Romance In The Tuscan Hills: A New Beginning (4 page)

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 place.  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. 

“So what's on tap for tomorrow?”  Dani pulled her legs up to her chest and sipped at her coffee.  She did her best to
not
look at Carlo.  Looking at Carlo lead to thinking of Carlo with his work shirt riding up on his muscular abs which led to thinking of Carlo with his shirt off which lead to...

Dani shook her head.  She was leaving next week.  She didn't have time for romance – not matter how good looking the guy in question was.   Dani wasn't one to have flings either.  If she hooked up with someone, it was for the long haul.  Hopping on a plane at the end of next week to fly home to the US didn't equal long haul in her book. 

Carlo waved a hand in front of Dani's face.  “Did you hear a word I just said?  You seem a million miles away.”

“Just thinking of Mom and Nonna,” she lied.  “They would be proud of me for coming in person to settle things instead of leaving it up to Nonna's lawyer or doing everything over the phone.  It gives me some closure which I desperately need.  It's tough, you know?  One week I'm talking to Nonna, the next she's gone.  I still think she's going to be sitting in this chair right here sipping coffee and looking out over the vineyards.  I should be able to pick up the phone and hear her voice...not visit a grave.”

“She lived a long, wonderful life,” Carlo said.  “Celebrate that instead of thinking about how it ended.”

“I'm still getting used to the idea of being all alone in world,” Dani confessed.  “Nonna was always just a phone call away if I ever needed any advice.  Now who am I supposed to turn to?”

“May I suggest...me?”

Dani's eyes widened and her head snapped around to stare at Carlo.  “What did you say?”

He waved a hand as if he was having trouble finding the words in English.  “If you need to talk, I can listen.”