I close my eyes and open them again, knowing what I have to say but not wanting to say it. ‘Si. But with love comes the power of pain, and the ability to destroy a man...or a woman...when it’s taken away. Through fate, through choice, whatever reason. It is not a given. It is not a guarantee. You can’t control it.’
‘And so you run away from it? You’re scared of it.’
I want to refute that. I’m never scared. I don’t run away. And yet...
‘I guess I do.’
‘Maybe you just haven’t met the right woman.’
I want to laugh. My insides tremble with the shock of it, the force of it. She is the right woman. If ever there was someone I could fall in love with, it’s her. I know it as well as I know I can’t do it. I can’t let myself go there.
She takes a shaky breath and steps out of my hold. I can see her physically shutting down. ‘We should get back. They’ll be wondering where we’ve got to, and we don’t want Dani to suspect any more than she already does.’
I want to stop her. I want to say so much more. I want to promise her the world, to take away her sorrow, and I can do none of that. It would only make me as bad as her ex-husband. And so I nod and gesture for her to lead the way. My gut rolls, my chest aches and I understand none of it. In all my adult life, I don’t remember being this confused, this...helpless.
‘There you both are!’
I lift my gaze to the head of the path to see Dani standing there, one hand on her hip, a glass of wine in the other.
‘We’re all ready for another game of cards, and I’m not pairing with Mamma this time, Rafael. It’s your turn.’
I rake a hand through my hair and manage a smile, grateful for the normality, even if it does come via my family.
‘Cards again? Why can’t we just have a quiet nightcap, a civilised early night before tomorrow’s fun?’
‘Are you serious?’ Dani blurts.
‘Maybe.’
‘Dio, Rafael! When did you get so old?’
I wince. ‘Enough of the old.’
‘There’ll be enough of the old when you stop being a party pooper and running away with the maid of honour!’
The air catches and Faye tenses up in front of me, her laugh too high. ‘Well, this maid of honour is just going to freshen up. I’ll come and join you shortly.’
She hurries past Dani and we both watch her go, the tension building around us. I know there’s an onslaught coming; the air positively thrums with it but I’m not ready to go there, not when I’m still reeling from my conversation with Faye.
‘You don’t need to worry about playing cards with Marianna tonight.’ I force her onto a topic I’m surprisingly comfortable with. ‘I think Giovanni has that role well covered.’
She eyes me as she takes a sip of her drink and closes the distance between us. ‘You’ve noticed, then?’
‘It’s impossible to miss.’
‘Funny story there...’ She waves her glass at me. ‘It turns out it was Aunt Netta’s plan all along.’
‘What was?’
‘To bring Giovanni, to try to relight an age-old spark and see her sister happy again.’
I frown. ‘They were never...’
‘No.’ She smiles at me, her big brown eyes soft and warm. ‘But Giovanni has loved her for as long as Papà. Apparently, they met the same night but Papà got in there first. It seems Giovanni has never quite forgotten her.’
‘Right.’ I nod as I let that sink in. ‘It’s a good job I stopped her bringing her own man after all, then.’
She hums her agreement and I give a small chuckle. ‘I really wasn’t expecting that.’
‘No, I don’t think Mamma was either, but she seems happy. Happier than I’ve ever known her to be. It’s nice... It’s even nicer still to see you two getting along so much better, you and Mamma.’
I exhale softly. She’s right, it does feel better. We’ve some way to go, but...
‘Maybe you really should take some time while we’re out here, away from work and life’s little distractions, to talk to her. Properly, I mean...’
‘Now you sound like Faye.’
It’s out before I think better of it. Here I am, trying to avoid talking about Faye, and I’m the one who brings her up. I glance her way and regret it even more. Her brows are raised, her eyes glinting with something. Not quite alarm, but she’s not exactly at ease either.
‘Is that why the two of you seem to be attached at the hip? She’s talking you through your issues with our mother?’
‘Yes, we’ve talked about it,’ I say, ignoring her exaggeration that’s not as much of an exaggeration as it should be. ‘She’s surprisingly easy to talk to.’
Dani goes quiet, too quiet.
‘Whatever you’re thinking...’ I flick her look. ‘Just say it.’
‘I’m worried.’ She raises her free hand, palm out. ‘I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, fratellone, but don’t mess her around, okay?’
‘Says the woman who wanted to throw her to the wolves.’
She laughs, her eyes dancing now. ‘I wanted to throw her at Dante.’
‘And you think he’s a better man than me?’
Why am I even encouraging this conversation?
She’s quiet again and her eyes turn sombre. ‘It’s different.’
‘Why? Because he’s not your brother?’
‘No.’ She’s resolute as she pins me with a hard stare. ‘Because he is Dante. He’s young, he’s all about the fun, he can show her a good time.’
‘And I can’t?’
‘You, my dear brother, will chew her up and spit her out.’
‘I’m so glad you have such a high opinion of me,’ I say, not bothering to hide how much it stings.
‘I do have a high opinion of you, and I’m scared. With Dante there can be no confusion, Raf. She knows what she’s getting, there’s no risk...no risk of her falling in love.’
‘In love?’ I shake my head and refuse to accept how her words chime with the
