The Marcelli Bride

19

Joe was downstairs fifteen minutes before his captain was due to arrive. As per his custom, Owen Phillips was ten minutes early. Joe stood at attention by the house and waited until Phillips stepped out of his fully restored ’68 Mustang and closed the door.

“Sir,” Joe said, saluting.

Phillips returned the salute, then said, “Good to see you, Joe. Sorry about your grandfather.”

“Thank you, sir.”

His captain smiled. “It’s a family dinner. I think we should ease off on the formalities.”

Joe nodded, thinking if they weren’t standing on ceremony then why were they both wearing ice cream suits.

“Great place,” Phillips said as he looked around at the vineyard. “I’ve always enjoyed this part of the state. Very pretty.”

“Yes, ah, it is. The vineyards do well. We’ll be having Marcelli wine with dinner.”

Phillips looked at him. “You told me you’ll be back on base on Monday. It’s only been a couple of weeks since your grandfather died. You’re welcome to take more leave.”

“I appreciate that, but I’m ready to get back to work. My team needs me.”

“The admiral has cooled down enough that you should be safe to return to duty, but I have to tell you. If I had a home like this, I don’t think I’d be so quick to leave it. A man could search all over the world and never find anything quite like this.”

Before Joe could respond, the back door opened and the Grands hurried down the stairs. For two old ladies, they sure moved fast.

“We heard the car,” Grammy M said, beaming at the captain. “We were thinkin’ it was your friend.”

Joe winced. “Captain Phillips, may I present the matriarchs of my family? This is Tessa Marcelli and Mary-Margaret O’Shea. Better known as Grandma Tessa and Grammy M.”

Phillips nodded at them both, then took Tessa’s small hand in his. “I’m so sorry about your loss,” he said quietly. “I hope I’m not imposing too soon.”

“Not at all,” Tessa told him. “We invited you so we could meet you. Besides, I like the company.” Then, before Joe could warn the other man or stop her, Tessa reached up and pinched Phillips’s cheek. “You’re a handsome one. Married, I suppose?”

Phillips looked stunned. “Yes, ma’am. Nearly twenty years now.”

“It’s all right. You’re too old for Mia.”

Grammy M stepped forward and managed something that looked suspiciously like a curtsey. “We’re all so happy to be havin’ a friend of Joe’s here. You work with him, do you?”

“Ah, yes.” The captain still seemed shell-shocked.

Colleen and Marco came out next. “We heard you were here,” Colleen said as she smoothed the front of her silk dress. “Welcome.”

“So much for trying to get you in the door before you meet everyone,” Joe told his commanding officer. “I did warn you.”

“Yes, you did.” Phillips grinned. “I’m liking them.”

Joe looked at the couple and opened his mouth to introduce them. “Marco and Colleen Marcelli,” he said. Then without planning the words in advance, he added, “My parents.”

There was a moment of silence. The Grands, Colleen, and Marco turned to stare at him. Colleen recovered first.

“It’s a long drive, Captain. Thank you so much for making it.”

“My pleasure, ma’am.”

“Please, call me Colleen.”

He shook her hand. “And you must call me Owen. All of you.” He glanced at Joe. “Not you.”

Joe grinned. “Yes, sir. Understood.”

Joe finally got everyone in the house. Katie, Zach, and Valerie were in Los Angeles, but the rest of the family had come for dinner. He made introductions, then realized not everyone was there.

“Where’s Darcy?” he asked.

“With her sister,” Mia said smugly. “They were trying to figure out what to wear. It could be hours.”

“Not likely,” Colleen said, chiding her youngest. “Darcy is always on time.” She smiled at Owen. “Very polite and simply charming. I’ll admit we were a little nervous about hosting a daughter of the president.”

“Too much like royalty,” Mia joked.

“Actually, that’s true,” Colleen said. “But she’s been a delight. We’ll all be sorry to see her go.”

Mia jabbed Joe in the ribs. “You could do something about that.”

Before he could tell her to shut up, he heard something on the stairs and glanced up. Darcy and the sister he’d yet to meet started down the stairs. He had a vague impression of long blond hair and curves, but neither interested him. Instead he couldn’t stop staring at Darcy.

She wore a long, silky-looking dress in a pale peach color. The cut or style or something emphasized her slender body in a way that got his blood boiling. Thin straps were all that held it up, he thought, knowing he could make quick work of them.

Her large eyes seemed to glow and her mouth was soft and pouty-looking. Pearl earrings hung nearly to her bare shoulders, while a twisted strand hugged her neck.

She was beautiful. More than beautiful-she was spectacular. Feminine, sexy as hell, and if he remembered correctly, he’d spent the last few days acting like a complete idiot around her.

