Page 22 of In Italy for Love

‘Where are you going?’ he blurted out.Without saying goodbye.

‘Arco needs to go outside so I thought I’d just…’

She looked pale, with shadows under her eyes, as though she’d slept as poorly as he had. She had a lot on her mind. It probably wasn’t because he’d been monosyllabic with her and then made a U-turn and kissed her like a fiend.

Although beating himself up for his own behaviour was probably better than the urge to look after her that kept assailing him. Right then it was the desire to make her coffee and breakfast.

He shook his head firmly. ‘Go sit in the kitchen and use the Wi-Fi to make a plan for where you’re going. I’ll take Arco out.’

She looked at him warily, but just responded with a dry, ‘Yes, sir,’ and handed over the lead.

Annoyed that he felt a thousand contradictory things at once, Alex wrenched open the apartment door with a little too much force and nearly walked into Berengario, whose hand was raised halfway to a knock.

‘Oh good, I caught you,’ Berengario said with a smug grin that only annoyed Alex further. ‘Are you taking the dog to work? That’s a good idea. Davide was at the farm yesterday and Fritz scared the life out of the poor thing.’

‘What?’ Alex snapped. ‘The shop doesn’t open for another two hours. The dog just needs to do his business, but Julia is looking for somewhere else to stay.’ He glanced at the kitchen window.

Berengario’s smile vanished. ‘What do you mean? She’s staying here. I came by to see if she wanted a lift to the farm with me this morning.’

Alex was getting very sick of being the last to understand people’s stupid assumptions. ‘I thought the room flooded. She can’t stay at Due Pini.’

‘Uffa! She is staying withyou! Didn’t you notice the woman in your home last night?’

‘The womanyouinvited to stay here.’

‘You looked quite happy about that last night after dinner!’

Alex’s mouth snapped shut and he gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to whirl around and scowl at the kitchen window with its inadequate curtains. ‘I’m getting proper blinds,’ he grumbled. ‘I should never have introduced you to Elena, old man. You’re around too much.’

‘Only when you need a kick up the arse. You’re allowed to start a new relationship.’

‘How many times do webothhave to explain this: she’s not my girlfriend!’

Berengario’s response was an inarticulate grumble that sounded concerningly like ‘We’ll see about that.’

‘She’s leaving,’ Alex insisted. ‘As soon as she gets her passport, she’s leaving the country.’

Berengario was undeterred. ‘Until then, you have a place where she can stay.’

‘Do you mean you thought I offered to have her stay here forweeks?’

‘Of course. Why not?’

It took all of Alex’s effort not to repeat Berengario’s words at the top of his voice. Lifting a hand to his hair in agitation, he allowed the bouncing dog to drag him to the persimmon tree, its branches hanging low with ripening orange fruit. ‘Berengario,’ he said sharply, ‘you know why I can’t have Julia staying with me.’

‘Stupidel! It’s been three years, son!’

‘It doesn’t matter if it’s been three minutes! I don’t want her in Gigi’s house, with Laura’s things.’

‘Shh, she’ll hear you!’ Berengario said in a severe tone. ‘Where’s your hospitality? She has nowhere to go and Madda needs all the help she can get on the farm. You obviously like the woman,’ he added with a pointed scowl.

Alex opened his mouth to protest some more, but he couldn’t tell his mentor thatlikingJulia was part of the problem. That he didn’t want to play house with someone warm and funny who’d made him feel something good despite his best efforts to the contrary.

But he hadn’t wanted her to leave that morning with nowhere to go. It was selfish not to help her – and Aunt Maddalena – because he was still a mess. It was only two weeks – not long enough to tear him open again, surely.

Besides, she was on the rebound from what had probably been an important relationship. He wasn’t the only one who couldn’t embark on something… romantic. They could be friends. As long as he made sure not to kiss her against thekitchen bench ever again, he’d find a way to sleep – or at least sleep just as badly as he usually did.

‘Good man!’ Berengario said before Alex had even expressed his agreement. ‘When the two weeks are up, you won’t want her to go!’

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