Love and Truth

by FRANCES, KAREN

  “I won’t argue with you on that. But it will need to wait until everything settles down.”

  “Hopefully soon, and then that man of yours can show you how much you mean to him by making an honest woman of you.” She waves her left hand in the air and I must be slow this morning because it takes me a few moments to get what she means.

  Honestly, what is Teressa thinking? Marriage. I want Jack in my life, but I’ve never given that any thought.

  “Carry on with the soup,” I say, shaking my head at her. She laughs, turning back to the pot, muttering under her breath, and I stare out to the garden beyond the patio doors. This morning, everything looks so peaceful outside. I think I’ll take the girls to the stables. It would keep them and me occupied for a couple of hours. I’m sure I could talk Jack into it as well, if he’s not going into work.

  I sense him before I hear his footsteps crossing the kitchen floor; my body and mind is so tuned into him. I always know when he’s near. Without turning or looking at him, I smile when he leans over my shoulder.

  “I missed you,” he whispers in my ear. “Are you okay?” He presses a kiss to the side of my neck before saying good morning to Teressa and sitting down beside me. She turns and smiles warmly in our direction.

  Glancing his way, I finally look into his eyes, and for once, he actually looks rested. “Yes, I’m good. Just had a few things to think about and you were in such a deep sleep I was scared all my tossing and turning was going to wake you.”

  “A man could get used to you waking him up.” He smirks and there’s a mischievous look in his deep green eyes. “I can think of a few ways that you could wake me up that would have me smiling in the morning.”

  “Stop it,” I say, but already, in my head, I’m planning out my way to wake him up tomorrow. “Are you going into the station today?”

  “No. Well, I’m hoping not. Why, what are you thinking?”

  “I was going to take Rebecca and Daisy to the stables. That would give Lou and Mark some time together. I think Lou could do with some space.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.”

  “Will you come with us?”

  “Of course, as long as they don’t mind.”

  “The girls won’t mind. They are just loving all the freedom they get here.”

  “They’re not the only ones. It’s so peaceful and relaxed. And I think I’ve fallen in love all over again.” He leans in toward me and kisses me. “I loved our day together and now I’m looking forward to spending today with you.”

  “It won’t just be me and I’m not sure we’ll have the same amount of fun.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure you and I can make our own fun tonight. I’m just looking forward to seeing your smile, because here, you do a lot of that, and especially around the girls.”

  Teressa looks over her shoulder, and she’s all starry-eyed as she glances our way, nodding her head in agreement with Jack. Of course, I know I smile around the girls. I don’t want them to sense that everyone is worried and anxious. After all, they are only children and shouldn’t have a care in the world.

  “I’m always happy spending time with my nieces.”

  Two sets of thundering footsteps run through the hall and join us in the kitchen, and I smile. How can two little girls be so damn noisy? Daisy stops beside me, and I pick her up, sitting her on my lap. Rebecca runs straight to Teressa and I watch on as she interacts with my niece.

  “Good morning, my beautiful girls,” I say, kissing Daisy as she cuddles into me.

  “You’re a natural with them.” I pause at Jack’s words, but not because I’m feeling sad given what’s happened to me recently. It’s because he gives me hope that I might, just might, get my own happily-ever-after with a family of our own.

  “Auntie Maria.” Rebecca says my name, skipping towards us. “Are you going to work today?”

  “No. Jack and I thought we’d spend the day with you both.”

  Her small eyes dart between Jack and me for a few moments before she looks at Daisy sitting cuddled up on my knee. She looks at Jack and he smiles and then she jumps up onto his lap. If he’s surprised, he doesn’t look it. He just wraps his arm around her and she cuddles into him. “Can we pick what we want to do?” Rebecca asks.

  “Of course,” Jack replies, bringing a smile to her face.

  Teressa has stopped stirring the soup and is now busy making breakfast. She’s singing in Italian, and every time her eyes dart toward us, she smiles.

