you go.” Marco took a swig, rolled the wine around in his mouth then swallowed. “Significant milestone, I’d say.”
“You both look good together,” Rosa interrupted. “I can see there’s something else there than just friends. Sì?”
“No!” Beth cleared her throat and tried again. “No, there isn’t.”
Rosa made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. “You need a good strong man in your life. I may be old but I know amore. Love, it will make your problems go away. It will make you trust again, eh?”
She took Beth’s still hands and squeezed. “I know how much you guard your secrets, bella. Lucio, he has a few of his own.”
Beth blinked, looking from Rosa to Marco grinning behind his wineglass.
Since when had the evening turned into a “what Beth needs is a man” discussion?
She recalled the times Rosa had mentioned her family. On the massage table, clients opened up and talked about the most intimate details of their lives—family feuds, career woes, relationships. Rosa’s favorite subject had been her family. She’d boasted of their virtues nearly every session, how talented her son was, how her handsome nephew needed a good woman to slow him down, make him appreciate life more.
Luke suddenly appeared, interrupting Beth’s response.
“You found it, Lucio?” Rosa asked, drawing away from Beth.
“Yes.” His eyes were expressionless, unreadable. “We should go.”
Rosa looked surprised. “You are not staying for dinner?”
“Sorry. Beth?”
Beth threw Rosa an apologetic glance and stood. “Maybe another time?”
“Sì.” Rosa kissed Beth on both cheeks, her eyes full of unanswered questions. “Ciao, bella. Drive safely.”
They went back the way they came, this time with a guard holding a ladder against the wall. Luke opted to drive and Beth let him, knowing if they were spotted, he’d lose their pursuers quickly.
“I’m sorry you got messed up in this,” Luke said suddenly.
Beth sighed. “Rosa just wanted to help me, Luke. You’re not to blame for that.”
He shook his head. “I still can’t believe she went to all that trouble to help you out.”
“I can.” She gave a small smile. “Her heart is very much in the right place.”
Luke slanted her a look but she remained silent. Was he waiting for her to point out all of this could’ve been sorted out days ago, if only he’d picked up Rosa’s calls? She never kicked someone when he was down and despite the facade, Luke had been squarely punched.
“I just hope this doesn’t turn around to bite us in the ass,” he said quietly.
“Then we’ll just have to be extra careful,” Beth said.
They lapsed into silence. Beth wanted to ask him what he’d found in Gino’s office, but if he’d wanted her to know he would have shared. So instead she went with the main question that had been bugging her for the past hour.
“So who’s Gabrielle?”
His eyes remained fixed on the road. “My ex-wife.” Wow. She had not seen that one coming. “How did you two meet?”
“In college.”
“And were you—”
“Look, Beth, I’d rather not talk about it, okay?”
She watched him work his jaw, his mouth a thin line.
“Okay.”
The deep rumble of thunder filled the silence. Beth peered out the darkened window. “Might rain.”
“Looks like it.”
Great. Now I’m resorting to the inanities of weather. She snapped her mouth closed and took a deep breath of moisture-laden air.
The first fat drops of rain began to fall as they arrived home. Inside the house, the darkness was lit only by the warm glow of a small lamp.
When Luke paused in the hallway to retrieve a stray piece of mail that had fallen from the side table, she plowed straight into his broad back.
It was like touching naked flame. She sprang back. “Sorry.”
“How are you holding up?”
His concern and silent scrutiny undid her.
It could have been the way his eyes caressed her face, the gruffness of his voice, the way he sensed all those hidden feelings she tried to bury. Or his incredible vulnerability behind an almost impenetrable wall of control. And here she was standing a bare inch away and practically aching to reach out and smooth those creases hovering across his brow. “I’m fine. Just not very tired.”
“Do you want a drink?”
“Okay.” Inside, her heart was doing a dance on her ribs. “I’ll be down in a moment.” She went to the stairs, gave him one brief glance then went up to her bedroom.
Dressed in a pair of loose drawstring linen pants and a blue tank top, Beth paused at the top of the stairs. Below lay an abyss of darkness, punctuated only by the candles on the coffee table, their familiar fragrance drifting through the ground floor. The flames danced and teased, as if they knew their purpose was to calm and soothe but deliberately doing the opposite.
She took a deep breath and descended. Luke’s long legs stretched out on the floor, crossed at the ankles. His back was cradled by the leg of the couch and in his hand he absently twirled a half-full wineglass.
Swiftly she crossed the room and tugged the curtains apart. “You should really see the sky—it’s great on a night like this. See?”
Through the inky blackness, past the fence line, the river rippled and tossed with the wind. In the distance a brief glimpse of stars glittered, tiny diamonds in indigo velvet, before the rolling black storm clouds gradually engulfed them.
“Here comes that rain.”
“Yep.” Luke poured some more wine then gestured to the spot beside him. She sat, took the glass he offered then sipped in silence. And slowly, the lull of the alcohol, the slashing rain and the flickering candles began to work their magic.
With a gentle snort, Beth shook her head.
“What?” Luke said.
“Your aunt.” At the questioning curve to his eyebrow, she added, “She really loved Gino,
