before. Might he be a Mafiosi?
It seems like the surprises never end, until she finds one more thing on her way out of the grove: a dead body.
A laugh-out-loud cozy packed with mystery, intrigue, renovation, animals, food, wine—and of course, love—A VILLA IN SICILY will capture your heart and keep you glued to the very last page.
Book #6 in the series—CANNOLI AND A CASUALTY—is now also available!
A VILLA IN SICILY: ORANGE GROVES AND VENGEANCE
(A Cats and Dogs Cozy Mystery—Book 5)
Fiona Grace
Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series, comprising nine books; of the TUSCAN VINEYARD COZY MYSTERY series, comprising seven books; of the DUBIOUS WITCH COZY MYSTERY series, comprising three books; of the BEACHFRONT BAKE
RY COZY MYSTERY series, comprising six books; and of the CATS AND DOGS COZY MYSTERY series, comprising nine books.
Fiona would love to hear from you, so please visit www.fionagraceauthor.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.
BOOKS BY FIONA GRACE
LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY
MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book#1)
DEATH AND A DOG (Book #2)
CRIME IN THE CAFE (Book #3)
VEXED ON A VISIT (Book #4)
KILLED WITH A KISS (Book #5)
PERISHED BY A PAINTING (Book #6)
SILENCED BY A SPELL (Book #7)
FRAMED BY A FORGERY (Book #8)
CATASTROPHE IN A CLOISTER (Book #9)
TUSCAN VINEYARD COZY MYSTERY
AGED FOR MURDER (Book #1)
AGED FOR DEATH (Book #2)
AGED FOR MAYHEM (Book #3)
AGED FOR SEDUCTION (Book #4)
AGED FOR VENGEANCE (Book #5)
AGED FOR ACRIMONY (Book #6)
AGED FOR MALICE (Book #7)
DUBIOUS WITCH COZY MYSTERY
SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF MURDER (Book #1)
SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF CRIME (Book #2)
SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF DEATH (Book #3)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY COZY MYSTERY
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A KILLER CUPCAKE (Book #1)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A MURDEROUS MACARON (Book #2)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A PERILOUS CAKE POP (Book #3)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A DEADLY DANISH (Book #4)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A TREACHEROUS TART (Book #5)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A CALAMITOUS COOKIE (Book #6)
CATS AND DOGS COZY MYSTERY
A VILLA IN SICILY: OLIVE OIL AND MURDER (Book #1)
