“Yes, you are. Interesting, beautiful, exciting. Desirable.”
She grinned. “Zach, this is my grandfather’s house. You can’t possibly have sexual thoughts under this roof. If you do, your pride and joy will shrivel up to the size of a walnut.”
“That would be tragic for all of us.”
“I’m not going to say yes. You already think too highly of yourself.”
He smiled. “I’m not the one who was screaming that night.”
She ducked her head. “A gentleman would never bring that up.”
“I thought my bringing it up was the entire point.”
Her mouth twitched. “You’re evil.”
“I’m tempting. There’s a difference.”
He straightened and decided to give them both a break. Mostly because this was her grandfather’s house and he didn’t want to risk his dick.
He pointed at the piles of lace stacked around the room. “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to figure out where we are, numbers-wise, with the lace flowers. Everyone is complaining about being tired of beading, but we still have a long way to go.”
“When did you start sewing the dress?” he asked.
She frowned. “I haven’t. I’m thinking I’ll get it started next week. I made an under-dress first.”
He pointed at the finished gown draped over the love seat. “What’s that?”
She followed the direction of his finger, winced slightly, then ducked her head to focus her attention back on the lace flowers. “Inspiration. It’s an old dress Grammy M made. I wanted to study some of her workmanship.” She made two more piles of ten, then returned her attention to him. “So how are things with you?”
Maybe it was a trick of the afternoon light, but he would swear he could see flecks of gold in her brown eyes. She wore a sweater that hugged her curves, and tight black jeans. The combination made it difficult to follow the conversation.
“Great,” he said when his brain finally kicked in. “David and I had a long heart-to-heart. Things are better now.”
“I’m glad,” she said sincerely, then finished her counting with a sigh. “Just like I thought. We’re not keeping on schedule. I guess everyone has so much going on.” She grinned. “I don’t suppose now that you and David are speaking that you’d be willing to bead a flower or two?”
“Not a chance.”
She glanced at the doorway, then at him. “Any more news on Julie?”
“No. I haven’t seen her around, but I don’t see much of David.”
“I want to talk to Mia about it, but I don’t know how without telling her what you saw.”
“I’m having the same problem with him. I was thinking—”
Before he could continue, he heard voices in the hallway. Both grandmothers swept into the room. He rose automatically, then wished he hadn’t when he found himself hugged, kissed, and cheek-pinched. Grandma Tessa might not be twenty anymore, but she had a grip that could snap metal.
“You’re too skinny,” Grandma Tessa said, poking a finger at his midsection. “Working too hard, eh? Not getting proper meals. Katie, why aren’t you cooking dinner for Zach? He’s family. We have to take care of him.”
Rather than answer, Katie only smiled, but Zach saw her lips moving and suspected whatever she was saying would cause her grandmother to dive for her rosary.
Grammy M clapped her hands together when she spied the wedding dress draped over the love seat.
“Oh, Katie, did you show this lovely gown to Zachary? Lookin’ at it still brings a tear to my eye.” She brushed her hands over the lace. “Hours we spent on this, but it was no trouble a’tall. We knew our Katie would be a beautiful bride.”
Grandma Tessa muttered something in Italian. She turned her dark gaze on Zach. “I’ve been good all these years, never cursing that boy’s name, but I’ve been tempted.”
Katie stood up and grabbed the dress from Grammy M. “I got this out to study how beautifully you put it together, Grammy M. Not because I was feeling nostalgic. As for the curses, Grandma Tessa, don’t bother. All Greg is guilty of is changing his mind. That’s still allowed, right?”
Grandma Tessa didn’t look swayed by her argument. Zach studied the dress in question with renewed interest. So this had been made for Katie, much the same way she now painstakingly sewed a dress for Mia. With luck it would be unworn as well.
Grammy M sighed. “What will you be thinkin’, Zachary?”
Suddenly all the attention in the room telescoped on him. Trapped didn’t begin to describe the sensation. He could see many minefields and lots of pits, but few escape routes. He went for the truth.
“The dress is beautiful and the guy who walked out on Katie was an idiot.”
Tension eased between the women as the Grands exchanged smiles. Grandma Tessa winked broadly at Katie and not-so-subtly said they needed to leave “the young people to themselves.”
Katie watched them go, then turned to him. “Nice save,” she said, then sighed. “They make me crazy.”
“First of all, I was telling the truth. Second of all, you adore them.”
She smiled. “True enough. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have fantasies about being an orphan.”
“My father, Antonio Marcelli, was a second son,” Grandpa Lorenzo told Zach that night at dinner. “He could have worked the land in Italy, but he would never have been in charge. Sometimes a second son is content, but sometimes a fire burns in here.” He thumped his chest with a fist. “For my father, the fire grew until he had to leave all he had ever known and travel far away. He came here and found this place. It was 1923.”
Zach listened, fascinated as Grandpa Lorenzo detailed the history of Marcelli Wines.
