Heart's Desire (17 page)

Sarah caught them out of the corner of her eye and instantly finished her call. She shoved the cell phone in her jeans pocket. “Guys?”

Maddie and Nate didn’t pay attention. They were oblivious to everything except each other.

Suddenly, Maddie heard Beau barking and Miss Milse shouting commands in German. Then Beau came bounding around from the back of the house. He raced across the wide lawn toward Maddie and Nate, gold fur flying.

Beau jumped up on Nate. Maddie jumped aside, realizing Beau thought Nate was an attacker. An intruder. The enemy.

“No! Beau! No!” Sarah yelled, lunging forward.

Beau had grabbed Nate’s lapel between his teeth and was trying to pull him down. Nate lost his balance and stumbled backward. “Whoa. Whoa!” he yelled.

He crashed to the ground, bringing Maddie down on top of him.

Sarah rushed toward Beau, trying to grab his collar before he did any more damage, but she tripped over an open bag of potting soil. When she raised herself up on her palms, her entire front was covered in dirt. She spit out a mouthful. “Beau. Stop. Now!”

Maddie was laughing so hard, her voice rang across the street. “Oh, my gosh! Just look at us. Dirt, grass stains and doggie slobber!”

“I love it,” Nate said, joining in the laughter.

Maddie squeezed her eyes shut and pursed her lips to avoid Beau’s tongue.

“Beauregard Jensen. You leave them alone this instant and come over here,” Sarah commanded, anger rising in her voice.

Beau lifted his head, and with a huge doggie smile on his face, bounded across the small distance and jumped on Sarah.

Sarah tried to push him away. “Oh, Beau. For goodness’ sake, stop!”

At this precise moment, with the three of them on the ground, Beau now trying to lick Sarah, and Maddie laughing her head off, Luke pulled into the driveway in his pickup truck with Annie, Timmy and his parents.

Maddie watched Luke take in the scene, and stared from his parents’ shocked faces to the devilish delight in his children’s eyes.

Luke tore his eyes from the scene and turned to his family. “It’s not what it looks like.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I
N
THE
Barzonni house, the family tradition for Mother’s Day had nothing to do with planting gardens and everything to do with honoring Gina Barzonni. As with most holidays in the Barzonni household, the boys’ attendance on this day was mandatory if they wanted to maintain the peace within the family. The only time there had been a vacancy at the large, formal dining room table had occurred when Nate was in the navy.

Fortunately, Nate was home again.

This Mother’s Day, Gina had two pots of tomato sauce cooking on her six-burner gas range. In a third pot were Italian sausages and peppers. Painted Italian casserole dishes containing cheese ravioli with pesto sauce and penne with vodka sauce and mushrooms filled the oven. The distressed black-walnut kitchen island was crowded with freshly washed salad greens and all the makings for an enormous Caesar salad.

Earlier, Gina had pulled three loaves of Italian bread from the oven and put them aside.

In the middle of the kitchen was a huge trestle table made of olive wood that had been in her family since the early 1920s. She had the table and several other old pieces of furniture that she had always loved shipped from Italy. A second large dark wood table stood in the dining room, beneath a Venetian-crystal chandelier that had belonged to Gina’s grandmother.

Gina was proud of her family heritage, and she pulled out all the stops for Mother’s Day.

Today she had a surprise for Nate. While shopping at Judee’s dress shop earlier in the week, she’d run into Sophie, Nate’s scrub nurse. Her conversation with Sophie was friendly and comfortable as they exchanged stories about Italian family traditions, and Gina was so taken with the pretty woman that she asked Sophie to join them today. Sophie was just the type of Italian girl she would like as a daughter-in-law. The fact that Sophie and Nate shared a love for medicine was the icing on the cake.

Gina just knew Nate would be pleased.

