13
Late that afternoon Brenna tapped on Mia’s door. When there was no response, she knocked louder, then pounded on the wood. Finally Mia opened the door and grinned. Her baby sister wore headphones and was dancing to a wild beat only she could hear. In a tank top and shorts, without her makeup, she looked about fifteen.
“You scare me,” Brenna said as she stepped into the room. Mia clicked off the Discman and set the headphones on her desk.
“You’re just jealous because I have rhythm.” She proceeded to demonstrate a couple of dance steps that involved fast foot movement and flailing arms.
“I think what you have is a seizure.”
Mia stuck out her tongue and sank onto the unmade bed. As usual, her room was a disaster area. Books were piled three deep on the desk in the corner. Piles of clothes covered the bed, the dresser, and the only chair in the room, while several open CD cases formed a free-style hop-scotch pattern on the floor.
Brenna picked two bras, a skirt, and three T-shirts from the chair and tossed them at her sister.
“I’ve been to your apartment by school. You keep it relatively picked-up. Why do you live like a wild animal here at home?”
“I’m reverting.” Mia clutched a pillow to her chest. “When I’m away I’m an adult, but somehow here at the hacienda I find myself acting like a twelve-year-old.”
Brenna could think of several humorous and biting comments to make to that statement, but she was here to get Mia’s help. She held up the diary.
“What’s that?” Mia asked.
“Sophia Giovanni’s diary. Nic has been working on translating it, but his Italian is almost as bad as mine. I thought maybe you could take a look at it. There’s no rush.”
Mia took the old book from her, carefully turned the pages, and began to read. “Sometimes I walk to the edge of the ocean and let the spray wash my face. I imagine that I’m on a boat that will take me to the ends of the earth.”
Brenna stared at her. “You’re kidding?”
Mia looked up. “What? That she really wrote that or that I can translate it?”
“Both.” She sighed. “Never mind. Whenever you demonstrate your proficiency with languages, I remind myself that I can make better wine.”
Mia chuckled. “Oh, right. Because I make you so jealous.”
“Not jealous, exactly.” Sometimes Mia was brilliant enough to be intimidating. Not that she would share that thought with her baby sister.
Mia dropped the diary on the bed and shifted so she was sitting cross-legged. “Okay, so I can pick up a language really easily, but I’m always missing out on the fun stuff. Like you and Nic. When he was twenty, I was maybe seven or eight. No way was he ever going to notice me.”
“You weren’t interested in boys when you were seven or eight.”
“I know, but I am now.” She sighed dramatically. “Here I am in the fresh flower of my womanhood, and Nic is only interested in you.”
Brenna didn’t know what to deal with first. Mia’s “fresh flower of womanhood” or her assertion that Nic was interested in her. If only. He was…
Brenna didn’t know what he was, which was probably for the best.
“We have a business relationship,” she said primly.
Mia shook her head. “No way. Maybe it started that way when you got the loan, but you brought him to the engagement party. This is not something you do with a business associate.”
“He asked to be invited.”
“Why?”
Brenna shrugged. She had a feeling his request had something to do with their past, but she wasn’t going to bring that up.
“Maybe I just wanted to get back at Grandpa Lorenzo for making my life hell and leaving the winery to Joe.”
Mia pressed her lips together. “I wish I could do something about that. You know, talk to Grandpa.”
“You’d be wasting your breath, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
“Maybe we should kidnap Joe. If he didn’t show up back at the base or wherever he’s stationed, they’d send some guys to rescue him. Then we’d both win. Grandpa Lorenzo would think Joe was a flake and disinherit him, and I’d get access to a bunch of cute guys.”
Brenna laughed. “I like that plan. Let’s work on the details.”
Mia threw herself back on her bed. “Okay. How do we let the base know we only want really attractive single guys on the rescue team?”
“Since you broke up with David, all you think about is dating. Why is that? I thought you went out when you were in D.C.”
“I did and it whetted my appetite for the whole boy-girl touching thing. Which is why I’ve been after Joe’s friends, but he’s really uncooperative.”
“Who’s uncooperative?”
They both turned and saw the man in question standing in the doorway. He surveyed Mia’s room.
“This place is a mess.”
She sat up. “I know. It’s part of my charm.”
“You have a disorganized mind.”
“Maybe. But I’m still too adorable for words.”
“I can think of a few words.” He glanced at Brenna.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
“Doing okay?” he asked.
“Sure.”
If she’d been ambivalent when Joe had first arrived, the feeling had only intensified over the past few days. The logical side of her brain told her none of this was Joe’s fault. Oh, sure, he could be a great guy and refuse the offer of more money than he’d ever imagined. But that would make him certifiable. The fact that he’d won the inheritance lottery was just plain lucky for him and sucky for her.
So she shouldn’t resent him or really want to kidnap him. But a part of her did.
“Have a seat,” Mia said, patting the mattress.
He crossed to the bed and grabbed a handful of clothes, which he tossed onto the dresser, then settled on the mattress, as far from Mia as possible.
“We were talking about dating. I’m in desperate need of a meaningless relationship,” Mia told him.
“Go fishing somewhere else,” he said.
She frowned. “Is this a metaphor about my dating your friends?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t think you’d be so macho and brotherly.” She glanced at Brenna. “Was he like this when you first met?”
“I don’t think I tortured him as much as you do.”
Mia turned her attention back to Joe. “If you’re trying to protect me, it’s really sweet, but I’m not a virgin. I haven’t been for a long time.”
Joe winced. “I really didn’t want to know that.”
Brenna grinned at his discomfort. “In the girls-against-boys battle, you’re a little outnumbered.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Quit complaining. You love us,” Mia said.
Brenna wasn’t so sure. “We’re still unfamiliar,” she said. “A regular family would be a big adjustment, but I’m not sure how one gets used to the Marcelli clan.”
“Slowly,” Joe admitted. “You told me who everyone was when we first met, but I’m not sure I believed there
