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This was her opening. She just had to take it. “That’s the thing—the honeymoon, it’s not going so well.”
“I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
“Actually, there is. I need to talk to you about Luca—”
“Elena, who are you talking to?” Luca’s voice boomed across the room.
Elena jumped. She hadn’t even heard him enter the cottage. She turned to find a dark look on his face. She wondered just how much he’d overheard.
She held up a finger to get him to wait and then she spoke into the phone. “I’ve got to go.”
“I’m here whenever you need to talk.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Elena disconnected the call. She turned to Luca. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Obviously.” His tone rumbled with agitation. “What exactly were you planning to say before I interrupted?”
Elena felt bad that he’d misinterpreted what he’d overheard. “It was nothing bad.”
He crossed his arms and waited.
“I was talking with your sister and I was going to see if she had some ideas of what to do about the lemon grove.”
“Why would she have any ideas?” His brows drew together in a formidable line. “This isn’t her problem.”
“The last time I checked, she was part of your family, and the lemon grove does belong to your family.”
“But this is my problem, not hers...and not yours.”
His last words stabbed at her heart. Even though they’d gotten married, made mad, passionate love and she was carrying his child, Luca still refused to let her in. What was his problem? When was he going to learn that people weren’t out to hurt him?
In this moment, she felt as though she was fighting for the future of her marriage. “This is my problem. I’m your wife, remember. And it’s your sister and your father’s problem. What is wrong with you? Why can’t you let people in?”
“I don’t need to let people in. I do fine on my own.”
She lifted her chin. “If you’re so fine, why do you look so miserable?”
“Because I came home to find my wife doesn’t believe that I can take care of our family.”
“And so you’re going to stand on your pride instead of reaching out for help.”
“I don’t need help. Just leave me alone.”
Really? This was how he was going to play it? He’d been pushing her away for too long now. And she wasn’t going to put up with it anymore.
“Luca, I love you. I want
to help you. What is so wrong with that?”
He shook his head, and his gaze didn’t meet hers. “I didn’t ask for anyone to take pity on me.”
“It’s not pity. It’s what people do when they love each other.” And then she realized that the night they’d spent together might have meant something totally different to him than it had to her. “Luca, do you love me?”
He didn’t say anything. And then he walked toward the balcony. If he thought he was getting away and avoiding this, he was wrong. She followed him.
“Luca.” When he didn’t even acknowledge that he’d heard her, she tried again. “Luca, answer me.”
He turned to her. “I can’t tell you what you want to hear. I can’t be the man you want me to be.”
