Chapter 24
Jake
A n hour or so later, the hailstorm finally ends, leaving behind an odd silence outside Caparelli’s homestead. Inside, it’s still a party atmosphere, and I’m finding myself caught up with feeling like part of it, part of a community I left behind so many years ago.
“So you actually just packed up and moved in here? Just like that?” Gianni is laughing so hard I think he’s going to drop his wineglass. “Rosa must have pitched a fit.”
“Hey,” Rosa protests.
“To be fair, you sort of did,” I respond.
“I can’t believe you two are living in sin,” Leo jokes.
I hold up a hand. “Separate rooms, thank you very much. This is a work arrangement.”
And if it’s leaning toward more than that? Nobody’s business but our own.
The room is crowded but comfortable. Cozy in a way that makes me wish it wasn’t temporary.
I’ve lived my life in blocks of “temporary” since high school. No roots, just wings that are all of a sudden ready to rest for a while. But with the folks living in San Luis Obispo and life in Oak Creek Canyon having moved on in the decade I’ve been gone, I don’t know where I’m supposed to land.
I know where I want to be, who I want to be with. But I can’t be the only one fighting for it.
I finish off my coffee and set the cup down on the windowsill, watching everyone chat and laugh, comfortable with each other. Both old friends and people I just met today.
Antonio, who’s working for Jansen now after years with my parents, looks almost the same as he did a decade ago—maybe a little more weathered and a few more lines around his eyes, but the smile is one I remember well.
He’s showing it off now, regaling Emi and Javi with tales of my juvenile delinquency as he grins for his audience. “And then, guess who I caught him with under the vines one afternoon when he was in high school?”
Uh-oh. Danger, Will Robinson.
“What Rosa and I got up to over a decade ago is nobody’s business but ours,” I say, trying to defuse the situation, but the hubbub gets even louder as the whole group decides to add their two cents to the conversation.
Rosa’s cousins burst out laughing as she flies across the room to put a hand over my mouth, a bright pink flush on her cheeks. “That’s enough of that story,” she says over the noise. Then she points at Antonio. “That goes for you, too!”
“No, we want to hear more,” Vittorio calls out. “I’m intrigued!”
“Rosey, were you a bad girl back in high school?” Leo fakes a shocked look. “And how did we not know this already?”
“None of your business!” She turns to point at Leo now. “And stop calling me Rosey!”
“Wait, why?” Vittorio says. “It’s your nickname.”
“I’ve hated it for years. Please, please call me Rosa.”
“Sorry, Ros—Rosa.”
“That’s better.” She huffs out a breath and looks around the room, daring anyone to contradict her.
Wade puts his arm around Jansen’s shoulder and says, “Welcome to the madhouse, dude. Too late to back out now.” Not gonna lie—he looks a little shell-shocked. And amused, too.
I mock-glare at Wade. “Way to throw us under the bus, buddy.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Whatever. You know it’s true. Besides, working for your ex-girlfriend is bound to bring out the drama. No offense, Rosa.”
Rosa rolls her eyes. “Never change, Wade.”
Then sweet, innocent Emi pipes up, “You mean his ex- wife , right?”
Silence descends on the room like a thick blanket. I chance a look at Rosa, who’s closing her eyes with a wince. Her hand drops away from my mouth, but neither of us say anything.
Emi looks at me. “Or was I wrong about the anniversary gift you gave her on our first day?”
Javier murmurs, “I don’t think they wanted us to notice that.”
“Um…sorry?”
Shit .
“Ex-wife?” Gianni finally says, his forehead crinkled in a frown. “What are you talking about?”
“When would you have gotten married? You broke up right after graduation,” Wade adds.
“I—” Rosa is looking from person to person, her eyes wide with horror.
Yeah, this isn’t the way I would have voted for this to go down, either.
Leo narrows his eyes at us. “Just what, exactly, have you two been getting up to this summer?”
Vittorio shrugs. “Well, they are living together,” he says, his voice almost singsong.
“Living in the same location, not living together together,” Rosa argues, but it gets swallowed up in the chatter of conversations whipping around the room.
