The Accidental Engagement (17 page)

“My father was a hard man. Not cruel, just not capable of the kind of love my mother needed. He was always off traveling for business. In his defense, it was his way of proving he cared. He did it all for us. He built an empire and he paid for us to have everything we could dream of.”

He gave her a rueful look. “All my mother wanted was a husband and a father for her child and that was the only thing he couldn’t give her.”

Ivy looked so hurt on his behalf, he had to look away.

“She was lonely, stuck at home with just a small child for company, so we began to take more and more trips to Italy so she could spend time with her family. They took us in with open arms and helped to raise me.”

Pain stabbed his chest as he forced away a wave of nostalgia that had threatened to drown him ever since he’d arrived in Tuscany. This place had been his own personal heaven when he was young. Before he’d left it all behind.

“I was very close with my grandfather in particular. He filled the role that my own father never could.”

She slipped her hand into his and he gave it a squeeze.

“But then my mother died. It happened when I was away at college. She got sick. She had cancer. They caught it too late and she went quickly.”

He paused to take a deep breath. His voice sounded wooden and stilted even to him. It occurred to him that this was the first time he had ever told anyone about his mother’s death. He looked over to see Ivy listening intently, tears glistening in her eyes. She was crying over a woman she’d never even met.

“I’m so sorry, Daniel.”

He nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She burrowed into his side, fitting perfectly as though her body had been designed to mold against his.

“What happened between you and your family?”

“My father was devastated when she died. Despite everything, he loved her. He just wasn’t capable of being the type of man that she needed.”

He could feel Ivy nod in understanding. “I think he wanted to make it up to me—make up for all the years he hadn’t been around. Make up for the fact that I’d lost my mother. So he invited me into his business. He wanted to train me to be his right-hand man and run the company after he was gone.”

“And your grandfather didn’t want that?”

Daniel’s laugh came out harsher than he intended. “That’s putting it mildly. My grandfather was—
is
—a stubborn man and he hated my father for the way he failed my mother. He blamed him for every sadness in her life.”

He shrugged. “I was angry at him too, I guess. But I was also desperate to forge some sort of connection with my father. I’d spent my whole childhood hoping that he would notice me, that he would pay attention. So when he finally did—I couldn’t say no.”

There was a brief silence and he could hear crickets in the distance. “I haven’t seen my family since.”

“Oh Daniel.” Ivy wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. The pain in his chest eased slightly.

He stroked her hair and let himself remember the days when these hills had been his own personal playground. This place had been paradise until his mother died. And then it was just a painful reminder. The years had helped to buffer the grief but it was still there beneath the surface.

“Brunelli, the meddling old fool, is friends with my grandfather. Turns out his real motive for getting us out here was to help us reconcile.”

“How do you know?”

“Angela, the woman who ran over to us at the festival?” He saw Ivy nod out of the corner of his eye. “She’s my cousin. We were best friends when we were young. She told me that they were throwing a party for my grandfather’s birthday. The whole family is here. She let it slip that they had all been holding out hope that I would arrive and make amends with the old man.”

Daniel felt a bitter taste in the back of his mouth. “Apparently my grandfather’s best friend, Brunelli, promised them that he would deliver the prodigal grandson.”

“Is that what your grandfather wants?”

Daniel frowned. “Brunelli said he did. He said he’s getting old and wants to make peace before it’s too late.” He shook his head. “But that doesn’t sound like him.”

Despite all the years that had passed, he could still see the betrayal in the old man’s eyes the last time they’d met. The day his grandfather had kicked him out of his home and told him never to return.

“What about the rest of your family? The people who helped to raise you?”

He smiled at the memory of his aunts and uncles chasing after him. “I would love to see them. But I can’t imagine they’d want to see me. They wouldn’t like what they find.”

Ivy pushed herself away and turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”

He looked into that sweetly innocent face. She might as well hear the truth sooner rather than later. “They all hated my father—hated the type of man he was. And that’s who I’ve become. I am my father’s son.”

