California Wine (Crimson Romance) Read online

  Two could play this game.

  Good thing her mother couldn’t see her now. Elizabeth’s cheeks flamed.

  Marcos grinned at her.

  They finished the ravioli in silence, their eyes never leaving each other as they swallowed each cheesy pocket.

  When they were finished, the owner of the restaurant came over to pick up their plate. “Buono?” she asked.

  “Mmmm,” Marcos murmured in return.

  “Do you travel much?” he asked after his cousin had gone.

  “I always wanted to, but I’m afraid I never got the chance.” She was relieved at the change of conversation.

  “I travel for my business. In addition to my Italian vineyards, I own one in France. I am looking to purchase another in California.” He swirled the wine in his glass and stared into it. “Traveling alone can be lonely. No one to share small experiences and excellent dinners.” His voice was sad, but wondrous, as if a thought occurred to him that hadn’t before this time.

  “I’ve been lucky to have my daughter with me on this trip,” she said, uncomfortable with the change in tone.

  He nodded, still staring at his wine.

  The waiter placed small plates of delicate fish covered in a lemony sauce in front of them along with platter of steamed artichoke hearts drizzled with oil and vinegar, causing Marcos to snap out of his reverie.

  Elizabeth breathed in aromas of oregano and thyme with an undernote of lemon. She forked a flake of fish and ate it. “Mmmm.” After stabbing an artichoke heart and scooping it into her mouth, she glanced up at Marcos.

  He grinned at her. “I like that you are enjoying my choices. It’s good to see a woman eat. Too many pick … pick … pick … like a chicken.”

  “That’s because everyone’s always on a diet. I run three times a week so I can eat what I want.”

  “Bravo! I, too, exercise, but it’s usually the vineyards that give me a workout.” He ate an artichoke. “What has been your favorite moment of Italy so far?”

  “Other than meeting you?” Really, she was turning into an outrageous flirt.

  “Other than that, yes.”

  “The fabulous store I was telling you about earlier.” Her idea came back into focus. Could she make her own lotions?

  It would make more sense than lusting after a man.

  He cocked his head. “Something more?”

  “I don’t know. I have a half-baked idea. I’m thinking about launching my own line of products.”

  “That would be wonderful!” Marcos beamed at her.

  “I don’t know. It’s ambitious.”

  “Maybe, but anything is possible if you have the heart to take a leap of faith and the hands to do the work.” He finished his fish. “You must know that. You raised a daughter by yourself and created your own business.”

  If only it were that simple. She knew how to work hard with her hands, but did she have the heart to create and follow her dream?

  She gazed at his face, enjoying laugh lines that accented his eyes. Those eyes. She had to look somewhere else. Her gaze dropped to his mouth.

  Mistake. She immediately wondered what those lips would feel like on hers.

  Chapter 3

  Elizabeth barely noticed the espresso and tiny bowl placed in front of her. Her eyes remained fixated on Marcos’ mouth as he deposited a spoonful of dark chocolate gelato between his lips.

  Licking it off his lips would be a bit over the top, but the urge was there.

  What had come over her?

  She forced herself to pick up her spoon and take a taste. Like everything else in the meal, it was perfectly prepared, melt-in-your-mouth smooth and sweet enough without being cloying. She ate every bit, making sure her spoon and her lips were licked clean.

  Marcos gazed at her with a wry smile on his lips.

  When she finished, she said, “What a wonderful meal! Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you have enjoyed it.” Marcos was back to studying his wine glass as if he was looking for answers. Placing it on the table, he looked up at her said, “I anticipate seeing you in California.”

  From the way he said it, dinner wasn’t all he had in mind. Her heart stirred at the possibility. But it was fantasy. She was a single mother from California and he was a world-touring vineyard owner. They had nothing in common.

  She should discourage him.

  Plopping three sugar cubes in her coffee, she said, “When do you think you’d come over?” Four more cubes went into the dark brew and she stirred energetically.

  “Probably late October. Harvest should be over by then.” He glanced at her coffee cup.

