Without thinking, he reached for the phone to call her. He changed his mind and was going to hang up, but the phone in Ma’s house was already ringing, and she had caller ID. They’d know he’d called and hung up, so he let it ring.
Jenna answered. “Your mother is right here.”
“I called to talk to you.”
“You did?” She sounded surprised.
“Yeah. I need to get some of the furniture out of the inn, and I thought you might want some of it.”
“Sure. I don’t have anyplace to put it right now, but—”
“Pick out what you want and we’ll put it in the garage until you’re ready to move. Do you still have your keys?”
“No, I left them in the kitchen drawer beside the refrigerator. I don’t know what happened to the gate opener. I left it in my car when we were in California, and when I returned I couldn’t find it anywhere.”
It had to be in the garage somewhere, or under the seat of her car. “It’ll turn up.”
“I left most of my boxes in the garage.”
“That’s fine.”
“Your mother asked me to stay with her for a few weeks. I hope that’s all right with you. If it isn’t, I’ll move out tomorrow.”
He wanted to tell her to come back to the inn, back to his bed, but he couldn’t. He finally asked the question that started all this. “Jenna, why didn’t you tell me about the check? Gerry thought you’d told me or he wouldn’t have said anything.”
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to think what you’re thinking now. I don’t intend to do anything about it. I didn’t then and I don’t now. The money is gone. End of story.”
He didn’t know whether to believe her or not. If she’d told him herself instead of letting him hear it from someone else, maybe he would. Now he didn’t know what to think. “Tomorrow is Sunday. I’ll take my mother to church and then you can come out and choose what you want.”
“Okay.” Jenna wanted to tell him she’d found where her parents’ money had gone, but it was hard to talk over the lump in her throat. She loved him so much, and he’d dumped her like a piece of trash because he didn’t trust her.
She didn’t need a man like that in her life.
<>
Mattie’s right arm had healed. She’d been feeding herself and dressing herself for several days, and she went to physical therapy twice a week to strengthen it. Another week or two and she’d go home.
She still had her keys, and she had the gate opener gadget she’d found in Jenna’s car, so she could get in.
By the time her jailors at the nursing home knew what she was doing, she’d be living in the inn, where she belonged.
And they couldn’t stop her.
<>
After church the next morning, Jenna followed Alessandro to the inn to pick out furniture. Sophia was taking Katie to Angelo and Teresa’s house for Sunday dinner.
Jenna suspected that Sophia wanted to give her time alone with Alessandro. Under other circumstances, that would be nice, but Alessandro was all business. He was trying to dispose of some of the furniture in the inn, probably so he could remodel.
She drove through the open gate and parked in front of the inn. He closed the gate, unlocked the front door, and held it open for her. Unable to look at his face, she walked past him and into the living room. “What do you want to get rid of, Alessandro?”
“I only want to keep the dining room furniture and a couple sets of bedroom furniture. Pick out what you want and I’ll move it to the garage.”
She ran her hand over the dusty console radio in the living room, the one they’d danced to so many nights ago. “I’ll take this.” Turning to face him, she found him staring at the radio, no doubt remembering that night. “And I’ll take the kitchen table and chairs if you don’t want to keep it.”
He recovered quickly. “No, I don’t want it. What about the living room? Do you want the lamps and tables and—”
“I’ll take this sofa, this chair, and these.” She pointed to the two antique lamps that she’d helped Uncle Charlie rewire when she was in junior high school. “And the tables they’re on.”
Alessandro grabbed the two lamps and carried them out to the garage. She suspected it was as much to get away from her as it was to move them. She took one of the tables and followed him to the garage. “I wish I knew what happened to the gate opener.”
“It’s around here somewhere, unless a cat ran off with it.” He rearranged some of her boxes to make more room in the garage.
They carried the sofa out together, and the rest moved quickly. She’d have to cover the sofa and chair with something. They were faded and worn from decades of use, but the frames were solid and the springs still good. Someday, when she had the money, she’d have them reupholstered. Or maybe she’d learn how to do it herself. Without Alessandro in her life, she’d have the time.
A wave of dizziness caught her as she turned, and she grabbed the door frame to steady herself.
“Are you all right, Jenna?”
“Fine.” The dizziness passed and Jenna returned to the inn, to Uncle Charlie’s room. There was nothing left in this room worth taking. She had the picture album and his wallet at Sophia’s house.
While Alessandro carried the kitchen table and chairs to the garage, Jenna went upstairs. He’d taken two beds apart, so she assumed that those were the ones he intended to keep. All the mattresses were old and worn out, so she’d buy new ones after she got moved. She chose an antique dressing table with a low mirror for Katie’s room and a mahogany dresser for herself, with beds and nightstands and lamps to match.
Alessandro grabbed the dressing table. She asked, “What about linens?”
“Take what you want, Jenna. If you don’t, I’ll end up giving most of it away.”
“Why? I thought you intended to live here.”
He set the furniture down and gazed into her eyes. “I sold the property to Nick. He’s tearing down the inn and building several million-dollar homes on the property.”
She was too stunned to reply. He’d been adamant about making this his home, and now he was selling it? When she found her voice, she asked, “Why?”
“It doesn’t feel like home anymore.”
It didn’t feel like home to her, either. She thought she could get past the memories of her parents dying, of losing Charlie, of Mattie’s bitterness and cruelty, and of learning that the inn would never be hers. She’d shared some good times with Alessandro and Katie here, but being here now just gave her a heaviness that she couldn’t shake. Seeing it and knowing that Alessandro didn’t love her was almost more than she could bear.
