My Best Friend's Bride (32 page)

“About six months ago,” Nona said. “We reconnected on Facebook.”

The girls stared at each other in shock. “You’re on Facebook?” Jane asked, aghast.

“Of course! Why not?”

“Why not, indeed?” Trish said, shooting Jane a look.

Angie’s face brightened. “I think that’s awesome!”

“Facebook or Luigi?” Haley asked.

“Both!”

Lena rearranged her tie-dyed top. “I think it’s dynamite, too.”

“You’ll have to friend us!” Bev said brightly, until the others turned their eyes on her. “Uh, yeah… Maybe not.”

“That’s okay.” Nona laughed lightly. “I’m not so keen on letting you in on my secrets, either.”

Zoe grinned, liking the sound of this. “Oooh…our Nona has secrets.”

Nona gave her a play swat in the air. “You know precisely what I’m saying. Some of what goes on there is…” She paused and sat up a little straighter. “…personal.”

“Well, I think it’s cool you and your old flame reconnected after all this time,” Tiny said.
 

“Cool, and very romantic,” Claire chimed in.

“Are you going to see him?” Susan wanted to know.

Nona’s face fell. “If only that were possible.”

While Nona wasn’t poor, her granddaughters understood she wasn’t rich either. She’d raised six sons mostly on her own, after her husband had died of an early heart attack at forty. She now lived on her retirement from the simple shop she’d help run at the edge of town.

“Can he come here?” Trish inquired. “For a visit?”

“Luigi is a good man, but of modest means. Always has been. That’s one of the things my father didn’t like about him.”

“I didn’t know your dad was against him,” Bev said with surprise.

“Oh, yes. Both of my parents opposed the relationship.”

Emma’s expression was puzzled. “But I thought Luigi was Giovanni’s friend?”

“He was, but he was also a fisherman’s son. And fishing was what he was born to do.”

Tiny frowned worriedly. “That wasn’t good enough for your parents?”
 

“They wanted me to marry someone educated. Somebody with a future.”

“Like Grandpa,” Zoe said, understanding. Their granddad was a second-generation Italian American who’d been raised here. He’d finished high school, then had run the local arm of a large shipping business right here in Chandelier, their tiny seaside town. It was ironic that he and Luigi had both had maritime careers.

Claire gazed out the window, surveying the ocean cliffs and faraway horizon. “You were destined to live by the sea.”

“I was destined to marry your grandfather,” Nona said surely. “I believe that with all my heart. How else could I have gotten such wonderful sons, or such amazing grandbaby girls?” She set the open photo album in her lap and extended her arms, and they all wrapped their arms around her in an enormous group hug.

“We love you, Nona,” Rachel said, her new diamond sparkling.
 

“And I love you, too,” Nona said, lightly patting whoever’s hands and arms were wound around her.

Jane, who stood at the back of the group, stared down through the entangled limbs to the black-and-white photo on the open page. “Yeah, but once upon a time you loved him.”

“Not just once…” came Nona’s muffled reply.

The girls hugged her tighter with anticipation. Zoe, who was closest to Nona’s face, was the first to ask. “What does that mean?”

“I still love him, I do!”

The group hug broke apart as the girls stared at their grandmother. Nona brought both hands to her chest with a whimper. “I’ve never known such pain.”

“Nona? Are you sick?” Tiny asked with concern.

“She’s heartsick, can’t you see?” Claire defended.

Nona met Claire’s eyes. “You always could see things.”

“Oh, no,” Lena said.

“I’m sorry, Nona,” Rachel added.

Susan pursed her lips in a frown. “Me, too.”

“Isn’t there anything we can do?” Haley asked.

“Yeah,” Angie said. “To help?”

“I’m afraid there’s no helping with this one.” Nona sadly hung her head. “We’re oceans apart.”

“Oceans can be crossed,” Bev said.

“Not this time, I’m afraid. I’m too old. He’s too old. Neither of us has the money.”

Trish met her Nona’s eyes. “There has to be a way.”

“There is no way, my dear. Luigi and I have discussed it. But if there were…” Emotion clouded her eyes.
 

“What?” Rachel prompted. “Tell us what you were going to say.”

Nona looked around the group and her chin trembled. “If I
were
able to go…” She turned to Rachel sprightly. “You wouldn’t be the only betrothed in town…”

Claire brought a napkin to her mouth with a gasp.