  She looked down. The dark brew was sloshing over the sides of her demitasse cup as she swirled it with her miniscule spoon.

  “You feel about espresso the way you feel about small tomatoes? You must make sure it is dead?”

  “No … it’s … um … never mind.” She picked up her cup and took a sip of coffee. It took everything in her power not to spit it out. She swallowed and grimaced.

  “I wondered about the sugar,” he said. “I hear Americans have a hard time with espresso, but seven sugar cubes?”

  “I guess I wasn’t thinking.” She pushed her coffee aside.

  He raised his hand. Immediately, a waiter came over to him. A few words of rapid Italian and she had a fresh cup.

  This time she paid very careful attention to what she was doing. No use embarrassing herself again. Two lumps plopped into her coffee.

  What had they been talking about?

  “So you’ll be in California the end of October?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I hope you will make time for me to see you.”

  “That would be nice.” She reached her hand to the sugar bowl.

  He cleared his throat.

  She realized what she had done and pulled her hand back. Heat rose from under the neckline of her dress and she kept her eyes on her coffee.

  “I believe that I will begin my trip in Napa and Sonoma. I want to taste what they are doing with the Cabernet. Maybe there will be a vineyard that an owner is forced to sell at a cheap price.” He looked at her and smiled. “Then I will come to the mountains of Santa Cruz.” He pulled a card out of his pocket. “Perhaps until then, we can email each other. You can tell me more about your lotions and I will tell you about my wine. We can learn to be friends.”

  She nodded, unsure of what to say. She really should discourage him.

  He pushed the card across the table. “Do you have a card?”

  She nodded, dug in her purse and handed him a business card.

  He glanced at it, slid it into his pocket, and gestured for the check.

  As they walked back to the hotel, Elizabeth found herself longing for his touch. But what would be the point? Thousands of miles would soon separate them.

  “It was nice,” he said when they reached the lobby. “I wish it could be more, but I leave for France in a few days. And you leave — ”

  “ — the day after tomorrow.”

  “Yes.” He smiled. “I remember.

  “I guess this is good-bye, then.” She held out her hand.

  He shook it. Then he lightly touched her shoulders and kissed each cheek in turn. “We do not say good-bye — we say arrivederci — until we see each other again.”

  “Arrivederci.”

  His hands still on her shoulders, he said, “You are very attractive, Elizabeth, inside and out. I am glad to get to know you and I will look forward to seeing you in California.” He stared at her for a moment, then leaned in and kissed her lightly on her lips. “Arrevederci,” he said again before he turned, waved and was gone.

  She stared after him for a moment, a hollow feeling in her chest.

  “He is a good-looking man, no?” A voice beside her startled her. Rosita had stepped silently into the lobby. “Did you have a good time?”

  “Yes.” Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she was answering the first question or the second.

  “B
ueno. I’m glad my cousin behaved. Have a good night.” Rosita bustled back toward the kitchen.

  Elizabeth floated up the stairs to her room.

  • • •

  Elizabeth inserted the key into the lock, her mind racing as she determined what to say to her daughter.

  Sarah was sitting up in bed, television blaring incomprehensibly while she read and made notes on the small pad she carried everywhere. She dropped everything when Elizabeth opened the door. “I’m glad you’re home! How was your dinner date? I was getting worried.”

  “He was very charming. And I was fine. At my age, I’ve learned to take care of myself.”

  “R-i-ght. Are you going to tell me about it?”

  “What’s to tell? We walked to a nice restaurant, had a lovely dinner and walked back.” Elizabeth tucked a hair behind her ear and kicked off her heels. Aah. Cobblestone sidewalks and stilettos did not mix well. Her ankles ached.

  “What did you eat? And whatever did you talk about?”

  “Nosy, aren’t you?”

  Sarah grinned and squirmed out of the covers to sit cross-legged on the floral coverlet. “I’ve never seen you like this. What’s the word they use? Oh, yeah. You’re glowing, Mother. What happened?”