Gina could hear the male laughter of her husband and sons as they worked together to fill the swimming pool, backwash the sand filter and test the water. Gabe was checking the pumps and equipment. Mica was planting the Italian pots with red geraniums that marched around the edges of the flagstone patio and pool deck. Rafe was dragging bags of potting soil for his brother, and Angelo had just finished setting up the new fake-wicker chaise longues with flamboyant yellow-and-white-striped cushions that Gina had ordered over the winter.

Gina had made a large pitcher of sangria and had chilled a bottle of Soave, which was from the Veneto region in Italy. It was Mother’s Day after all.

She walked out to the patio and placed the drinks on a table nearest the longues. “So, what do you think, Angelo?”

Angelo put his hands on his hips and smiled at her. “It looks like Napoli.”

“Excellent,” she said. “Then I have succeeded. Come and have some wine with me.”

She poured a glass of the Soave for herself and a glass of sangria for Angelo.

They sat on their new chaises, and Gina gazed lovingly at her sons. Then she sat upright. “Where’s Nate?”

Angelo took a gulp of his sangria. “I don’t know. He said he had something to get in town.”

“In town? There’s nothing open on Mother’s Day.”

Angelo avoided her icy expression. “I doubt that.”

“What could be open on Mother’s Day?” she demanded.

Gabe and Rafe wiped off their hands and bounded across the flagstones toward her.

Gabe flopped down on a chaise next to Gina. He reached out his hand, grabbed hers and kissed it. “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

Rafe sat on the end of Gina’s chaise. “I love you, Mom. You sure look beautiful today.”

Mica walked up and peeled off his garden gloves. “I think you look great, too.”

She looked from one face to the other. They were good boys. Honest. Trustworthy. Loyal and dependable. And they were all lying to her about something. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Gabe said, just as they heard Nate’s Hummer coming up the driveway.

Nearly in unison, the boys sighed in relief, jumped from their seats and took off.

“Nate’s here!” Mica said, pushing Gabe out of the way.

Gina caught Angelo’s eye. “What’s going on?”

“They’re boys. How should I know?”

* * *

N
ATE
STEPPED
OUT
of his Hummer and saw his brothers racing toward him.

“You’re late!” Rafe growled. “Do you have any idea how close you came this time?”

“Did you see her?” Mica asked.

“Yes.” Nate punched Mica’s shoulder. “And it was good. She was happy to see me.”

“Well, that’s a win, isn’t it?” Gabe asked.

“I’ll take it,” Nate replied.

“That’s right,” Rafe chimed in. “No city-slicker moneybags is going to take my brother’s girl from him! We’re in this together, man.” Rafe slapped Nate’s back. “You gotta fight back, I always say.”

Mica peered inside the Hummer. “So did you get it?”

“When I got to the nursery, they had two rose trees set aside for me to decide. I couldn’t choose. So I bought both. Then I got four yellow hibiscus because I knew Mom just got those new chairs for the pool. These will match.”

Gabe grabbed Nate’s shoulder. “Good thinking. Bribery works with this woman. That’s been established.”

“I don’t know, guys. I owe Mom and Dad for leaving the way I did. You guys, too.”

Gabe frowned. “Listen. What happened back in high school is ancient history. Nobody holds a grudge forever. The Maddie issue is another story.”

“You’re telling me. I want her to figure out what she wants and experience some of the successes I’ve had already, but honestly, this thing with Alex makes me very nervous.”

“You love her, don’t you?” Mica asked.

Nate stared at his brother. In that millisecond, he realized he’d never stopped loving Maddie. He loved her as the young girl he’d known in high school and he loved her as the accomplished beautiful woman she’d grown into. “I do.”

“Well, then I say go for it. Ask Maddie to marry you.”

“What if she says no?”

Mica rubbed his chin. “She wouldn’t do that, would she?”

“Sure she would,” Nate said. “She turned me down once...”

“That wasn’t a real proposal, man!” Rafe guffawed. “That was so lame anybody would have turned you down.”

“I was sincere,” he said defensively.

“Of course,” Gabe said, “Maddie’s really smart. And she knows all of us.”