“It’s not like they could have gotten married and divorced since Jake got back,” Gianni says, while Wade starts laughing and Jansen just looks around, baffled.
“Did I say something wrong?” Emi asks me quietly. “I’m so sorry.”
I just shake my head. It’s not her fault. It’s not anybody’s fault, really. It was bound to come out at some point.
This is Oak Creek Canyon, after all.
The doorbell rings, and Rosa’s head whips around, staring at the entry. “What now,” she mutters as she walks over to open the door.
Standing on the other side is her uncle Geno, his hand raised to knock on the door. Her aunt is standing behind him.
I start laughing along with Wade. This day just keeps getting more and more ridiculous.
Geno’s hand drops as he stomps into the entryway, his face bright red and glowering. “What in the hell is going on here?”
Gianni raises his wineglass in his father’s direction. “Welcome to the party, Dad.”
Vittorio slaps his upper arm, almost making him drop the glass. “Shut up,” he mutters.
Geno looks around, frowning at everyone in turn. Then he spies me, and the fury in his eyes almost makes me take a step back.
Almost.
“I thought I told you never to step foot on this property again,” he growls, his hands clenched by his sides.
I’m not a kid anymore, so I stand my ground. “You did.”
“Then what the hell are you doing here?”
I look over at Rosa, still standing by the open door. She glances at me, the look in her eyes both scared and determined. I tilt my head, and she gives me a tiny nod.
It’s all the encouragement I need.
“I’m helping Rosa with the vineyard,” I say. “I offered, she accepted, end of story.”
“Like hell it is.”
“I told you he was working here,” Janet pipes up, but Geno ignores her.
“You need to leave,” he tells me, but then Rosa steps forward.
“It’s not your property anymore,” she says, her voice thin and shaky. She clears her throat and starts again. “Jake is doing an amazing job helping me keep this vineyard running. I couldn’t do it without him.”
“You can’t do it with him, either. Not without my own sons undermining me. Stealing resources from Belmonte.” He whips his head around and narrows his eyes at his sons. “I’m not surprised Gianni was part of this, but Leo? I expected better from you.”
Wow, Leo mouths, but Gianni jumps in.
“We only brought Rosa back the nets that should have stayed on this property anyway. They belong to Caparelli.”
“They belong to me! ” Geno roars, startling us all. “None of you have the right to take from me. From the family.”
“Rosa is family,” Vittorio protests, but Geno cuts him off with a sweeping motion of his hand.
“Enough.” He looks around. “Who are all of these people? And why are they here?”
“Our friends and neighbors,” I tell him. “They helped us out before the hailstorm hit. You’re a little late if you want to join in.”
“Don’t you backtalk me.”
I can’t help it. I roll my eyes. “I’m not a teenager anymore, Geno.”
“You’re behaving like one. Both of you are.”
Rosa closes the door behind them.
“Hi, Uncle Geno, Aunt Janet. Thanks for stopping by! Please, come on in.” Her tone is dry as unbuttered toast, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from snorting out a laugh at her perfect sarcasm.
It’s apparently lost on Geno, though, because he just gives her a pompous nod and marches over to stand in front of the window with his arms crossed.
Rosa closes her eyes for a moment. “Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?”
Geno points a finger in my direction. “Tell him to go.”
“Go where? I live here,” I shoot back, but Rosa puts her hand on my arm and steps forward.
“Jake is helping me with Caparelli until Allegra and Bianca are back home. And frankly, the fact that he’s staying in the house that Nonna left the three of us is really none of your business.”
“It’s my business if you’re throwing away the family legacy on the boy who almost ruined your life!”
Geno’s roar echoes through the downstairs, ringing in my ears and reminding me just how much he’d cowed Rosa—honestly, both of us—with his size and authority all those years ago.
Now, in front of a mostly unwilling audience, he just looks—ridiculous.
“Ruined my life?” Rosa looks incredulous. “How? By loving me? By marrying me?”
“You were a child!” He’s moved in front of Rosa, looming over her, his face red with fury.
“Marrying you?” Janet is looking back and forth between the three of us, her expression puzzled. “You’re married?”
Rosa takes a deep breath and lets it out. She glances at me, and I give a tiny shrug.
