The Vineyards of Calanetti

Actually, now that he’d noticed her—really noticed her—it was getting harder and harder to keep his mind on business around her. Perhaps bringing her on this trip wasn’t his best decision, after all, but it was a necessity. He needed her help. He assured himself that, in the end, it would all work out as long as he stayed focused on the business at hand.

Thankfully, Kayla was just temporary help until his assistant returned from maternity leave. Then life would get back to normal. As far as he was concerned, that wouldn’t be soon enough.

“This is wonderful.”

The sound of Kayla’s excited voice drew him out of his thoughts. He took his eyes off the roadway for just a moment to investigate what she found so fascinating, but he only saw vegetation. “Sorry. I missed it.”

“No, you didn’t. It’s this. The long grass and the trees lining the roadway. It’s beautiful.”

What? The woman had never been outside of the city? He supposed that was possible. He honestly didn’t know much about her other than her excellent work ethic. That, in and of itself, would normally be enough for him, but since they were traveling together, what would it hurt to know a little more?

“Is this your first time outside New York City?”

“I’m not a native New Yorker.”

They had something else in common. Still, after all of those years living in New York, it was home to him now. He thrived on the constant energy that flowed through the city. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “Where does your family live?”

He could feel her curious gaze on him, but he didn’t turn to her. “They live in a small town in Pennsylvania.”

“So you really didn’t move all that far from home.”

“That’s not what my parents think.”

He glanced at her and saw she’d pressed her lips together in a firm line. Something told him that she hadn’t meant to share that bit of information. But why? What else was she holding back?

“Your parents aren’t crazy about the big-city life?”

There was a moment of hesitation as though she were trying to figure out how to answer him. “It’s not New York so much as the fact that I’m not in Paradise anymore. They had my whole life planned out for me, but I rejected it.”

“You must have had one of those chopper mothers I’ve heard about.”

Kayla laughed. The sound was melodious and endearing. In that moment, he realized that he’d never heard her laugh before. He really liked it and hoped she’d do it more often, but for the life of him, he had no idea what he’d said to cause such a reaction.

“Do you mean a helicopter mom?”

He shrugged. “I guess. I knew it was something like that.”

“My mom wasn’t too bad. I know friends that had mothers who were much more controlling. But my mom is pretty good.”

Wait. Something wasn’t adding up. He pulled to a stop at an intersection. If he went straight ahead, it’d lead them up the hill to the village. But if he veered to the right, it’d take them to Nico’s boutique vineyard—their childhood home.

Checking the rearview mirror and finding no traffic behind them, he paused and turned to her. “So if your mother is so great, why did you flee to the big city?”

Kayla shifted in her seat as though she were uncomfortable—or was it that he was digging too deep into personal territory? He knew what that was like—wanting to keep a firm lid on the past. But he couldn’t help himself. There was just something about Kayla that intrigued him—and it went much deeper than her beauty. He was genuinely interested in her as a person.

Her voice was soft when she spoke, and he strained to hear. “I didn’t live up to my parents’ expectations.”

That was so hard to believe. He was a very particular employer, and Kayla lived up to and in some areas exceeded his expectations. “Do they know what a wonderful job you’ve done at Amatucci & Associates?”

Her gaze widened. “You really think so?”

Angelo didn’t realize he’d kept his approval of her work under wraps. Then again, he wasn’t the sort of man to go on about someone’s performance. Yet, in this moment, something told him that Kayla really needed to hear his evaluation of her performance.

“I think you’ve done an excellent job—”

“You do?” She smiled brightly and practically bounced in her seat before clasping her hands together.

“I do—”

A horn beeped behind them.

The interruption was a welcome one. This conversation was getting a little too emotional for his comfort. He thought for a moment that in her glee she might throw her arms around him. He didn’t do hugs—no way—and certainly not with an employee. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—let the lines between them blur.

Angelo eased the car forward, focusing once again on the road and his destination. He urged himself to ignore the funny feeling Kayla’s obvious excitement had given him. He trained his thoughts on the scene he’d be walking into at the vineyard. His fingers tightened on the black leather steering wheel.

On second thought, maybe he should have dropped Kayla off at the hotel before venturing out here. But he hadn’t exactly been thinking straight—not since Nico had dropped the bombshell that their little sister was about to have a baby. Angelo was about to become an uncle. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He’d worked so hard to distance himself from his family—from his emotionally charged parents and their chaotic marriage. But now that they’d moved, what excuse did he have to stay away from his birthplace—the home of his brother and sister?

“Is this the way to the village?” Kayla sat up a little straighter.

“No, this is the way to my brother’s vineyard.”

“Oh, how exciting. I’ve never visited a vineyard. I can’t wait to see it. I bet it’s beautiful like those magazine photos. Will we be staying there?”

“No.” Angelo’s tone was brusquer than he’d intended, but her endless chatter combined with his pending reunion had him on edge.