“This was virgin land,” Grandpa Lorenzo continued. “He broke the land himself, with a little help. Then he planted the vines he had brought with him from Italy.” A smile tugged at the corner of his thin mouth. “He might have gone into France for a sample or two before coming here.” Then he chuckled and touched a finger to his lips to show that was a family secret.
Zach figured it would have to be. Stealing clippings from a vineyard had to be a serious offense.
“At the time he had a good friend. Salvatore Giovanni. He, too, was a second son. Their land is next to ours, stretching out in the opposite direction. Together the two men tended their crops and waited for God to work his magic. In time they sent for wives, and a dynasty was born.”
Zach frowned. The name Salvatore Giovanni sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Brenna, sitting next to him, leaned close.
“The Giovannis own Wild Sea Vineyards. We’re mortal enemies now. Don’t ask.”
He wondered how many times Grandpa Lorenzo told the story of the founding of the winery. The family would know every word by heart, yet he suspected they didn’t mind hearing the tale again. In time, when Lorenzo was gone, Katie’s father, Marco, would do the telling. And so it would continue through the generations. Perhaps the story would change, perhaps it would stay true to history. Regardless, the heart of the adventure would remain, reminding this family of who they were and where they had come from. He envied them that.
“You’re going to have to protect all this,” Lorenzo said, staring directly at Zach.
Zach straightened. “Me?”
“Against that jackal. Brenna’s husband. We won’t give him anything!”
Brenna leaned back in her chair and grinned. “Not to worry, Grandpa. Francesca and I have a plan.”
The old man looked interested.
Zach didn’t think Brenna should share the details with her parents and grandparents, but before he could make that suggestion, Katie tossed her napkin on the table.
“You can’t be serious about this,” she said. “Brenna, it’s awful. You’re going to be swimming in regrets.”
“I believe your exact words were tacky and illegal,” Brenna said. “But who cares, as long as it works?”
“What are you two talking about?” Marco asked. “Katie?”
She sighed and quickly filled him in on the basics of the plan.
Grandpa Lorenzo looked thoughtful, but Grandma Tessa appeared to have bitten into a lemon.
“Jeff said that about our Francesca?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her rosary.
Brenna brushed off her comment. “So what? Now we can use this.”
“Katie, dear, what’re you objectin’ to?” Grammy M asked.
Katie sighed. “It’s illegal for one thing. And it’s just plain wrong. This puts the whole family on Jeff’s level. Let him be slime by himself. But the worst of it is, I think Brenna’s going to get hurt more. She can’t want to hear that Jeff is interested in her twin. I refuse to be party to cutting open another vein and watching her bleed.”
“We’re going to have to agree to disagree about this,” Colleen said. “Let’s change the subject.”
Katie nodded gratefully. She didn’t want to fight with her family. It was never a pleasant experience.
Her mother glanced at her father. “We have some exciting news. Marco and I are buying Mia and David a house.”
“What?” Brenna asked. “Why?”
“To help them. They’re young and just getting started.”
“They don’t need your money,” Zach said flatly.
Katie mentally winced. He wouldn’t like the implication that he couldn’t take care of his son.
Her mother turned to him. “Oh, Zach, please don’t take this the wrong way. There’s a small house that just came up for sale. It’s on the edge of the property, so they’ll have privacy but still be close. We know David and Mia have been having difficulties working out their plans for next year, after Mia graduates.”
Her father touched his wife’s hand. “UC Santa Barbara would be a good compromise for them.”
“You’re buying them a house?” Brenna said. “You didn’t buy Francesca and Todd a house. You didn’t buy me and Jeff anything. You said we were on our own.”
Marco frowned. “This is different, Brenna.”
“How?” Francesca asked.
Katie understood her sisters might think the situation was unfair, but that wasn’t what bothered her. “Have you discussed this with Mia? She’s really set on going to Georgetown.”
“Mia will do what’s right for the family,” her grandfather announced. “She’s a good girl. She’ll listen.”
“Then you don’t know your granddaughter,” Katie told him. “This is crazy. You can’t plan her life, or David’s. They have the right to decide where they want to go to school and where they want to live.”
Her mother didn’t look pleased with her stand. “We’re being more than generous.”
“You’ve got that right,” Brenna muttered.
“You’re being high-handed and dictatorial,” Katie said. “This is crazy, Mom. Why are you planning Mia’s life without even asking if this is what she wants? Which I happen to know it isn’t.”
“You don’t know anything,” her grandfather said loudly.
“Lorenzo has a point,” Grammy M said.
Katie turned on her. “You’re in this, too? Is it a conspiracy? Don’t any of you care about Mia?”
“The family,” her grandfather began.
“Screw the family,” Katie said loudly, then could have kicked herself.
There was a collective gasp as everyone turned to stare at her. Only Zach looked sympathetic.
Her grandfather pushed to his feet. “What did you say?” he demanded, his voice booming.