Colleen moved toward the two women. “You’re both so lovely,” she said with a smile. “Allow me to present our dinner guest. Captain Owen Phillips. Captain, this is Darcy Jensen and Lauren Jensen-Smith.”

“Nice to meet you,” Darcy said as she shook his hand.

Lauren did the same and pleasantries were exchanged. Colleen ushered everyone into the living room for a predinner drink, but Joe lingered in the hallway. He touched Darcy’s arm before she could follow the family.

“You look great,” he said, when they were alone.

She gave him a once-over, then shrugged. “Not bad, yourself. I always did like dress whites.”

Emotions swelled up inside him. The sensations were unfamiliar and uncomfortable and all unnamed. But they made him want to say something, do something.

“Darcy, I-”

“Comin’ through,” Grammy M said as she walked toward them with a tray of appetizers. “Hot food here.”

Joe moved to one side and let his grandmother pass. He tried to think of what to say when Marco came out of the living room.

“Your captain wants to start with our wines.” He grinned. “It’s going to be a long night. Good thing we booked him a room at the hotel down the road.”

When Marco had passed, Darcy touched his hand. “It’s okay,” she told him. “I understand.”

An interesting concept, when he didn’t understand himself.

“Now will you believe me?” Lauren asked sometime close to midnight as she sprawled across Darcy’s bed. “I swear, Joe looked like something out of a cartoon the way his mouth dropped open when he saw you. I thought he was going to dislocate his jaw or something.”

Darcy curled up in a chair in the corner of the room. She’d traded in the dress she’d borrowed from her sister for shorts and a T-shirt, but she could still remember the sensual feel of the silk on her body and the stunned appreciation in Joe’s eyes.

“He was pretty surprised.”

Lauren grinned. “Color is our friend. When we go home, I want to go shopping with you and you’re not allowed to buy anything black.”

“Except for lingerie.”

“Okay. Yeah, that can be black, but nothing else.” Lauren sat up and faced her. “He’s really great. I can see the appeal. And when you look at him, there are stars in your eyes.”

“Not stars.”

“Something. You’re in love with him.”

Darcy nodded. “Which doesn’t mean anything.”

“Of course it does. You’ve never been in love before.”

“My track record with men isn’t the greatest, and I don’t think this time is going to work out any better.”

Lauren shook her head. “You’re wrong. Joe couldn’t stop looking at you all through dinner.”

“I know, and it was really cool, but how much does that mean? He finds me attractive, and okay, the sex is hot, but that’s not a real relationship.”

“It’s not a bad start.”

Darcy wished that were true. “He’s not like other guys. He holds back. No one touches his heart. He let his wife go without a word. It’s been three years and he’s still resisting the Marcellis. How long will he resist me?”

“Maybe he won’t. Maybe he’s starting to get it.”

Darcy wished that were true, but she didn’t have any evidence to back it up. “He’s a good man. Strong and loyal. I’d trust him with my life and even my heart, but I don’t think he’s interested in either. I’ve learned so much being here. About myself and life and people. I’ll be okay when it’s time to leave. I’ll…”

“Survive?” Lauren asked, her face serious, but her eyes bright with humor.

“Don’t you dare disco me. Yes. I’ll survive. Better than that. I want to get closer to you and Dad. I want to come to the White House and find a charity I can support and get involved in.”

“What about Joe?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you going to tell him how you feel?” Lauren asked. “Before you leave.”

“I can’t decide. It’s not that I want to keep the truth from him, it’s that I’m not sure letting him know how I feel is very kind. I don’t think he can take one more person wanting him to love her back.”

“I don’t agree. He seems like a pretty tough guy.”

Someone knocked on the door.

“I’ll get it,” Lauren said as she stood and crossed the room.

She pulled open the door, and Darcy saw Joe standing there. He looked between the women.

Before he could speak, Lauren grinned and stepped into the hallway. “I was just leaving. You kids have a good time. Don’t stay up too late.”

With that, she was gone.

Joe hovered awkwardly in the hallway. “She didn’t have to leave,” he said.

Darcy laughed. “Okay. That could make things interesting.”

He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “I meant I didn’t want to run her off.”

He stood in the center of the room and stared at her. There was a sadness in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. She rose and faced him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Hell if I know.” He took a step toward her. “I’m sorry. I’ve been difficult and a jerk. Whatever I have going on isn’t your fault. I’ve always been good at moving on. At taking the next assignment. I don’t know what to do. But I do know that this is the only place where I can draw a breath.”

“My room?” she asked, surprised it was anything close to a haven for him. “It’s not as if your family won’t think to look for you here.”

