Her Italian Soldier by Rebecca Winters

Author:Rebecca Winters [Winters, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781408903070
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon Ltd
Published: 2011-09-30T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

ON Monday morning, Lucca heard his father’s car in the drive and walked out of the house to greet him. They hugged.

“You’re really home for good. I can’t believe it.” They hugged again.

When Lucca had arrived at two in the morning last week, he’d been in such a terrible place emotionally, he couldn’t have imagined feeling this good today.

“Come in the house, Papa. I’ve made Mama’s lemon tea for you.”

“I haven’t tasted that in years.”

No. Lucca didn’t imagine he had. “Everything’s waiting for us out on the terrace.” He’d prepared their favorite eggs, fruit, yogurt and pastry.

His father followed him. “You have a slight limp, nothing more. I thank God for that.”

“I do, too. Once all the pain is gone, you won’t even notice that. Come and sit.”

Guilio looked around. Lucca watched his eyes glaze over. “Daisies on the table, just like your mother used to do. As if there aren’t enough daisies surrounding the place.”

Lucca fought his own tears. “How is your work going lately?”

His father rubbed his eyes before digging into his breakfast. “Your uncles and I can’t complain. The good news is, we have a much larger market than we used to and need more help, but I know the family business has never been your interest.”

“I’m glad it’s growing, Papa.”

His father chuckled. “You sounded like my little boy just then. I am, too. So…you’re really decided on this farming business.”

“Yes. That’s why I want those two properties. Along with this one I plan to make a good profit. I intend for Cavezzali to sell the premier frutta deliziosa in all Ravello.”

“This is your grandfather’s doing.”

“Only indirectly. I was born with some of Mama’s genes. She helped with the farming as a girl. I took to it pure and simply. But I also inherited some of your genes. You loved car design. I loved jet planes. It’s all mixed around inside me.”

His father eyed him for a long time, but for once Lucca couldn’t discern what was on his mind. “You hated me for marrying Maria so soon after your mother died,” he began without preamble. “I don’t blame you. If I’d been in your shoes, I would have felt the same way.”

Lucca was stunned by his father’s unexpected remarks. “We went over all this years ago. There’s no need to talk about it ever again.”

“Perhaps not for you as much as for me. As you know, Donata and I were childhood sweethearts. I loved your mother so much that when she passed away, I couldn’t bear it for myself or you. Not many people loved the way we did. We had an idyllic marriage. When you came along after many tries, your mother looked at me and said, ‘Our cup has run over, Guilio’.”

“I didn’t know she suffered a miscarriage.”

“Four of them.”

Four?

“We wanted a big family. I have to tell you she was the sweetest mother.” She was. “You were our one and only. She doted on you. I think I was a little jealous.” He wiped his eyes.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.