He’d said it. She should know what she had gotten herself into.

They sat in silence for a while, each lost in thought. Daniel found himself wondering if what he’d said had gotten through to her. He hoped so, for her sake. Her eyes needed to be opened. He never had been, and never would be, long-term commitment material. He glanced down at the top of her auburn head and for one moment had a flash of a possible future—he saw her sitting there with a belly round with his child; he had a flash of painting a nursery together in a home of their own.

Good God, snap out of it.
That was not the life for him. That decision had been made years ago and he was happy with his choice. He’d learned the hard way that, despite best intentions, men like Daniel and his father weren’t cut out to be family men. He wouldn’t do to any woman or child what his father had done to them. Guilt at his selfishness these last few days ate at him, but it was too late now. Daniel couldn’t undo what had already happened. She would be hurt when he ended it but it would be for her own good.

Ivy had apparently also been coming to a conclusion of her own. “You should go to him.” Before he could open his mouth to respond she pushed on. “He’s getting older and he may not have much time left. He’s reaching out and making the first move, something that can’t be easy if he’s as stubborn as you say.”

She had a point there. He was having a hard time imagining his grandfather giving in. Maybe he was getting softer in his old age.

“Unless Brunelli’s lying,” he said. “Angela never mentioned anything about grandfather wanting to see me. Maybe that’s just another part of Brunelli’s lies.”

Ivy’s voice was quiet. “You won’t always have this opportunity. Do you really want to live with the regret of knowing you could have given him peace but didn’t because you were too stubborn?”

Her words hit home. Maybe he’d inherited something from his mother’s side after all—their stubbornness. He sighed and kissed the top of her head. “Maybe you’re right.”

“I
know
I’m right.” He laughed at her smug look. “I may not be winning any daughter of the year contests at the moment, you know with my big fat lies and all—but I do know this—where there is love there is forgiveness. Everyone deserves a second chance.”

Her gaze was filled with such guilelessness. She was such an innocent in so many ways. She actually did believe that love conquered all. And the way she was looking at him at that moment….

Oh no. Oh hell. Oh hell no.

He dropped the arm that was around her and tried to inch away a bit. What had he done? This was supposed to be a fun little tryst. She wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him. He’d known she was going to get hurt but he never intended to break an innocent girl’s heart. He had to put an end to this.

They heard voices coming from further down the path and he stood, tugging her to her feet. “Come on, let’s get out of here before anyone sees us together.”

* * * *

Ivy overslept. By the time she wandered into the kitchen the next morning, she learned that everyone else had already eaten and were going about their day. Since she had nothing to do while the others worked, she took her coffee out to the veranda to enjoy the peace and quiet. She breathed in the fresh, fragrant air. She would miss this when she was back in her noisy Brooklyn studio.

She was pondering the feasibility of creating a “Tuscany Hills” air freshener when Brunelli came out to join her. “Ah, you’ve found my favorite spot, I see.” He pulled up a cushioned chair beside her and together they looked out over the land.

“Where’s your husband-to-be this morning?”

She glanced over in surprise. “I thought he was with you at the office.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t go into work this morning. I took Daniel over to see his family.”

She couldn’t hide her shock. “He decided to go?”

Brunelli smiled. “He did. He finally came to his senses. I think I have you to thank for that.” She felt her cheeks flush with pleasure and turned her face away. She didn’t know what Daniel had told him about their conversation and didn’t want to give herself away.

“How did it go? With his family, I mean.”

Brunelli grinned from ear to ear. “It couldn’t have gone better. He was welcomed into the fold like the prodigal son that he is.”

Ivy was smiling now, too, unable to hide her excitement. “And his grandfather?”

“Old Maurice burst into tears at the sight of him and embraced him.” He shook his head, his own eyes glistening at the memory. “Italian men, especially in Daniel’s family, they can be so stubborn, so thick-headed. They’d cut off their nose to spite their face, that’s the saying, yes?”