  Glowing? “We talked about our children and our businesses. For dinner we had … ” As she undid her hair and removed her earrings, Elizabeth listed the food.

  “Did he kiss you?” Sarah demanded after she finished.

  “No.” Elizabeth walked into the bathroom, shut the door, and leaned against it. She’d lied to her daughter for the first time in a long while. The whole scene reminded her of escaping her mother’s inquisition when she’d come home from a date with Joe.

  And, just like she had with Joe, she touched her lips with her fingers, imitating the touch of his lips on hers. A shiver went through her and she curled her toes. To be sixteen and foolish again, instead of thirty-eight and worldly wise.

  Hah.

  As she began to take off her makeup with the lotion she’d picked up earlier in the day, she saw the jar of Amoré out of the corner of her eye. What would have happened if she’d worn a little of it on her date?

  Another shiver ran through her body. She thrust the fantasy aside and concentrated on the texture, smell and feel of the mixture on her skin. Could she ever create something as luxurious? She didn’t know anything about chemistry. With a high-school diploma, how could she expect to launch a line of beauty products?

  What had Marcos said? Anything was possible if you had the heart and hands to do it?

  She stared at the woman in the mirror. All her life she’d put her dreams away for someone else. Her mother was gone, Sarah was moving on, and her relationship with Bobby was over. Marcos was a fairy-tale fantasy.

  It was time for Elizabeth Ladina to take her life into her own hands and heart.

  • • •

  Elizabeth hummed under her breath the next morning as she went into the bathroom to get ready for the boat trip she and Sarah had planned for Genoa and Portofino. She’d be sad to be leaving Italy, but she was eager to get started with her new plans.

  “Wake up, sleepy head.” She poked Sarah in the ribs. “We’ve got to be in Genoa to meet the tour from Milan in an hour and a half. It’s a beautiful day! The sun is shining and not a rain cloud in sight.”

  Sarah groaned and stuffed her head under the pillow. “Why are you so perky, Mom?”

  Elizabeth laughed. “I’m excited!”

  Sarah poked her head out. “Must be the new guy.”

  “No. It’s my new plan. I need to pick your brain at lunch.”

  A few hours later they were meandering through the caruggi, the ancient narrow streets of Genoa, following the bright orange flag of the tour guide as she guided them through the town, stopping at selected shops that no doubt paid for the privilege of tourist visits. But Elizabeth didn’t care. Nothing was going to spoil her mood.

  After a brief boat ride, they were dropped at a restaurant-clustered area of Portofino. They were on their own for lunch, and quickly found a quiet table at a small restaurant.

  “What are you thinking, Mom?” Sarah asked after they’d both ordered risotto with seafood.

  Elizabeth took a small notepad from her purse. “Since you’ve decided to live your own life and leave me with nothing to do, I’ve decided to expand my business. I was inspired by the lotions we saw yesterday. My problem is I have no idea where to begin!”

  Sarah smiled at her. “What does your friend Annie say? Always begin with a list?”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Good idea. Problem is my mind is spinning so fast I don’t think I could come up with a proper list.”

  Sarah shrugged. “Then write what’s in your head. You can sort through it later. That’s how Rick and I plan. I list everything that’s in my head and he sorts it out.”

  Again a frisson of unease went through Elizabeth. “How close are you and Rick?” she asked.

  Sarah broke off a small piece of bread and dipped it in olive oil. “Are you asking if we’re sleeping together?” She popped the bread in her mouth and chewed it slowly, her eyes never leaving her mother’s.

  Startled by Sarah’s boldness, Elizabeth said, “Yes, I believe I am.” In her heart she feared she already knew the answer.

  Sarah finished chewing. “Yes. We are.” She raised a finger. “And we’re being very careful.”

  The two were silent for a few moments. Elizabeth struggled with conflicting thoughts. Sarah was in her twenties. It was common for girls in college to have sex, wasn’t it? At least she was being safe. But accidents happened. What would Sarah do then?

  “I just don’t want you to lose your chance, honey,” Elizabeth began.

