Rebecca Winters - The Vineyards Of Calanetti

Angelo decided upon a new approach. “Forgive me. My tone was uncalled-for just now. When you call for the reservations, tell them that the owner of Amatucci & Associates is requesting a table as we are considering including them in the pitch for the royal wedding.”

Maybe he had put it on a little thick just now, but he wanted—no, he needed to prove to everyone including himself that he had far surpassed everyone’s expectations of him—especially his father’s. Angelo’s gut churned at the memory of his father turning to him in anger and saying, You’ll never amount to anything.

“Yes, sir.” The concierge attempted a nervous smile. “I’ll do that right away. I had no idea, sir—”

“It’s okay.” Angelo tipped the young man handsomely to make up for his brusqueness. “I just need you to know that this dinner is very important.” But suddenly Angelo was no longer talking about business or proving himself to the villagers or even the royal wedding. His mind was on Kayla. He liked making her happy, and he was hoping this dinner would earn him another smile or two.

“I’ll get right on it, sir.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

Angelo moved over to the small sitting area in the lobby to wait for Kayla. Just about to reach for the newspaper to find out what was going on around the world, Angelo caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Curious to see if it was Kayla, he turned.

His gaze settled on her slender form. He stood transfixed as he took in her beauty. Kayla’s auburn wavy hair hung loose and flowed down over her shoulders. A pair of sunglasses sat atop her head like a hair band. Her face was lightly made up and her reading glasses were nowhere in sight. A sheer tan cardigan covered her arms while beneath was a lacy white tank top. She looked so stunning that all of the villagers would be too busy trying to figure out if she was a movie star to take any notice of him.

“Is everything all right with the suite?” She stopped next to him.

He swallowed hard and glanced away, telling himself to relax. This was still the same Kayla that he’d been working closely with for weeks. He gazed at her again, trying to see her as the levelheaded assistant that he’d come to rely on. Spending the day with her, leisurely strolling about was going to be a struggle. He just had to keep in mind that they had a mission to accomplish—a royal wedding to brainstorm.

“Angelo?” She sent him a concerned look.

“Um...sorry. Yes, the suite is ours for the duration.”

She pressed a hand to her chest. “That’s good. You had me worried for a moment there.”

“Nothing at all to worry about. Are you ready for your grand tour?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, I am. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Without thinking, he extended his arm to her. Surprise lit up her eyes but in a blink it was gone. She slipped her arm in his. He didn’t know why he’d made the gesture. It just felt right. So much for the promise he’d made himself to remain professional around her. They hadn’t even left the hotel and he was already treating her like...like... Oh, whatever.

Angelo led her out of the hotel into the sunshiny afternoon. He had to admit that it was nice to get away from the stress of the wedding pitch. The whole project had ground to a complete halt. He sure hoped this outing would refill his creative well. If nothing else, maybe it would help him relax so he could start brainstorming again.

He glanced over to find Kayla taking in their surroundings. “I thought we would walk since the village isn’t far from here.”

“Sounds fine by me. I’ve been cooped up in the hotel long enough. Back in New York, I’m used to doing a lot of walking.”

“Really. Where do you walk?” He didn’t know why but he was truly interested.

“I walk to the subway and then to the office. Sometimes, if the weather is right, I will duck out at lunch and stretch my legs.”

“So you truly like to walk.”

She nodded. “It sure beats eating like a bird. If you hadn’t noticed, I do enjoy food.” She rubbed her flat abs. “Especially pasta.”

“Would you like to try some of the best Italian food in the region?”

“Definitely.”

“Good. From what I’ve heard, you should be impressed with the restaurant I’ve chosen.”

“Is it far from here?”

“Not at all. In fact, it’s right here in Monte Calanetti. We have reservations for tomorrow night.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Good. Consider it a date.”

When her fine brows rose and her eyes glittered with unspoken questions, he realized he’d blundered. But he didn’t take back the words. He liked the thought of having a friendly date with her.

They walked a bit before Kayla spoke. “What’s it called?”

“Mancini’s. It’s an exclusive IGF-starred restaurant on the outskirts of the village. The chef is a friend of my brother’s.”

“This friend of your brother’s, is he from around here?”

“Yes, he grew up here. After Raffaele achieved international success with his cooking, he returned to open his own restaurant. I suspect he was anxious to try running his own place, but I’m surprised he didn’t start his business in one of the cities like Rome or Milan.”

“Perhaps he just wanted to be home again. Have you really never considered moving back here?”

Angelo gave a firm shake of head. “Not even once.”

“Don’t you like it here?”

“It...it has a lot of memories. Not all of them good ones.”

Angelo remembered how he’d been turned away from his home and told not to return. The buried memories came flooding back to him. The loud arguments between his parents. His brother and sister upset. And then there was the last time he came to his mother’s defense. He’d experienced many a row with his father before that life-altering one—the one where his father threw him out of the house, telling him that he was old enough to make it on his own.

When Angelo had turned a pleading stare to his mother, she’d told him that he was a smart, strong young man and that it was time to make his way in life. That was when he’d had no choice but to follow his dreams. With the aid of his inheritance from his grandfather combined with his meager savings, he’d set out for New York.

Though he hated to leave his brother and sister, he didn’t have a choice. His father was a stubborn man who wouldn’t back down from an argument. And Angelo wasn’t about to live any longer with his parents and their dysfunctional relationship. In fact, he hadn’t even come back to Monte Calanetti to visit until his mother and father had moved to Milan. He had no intention of seeing his father again.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Kayla’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. “What? Um...oh, you didn’t.”

She sent him an I-don’t-believe-you look but said nothing more. They continued toward the village in silence. It felt so strange to be back here—when he’d left all of those years ago, he’d sworn that he’d never return. And he hadn’t for a long time.

The truth was he missed his brother and sister. But he rarely made the journey home. It was too hard. There were too many unsettling memories lurking about, and he just didn’t have the same draw to this place that his brother and sister did. He didn’t understand Nico’s need to cling to their heritage, not when there were so many adventures outside of Monte Calanetti to experience.

“This is beautiful.” Kayla stood at the crumbling rock wall that surrounded the village, which was perched high upon a hill. “What an amazing view. What’s with the wall?”

“The village is centuries old and used to be a stronghold against attacks.”