Ivy nodded and laughed. “That’s the saying.”

“I should know,” he added. “I am just as stubborn. That’s how Maurice and I came to be friends, you know. After he lost Daniel…after he pushed him away…he and I became close. He knew I could understand because I too made mistakes with my family. I let pride get in the way…” his voice trailed off and the sad expression on his face made him seem older than his age. “I lost my chance to make things right but Maurice….it wasn’t too late for him.” He heaved a sigh and added, “Sometimes it takes an old meddling fool like me to help them see what’s right in front of their faces.”

Ivy looked at him with narrowed eyes. The crafty old devil had been playing them all along. “That was awfully tricky of you, using the merger to get Daniel out here.”

Brunelli took a sip of his coffee and stared straight ahead, a little grin the only acknowledgement of his deception.

Ivy laughed and leaned back in her seat. “And here I thought you wanted us out here to make sure Jack and I are really in love.” She surprised herself when the words slipped out of her mouth but Brunelli threw his head back and laughed.

“That’s what I like about you, Ivy. You’re so honest.”

Guilt stabbed her like a knife. She had been lying to this man since the moment they’d first met, not to mention everyone she loved.

“And you’re right. That was part of the reason I wanted you all out here,” he admitted.

And?
She wanted to say.
Are you convinced? Can we finally end this silly game?

She held her tongue and sipped her coffee instead.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” At her questioning look, he explained. “Doesn’t it bother you that he is using you and your love for a business deal?”

He was talking about Jack, of course, but Ivy found herself asking the same question about Daniel. Nerves made her stomach churn. How far would he go? How far would he push her to make this deal happen? She tilted her head to the side and tried to be as honest as possible. “Not really. This deal means a lot to him. And to Daniel, too. I’ll do whatever I can to help make it a reality.”

She’d answered truthfully but knew she was lying by omission by leaving out some key facts. For example, the fact that coming here meant she was going to be financially stable and able to save her parents’ house didn’t hurt either.

He seemed to be studying her and she tried her best not to give anything away. Suddenly she wished she’d taken those acting lessons her sister had always wanted.

“You are more understanding than most. But I appreciate you accommodating an old man.”

Ivy raised a brow. “This whole thing…it’s a bit old-fashioned, don’t you think?”

He laughed again. “You say ‘old-fashioned’, I say ‘wise.’ I put a lot of faith in family values.” He gestured around him. “The love that comes with family, that is everything. I’ve been approached by countless corporations and conglomerations, all trying to make a deal with me. They’ve all offered plenty of money and resources but they all lacked one thing.” He tapped a hand against his heart. “They didn’t have
soul
. They didn’t have true passion for their projects or for their employees.”

“And you think the only way someone can have this…
passion
, is to be in love?”

His smile was warm and kind and she was reminded that this was a man who’d raised a brood of children and even more grandchildren. “The kind of love I’m talking about means placing people above profit. It means loving someone else more than yourself. It’s not necessarily a love between two married people. However I do believe that the sort of love I’m talking about cannot be understood until it is experienced.” His next words surprised her. “Daniel, now there is a man who is capable of great love.”

Ivy shot the older man a sidelong look. “And Jack?”

He took another sip. “I have watched Jack at work—it is clear that he has passion for his work.” She noted his vague answer; he was still not convinced that Jack was in love with her. What on earth would it take with this man?

* * * *

Daniel sipped his coffee on the back porch of a house he used to call home. His reunion with his family had gone remarkably well but it had been emotionally exhausting. He couldn’t believe the change in his grandfather. He was an old man now. He had known that before he arrived, obviously, but seeing the frail man with his own eyes had still been disconcerting. And it wasn’t only his appearance that had changed. The once rigid and stubborn man had actually apologized to Daniel for the things he’d said all those years ago. He still couldn’t believe it.