Her family, her choice how much to say.
“Yes. We got married ten years ago. When I was supposed to be on that high school graduation trip. We went to Vegas, and, well…” She hums the first few bars of “Here Comes the Bride.”
It takes all my self-control to keep from laughing. I’m sure Rosa can see it on my face, too, because she bites down on her lower lip for just a second.
The rest of the room? That’s a different story.
Emi and Javi are the most “in the know,” just from that argument Rosa and I had in front of them on their first day, so this information doesn’t surprise them. Rosa’s cousins are looking back and forth from Geno to me, eyes wide, soaking up every salacious detail. Jansen, Wade, and their crews look like they’d rather be anywhere but in this crowded, crazy room.
Geno looks like he’s about to stroke out right here on the hardwood floor. Janet can best be described as horrified .
“You got married? Way back then? And didn’t tell anyone?” She turns slowly and stares at her husband. “You’re not surprised. Why are you not surprised?”
He doesn’t say anything, just stands there fuming. I jump in the gap, because I’m petty like that. “Oh, he already knew. He’s known since the day we got back.”
“What?” Janet’s mouth drops open.
Geno glares at me. If looks could kill, I’d be a corpse right now.
“I handled it,” he seethes through gritted teeth. “They got an annulment. Over and done.” He glares at me again. “Until now.”
“That doesn’t mean you can keep something like that from me,” she says, her voice wobbling a little.
Damn, I almost feel bad about that.
“There was a lot going on,” he says defensively, and she straightens.
“That is no excuse, Geno.” She glances at Rosa. “Apparently I’ve been kept out of the loop on a lot of things.”
“Here’s one more,” Rosa says, talking to her aunt but staring at her uncle. “The annulment never happened. Jake and I are still married.”
“No.” Geno’s bluster is finally quiet; I can barely hear his whispered response. “That can’t be true.”
“It is.” Rosa takes a step closer to me, not quite touching but close enough her aunt and uncle both clock the move. “The paperwork was never filed. I verified it myself the other day.”
“This ruins everything.” Geno flings out his hand and points at me. “Don’t you understand? He could take Caparelli from us!”
“What are you talking about?” Rosa gapes at him.
“He can claim ownership as your—” He swallows hard. “Your husband.”
“I would never,” I exclaim, but Rosa jumps to my defense anyway.
“You still don’t get it, do you, Uncle Geno?” She shakes her head. “Jake is here helping me with Caparelli because he’s a decent human being, not because he’s trying to steal Caparelli away. Also, the only us he could take it from is me, Allegra, and Bianca, because you aren’t part of it anymore. We are. Nonna left us Caparelli, and the three of us intend to make it something she would be proud of. So who I choose to hire or partner with or ask for help is none of your business anymore. ”
Silence fills the room. I can hear the grandfather clock ticking in the corner, and every beat sounds like a rifle shot.
“Fine.” Geno stomps to the door and flings it open, then turns back to look at us. The anger in his gaze is overpowering. “Go ahead and make your own mistakes. You always have, despite my best efforts. But when you lose Caparelli—and mark my words, you will lose Caparelli—don’t come crawling back to Belmonte for help. I wash my hands of you.” He shakes his head. “You, your sisters, whatever losers you decide to choose over your family. All of you.”
He steps out the door onto the porch and heads to his truck, his shoulders a tight line. Janet scurries after him, tossing Rosa a tight-lipped glance as she leaves the house.
Everyone is silent and frozen as the rumble of Geno’s truck fades away in the distance.
Then, the room leaps to life again.
“Welp, time for us to go,” Gianni says, nudging his brothers and heading for the door. “Rosa, Jake, thanks for the hospitality.”
“I expect all the details tomorrow,” Wade murmurs to me in a low voice as he passes by, startling a muffled snort out of me.
The rest of the crowd files out in rapid succession, finally leaving the two of us alone.
Rosa and I stand there in silence until all we can see is the taillights of the departing vehicles as they turn at the bottom of the road.
“So.” Rosa claps her hands together and smiles brightly. “That went well.”
Then she sucks in a breath and spins around, heading for the stairs, but not before I can see the tears shining in her eyes.