“If you want to fight for ownership, you’ll have to talk to Nick.”
She shook her head slightly. “The money is gone. It was never used to buy part of the inn. Most of it went to a hospital in Seattle to pay my brother’s bills.”
“What brother? The one in the picture?”
“His name was Tom, and he died of cancer, but not before he and his mother went through my parents’ money. You don’t have to sell your home because of me.”
“For God’s sake, Jenna, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just found out where the money went, and I tried to tell you I wouldn’t fight you for the inn, but you wouldn’t listen.”
He took a deep breath and blew it out. “I wish you’d told me about the check.”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference, Alessandro. You’d already decided I wasn’t to be trusted.” She picked up a small table and started downstairs with it.
Al felt like a fool for not trusting her, but he wasn’t sorry he’d sold the inn. It was the right thing to do. The only thing he was sorry about was his ruined relationship with Jenna. It was too late to get back what they’d lost.
And he had no one to blame but himself.
Chapter Fourteen
J
enna spent most of the afternoon going through closets and packing linens and dishes. Since she and Alessandro had talked, the atmosphere was more cordial, but they’d never get back the easy, loving relationship they’d had before. It was gone along with the money and the inn. A few sticks of furniture and some linens and dishes could never make up for what she’d lost.
Alessandro asked, “What’s in the shed behind the garage?”
“That was Uncle Charlie’s workshop. I haven’t been in there in years.”
They walked out to the shed together. There was a padlock on the door, but Alessandro kicked it open. The field mice had moved in. One ran over the toe of Jenna’s shoe and she jumped. Alessandro’s strong hands caught her. “It was just a mouse, Jenna.”
“
Just a mouse?
Let the darn thing run across your foot and see if you jump.”
His silent laughter caught her off guard. If she didn’t get out of here right now, she might do something foolish, like kiss him. “If you see anything else you think I might need, stick it in the garage. I’ll look for an apartment next weekend, and as soon as I find one, I’ll—”
“You don’t have to move out of my mother’s house, Jenna. She likes having you there.”
“But you—”
“I don’t mind.”
“Well, I do. I don’t like mooching off other people, and she won’t even let me buy the groceries.” She walked around the inn to her car.
Alessandro caught up with her. “Jenna, Nick and Cara pay all her utility bills, and Blade and Maria set up an account for her at the grocery store. Tony paid off her mortgage years ago. Giving you a place to live makes her feel good, so what can it hurt?”
She wanted to tell him that seeing him hurt, that hearing his voice on the telephone hurt, and knowing he didn’t want her hurt even more. Touching him would tear her apart, and if she stayed much longer, she would touch him. Or he’d touch her again. If they ended up in bed and he dumped her again, she’d never survive.
Jenna sat in the car, strapped on the seatbelt, and started the engine. He’d sold the inn, but she’d already let go of it. No matter what Uncle Charlie said, the inn had never been hers and never would be.
She drove up the hill toward the gate, which he’d closed behind them. Resting her forehead on the wheel, she waited until he opened the gate to let her out. Her heart pounded so hard it made her eyes blurry. Deep breaths helped, and by the time the gate opened her head had cleared.
<>
When Sophia arrived at Angelo and Teresa’s house, she found Phillip there. Angelo said, “I hope you don’t mind, Ma. I invited your friend to have dinner with us today.”
“I don’t mind at all.” She smiled at Phillip. “It’s a nice surprise.” A wonderful surprise, and it was time she started introducing Phillip to her children.
Sophia held Liliana while Teresa and Angelo put dinner on the table. When Luciana started crying, Phillip picked her up and she settled right down. Vincent used to do the same thing. He always played with the babies while she put dinner on the table.
They shared a warm smile and she looked up to see Angelo watching them. He didn’t know what to think yet, but whether he and the other kids approved of her friendship with Phillip or not, she wouldn’t stop seeing him.
By the time they’d finished eating, Phillip had won Angelo and Teresa over. Nick had already accepted Phillip as a friend of the family, and Alessandro seemed to like him. That left Maria, Gina, Tony, and Vinnie.
“Family dinner at Blade and Maria’s next Sunday,” said Angelo. “I hope you can join us, Phillip.”
Phillip glanced at Sophia. “I’d be delighted to meet the rest of your family.”
Katie was a very good girl, but an hour after they ate, she rubbed her eyes, and Sophia knew she had to get her home for a nap. She said her goodbyes and drove home.
Jenna was sound asleep in the guest room. First she didn’t sleep at all, and now she slept all the time, and she looked so pale. Something was wrong, and she had a feeling that something had to do with Alessandro.
She put Katie down for a nap and went into the kitchen to call her son. “Did something happen with Jenna today?”
“Jenna picked out what she wanted from the inn and we moved some furniture to the garage. Why? Isn’t she there?”
“Yes, but she’s sleeping again.”
“She had a dizzy spell when she was here. Maybe she’s coming down with something.”
“That must be it.” But Sophia had an idea this wasn’t an illness.
<>
Al worked on a preliminary sketch of another house plan. It was easier this time, because he’d cleared the air with Jenna. He’d wanted to kiss her so much he could almost taste her, but he was afraid to touch her, afraid she’d tell him to go to hell. If only she’d talked to him and told him about the check. If she had, she’d still be here at the inn with him, and they might be planning a future together.
One of these days he might risk his heart again.
Would she be willing to risk hers?
He turned on the music and cranked it up to drown out the silence, and then he went to work on the kitchen of another plan. He saw Jenna dancing around in the kitchen of the plan, her hair flying around as she danced barefoot and sang along with Madonna.