“What?”
the group cried.

Nona demurred with a blush, but her eyes held the passion of a much younger woman.
 

“Luigi has asked me to be his bride.”

 
“So you would go?” Lena asked first. “I mean, if it were possible? Go, and leave us behind?”

Nona studied them warmly. “You don’t know how much you girls mean to me. You’re my life’s joy. But my heart has always been in Sicily. Ever since I was a girl. I’m not sure if you can understand.”

“Of course we can,” Claire said, taking her hand.

Jane nodded astutely. “It’s your homeland.”

“Yes. And the older I’ve become, I’ve… Well, I don’t mean to put this wrong. Because I’ve absolutely loved America. It’s given me so much opportunity. Truly, it has. But once upon a time, like Jane said, and long ago, I had a completely different life. One more tied to the soil. The land.”

“Your parents were farmers,” Bev said, reminding the others. “Tomatoes and olives.”

“And what a delicious sauce we could make,” Nona said with fond remembrance. “With shellfish.” She hung her head with a blush. “Luigi used to bring us the fish.”

“So you had a regular opportunity—” Haley began.

“To meet and fall in love,” Angie finished with a fond smile.

“It all sounds terribly romantic,” said Claire.

“We had to sneak away,” Nona informed them. “Meet on the sly by the sea. Giovanni helped us. He covered for me.” She dabbed her eye with a tissue. “I miss my brother so.”

“I can’t imagine what that was like. Having a brother,” Zoe said.

“Nor can any of us!” Tiny confirmed, and they all laughed.

“At least you have each other, not just some of you as sisters, but all of you as cousins. That’s something.”

They all added their agreement, saying they were truly blessed.

“What sorts of things do you talk about?” Trish wondered. “You and Luigi, when you speak online?”

“Oh, you know.” Nona gave a little shrug. “This and that…”

Emma lifted an eyebrow. The puppy had awakened and snuggled contentedly in her lap, as she stroked under its chin. “Now she’s being coy.”

“I am
not
,” Nona contested. “Only private. And a woman my age…” She tittered a laugh. “…is entitled to some secrets.”

“Goodness gracious, Nona,” Jane said. “We weren’t asking for details!”

“Oh, yes, we were,” Susan said.

“The more, the better,” Zoe chirped eagerly.

“Okay, I’ll tell you.” Nona leaned forward on her elbows and the others angled toward her. “We talk about the old days, and how things used to be. The adventures we had. And then…” Her cheeks colored dusty rose. “We speak of the adventures we’d like to have, even now. Just the two of us.”

“Like?” Lena pressed.

“We’d like to picnic on the shore.” Nona shared a distant smile. “With a blanket and a very large bottle of wine. In a private spot where no one else can—”

“Okay, okay.” Jane flagged a palm at her grandmother. “We get it.”

“What, Jane?” Susan said. “She was just getting to the good part.”

“No, she wasn’t,” cautioned Trish. “She was headed into TMI.”

Nona blinked in innocence. “What’s TMI?”

Rachel giggled and hugged her warmly. After the group hug, she’d moved from the arm of the sofa to the arm of her grandmother’s overstuffed chair. Rachel was their social butterfly, ever circulating, even among family. “Too much information,” she said in a whisper. “I think you were embarrassing Jane.”

“I don’t embarrass!” Jane balked, but even so her face reddened.

“Neither do I,” Trish added quickly. “I… We…” She glanced at Jane. “Just didn’t want you to confess anything you’d regret later.”

“Heavens!” Nona proclaimed. “I haven’t had a chance to regret anything yet.” Her expression was glum. “I suppose that’s the problem.”

Tiny studied her with admiration. “You’re quite an inspiration, Nona. Oh, that we all had so much spunk at your age.”

“You most certainly will,” Nona said with a wink. “It’s in your DNA. And I know what
those
initials mean.”
 

“Do you think she’s serious?” Rachel quietly asked the others, as they wound down the path and away from their grandmother’s house. “Serious about this whole Luigi thing?”

Back on the crest of the hill, they heard wailing through the living room window.

“Oh, Luigi!” followed by a torrent of sobs.

The girls sucked in a collective breath.
 

“That sounded awful!” Bev whispered.

Claire choked back her tears. “Worse than awful.”

“Yeah,” Zoe agreed. “Totally bad.”

