Olivia squirmed on her seat. “I was very sorry to hear of his tragedy.” What else could she say? Olivia was out of her element with no idea of this family’s dynamics.
“How about you, Olivia? You have a big family?”
“I have three brothers. One is away at war.”
“Oh, your poor mother. I was fortunate that none of my boys had to go.” She made the sign of the cross. “Like Darius, my Nicolas has a family to look after.”
Olivia nodded. “My brother Leo lives at home and works in my parents’ store. And the youngest one, Salvatore, just became a priest.”
“Ahh.” The woman’s face softened. “It’s always nice to have a priest in the family.”
“We’re very proud of him.” Olivia let her gaze dart to the door, wishing someone would come in and provide a distraction. How long could she skirt all the topics that could force her to lie to this nice woman?
“And you, Olivia? You want a big family someday?” Mrs. Reed stared right at her.
Olivia swallowed hard and set her glass on the table. “I love children,” she said slowly, “and I will accept whatever family God sees fit to give me.”
Mrs. Reed pursed her lips. “A wise answer. Only God knows our future.”
The door opened, and Darius poked his head in. “How’s it going in here?”
Olivia shot to her feet, relief flooding her system like a drug. “Fine. I offered to help, but your mother wouldn’t let me.”
He smiled, coming farther into the room. “Of course not. You’re a guest.” He held out a hand to her. “I hope you don’t mind, Mamá, but I’m going to steal Olivia away now.”
“We had a nice talk. You send your aunts in now to help.”
“Yes, Mamá.” Grinning, Darius led Olivia out a side door and headed toward the rear of the house.
Olivia breathed in the fresh air, allowing her tense muscles to relax for the first time since arriving at the Reeds’ home. With her hand securely tucked in Darius’s, she took a moment to savor the confidence he exuded and the heady sense of safety she felt in his presence.
When he turned and sent her a wink, her heart hiccupped in her chest.
It was becoming more and more difficult to resist his charms, and she found her resolve to distance herself wavering.
The backyard was long and narrow, with a vegetable garden occupying most of the left-hand side. Blossoming vines covered the rear fence, and the right side of the yard was taken up with long tables, gaily decorated with balloons. Guests milled about the lawn, talking and laughing, and the smell of roasting meat drifted through the air.
Darius nodded to the others but continued to the far corner of the garden.
There, she was surprised to see a secluded nook with a wooden bench and a covered trellis that afforded them a degree of privacy.
Darius tugged her down beside him, keeping her hand in his. “I hope my mother didn’t interrogate you too much.”
“No, she was fine.”
“Are you sure? You seem a little . . . overwhelmed.” His blue eyes radiated concern.
“This is a lot to take in,” she admitted. She’d pictured a relatively intimate family celebration, but there had to be more than forty people here.
“Thank you for putting up with it. And thank you for Sofia’s gift. She adores it.”
A blush heated her cheeks. “I’m glad she likes it.”
“She likes you more. And I must say I agree with her.” He grinned, then leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to hers.
A thrill shot right through her, sending tingles dancing up her spine. When his hand came up to cup her face, every argument why she couldn’t be with him flew from her mind. She started to kiss him back, but the sudden realization of what she was doing dawned on her, and she quickly pulled away.
“Your family is right over there,” she said.
“No one can see us. Besides, I’ve wanted to do that all day.”
He bent toward her again, but she laid a hand on his chest.
“Behave yourself,” she whispered.
A loud clanging sounded. “The food is ready,” a voice called out. “Everyone to the tables.”
Darius groaned. “Saved by the dinner bell.”
Her relief bubbled out in a laugh as they got up to join the rest of the group.
“To be continued later,” he said in a husky voice, sending another parade of chills up her spine.
For the rest of the celebration, however, they were never alone, which was probably for the best. Olivia sat by one of Darius’s many aunts, who regaled her with stories of Darius as a boy for the majority of the delicious meal. Olivia managed to deflect most of his aunt’s questions with vague answers and was relieved when all the attention turned to the birthday girl. Sofia beamed as she cut her cake and opened her gifts. When dusk fell and the singing and dancing started, Olivia rose to find the bathroom.
Darius was waiting in the hall when she came out. “I’m sensing you might be ready to leave.”
Shouts of “Opa!” echoed from outside.
She nodded. “If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Just let me tell my parents.”
She bit her lip, her manners warring with her nerves. “I should say good-bye to everyone. . . .”
“I would advise against that, or they’ll hold you hostage until you dance with all the uncles.” He laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell them good-bye for you. Believe me, I know how much energy our family requires. You have to get used to us in small doses.”
He was right. Even with a fairly large Italian family, Olivia had never experienced a gathering like this.
Sofia ran up. “I have to use the bathroom.” Her battered crown slipped over one eye, and she pushed it up.
Darius put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Say good-night to Miss Olivia first. She’s going home now. I’ll be right back with the car keys.” He strode away.
Sofia’s nose scrunched. “You’re leaving already? It’s not even my bedtime yet.”
“I know, honey.” Olivia bent
