Her Italian Soldier

Why would she do it? For how long? She wanted something in return, evidently enough to be willing to cooperate.

Breaking in on a defenseless woman in the dead of night should have scared her senseless. Instead, she’d turned the tables on him and had made threatening gestures with the cane. He felt a grudging admiration for her resourcefulness. But he couldn’t help but question what she expected to gain by her compliance with Lucca’s wishes. Did she think getting on his good side would earn her a promotion with his father down the road? More perks?

What was his father playing at? To let his alleged employee have her own way and install her in Lucca’s house meant she’d twisted him around her finger. What kind of advertising was she doing for his father?

It was a little late for him to be having a midlife crisis. Surely his second wife—Maria was enough for him. She’d managed to marry him only six months after Lucca’s mother had been buried. For years Lucca had blamed her for changing his father. Until one day when Lucca grew up and realized no force could make Guilio marry the attractive widow who had two sons of her own if he hadn’t wanted to.

Now this American woman—a nurse, no less—had come into Guilio’s life, so different in every way that Lucca was baffled.

He frowned. Nine months ago when he’d flown to Milan on furlough for a brief visit to see his father, Signorina Marsh hadn’t been on the payroll. That meant she was a fairly recent addition to the company, but because she was in his father’s confidence, she had Lucca at a disadvantage.

He didn’t like the idea that she would know more about him than he wanted anyone to know, yet for the time being he had no choice but to live with it. It didn’t escape him that he bore some responsibility for arriving in the dead of night.

After locking the door, he turned to the fridge. While he rummaged for items to fix himself a sandwich, he heard a car turn into the gravel drive. The voices were too faint for him to make out conversation. Before long it drove off.

In a minute he sank down on one of the hand-carved wooden chairs. He extended his long legs, trying to get into a more comfortable position, which was virtually impossible, just like she’d said. As he bit into some locally grown ham and his favorite provolone dolce cheese, he found himself glowering at the daisies she’d put in the old family pitcher and hardly noticed the taste.

He’d wanted complete solitude and sleep for one night. That way he could appear at his father’s door today looking rested enough that Guilio’s first reaction wouldn’t be one of heartache over his son. There’d been enough of that in the early days.

Soon enough his father would learn about the flashbacks, but they usually happened after he fell asleep.

Starting to get that drugged feeling, he headed for the bedroom. Whether Signorina Marsh exposed him or not, he was no longer alone in his own home and wouldn’t be able to totally relax.

He should phone his father right now, but the pain since his fall last night was more than he could bear right now. Once the pills took effect, he would pass out again for a few hours. When he awakened, he had to pray the throbbing would have died down enough that he could make the call.

Annabelle stepped out of the van where they’d done her hair and makeup. “Perfetto, signorina. That’s the look I want. Like a margheritina!”

“What is that?”

“A flower.” Giovanni, the photographer, put one of his hands on top of the other and made spokes.

“Ah. A wheel. You mean like, he loves me, he loves me not?”

He grinned. “Sì, Sì.”

Annabelle didn’t mind being compared to a daisy. Not at all. The beautiful ones she’d picked earlier that morning had called to her. She’d experienced a euphoric moment until she’d gone back in the kitchen and found the dark Italian owner scrutinizing her with all the intensity of his brooding soul. She wished she still didn’t quake when she thought about it.

Meeting him in the flesh in the middle of the night had, to some extent, altered her vision of the picture his father had portrayed of a strong, powerful man. But obviously that was her fault for endowing his hero son with certain admirable virtues. Maybe his good qualities were there, but they were disguised by pain and his participation in a war where no one ever came home the same as before they left.

She admitted to being worried about his insistence on not letting his father know he was back yet. Though it wasn’t any of her business, as Lucca had said, she did care. More than she should. It made her impatient with herself.

“Annabelle?”

Her head jerked up. “Yes?”

The shorter, overweight man Basilio—one of Guilio’s assistants, who’d driven her this morning—provided the interpretation for the pose he had in mind. “We want you to get in the driver’s seat now and lean to the passenger side, putting your right arm here. Remember you’re out beneath a midafternoon sun, driving for the sheer thrill of it. Then you see the water below and you have to pull over to get a better view. React the way you would naturally. Forget the camera.”

Easy for him to say. But this was an adventure she wouldn’t have missed.