He chanced a glance her way and found her eyes had widened in surprise. He couldn’t blame her, but how did he explain his family dynamics to her? Then again, why did he feel a need to explain his family at all?

“It’ll be best if we stay at a hotel in the village. I’m not sure if the internet at the vineyard has been updated.” There, that sounded like a valid reason for them to have some space between him and his siblings.

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that. I know the Van Holsen account needs to be updated as soon as possible. I already contacted the art department and let them know that a whole new strategy will be coming their way.”

“Good. I want everything to move ahead without delay.”

Whether he liked it or not, he’d been right to bring Kayla along on this trip. She was efficient and quite good at her job. Now, if only he could be just as professional and keep his mind from meandering into dangerous territory. However, the more time he spent around her, the more he found himself being anything but professional.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE CAR TURNED to the right and lurched forward. Kayla grabbed for the door handle. She had no idea that the vineyard would be so far out in the country, but then again, this was her first trip to Italy. In fact, other than one business trip to Canada, this was her first expedition out of the country.

“Welcome to Calanetti Vineyard.”

Kayla glanced around, taking in the neat lines of grapevines. “Does all of this belong to your brother?”

“No. His vineyard is just a small portion of this land, but he produces some of the highest quality wine in the country.”

“And you grew up here?”

“I did.” Angelo pulled the car to a stop in front of a two-story villa. The home featured earth tones that blended in well with the land. “My brother will be expecting us. I phoned him from the airport.”

As if on cue, the front door of the villa swung open and a man stepped out. Kayla did a double take—it was like looking at a slightly younger version of Angelo. The man approached the car wearing an easy smile. His eyes were dark brown like his brother’s, but there was an easiness in them. They were quite unlike Angelo’s dark and mysterious eyes.

When Nico opened the car door for her and held out his hand, she accepted his offer. Then she noticed the biggest difference of all. Instead of her stomach quivering with nervous energy in response to Nico’s touch, she had no reaction at all. What did that mean? How could two men who looked so much alike have her reacting in such opposite ways?

It had to be that Angelo was her boss. That must be it. There was simply no other reasonable explanation for the electric charge that Angelo gave her every time she felt his gaze on her or when their fingers brushed as they passed papers back and forth.

“Benvenuta.” Nico’s voice carried a thick, warm Italian accent. When she sent him a puzzled look, he smiled. “Scusi. Welcome.”

She smiled back, immediately liking Angelo’s brother. “I’m so glad to be here.”

“My brother doesn’t bring many visitors home. In fact, you are the first. You must be special—”

“Nico, this is my assistant.” Angelo frowned at his sibling.

Nico’s dark brows rose and then a knowing smile pulled at his lips. “I hope my brother doesn’t work you too hard while you’re in Italy. There’s so much to see. I’d love to give you a tour of the vineyard—”

“She doesn’t have time for that stuff. She’s here to work.” Any hint of the easiness Angelo had displayed in the car was gone—hidden behind an impenetrable wall. “Now where is Marianna?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? Didn’t you tell her that I was on my way?”

“I did.” Nico folded his arms over his broad chest and lifted his chin. “I think that’s the reason she left so early this morning without even bothering to grab a bite to eat. I haven’t seen her since, but then again, I haven’t looked for her, either.”

“You let her walk away—?”

“What did you want me to do? Lock her in her room?”

“Maybe if you’d have done that a while ago, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Nico’s arms lowered and his shoulders straightened. “You’re blaming me for this?”

Angelo’s body visibly tensed. “Yes...no. If only I’d have known something was wrong, I could have...”

“Could have what?”

Kayla’s gaze darted between the two men who glared at each other. It was time to do something and fast. “This certainly is a beautiful place you have here.” She acted as though she were totally oblivious to the torrent of undercurrents. “Angelo told me you produce some of the finest wine in Italy.”

At last, the brothers quit glaring at each other. Nico turned to her. “My brother got that much right. I’d be happy if you’d sample some while you’re here.”

“I’d be honored.”

This palpable tension certainly wasn’t what she’d been expecting for a family reunion, but then again, after overhearing the heated conversation when Nico had phoned the office, she shouldn’t be too surprised. She turned her attention to her always-in-control boss, who looked as though he was about to lose his cool edge and have a meltdown. Intriguing. There was definitely a lot more to him than what she’d witnessed so far.

“I should have come back before now.” There was a weary, pained toned to Angelo’s voice. “I let the past keep me away.”

Nico turned back to his sibling. “What happened to you was a long time ago. It wasn’t right, but a lot has changed since then. You no longer have an excuse to stay away.”

“But I still have a company to run. I don’t have time to drop everything and travel halfway around the globe to check up on things. As far as I knew, everything was all right.”

“Maybe if you didn’t work all the time and bothered to call occasionally, you’d know how things were going around here.”