  “Don’t be disappointed in me, Mom.” Sarah said at the same time.

  Elizabeth pursed her lips. She wished there was something she could say or do to keep her daughter safe. But the time was past. She no longer had control over Sarah. “I’m not disappointed. I’m scared for you.”

  “I know. But we’re being careful. Trust me.”

  “I guess I’ll have to.” Elizabeth sipped her wine, her heart heavy with fear that history would repeat itself.

  As if by mutual agreement, they put the topic aside for the rest of the meal. Instead, Sarah peppered Elizabeth with questions about her ideas for a product line. When they were done with their meal, Elizabeth felt overwhelmed with details, but more confident that she could move forward when she got home.

  More shops, more walking, and more ancient buildings filled the afternoon. They made the steep climb to the top of Castello Brown and savored the view of Portofino and the Mediterranean beyond.

  They drifted down side streets back toward the harbor, poking into some of the shops, ignoring others. A kitchen shop caught Elizabeth’s eye and she immediately darted into it. Gadgets, dishes and knives crammed the shelves and hung from the ceiling.

  Sarah had followed her into the store. “Wow! This is amazing!” She began to pick up things and examine them, Elizabeth following suit.

  “Wonder what this is?” Elizabeth said to her daughter. She had a rectangle of wood broken into one-inch squares in her hand.

  “Ravioli sampa,” a short woman in a black dress and white apron said.

  “I don’t understand — ” Elizabeth began.

  “Ah, American. Ravioli press. You make ravioli with it. Very old way. Is good.” The woman bustled off to another corner of the crowded store.

  Elizabeth studied the press. The old wood appealed to her. “I think I’ll get it.”

  “I thought you were making lotions, not ravioli,” Sarah said.

  I thought I was, too. “It’s just a souvenir. It’ll look nice hanging in the kitchen.”

  As she paid for her purchase, Elizabeth wondered at her attraction to the old press. She liked to cook, but still she couldn’t see herself spending days and days with pasta the way her grandmother had.

  They were leaving the store w
hen Elizabeth’s cell phone rang. “Hello?” Who could be calling her in Italy?

  “Ah, I have dialed correctly.” Marcos responded. “It is Marcos.”

  “Oh, I hadn’t expected to hear from you.” She glanced over at Sarah who was mouthing, “Who is it?”

  “Marcos,” Elizabeth mouthed back.

  Marcos continued. “Now that we have had dinner together and you have seen I am not a serial killer, I was hoping I could persuade you and your lovely daughter to see my vineyard tomorrow. I would pick up a picnic lunch. It would make me happy to have you see my work.”

  Should she accept another date Marcos? Well, it wasn’t really a date. How could it be a date with her daughter along. There would be no chance for him to steal a kiss.

  Damn.

  “Let me check.” Elizabeth covered the receiver and spoke to Sarah. “Marcos would like to know if you want to see his vineyard tomorrow.” She shook her head at Sarah, indicating her daughter should say, “No.” Elizabeth’s stomach was queasy, indicating seeing Marcos again wasn’t a great idea.

  Sarah didn’t get the message. “An Italian vineyard? That would be fantastic! A great way to spend our last day in Italy!”

  Elizabeth took a deep breath. “We would love to go,” she said to Marcos.

  Chapter 4

  The pungent odor of cured meat and ripened cheese greeted Marcos as he walked into the small grocer’s shop the next morning.

  “Ciao, Sofia,” he called to another cousin, this one more distantly related that the others. She greeted him in rapid-fire Italian. “So Marcos, what do you need today? I’m busy.”

  He looked around the store. There was no one but him in the narrow confines of the store. Meat was hanging everywhere and cheese rounds were stacked in corners. Pyramids of polished vegetables threatened to fall with the touch of a finger.

  But no other customers.

  “I don’t need customers in my shop to be busy, Marcos. Now come, come, what do you need? I’m making ravioli and don’t have time to fiddle with you.”

  “I have met the most beguiling American,” he began, his thoughts on the charming woman he’d taken to dinner.