  “Can we go out on the horses then?” Rebecca asks, and Daisy is bouncing on my lap, nodding her head.

  “I think we should have some breakfast, then get dressed, make sure it’s okay with Mummy and Daddy and then we’ll take you out on the horses. Does that sound good?” They both squeal with delight and Rebecca surprises us all when she kisses Jack on the cheek.

  I can only smile at her acceptance of having Jack here with me. Rebecca loved Tony just as much as he loved her, so this is a huge deal for a small girl. Jack hugs her a little tighter.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Jack

  Maria is smiling to the point that she’s almost laughing and I can’t say I blame her. I have Daisy in one arm; she’s resting on my hip with her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, and Rebecca has my other hand held in hers as we walk toward the stables. Lou makes this look so easy.

  “Auntie Maria, can we groom the horses too?” Rebecca asks, her voice full of excitement.

  We stop walking. “Yes, I think we should, and then we can get them saddled up for you two. Now, Daisy, come on. I think it’s time for you to walk,” she says, taking Daisy from my arm and standing her down on the ground. She pouts. She’s three years old and already knows how to pout. “Do you want to go and see the horses or will I just take you back to the house?” Maria crouches down so she’s almost at eye level with her.

  I stare at Maria and the strangest thought has just entered my head. I want to hide the smile I feel as it slowly sweeps across my face. I’m going to be a big softie when it comes to us having kids, whereas I’m sure Maria will always be a little tougher than me, if that’s the right term.

  Good-cop, bad-cop.

  Kids.

  What am I letting myself in for?

  A lifetime of happiness, challenges, and love. What more could a man possibly want?

  Nothing.

  “Daisy, will you stop pouting? You can take my hand and we’ll walk to the stables.”

  I watch on as Daisy turns away from Maria. “I want Jack’s hand, not yours.”

  Maria stands. “Well, that’s me told.”

  I hold out my hand to Daisy and offer Maria a smile. “Come on.”

  They both have so much energy. Lou was more than happy for us to spend some time with them this morning. I think she was relieved that she could have some time out. I know how much she loves them, it’s clear to see, but it’s also clear she’s struggling with everything going on, and for that, no one is judging her. She’s lucky that she has Maria.

  We approach the stables and the girls let go of my hand and run in through the open doors. “Well, you better hurry after them. It’s you they want today,” Maria says with a huge smile.

  Shit. I’ve let them go on inside on their own. I rush after them, calling their names. I relax when I get inside and see them standing with one of Giovanni’s men, who is asking them what they plan on doing.

  “Jack. Maria,” he says when he sees us. “Teressa called so I knew to expect you. I have everything ready. You can take out Cookie and Midnight. They both seem to love the kids.”

  “Thank you, Steve,” Maria says, approaching the girls who are standing in front of one of the horses. “Oh, they’re both saddled up.”

  “Is that okay?”

  “Yes. The girls want to groom them,” she tells Steve.

  “Do that when you bring them back in.” Maria nods. “Will you be okay with them or do you want me to come out with you?”

  “N
o, we’ll be fine. Jack and I will walk.”

  “Okay, then they are all yours.”

  I take the girls’ hands and watch as Maria gets Cookie first and then Midnight. She talks calmly, and when both horses have settled down, she leads them outside. She never ceases to amaze me. We follow, and although the girls are really excited, they’re not squealing. They seem quieter. They were here with the horses yesterday so I think they’ve been told they need to be nice and calm around them. That would make sense.

  “Here, you hold these and I’ll put the girls on,” Maria says, handing me the reins.

  I stand and watch in awe as she gently puts the girls into the saddles, saying all the right things to keep the girls calm and showing me yet another motherly side. This is the woman I will be spending the rest of my life with. Having kids and growing old with. “Are you ready to go for a walk, handsome?”

