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“I’m so sorry to hear that. He deserves much more in his life.”
Lynetta nodded in agreement. “He certainly does. That’s why we’re all very happy that he seems to be turning the tide somewhat. Leo swears the change started right when he met you.”
Maya’s pulse quickened at the implication. “I’m not sure what to say to that, Lynetta,” she responded honestly. “Only that Vito maybe needed a temporary diversion in the form of a distracted, clumsy American tourist. One who is set to leave Venice in a few days.”
The other woman turned to her with one elegantly shaped dark eyebrow lifted. “You appear to be much more than a mere diversion, Maya.”
Maya suddenly found it hard to swallow the small cube of provolone she’d popped into her mouth. What Lynetta thought she saw between Maya and Vito wasn’t necessarily real.
She found herself admitting out loud the concern she’d been harboring all this time and had been too chicken to address. “I think the temporary nature of my presence might be what’s drawing him, Lynetta.” She hated the needy quality that dripped from her voice as she spoke the words, though she felt a profound sense of relief at being able to finally share her fear with an interested party. She took a deep breath and made herself continue. “I think the fact that I’ll be leaving in a few days and out of his life after that makes me a safe bet as a distraction.” Maya bit back the sob that had lodged itself in the back of her throat.
“Is that what you really think?”
“He hasn’t mentioned anything about staying in touch afterward. Aside from promising to mail out the sketch he drew of me that first day, he makes no indication that we’ll be in touch at all.”
“Have you mentioned doing so?”
Maya looked down at her toes. “I don’t want to push a man who isn’t ready. Not with what little I can offer.”
Lynetta didn’t tear her gaze from the rolling hills in the distance. “I see,” she offered simply.
Maya felt compelled to continue. It felt good to be able to get this off her chest, to talk to someone who seemed to care about Vito. And who might have a care or two about the new American she’d just met, as well. “He’s been through a lot. I know he needs time to grieve. And to heal.”
“I don’t disagree.” Lynetta kicked off her sandals and slowly rocked her chair. “But at some point, he needs to start.”
At Maya’s silence, the other woman continued. “Until you came along, he hadn’t showed any signs of beginning that process.”
A bud of pleasure blossomed in her chest at Lynetta’s words. It was quickly followed by a profound sense of sadness. Even if everything Lynetta said was the absolute truth, it hardly made a difference. She and Vito had separate lives thousands of miles away from each other.
No matter what was happening between them, they would always be worlds apart.
“Vito takes too much of the blame upon himself,” Lynetta stated several moments later after a contemplative silence had settled between the two women. Her comment didn’t take Maya by surprise at all. Not after what Vito had said during their time on the galleon. The sounds of laughter and music could be heard echoing from the house behind them. An occasional child’s shriek and the bark of a dog punctuated the background noise.
“He alluded as much to me,” Maya answered. “But then he seemed uninterested in talking about it further. I didn’t want to push.”
“Vito never wants to talk about the accident. Not that I can blame him. I do blame him for trying to take full responsibility for it, however. It’s dreadfully unfair.”
“Is there a reason he does so?”
“He believes there is. Has he told you much about Marina?”
Maya shook her head and took another sip of her drink. “Nothing, really. He must have loved her very much.”
“Mmm-hmm. They were both very much in love.” She paused briefly. “In the beginning.”
The pause was not lost on Maya. “Did something happen?”
“Yes. And no.”
Well, that certainly clears it up, Maya thought sarcastically. She waited for Lynetta to elaborate.