Questions crowded into Kayla’s mind—questions that were absolutely none of her business. But that didn’t stop her from wondering what had happened to drive Angelo away from his family. He obviously loved them or he wouldn’t have let his cool composure slide. And what caused him to keep his emotions under lock and key in the first place?

Angelo raked his fingers through his hair. “Maybe I should have called more.”

“Yes, you should have.”

The thud of a door slamming shut punctuated Nico’s words. Kayla hesitantly glanced off in the distance as a young woman marched toward them. Her brown hair was wild and curly as it fluttered in the breeze. Her lips pressed into a firm line and her eyes narrowed in on the two men. This must be Marianna.

“Enough!” The woman came to a stop between Angelo and Nico. “You two are being ridiculous. Anytime you both want to quit with the overprotective-brother routine, we can talk.”

Though she was at least a foot shorter than her brothers, Marianna certainly didn’t hesitate to step between them. Something told Kayla that little sister wasn’t a shrinking violet with these two as her brothers. She’d definitely have to be strong-willed. Silently Kayla cheered her on.

Angelo’s broad chest puffed up before he sighed. When he spoke, his voice was much gentler. “Marianna, if only I’d known—”

“Stop.” The young woman pressed her hands to her hips and pulled back her slender shoulders. “Neither of you are to blame for my choices.”

Angelo’s brows drew together in a formidable line. “But—”

“I’m not done.” Her shoulders remained ramrod straight. “I’m a grown woman, if you hadn’t noticed. But then again, you’ve been off in the States and missed the fact that I’ve grown up. Maybe if you’d spent more time here, you’d have realized this.”

Kayla’s heart went out to Angelo. He’d obviously made mistakes where his family was concerned, and they weren’t shy about calling him out on it. In his eyes, she could see pain and regret. Beneath his hard, protective shell lurked a vulnerable man.

Angelo’s stance eased and his head lowered. “I know I should have been here for you—”

“No. This isn’t what I want.” Marianna shook her head, sending her hair flying. “I don’t need you feeling guilty. I need you to understand that I can make my own decisions.”

“See, I told you,” Nico piped in. “Trying to deal with her isn’t as easy as it sounds.”

Angelo turned to his brother. “Maybe if you’d have told me sooner—”

Nico’s dark brows drew together in a formidable line. “Told you—I tried calling you but I always got your voice mail. And you didn’t call back.”

“I...I was getting around to it.”

Nico shook his head in disbelief. “I’m glad to know where I fit on your list of priorities.”

“You don’t understand.” Angelo rubbed the back of his neck. “You don’t know what it’s like to have a lot of people relying on you to produce cutting-edge promotions and other people looking to you for a paycheck. It’s not as easy as it sounds to run a successful company.”

Nico expelled a disgusted sigh. “And you think turning this place into a renowned boutique vineyard has been easy? Yet I still found time to call you.”

“Your message never said it was important.”

“Stop!” Marianna pushed Angelo back. “You aren’t helping anything by coming here and fighting with Nico.”

Angelo took a deep breath and blew it out. “I know I wasn’t here when you needed me, but I’m here now. Let me help.”

Kayla watched all of this in utter amazement. She never would have guessed her boss was capable of such a wide range of emotions. So then why did he strive at the office for such an unflappable persona? What was she missing?

Kayla was about to introduce herself to Marianna, when the young woman stared up at Angelo and said, “And I wish you weren’t here now. Not like this. Not with all of the fighting.” When Angelo’s brows rose and his mouth opened but nothing came out, Marianna added, “I don’t want to play referee.” Her hand moved protectively to her still-flat stomach. “It isn’t good for the baby.”

Angelo and Nico looked at each other as though neither had considered how their fighting would stress their sister—their pregnant sister.

Marianna moved to look at both of her brothers. “I’m fully capable of taking care of myself.”

Nico rolled his eyes. Angelo crossed his arms but refrained from saying anything.

“I hope you’ll both give me some space.”

Angelo’s brows rose. “But first, we want to know the name of the father.”

“That’s none of your business.”

Nico stepped forward. “It is our business if he thinks he’s going to get our sister pregnant and then just walk away.”

Marianna’s face filled with color.

Angelo pressed his hands to his sides. “We deserve the right to speak to this guy. He needs to know that we expect him to step up and do his part—”

“And I expect you both to mind your own business.” Marianna started for the house.

Enough was enough. The time had come to make a hasty exit. It was obvious that Marianna was in over her head and that her brothers were only making the situation worse.

When Angelo turned to follow his sister, Kayla moved swiftly in front of him. “I’m not feeling so good.” It wasn’t totally a lie—her stomach was in knots watching the Amatucci siblings squabble. “Could you take me to the hotel?”

Angelo’s worried gaze moved from her to his sister to her. “Sure.” He turned to Nico. “We need to talk more.”

“I figured as much.”

“I’ll be back after we get settled.”

Nico shrugged. “I’ll be here. I can’t speak for Marianna.”

“I 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.

CHAPTER FIVE

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.