Without needing more urging, Annabelle climbed in the black Amalfi convertible. She could almost believe this was Mrs. James Bond’s car. The rich black-leather interior provided the ideal foil for the white outfit she’d put on before leaving the farmhouse. So far she couldn’t fault Marcella’s superb fashion taste.

Annabelle couldn’t decide which sports car she liked better. The other one in Rome parked in front of the fighter jet had been white with light pearl-grey leather. Lucca would look sensational speeding around in either of them, but the thrill probably wouldn’t be the same after the years he’d flown above the clouds at supersonic speeds.

Once she’d gotten into her role, Giovanni put the straw hat back on her head, studying the angle for a minute and doing a rearrangement of her hair before he started taking one picture after another.

The car had been parked next to the wall of the steep highway below Positano. When she looked down, she gasped at the sheer drop to the water, forgetting everything else. Such gorgeous scenery—reputed to be the most fantastic in this part of the world—defied verbal description and became a spiritual experience with nature. This kind of beauty actually hurt.

With the help of the police, hundreds of cars going both ways had to pass single file where the photo shoot was taking place. Though there were a few angry shouts and horn honks, by far more tourists whistled and shouted “squisitas” and “bellissimas”, throwing her kisses as they passed by.

Yet the view was too mesmerizing and she was barely cognizant of anything else going on around her. If the truth be told, her mind was preoccupied with an image of the wounded Italian pilot who’d finally fallen asleep last night, relaxing his hold so she could escape. Talk about a beautiful man…

When Giovanni announced he had all the shots he needed, she hurried back to the van to remove her makeup. She’d brought her own change of clothes in the straw bag and quickly slipped on her jeans and a blouse. Once she was dressed, she left everything else in the van and stepped outside clutching her own purse.

Besides the sports car and the van, there was the third car Basilio had driven when he’d picked her up at the farm. It was an older model blue Amalfi sedan. He gave her the key, telling her it was now hers to use while she was in Italy.

The police directing traffic indicated they needed to get rid of the roadblock as fast as possible. With the agreement that she’d meet the film crew tomorrow at noon in the town of Amalfi for another photo shoot, she got in the car and followed the policeman riding a motorcycle out into the stream of cars. He helped her get her place in line with the other vehicles headed back toward Ravello.

Through the rearview mirror she saw him blow her a kiss. Annabelle smiled. Italian men. Always open in their enjoyment of women. They were hilarious. Except for one Lucca Cavezzali. She frowned, needing to arm herself ahead of time for a dour reception from him once she returned.

She’d seen his bottle of pills. He was almost out of them. They were the strongest painkillers one could take after surgery without going back to the hospital for a morphine cocktail. His fall in the hallway last night had been doubly unfortunate for him. It came from returning home the hard way, but it was his call after all, and his house. The injured man had every right to expect it would be empty.

Before she arrived at the farmhouse, she made two stops on the outskirts of Ravello. One to a pizzeria for a light meal. The other to a gelateria that was a few doors down from a charming-looking bed-and-breakfast. She checked it out and found out there was a vacancy. With easy access to the main road, she couldn’t find anything better and held the room with a credit card for two weeks occupancy.

Now that Lucca was back home, she couldn’t stay at the farmhouse and would check in after she’d gone back to pack. While she ate a delicious lemon ice, she returned her parents’ phone call, letting them know she’d left Rome and was now settled in Ravello.

Considering the time difference between Italy and California, they’d already gone to work some time ago, so she left her message on their answering machine. Being the last of three children, she knew they worried about her and wanted her to be happy. The prerogative of parents.

A familiar ache passed through Annabelle because the experience of having a baby had been denied her. But then she quickly brightened, refusing to dwell on it, and assured her folks she was having a wonderful time. How could she not after the sights she’d seen today.

She left out mention of the owner of the farmhouse, who’d come close to giving her a heart attack last night when he’d decided to come home without telling his father. Guilio worshipped his son, but clearly there was some history between them that caused Lucca to hold back.

Annabelle didn’t pretend to understand the family dynamics known only to the two of them, but she respected them. Nothing could be worse for her than to be caught smack-dab in the middle of father-and-son issues.

Whatever Lucca decided to do or not do, tomorrow she would tell Guilio that the farmhouse was too isolated after all and she’d found a place with eating establishments next door that suited her. She wanted out of this precarious situation. It was up to Lucca to contact his father. He’d had a day to think about it.

A minute later she pulled into the drive at the side of the farmhouse and parked the car.

