Chapter 5
Matteo
REEE-REEE-REE-VROOM!
The tiny Fiat revved high before lurching forward with a sharp jerk and stalling.
The beautiful woman inside muttered something, probably a curse, then started the car again.
Reee-reee-ree-VROOM! The clutch caught, the tires chirped again, and the poor car hopped forward a couple of meters before stalling in front of the door to the antique shop.
Dust was still hanging in the air as she got out and slammed the door.
She walked over to the front tire and kicked it, then hopped on one foot like she might’ve broken a toe.
It was comical to watch. But I had no idea what she was doing here.
American tourists flooded the area in the summer, with their oversized sunglasses and big floppy hats, just like the one she had on now.
It seemed odd we’d meet again, especially since I hadn’t had a chance to stop thinking about her.
Maybe she’d seen the wooden signs for Sophia’s antique shop?
I hadn’t gotten around to taking those down yet, so tourists still showed up a few times a week, though the majority of Sophia’s business had been locals.
I’d been repairing the mesh fencing on the outer perimeter of the orchard about fifteen meters away, so I could’ve yelled over and told her the place was closed. But instead, I lifted my hand to my brow and shielded my eyes from the sun for a better look.
Even with half of her face now hidden by sunglasses and a hat, there was something striking about the American.
Full lips, an elegant, straight nose, and long wavy brown hair.
She was dressed like a tourist about to go on a gondola, with a navy blazer, white tailored slacks, and a phone in her hand.
She held the cell up to the sky and moved it around like she was trying to find service.
Eventually she frowned. I expected her to try the shop’s door handle, then climb back into her car and hit the gas when she realized it was closed, probably leaving a wake of dirt kicked up behind her.
But instead, she tucked the phone into her back pocket, opened the trunk, and pulled out a suitcase.
Clearly, she was at the wrong place. So I lifted my hand. “Scusa me. The shop, it is not open.”
The woman’s head whipped to the left and she squinted. “You? How? Did you follow me?”
I shook my head. “Considering I’m here for two hours working and you just arrived, I think that you followed me.”
“I did not follow you.”
I pointed to the antique store. “The shop. It is closed. Permanently.”
“Oh, I know.” She looked around at Sophia’s property. “Who cuts the lawn?”
Strange question. But whatever… “Me.”
“Are you the landscaper?”
“No.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Then…why do you cut it?”
“Because it needs cutting, and it’s da right thing to do.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, thank you, I guess.”
I nodded.
She went back to looking at the antique shop for a minute before walking around to the backseat of the car and pulling out a small carrier. A cat meowed from inside.
What the hell is this woman doing? Before I could ask, she set the carrier on top of the first suitcase and started to pull a second bag from the trunk.
This one looked like it weighed more than she did, and its wheels weren’t going to roll over the dirt and gravel too easily, so I hopped over the mesh fence and went to help.
The trunk of the car had two more big suitcases inside. I lifted one out. “Are you moving in?”
“No, just visiting for a while.”
I pointed to the shop. “And you’re staying at Sophia’s?”
She sighed and looked at the door. “Yes.”
The way she answered rubbed me the wrong way. If she wasn’t thrilled about the accommodations from the outside, she certainly wasn’t going to like the damage on the inside. Yet when Miss Straw Hat went to pull the last suitcase out of the trunk, I held my hand up. “Please. Allow me.”
“Thank you, but I’m capable of lifting it.”
I grabbed the bag anyway. “I’m sure you are, but I still like to do it.” Once I set the bag on the ground, I wiped my hand on my jeans and offered it. “Matteo Lucchese.”
“Allegra Bianchi.”
Her skin was so soft. It took a few beats to realize what she’d just said. “Allegra? Sophia’s granddaughter?”
The woman nodded. “That’s right.”
I offered a small bow. “I am very sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.” Allegra looked up at the antique shop again. “It feels strange to be here without her.”
“Her spirit is probably still around.” I paused. “Whenever I think of her, I imagine she is either busy making trouble in Heaven or flirting with St. Peter.”
“That sounds about right.” Allegra smiled, and my eyes lingered on her lips for an extra second or two. “Did you know my grandmother well?”
“I like to think so.”
“Do you live nearby?”
I pointed to the property next door, though you couldn’t see the house from where we were standing. “Vicini…I’m not sure of the word in Inglese.”
“Neighbors. At least I think that’s what you meant. My Italian is pretty rusty.”
I nodded. “Yes, neighbors.”
She crossed her arms. “Pretty big coincidence that you rescued me on the side of the road today, and now we’re neighbors, isn’t it?”
I shrugged. “I do not believe in coincidences.”
She tilted her head. “What do you believe in?”
“I think things usually happen for a reason.”
“What’s the reason we’ve met twice in a day?”
“I am not sure yet.”
“Well, let me know when you figure it out.” She grabbed the handle of one of her suitcases. “I’ll be over here, probably cleaning dust bunnies for a while.”
“Dust bunnies are not the problem.”
Her brows formed a V. “What are you talking about?”
“The house, it has some damage.”
“Damage? What kind of damage?”
“There was a flood. A pipe in the second-floor bathroom, it burst. I stop inna to check on things every week or two. Last month, I came in and found it raining in the back room of the shop below.”
Her jaw fell open. “Oh no.”
“The wood that supports the bathroom floor grew soft, and part of it gave way under the weight of da cast-iron tub on the second floor.”
Allegra’s eyes widened. “The tub came through the floor?”
I nodded. “I stopped the water. Cleaned it up nice and replaced the beams. Put some plywood down so there’s no big hole in the floor. But I no get around to putting in a new tub, so, eh, there’s nowhere to take the bath or the shower. I didn’t know anyone was coming.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Oh gosh. And all I’ve been thinking about the last nineteen hours is a hot shower.
My connection was delayed, and when I finally landed and got to the rental car place, they only had a stick shift left, which I’ve never driven before.
Then I got lost because there was no cell service, and the GPS on my phone stopped working.
Not to mention, I ran out of gas, and when I pulled into your friend Enzo’s shop to fill my tank, I realized I had a flat tire.
That’s what took me so long to get here. ”
“I’m sorry to hear.”
“Are you the handyman of the property or something?”
“I’m handy and a man, sure. But I don’t think that’s what you are asking me.” I shook my head. “I don’ work for the estate.”
“But you took care of the flood and made repairs?”
“Si.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. “Because it’s da right thing to do, and it need to be done.”
She looked at me, almost suspect. “That’s the second time you’ve said that since I got here not five minutes ago.”
“I wasn’t sure what was going on with the property. Sophia, she wouldn’t have wanted the place to be ignored. She loved her home.”
Allegra’s lips pursed. “I wasn’t ignoring it. I assumed she’d left the property to her sister who would have been maintaining it.”
“She hadn’t spoken to Anna in a couple of years.”
Allegra sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Well, that explains it.”
“Explains what?”
“Why she left me the property.”
I raised a brow. “You own Sophia’s land?”
“That’s what the will says.”
“Then I guess I have a reason to help out around here now.”
“Why is that?”
“Because some of my vineyard is on your land. How do you say—that makes you my new landlord.”