  “Yes,” I answer, staring at her. She frowns and I know she’s wondering what the hell is going through my head. She’ll have to wait to find that out. She takes the reins to Cookie and starts walking. Daisy is all smiles as she sits on top of him, looking very proud. “Are you ready, Rebecca?”

  “Yes.” And with her one word, we set off walking to catch up with Maria and Daisy.

  With the light breeze in the air, it makes perfect conditions for a walk. I’m certain if we had left this until this afternoon it might’ve been too warm for both the girls and the horses. I listen as Daisy and Rebecca talk of their love for staying here. Maria in turn tells them some stories about her and Giovanni as children growing up here in the countryside. Up until yesterday, I always thought Maria was a city girl, but she’s much more comfortable in these surroundings.

  “Maria.” I say her name, taking her attention. “You and Lou have been friends for years. How did you meet?”

  “We went to the same private school. Why?”

  “No reason, I was just wondering.” She turns her attention back to the girls and I smile as we continue our walk, listening to the girls giggle at her stories.

  Two hours later and we’re walking back toward the house. Lou and Mark are sitting in the patio area outside. As soon as the girls see their parents, they run toward them. It looks as though we’ve timed it perfectly. Lunchtime.

  Maria tugs on my hand and I turn to face her. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “Nothing. I just wanted to say thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. I enjoyed the time with the girls. They’re good kids.”

  “They are. But I also wanted to do this.” She stands on her tiptoes, softly pressing her lips to mine. I wrap my arms around her back, my eyes close, and I could be anywhere in the world right now and I wouldn’t even notice my surroundings. All my thoughts are on my woman and how I love her.

  “Give it a rest, you two.”

  We both laugh and turn to Lou’s voice.

  “I’ll save you for later,” Maria promises. “Come on. All that walking has made me hungry.”

  “And here was me hoping we could skip lunch.”

  “Enough,” she says with laughter, swatting my hand away. I take her hand, her fingers entwine with mine, and we walk toward the patio. I’m one lucky son of a bitch.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Maria

  The cool morning breeze brushes against my skin as I stand in the open doorway of the kitchen with my first coffee of the day, looking out into the graphite sky which is slowly turning to a dim grey. Trees sway in the distance as the light starts to change. I stand in awe, watching the sunrise. The first orange rays appear in the horizon and I can’t take my eyes away from the sight before me. It feels magical to me, watching the dawning of a new day.

  Delicate yellows and reds filter through the skyline, illuminating the clouds as the sun makes its appearance on the distant horizon. I watch as it slowly fills my view, rising into the sky. The warmth of the air hits me, and I can already tell it’s going to be another beautiful day. I love this part of the morning taking everything in and enjoying the silence that fills the air around me.

  I smile. There won’t be silence for much longer as I’m sure the girls will be up soon. All this fresh air seems to have given them an endless supply of energy. We thought it would have the opposite effect and tire them out.

  A few days here, in what seems like the wilderness, and reality has hit me hard this morning. This is day five, I think, of staying with Giovanni. It’s so easy to lose track of days and time when I’m not in the city. Nothing is rushed. It’s been relaxing and I’ve been putting off going back to the real world. But it’s D-day. Jack is going into the station today, because he doesn’t like how quiet it’s been. I’m with him on this. I’ve had a niggling feeling since yesterday and I’m not sure why.

  Yesterday, Lou, Mark, and Jack went to inspect what is left of their house. Lou was distraught when she came home. Seeing Lou so upset could be what’s playing in the back of my mind. So, I did what any auntie would do and took the girls back out with Jack on the horses. That way, Lou didn’t have to put on a brave face.

  Seeing the girls’ wee faces light up with excitement was a joy to watch. They’ve loved staying here and it’s not hard to understand why. All this land they can roam around on, with supervision, of course. They’ve been out on the horses for a while every day and they’ve helped feed and groom them. Of course, they both want horses of their own. They pleaded with their parents during dinner last night. Lou told them that having their own horse would be a lot of hard work. She thinks they’ll get bored, which is a possibility, but Giovanni said they should help out with the horses here every day, to see how it will be. I’m actually beginning to think my brother is enjoying having them here.