Twilight was fast fading into darkness. Combined with the soft, fragrant air, it was a magical time of night. But when she opened the door to the kitchen, reality intruded because she was met by a man holding on to the kitchen counter. His facial features were taut with pain. Even his knuckles were white.

Without thinking she said, “You need to go to an emergency room.”

“What I need are more pills,” he corrected in a gravelly voice.

“Why in heaven’s name didn’t you phone your father?”

“My original plan had been to show up at his house this morning, but the fall put me out of commission. I’d prefer to see him when I’m not writhing in pain.”

It would be counterproductive to ask him why he hadn’t phoned someone else then. Unless he didn’t have a phone, but she didn’t believe it. The problem between him and his father was more grave than she’d supposed. “I’ve been given a car to use and will fill your prescription if you’ll tell me where to get it.”

“I have to pick it up in person.”

“Since you’re in no shape to get behind a wheel, I’ll drive you.” She saw the cane on the table and handed it to him. “After you.”

She followed him out, locking the door behind her, then she ran ahead of him and opened the back door of the car. When he’d climbed in with difficulty and more or less lay against the seat, she shut his door and got in the driver’s seat.

“Are you hiding, or is that position more comfortable?”

“Both. Follow the road to Salerno.” His words sounded like they came through gritted teeth. “There’s a farmacia in the Piazza Municipio seven miles from here that will be open.”

When she’d found the main road she said, “What would you have done if I hadn’t come when I did?”

“I was on the verge of calling for a taxi when I heard the car in the drive.” He sat up, obviously not worried about being recognized now that they were on the road. Annabelle heeded his precise instructions to get them to the other town. Traffic was heavy. She knew he was suffering, but he’d chosen to be stubborn by hiding out in his own house unannounced and she refused to feel sorry for him.

What was it Guilio had said about her being stubborn like his son? It had frustrated him when she’d told him she refused to intrude on him and his wife while she was in Ravello.

Eventually she slowed to a stop in front of the store. “We’ve arrived.” There were no drive-thru pharmacies here.

“Don’t move from this spot. With luck I won’t run in to anyone I know.”

Maybe not, she mused, but he’d certainly be noticed. Lucca’s tall male physique would do wonders for anything he wore including the tan chinos and raspberry-colored polo shirt she hadn’t noticed until now. In uniform, he’d really be something.

Knowing he was about to get the relief he craved, she noticed he managed to move quickly with that cane. While she waited for him, her cell phone rang. When she saw Cavezzali on the ID, guilt swamped her. If she didn’t answer, he might get worried.

She clicked on. “Hello? Guilio? How are you?”

“Molto bene, Annabelle. Basilio told me Giovanni is ecstatic about the pictures he took today.”

Thank goodness. “That’s wonderful.”

“I will come to Amalfi tomorrow. I have some new ideas for the shoot.”

“I’ll look forward to seeing you.”

“Are you comfortable at the farmhouse? Do you need anything?”

Now was the time to tell him. “The farmhouse is a dream, but I’ve discovered modeling makes me tired and I don’t want to do any cooking. So I’ve made arrangements to stay at the Casa Claudia for the rest of my time here. There are the most fabulous food places all around it.”

“That’s a good little family establishment. I was afraid the farmhouse might be too isolated.”

“You were right after all. I’m sorry you went to that trouble for me. Please don’t send any maids. I’ve cleaned everything including the fridge and will give you back the key later.”

“I’m glad you changed your mind.”

Only because of Lucca’s entry into her life. She’d loved being by herself at the farm, where she could do exactly as she pleased, but a certain unexpected event had changed the situation.

“In truth, I love all the little places to eat. Italian cuisine is the best! I could eat my head off here, but I know I’ve got to be careful or I won’t be able to fit in to the clothes Marcella has chosen for me.”

In the midst of Guilio’s laughter, Lucca got back in the car. She decided to put the phone on speaker. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was talking behind his back with his father. Maybe hearing his father’s voice would influence Lucca to contact him.

“I’m not worried, Annabelle. Don’t forget the party I’m giving a week from Saturday. You’ll be meeting our top Italian dealers. I’ve decided to give everyone a preview to whet their appetites before the big launch.” The excitement in his voice was palpable. She was ready to disconnect them if he started to say anything that would give away the surprise.

“I know how much this means to you.” So far the man in the backseat had no idea this was all in tribute to him. “I’ll give you my very best.”

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