she had kissed had stacked up.
She’d been busy building her career. For that reason she hadn’t involved herself in a great amount of dating.
And so what if none of them had swept her away?
These thoughts were not productive, especially at this time of night when she was obviously weary and not able to think clearly.
‘Has it been hard for you, Scarlett? Coming back like this?’ He turned and somehow their fingers were brushing, just gently touching on the railing. ‘You seemed unhappy when I first saw you today at the swimming pool with your sister and Isabella.’
‘I didn’t think you’d see.’ What had he seen? She searched his gaze, and somehow in the dim quietness the words came out. ‘It’s no secret now, that Jackie had a daughter a long time ago. What most people wouldn’t know is that I all but single-handedly separated them back then. This afternoon at the pool, when Jackie was talking about Kate, I felt guilty for the way I’d hurt her.’
Scarlett felt emotion clog her throat, and she was appalled. She shouldn’t have let this out. ‘You mustn’t say anything to anyone. That’s…’
‘Your business, and Jackie’s business.’ He shook his head. ‘I won’t say anything. I…understand about secrets.’
Until he said those words, Scarlett had thought he might pull her into his arms, hold her, and perhaps try to kiss those painful emotions away.
She would have let him.
In fact, somewhere deep inside she admitted she might even have wanted that.
But his admission about secrets hung between them, a thinly veiled reference to his past marriage.
‘Well, I’m being a bit dramatic all of a sudden.’ Scarlett made as light of things as she could manage. ‘I shouldn’t have brought that old history up. Jackie just wants to forget it now that she has Kate in her life again. And, it’s late. We should go in. I’m sure you’d like to leave. I’m sorry I held things up daydreaming out here.’
Scarlett turned for the inside of the restaurant. She hadn’t exactly been daydreaming, but he would know what she meant.
‘Yes, of course we can go.’ Lorenzo looked at the tight set of Scarlett’s shoulders. She had on a simple light tan sheath that looked cool and comfortable, and brought out the beauty of her bone structure and the golden glow of her skin.
That glow had been in her face, too, until he stupidly brought up her earlier unease in her sister’s company.
Yet he couldn’t really regret it, because Scarlett had given him a gift just now. The gift of her trust for just a few moments before her openness made her uneasy and she wished she could have taken it all back.
He had wanted to comfort her but he’d drawn back from that, too. How could he do that when the guilt of his past plagued him? The guilt of his past and…the complications of his present.
‘I’ll see you home.’ He’d walk her over and walk away. That was all he could do with Scarlett. What else did he have to offer her? Nothing. Lorenzo was not free to offer Scarlett anything.
And of course, after all this time, he didn’t still want to. It had to be their past that made it difficult for him to maintain equilibrium in his thoughts where she was concerned.
‘No, thanks.’ She walked ahead of him through the restaurant, glanced back over her shoulder. ‘By the time you finish locking up and get on your motorcycle I’ll be there. I’ll be fine, Lorenzo. I don’t need you to go with me.’
She left him there, and he did watch to make sure she got home safely while her words rang in his head.
They didn’t need each other.
That had to be the truth of it.
Didn’t it?
‘You’ll understand if I ask you to explain your reasoning for whatever choices you make today?’ Scarlett asked the question quietly as Lorenzo drew Rosa’s small van to a stop outside a set of shops in a nearby larger township.
‘Of course.’ Lorenzo wasn’t concerned to know that Scarlett would spend this morning scrutinising his work practices. He had nothing to hide.
They were on a buying expedition, and both of them were in a mellow mood.
A cooling breeze had driven the worst of the heat away. The day was clear and fresh. It was nice to be away from the restaurant for a little while. Isabella had taken charge to free Lorenzo for his expedition. He’d climbed into the van and Scarlett had joined him so she could see what one of his buying trips consisted of. When he’d turned the key in the ignition, old rock music had blared out of the van’s speakers.
Scarlett had thrown her head back and laughed and he’d…laughed with her. He’d turned the volume down a little and they’d made the trip with the windows down, the wind whipping through their hair and against their faces. It had been…fun.
Lorenzo glanced at Scarlett’s flushed face, and couldn’t help the soft smile that came to his lips. ‘You can cross-question me all you like. I want Rosa to succeed as much as you do.’
Lorenzo got out of the van to stride around the front and open Scarlett’s door with a bow and a flourish. ‘Shall we go?’
For a moment she froze, but then a smile came over her face and she held out her hand and lifted her nose into the air at such a haughty angle it was a wonder it didn’t catch on the top of the doorframe. ‘By all means let us go, but you should know, I’m not carrying the basket for you.’
‘Actually, I have string bags, and I’ll be doing the carrying myself.’ He gripped her hand and helped her out, and their hands slid away from each other with a slow glide of fingers.
They went shopping. Lorenzo made his choices as carefully as he always did. These were ingredients and items he couldn’t get for the kitchen locally in Monta Correnti.
Scarlett observed, questioned his brand choices, and nodded her approval as he carefully explained how each item would be used.
When they’d finished the shopping for Rosa, he gestured towards another small shop. ‘If you don’t mind me taking the time, I’d like a few things from in there for my home stores. They can wait if you’d prefer.’
‘No, that’s fine.’ Her eyes had lit up as she realised what they were looking at. It was a chocolate wholesaler. She turned to glance at him with her brows raised. ‘I know you make fabulous desserts. You were working on some the first day I started at Rosa, but I wouldn’t have pictured you with a sweet tooth for it.’
‘Then picture again.’ He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. ‘I occasionally make them at home. Partly to keep my hand in and my capabilities sharp, but mostly—’ he smiled ‘—so I can eat the results. Maybe one day I could cook a dessert for you.’
‘Maybe.’
A little silence fell. It wasn’t awkward, exactly, just both of them realising that they’d let their conversation drift into something it perhaps hadn’t started out to be.
That