  There was then a moment, and I think I was the only one to witness it, between my brother and Lou. A stolen moment in time, perhaps. She silently thanked him for intervening when the girls were both shouting at the top of their lungs about having their own horse, but the look on his face was one of sadness and regret.

  I sat back and studied them and then looked at Lou and Mark. Something seemed wrong to me. And then it hit me. Yes, Lou might love and care for Mark but she’s not in love with him. And Mark is none the wiser because he’s head over heels in love with his wife. He’d do anything for her. But her heart belongs elsewhere, and it’s as clear as day who has her heart. She’s in love with my brother. Jack broke my train of thought by asking if I was okay. I told him I was fine, and we all carried on talking whilst eating the feast of a dinner that Teressa had made.

  Lou and I need to talk. Or maybe it’s Giovanni I need to talk to. Tell him not to interfere. Not to act on his feelings for the sake of my nieces. Although, he’s stayed out of the way the past few days. The only real time I’ve seen him is at dinner.

  Why have I never noticed how my brother and Lou feel about each other before? I’m sure Tony had plenty to say in Lou’s relationship. I know when we were younger, they had feelings for each other, but I thought they had outgrown them. It’s obvious to me they haven’t. And if I’ve noticed, I’m sure Jack will pick up on it. I just hope Mark doesn’t.

  Yes, Lou and I need to talk, and today.

  These last few days have given me time to think, and I’ve made a few decisions. Exquisite is going up for sale. I finally called James last night and told him and the accountant to make arrangements for all the staff. A redundancy package for each member of staff, and I truly don’t care what it costs me. I just want rid of the place. If I were to keep it, I’m sure it would bring me nothing but problems. Problems I don’t need in my life. There’s a part of me that really wants to keep Crave, and if I do, I’ll be doing a full refurbishment and I’ll start looking for my own staff. Not staff that I’ve acquired through Tony’s death.

  It’s time for fresh starts. If only we could deal with Pete. Clear away all the old dirt first. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder and I certainly don’t want to have someone with me every time I go out. />
  Movement in the hallway grabs my attention, but I don’t turn. Instead, I wait for my senses to kick in, telling me who it is. And it’s not the girls. I would’ve heard them thundering down the stairs. For two little girls, they don’t half make a lot of noise. I close my eyes when a warm feeling sweeps through my veins and the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

  My body melts against his as he wraps his arms around my waist. “Good morning,” he says, trailing small kisses around my neck. “The bed was cold without you. How long have you been awake?”

  “I’m not sure. I tossed and turned and didn’t want to disturb you.”

  “You would never disturb me. How are you feeling?”

  “Truthfully?” I turn in his arms and I’m met with a worried smile. “I’m a bit nervous. I feel as though we’re waiting for something bad that might not even happen.”

  He takes the cup from my hands, leaning over and placing it down on the counter. “Don’t be nervous. Someone will be with you at all times.”

  “What about Lou and the girls?”

  “Giovanni has his men here keeping an eye on them. Everything is going to be okay.” He’s saying all the right things, but I’m not sure. Something isn’t sitting well with me. “Lou and Giovanni. Will they be okay here together?”

  “I was wondering when you would mention it.”

  “I’d have to be blind not to see how much they love each other. Poor Mark.”

  “Lou is happy with Mark. She won’t do anything stupid. She wouldn’t risk the happiness of her family.” I find myself frowning. She would put the happiness of Mark and the girls before herself because that’s what being a mum means to her. “If Tony hadn’t interfered in her life, maybe things would be so different.”

  “As I think you’ve said before, we can’t change our pasts. Hopefully, we will all get the opportunity to move forward with our lives, and maybe someday your brother will meet and fall in love with someone else.”