He reached for her and pulled her close. “Not your room. Being with you. It doesn’t matter where.”

Alex paced outside the guesthouse. The night was clear and cool. There was a forecast of rain, but he didn’t believe it. Not that it mattered one way or the other. Rain, snow, sleet, weather wasn’t his problem. Paige was.

He didn’t understand her. He’d stayed because…because. He swore. He didn’t know why. Because leaving hadn’t felt right. Because they’d had unfinished business. Or so he’d thought. But in the past couple of days, she’d acted as if he didn’t exist. Or matter. If he lived to be a thousand he would never understand women. Why did they have to be so damn complicated?

He turned and stared at the front door. He could talk to her. That was something women really seemed to like. Talking. Endless talking.

But about what? She was going to want to ask a bunch of questions, and he didn’t have the answers. She was like that. Tricky. Sly. Beautiful.

He stared up at the stars and thought about how she moved and the sound of her laughter. That in all the years they’d been apart, he’d never forgotten her or wanted anyone the way he’d wanted her.

Alex swore under his breath and walked into the guesthouse. He headed directly for Paige’s bedroom and opened the door without knocking.

She lay on her bed, reading. Her hair was mussed, her face free of makeup. The tank top she wore over pj bottoms looked thin and worn. Not the least bit sexy-but that didn’t stop him from wanting her.

They stared at each other. Neither spoke. Paige put down her book, then slid down on the bed and smiled.

That’s all it took. One smile.

Even as he jerked off his T-shirt, he moved toward her. He reached for her as she reached for him, and then he was in her arms. She felt soft and feminine and so familiar that he ached inside. Their mouths locked in a deep, hungry kiss. It had been so long, he thought as need rocketed through him. Too long.

Even as their tongues tangled and brushed and circled, they tore at each other’s clothes. He needed her naked-he had to touch her or die.

There were no gentle preliminaries, no murmured words, no light touches. Just reaching and getting naked and kissing. And then she was on her back and he was between her legs. She stared at him, her green eyes dark with passion.

“I want you,” she breathed.

“I’ve missed you,” he told her, right before he claimed her.

Tessa sat alone in the dark. Her room was quiet, even with the window open. Moonlight allowed her to see the vineyard and nearly to the ocean. Hints of salt air mingled with the heavy fragrance of the ripening grapes.

The chardonnay harvest had begun. Soon the machinery in the pressing room would clank to life, and the cycle would begin again.

Across from her chair stood the big, empty bed where she and Lorenzo had slept for so many years. She’d avoided it, spending her nights dozing in her chair. But tonight she felt differently. More at peace.

“Are you here?” she asked the quiet darkness. “Lorenzo?”

As she asked the question, she smiled. Even if her husband could reach her from the great beyond, he was just stubborn enough to refuse to speak to her.

“I miss you, Lorenzo,” she whispered. “So much.”

There was no response.

Tessa stood and made her way to the bed. As she lay down on the cool sheets, she waited for the knot of fear and panic that had driven her from this bed the first night after he died. It didn’t come. Instead she felt somehow safe and comforted. And a slight dipping of the mattress, as if someone had joined her.

No one had, of course. When she turned to look, she was still alone. But not so lonely anymore.

Four hours later, Darcy was asleep, but Joe couldn’t relax enough to stay in bed. He dressed and quietly left her room. Instead of returning to his own, he walked out of the house and into the night.

The sky was clear, the moon nearly full. He walked into the vineyards, brushing against the heavy grapes.

The leaves were dry from lack of rain, but dry, warm conditions were supposed to be good for harvesting. Or was it less sun and no-

He shook his head. None of it mattered, he told himself. He was leaving on Monday and he wasn’t coming back for a long time. He had SEAL teams to get ready. Plans had to be made, training implemented. There was a whole world outside of the vineyard, and he intended to be a part of it.

“Anywhere but here,” he murmured into the night.

But even as he spoke the words, he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. Brenna’s baby was due anytime now. How would she hire a manager before she gave birth? What about Marco and Colleen? They were sticking around to help when they really wanted to be on the road, selling the wines. There was the harvest, the pressing, the bottling. So many responsibilities and he-

“No!” he roared, glaring up at the heavens. “I don’t know where you are, Lorenzo, but you couldn’t make me care before and you can’t make me care now. I’m not staying. This isn’t where I belong. I’ve never belonged here. I don’t blame you for this-it’s simply the truth. Not here.”

His words drifted into the night. There was no response, and he felt a little foolish after his outburst. Yelling at ghosts wasn’t going to accomplish anything.

He turned to walk back to the house, only to pause. There was something…

He inhaled deeply and realized what it was.

Smoke.