“You’re right, Gabe. What woman in their right mind would want this family?” Rafe laughed again and the other brothers joined in.

Nate opened the Hummer’s backdoor. “Come on, let’s get this stuff unloaded.”

The four brothers tromped around to the pool.

“Happy Mother’s Day!” they shouted.

“What’s all this?” Gina sat up and put her wineglass aside. “How beautiful! And it’s just what the patio needed. So elegant!”

Gina rose and kissed each of her sons and thanked them.

“I almost have dinner ready,” she said. “Do you boys want to help me bring it to the table?”

Nate swallowed hard, trying to find courage. “We could have a glass of wine first,” he offered.

“Certainly,” Angelo said, and happily poured the sangria for his sons.

They toasted their mother and drank.

“Lovely,” Gina said, rising from the chaise. “Now I need to get to my dinner. I really could use some help. We have a guest coming today.”

“Guest?” Angelo asked. “Anyone we know?”

“Yes. It’s Nate’s friend from the hospital. She’s been here before. When you boys were in high school, I think she said. She’s such a special girl.” Gina leaned close to Nate. “I like her a great deal, Nate.” She winked at her son.

“Who?” Nate asked, wondering if Maddie and Gina had planned a surprise for him.

“Sophie Mattuchi. Such a lovely girl.” Gina swished into the house.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

M
ADDIE
OPENED
THE
café at six o’clock on Monday morning as always and greeted Chloe, who was standing under the new awning over the front door.

“Mornin’, Maddie. I like the new awning. When do the ones for over the front windows get installed?”

“Today. Along with the window boxes. And the new chairs will be here in a few weeks.”

“Gosh. It’s going to look so...Italian,” Chloe gushed. She stopped as she reached the counter.

Next to the register was a ruby crystal vase filled with multicolored roses and white orchids. Chloe pointed to the vase, whirled and shot an accusatory look at Maddie. “Alex sent more flowers.”

“I see that,” Maddie said, coming over to join Chloe. “But look over there.” She pointed to the corner by the windows.

Sitting on top of one of the tables was a two-foot-tall cylinder that held purple orchids and purple roses clustered in a tight nosegay at the top. “Those are from him as well,” Maddie said. “He’s in London on business, so he can’t call or text like he usually does. I think he sends the flowers so I won’t forget him.”

“I like this guy,” Chloe said.

“So do I,” Maddie replied with a pensive smile.

Chloe went around to the sink and filled a pitcher with water to start the coffee machines. “Let’s see. Last week he sent you three bouquets when he was in Santa Barbara.”

“Those flowers I gave to Mrs. Beabots and to Sarah.”

“Hmm.” Chloe rolled her eyes, but Maddie could see her braiding motives, actions and intentions like colorful ribbons in her mind as she assessed Alex more critically. She shot Maddie a suspicious look. “I thought you had to go to Chicago soon for some kind of final deal or something. You’d be seeing him then. He’s moving in for the kill, if you ask me.”

Maddie tilted her chin up as she polished the copper-and-brass espresso machine. “Alex wants a date. But not in Chicago. He wants to come here.”

“And the problem is?”

Maddie walked behind the counter and busied herself filling a pastry bag with a new batch of Italian crème icing. Her fingers fumbled with the tip and the bag. The icing fell off the spatula into a big plop on the counter. Maddie’s mind was a battlefield of confusion, indecision and fear. For most of her adult life, she’d avoided relationships, buried herself in her work and kept her fear of rejection caged and padlocked.

Now she felt as if all her demons had been released. Alex was pushing her toward...something, but she didn’t know what. Nate claimed he wanted her, but hadn’t committed to anything. Both men were intelligent, handsome, ambitious and just as career oriented and goal-driven as she was. Maddie could count on one hand the nights she’d actually slept peacefully in the past two months. She noticed that her catering orders were not as organized as they had been last month. She wasn’t just preoccupied, she was distraught and confused to the point of paralysis.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Chloe walked over, picked up Maddie’s left hand and looked at it. “Nope. No rock there. No gold band, no commitments. So, why would there be a problem?”

