don’t think she needs anyone to speak for her. She certainly does have a mind of her own. Even if it gets her in trouble.”
“She always was strong-willed. I think she’s a lot like Mama.”
“Agreed.”
At last the two had something they agreed on—their little sister’s character. And now that things were on a good note, it was definitely time to say goodbye.
Kayla cleared her throat, hoping to gain Angelo’s attention. When he didn’t turn her way, she proceeded to say, “Angelo, are you ready to go?”
She’d have rather had a tour of the vineyard and stretched her legs, but not under these strained circumstances. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was the situation with their sister that had them at odds or if they had a history of not getting along.
Angelo glanced her way. “It was a long trip. I suppose you would like to lie down for a bit.”
“That would be nice.” She turned to Nico, who was still eyeing his brother with obvious agitation. “It was so nice to meet you. I hope that we’ll see each other again.”
“I suppose that’ll depend on my brother and whether he trusts you with me—”
“Nico. Enough.” Angelo’s voice held an obvious note of warning. “We’ll be staying at the Hotel Villa Bellezza. If Marianna cools down, phone me.”
Angelo quietly followed her to the car and opened the door for her. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.”
“Don’t be.” She searched for words of comfort. “Families are messy. It’s what happens when people love each other. And I saw a lot of love back there.”
“You did?”
“Most definitely.” She stepped past him and got in the car.
She’d never met anyone who could get under her boss’s skin like Nico. The man appeared to have needling his big brother down to a fine art. There was so much more to the polished, successful businessman standing next to her than she’d ever imagined. And she was anxious to know more.
KAYLA GRIPPED THE armrest tightly.
The line of cypress trees was no more than a blur as Angelo accelerated away from the vineyard. He didn’t say a word as they zigzagged through the valley before starting their ascent up a hillside. The vegetation was so green and lush that she couldn’t imagine there was a village, much less a five-star hotel, within miles of here.
“I need to apologize.” Angelo’s voice broke the awkward silence. “I didn’t mean to have you witness our family drama.”
“It’s okay. I know how families can be.” She couldn’t help but want to know more about him and his family. “Your parents, do they live around here?”
He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. “They left the vineyard to us kids and moved to Milan. It was best for everyone.”
Kayla wasn’t sure what to say to that. Obviously there wasn’t a close relationship between him and his parents. Did she even want to know why? It’d just move them further from boss and employee and into a new relationship—one that she didn’t want to examine too closely.
Angelo downshifted for a curve. “I know that you come from a close-knit family, so it’d be hard for you to understand a family that functions better apart than together.”
Kayla was surprised that he kept talking about his private life when she hadn’t even asked him anything. It was as if these thoughts were pent up inside him, and he needed to get them out if he was to have any peace.
She searched frantically for words of comfort. “Every family is different. Not better. Not worse. Just different.”
“But this is my fault.” His palm smacked the steering wheel. “I shouldn’t have left for New York to go to college. I should have found a way to stay here. Marianna was so young when I left, and my parents—well, they were so consumed with each other that they didn’t have time to worry about anyone else.”
“I’m sure they did their best.”
He shook his head. “You don’t know my parents. They are the most passionate people I know. And not in a good way. One minute they love each other and the next they are getting divorced. That’s the end. They never want to see each other again. To say our childhoods were unstable is putting it mildly.”
Kayla struggled to keep her mouth from gaping open. Her parents were the most mild-mannered couple. Their voices were rarely raised to each other, and they still gazed lovingly at each other like a couple of starstruck teenagers. Kayla knew they wanted her to experience the same sort of love and happiness. That’s why she didn’t hold it against them for trying to guide her life. It’s just that she was different. There was so much more to life than love, marriage and babies. And she wanted to experience all of it.
Angelo cleared his throat, but his voice still rumbled with emotion. “I just couldn’t take any more of their fighting and making up. It was so unnerving to never know if my parents were passionately in love or on the verge of calling their divorce attorneys. And there was no way I could take Nico with me—not that he’d have gone. He has this unbreakable tie to the vineyard—to the village. He never would have done what I did. And maybe he’s right. Maybe if I’d stayed then Marianna wouldn’t be alone and having a baby.”
“It’s not your fault.” Kayla resisted the urge to reach out to him. “Your sister is a grown woman. She has to be allowed to make her own choices. Right or wrong. You couldn’t have prevented this.”
“But maybe if I’d been here, she’d have felt like she still had a family that loves her. Then she wouldn’t have taken off on this trip of hers only to let some smooth-talking guy take advantage of her.” Angelo’s body noticeably stiffened.
“I’m fairly certain that no one could take advantage of your sister. She seems quite strong, like her brothers. She just needs some time to sort things out.”
He sighed. “I’m sure she’s plenty confused. And I suppose Nico and I did nothing to help by arguing. It’s just that every time my brother and I get together, we disagree. We are very different. That’s why I reserved us a suite at the hotel. I knew staying at the vineyard would just lead to more drama, and that’s the last thing any of us need.”
“But you two didn’t argue at the end.”
“That’s because we both agree that Marianna needs both of us—whether she likes it or not.”
“Good. Maybe you can build on that.”
“Perhaps.”
She decided that enough had been said for now on that subject. Angelo needed time to calm down. “Is the hotel far from here?”
“No. It’s just at the rise of the hill.” His voice had returned to its normal reserved, unemotional tone.
“Really.