The cousins looked at each other and nodded. Without saying a word, they’d agreed. They had to devise a plan.

“She
is
eighty-seven,” Tiny offered.

Haley motioned with her racket. “Hasn’t got much time left.”
 

“That was uncalled for!” Angie cried.

“Shh…” Emma set down the pup, and clipped the leash to its collar. “She’ll hear us.”

All eyes turned back toward the house, which stood like a lonely beacon. A lonely widow’s beacon… They were all thinking the same thing. After all this time, and everything she’d done for them, their Nona had earned some happiness.

Lena spoke next. “Whatever time she’s got, she deserves to spend it how she wants. With the man she loves.
Capische
?”

Susan adjusted the knitting bag on her shoulder. “But what can we do?”

“Something, we have to do
something,
” Jane affirmed.

“Absolutely. After all, we D’Amatos aren’t quitters.” Trish set her chin with a determined look, and glanced back at the house. “It’s in our DNA.”

Ten minutes after her granddaughters had departed, Lucia pulled herself together. What was the point of it all? Weeping over a future that couldn’t be. She dried her tears and inhaled deeply—recalling the sweet scent of lilacs and a faraway island blooming with wildflowers. Lucia heard a noise chirp from her computer and turned toward the adjoining room where she’d left it on the dining room table. The music sounded again, and Lucia’s heart bounded. That had to be Luigi keeping their appointment for a video chat.

She pushed out of her wing chair and practically skipped toward the table with spry steps.
Luigi! My love is calling…
Lucia felt fire in her cheeks to imagine a woman her age would think of someone—anyone—as her
love.
But that’s how she thought of him.
Il mio amore.
The computer chimed again and Lucia skirted toward it, first taking care to check her reflection in the mirror hanging over the sideboard. Her gray hair was tousled, and her eyes still a little red from crying. She hoped Luigi wouldn’t notice.

“Ciao, bella!”
came his enthusiastic greeting once she was seated and had accepted his call. He was as dashing as ever, with sea-blue eyes and deeply tanned skin that spoke of the sun. By contrast, Lucia was fair, having spent these sheltered years indoors.

“Luigi,” she said in their native tongue, “this
is
a surprise!”

His laugh rumbled. “Don’t tell me you’d forgotten our date,
cara mia
?” But, by the way his eyes sparkled, she knew he understood she’d been teasing.

“I would never forget you, Luigi.”

“Hmm. Yes. This is why you ran away from home to marry another man?”

“That’s so unfair!”

He stroked his chin and she saw that it was stubbled. It occurred to her he’d look handsome in a beard. She put it on her agenda to suggest he grow one.

“Si, si.”
His look was conciliatory. “You have a point. I made a slip and married, too.”

“I thought you said you loved Teresa.”

“Adored her. Just as I know you adored your husband. Yet, somewhere deep in here…” He drew a hand to his chest. “There was always a hole. As deep as the darkest cavern in the ocean… You felt it, too,
si
?”

Lucia recalled that bittersweet moment on her wedding day, seconds before she’d said
I do
. A memory had come flooding back uninvited, and it had painted a picture from her past. Just she and Luigi standing on a seaside cliff. He was dressed in a suit and she all in white. A crown of wildflowers adorned her hair. It was long and luscious then, a deep russet brown, offsetting her creamy skin and the darkness of her eyes. While they’d been too young to marry, they’d pledged themselves to each other and had taken secret vows. Though their lives, it seemed, had held other plans.
 

“Oh, Luigi…
si.
Yes, I did. It’s a miracle we found each other.”

“
Un miracolo.”
Luigi’s eyes twinkled. “But I also thank my great-grandson Paolo.”

“The one who connected you to the Internet.”

“He’s twelve now, did I tell you?”

“No! He had a birthday?”

“Just this week.”

“How was the party?”

“Splendid, but…” His face moved closer to the screen. “A little lonely without you.”

“Have you told them?” she asked. “About your…communications with America?”

“Oh, yes!” he said heartily. “And they approve! Everyone wants to meet you.”

Lucia sighed deeply. “And I them.”

“I wish I could meet your family, too.”

“You would love my granddaughters. All of them.”

His face sagged. “Lucia?” he asked quietly. “Have you thought any more about it? Taken time to consider my proposal?”

“I don’t have to consider. You know what my answer would be.”