Maddie looked down at her hand. She felt like crying. She’d seen Nate just yesterday, and last night he’d called to say good-night. He told her that his mother liked the flowers they’d picked out for her at the Indian Lake Nursery, but he said their dinner had been a quiet affair. He said he would call her this morning after his first surgery. Maddie had the nagging feeling that there was something he wasn’t telling her, adding a new worry to her insurmountable pile of anxiety.

She had to admit that the more she talked to Nate, and spent time with him, the closer she felt to him. But Chloe was right. There was no commitment between them. She had told him she needed time to sort out her feelings. She was getting precisely what she wanted. But if that was true, why were her animal instincts on high alert?

“I don’t know, Chloe. I just don’t know.”

Just then, Sophie Mattuchi walked in the door. “Hi, Maddie! How are you? Am I too early for a double espresso?”

“Not at all. Chloe can do the honors.” Maddie took in the startling change in Sophie’s appearance. Gone were her long dark tresses. “You cut your hair.”

Sophie grinned with delight. “And highlighted it. I’ve got four different colors of browns and golds. I thought it was time to go lighter. Summer and all. It’s really a change, isn’t it?”

“Just like one of those television makeovers,” Maddie said with a forced smile. “I’ve always liked short hair myself.”

“I know,” Sophie said, touching her bare nape. “It’s going to take some getting used to. But what the heck. It’s easier, that’s for sure.” Sophie giggled.

“Would you like a cupcake or pastry with your coffee?” Maddie asked.

“No, thanks. I’ve been watching my calories and I’ve lost a dress size already. So, I’m going to keep at it. I will take one of those apples though.”

“I’ve got some homemade granola I’m testing. You want to try some? It’s low-fat and has no sugar, but there’s honey in it. All natural. No charge.”

“I’ll try a sample. Sure. Thanks, Maddie.” Sophie dug in her purse for her wallet. When she looked up, Maddie saw her eyes fall on the roses and orchids in the ruby vase. “Oh, my gosh! Those are incredible. Where did you get them?”

“Secret admirer,” Chloe piped in as she put a cardboard sleeve on the steaming cup of espresso.

“Wow. He’s got great taste,” Sophie remarked as she paid Chloe.

“They are something to behold,” Maddie agreed, admiring the arrangement.

“I gotta run. Early surgery this morning. Can’t keep the doctor waiting,” Sophie said. “Good luck with your secret admirer.”

They watched Sophie walk out the door and get into her car.

“You know her pretty well?” Chloe asked.

“Since high school. She’s two years older than I am. She used to row with Sarah, Isabelle and the rest of us. She’s kind of part of our crowd, but because of her nursing schedule, she’s always bailing on us when we row or throw parties and dinners.”

“You work a lot, and you don’t bail.”

“She also dates around a lot.”

Chloe chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. “Yeah? How so?”

“She usually only dates a guy once or twice. She says they always bore her. I think she’s scared of commitment.”

“She doesn’t look scared to me now.”

“No?” Maddie asked, and finally turned to Chloe. “What does she look like?”

“Like she’s trying too hard. Like she works for Nate Barzonni and she just got her hair chopped off so she looks more like you. She goes from brunette to almost blond overnight and you don’t think something’s up?”

Maddie froze. “But she’s one of my girlfriends. She wouldn’t go after Nate when she knows—”

Chloe shrugged. “What does she know?”

Chloe was only twenty-one, and yet she was already more astute than Maddie, who had always liked to believe she was wise. Clearly, Maddie had been living in a bubble for too long. “Don’t tell me you can see this and I can’t.”

“You have five hundred bucks’ of flower arrangements in here. And those are just the new installments. Look around. Do you see Dr. Nate parkin’ his toothbrush anywhere? Uh-uh.”

Maddie grabbed her apron and tied it around her waist. “I have to think about this.”

“That would be good. And make it snappy. Sophie is in a big rush, even if you aren’t.”