I gently pull Elodie closer until we’re standing in front of them. I watch as her eyes move from one to the other, reading each carefully chiseled inscription.
“We never recovered Alessio’s body, so this is all we have to remember him by.”
Elodie slides her arms around me, hugging my waist while she nuzzles her face against my chest, and I move on to the next headstone.
“Giacomo was my father. He’s buried beside Rose, my mother. And the marker to her right is for my little sister, Gianna.”
Elodie stiffens at that, turning her face upward to regard me with sorrowful eyes. “I didn’t realize you had another sister.”
“I never met her. My mother was coming home after giving birth when the car she was traveling in was involved in a head-on collision. They both died almost instantly, from what I’ve been told.” I swallow heavily, reliving emotions I’d kept buried for decades. “I wasn’t quite three when it happened.”
Her face crumples in concern, and I hug her close for a moment, relishing the comfort she gives me. The ease with which she soothes my soul.
I feel a sense of rightness in the air around us, almost as though my parents approve of the woman in my arms, and it’s with a genuine smile that I pull back. “We’re almost there. Come on.”
ELODIE
Rafe wasn’t lyingwhen he said the hike would be worth it. Because it totally was.
The view from the hilltop is like nothing I’ve ever witnessed, and I can see clearly now why this island was the family’s primary residence when the boys were little.
I could happily live here for the rest of my life.
“Food’s ready.”
Rafe’s deep voice calls from inside the kitchen, which I was surprised to learn had been fully stocked with whatever we might need earlier this morning.
As I enter the open-plan space, my mouth lifts in a smile when I stop to watch Rafe plate up the lunch he’s so carefully crafted. He looks up, his eyes lightening in color as he catches me, and he beckons me closer with a tilt of his chin.
The smell of the delicious food hits my nose, and saliva fills my mouth. “Caprese salad and lasagna?” My eyes shoot to Rafe’s. “My favorite! How did you know?”
He shrugs with a wide grin. “I have my methods.” Then he pulls out a dining chair with a flourish. “Now, eat your carbs. You’re going to need them.”
I giggle at the innuendo as he slips into the seat opposite mine and serves us both two large helpings of salad. Digging in with gusto, I finish and reach for more before he’s even halfway through his portion.
He watches indulgently as I move onto the lasagna, and his eyes flare with unmistakable desire when I moan loudly, chewing my first delicious mouthful. “MyGod, you are good! Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Once he’s swallowed his bite of salad, he shrugs nonchalantly. “Alessio was Papa’s shadow. Groomed to take over from the day of his conception…” he trails off with a humorless chuckle. “I kept mostly to myself. I was one of those kids whosaw everything because no one noticed I was in the room. Until Emiliano.”
His face brightens at the mention of his oldest friend, and my heart feels lighter because of it. “His mama, Beatrice, was our cook.” He snorts a laugh. “Clearly, that’s where he discovered his passion for food. She was an excellent cook. This is her recipe.”
“I’m glad you found Sas—I mean, Emiliano.”
He chuckles as he plates up some lasagna. “Even if he drives me fucking crazy sometimes.”
I shake my head with a wry grin, glancing around at the clock. When I realize the time, I look back at Rafe with wide eyes. “Now that you mention it, we should get back. He’ll be worried.”
Rafe throws his head back and laughs loudly before his mirth-filled eyes find mine. “I’ll send a carrier pigeon to keep him updated.”
My lips curve upward in a delighted smile. “Are we going to stay the night here?”
Rafe nods as he chews around a mouthful of lasagna. “Mm-hmm.”
I wriggle my butt on the seat in excitement before realizing that following the heat of the day combined with that hike uphill, I really could use a spare change of clothes. “Umm…did you happen to ask the staff who brought the food to stock some fresh clothes?”
His eyes drop down my body, and despite the temperature, goosebumps of anticipation pepper my skin from head to toe. “I’m thinking clothes are entirely optional for the remainder of this trip.”
Then he pops a piece of tomato into his mouth with a completely wolfish expression that makes me laugh. “And I know exactly how to play this one.”
