Page 40 of Summer on Sunshine Bay

Lila and her cousins used to love tossing coins into the fountain and making wishes, which had inevitably led to one of their mothers or their grandmother pointing out that Lila and her cousins, and no one else, were responsible for making their dreams come true.

But even Lila didn’t believe a wish was going to help turn around La Dolce Vita’s fortunes, and neither would a successful social media campaign. She hadn’t read her father’s notes yet, but she couldn’t see him not mentioning that the restaurant needed a face-lift, even to spare her family’s feelings. Getting her grandmother on board would be another story.

David’s mother inhaled deeply and then hummed. “There’s nothing like the smell of garlic, basil, and tomato sauce, is there? Can you tell how much I’m looking forward to this meal?”

Lila smiled. “I promise you won’t be disappointed.” It was a promise she had no qualms making. No one cooked like her family.

“Really, Jennifer? We stole Jean Guy from a Michelin-rated restaurant, and our sous- and pastry chefs trained at La Cordon Bleu in Paris.” Gavin was too busy scowling at his wife to notice Lila’s grandmother walking toward them.

“Cara, you’re home.” Carmen Rosetti brushed past David’s father to enfold Lila in a welcoming hug.

Tears welled in Lila’s eyes at the warmth of her grandmother’s greeting. She’d been worried about Carmen and hated to think that it was because of her that her grandmother had taken to her bed. She’d been afraid Carmen wouldn’t want her around when she learned about the wedding and Windemere, and Lila hadn’t known how she’d deal with that.

It was fine to say she didn’t believe in the curse and wouldn’t let her family dictate how she lived her life—they didn’t let anyone dictate how they lived theirs—but it was another thing to face the fact that it might tear them apart. She didn’t think she could live with that, whether it was unfair of them or not.

“You look good, Nonna. I was worried about you,” Lila said when her grandmother released her.

“It was my heart, but I’m good now.” She smiled and patted Lila’s cheek, the eyes behind her red-framed glasses as sharp as ever. “But you, you’re peaked. Are you feeling okay,cara?”

“I’m good, Nonna.”

“Good. That’s good.” She turned to David. “And you must be the fiancé.” She lifted her hands and pinched his cheeks. “I can see why my granddaughter likes you. You’re a handsome boy.” David winced, whether because Carmen had pinched his cheeks too hard or because of thelike-not-lovecomment Lila didn’t know. But she had a feeling both had been intentional on her grandmother’s part. Lila was just relieved she hadn’t told him he was a brave boy, as her mother had.

“And you, you’re the mother. Jennifer. I can see where your son gets his good looks.” She took David’s mother’s hands in hers. “But you could use some fattening up, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Her grandmother wouldn’t care if Jennifer minded or not; she always spoke her mind, just as Lila’s mother did. They were bluntly honest and authentic, true to who they were, traits Lila admired, even when it wasn’t always fun to be on the receiving end of their home truths.

Unlike her grandmother and her mother, Lila thought things through, weighing the consequences before speaking her mind. She cared about how her words affected the recipient. She worried about their feelings. But there were times when she wished she were more like her mother and grandmother.

It was obvious from Carmen’s remark that Eva had filled in her grandmother, and no doubt Lila’s aunt, on everything that had transpired at the previous day’s family meeting. Lila wasn’t surprised. The three of them shared everything. There were no secrets among them. Which meant that Lila was holding her breath when her grandmother released Jennifer’s hands and turned to David’s father.

“And you must be the father. Gavin. You—”

Whatever she’d been about to say was cut off by Willow, who joined them. Lila’s cousin wore a pink flirty dress and sneakers. “Hi, Westfields. I’m Lila’s favorite cousin, Willow.”

The Westfields introduced themselves.

“My sister, Sage, sends her regrets. She’s a divorce attorney and has a big case to prepare for. If you ever need her services, I’m sure she’d give you the family discount. It’s wasted on us. The Rosettis never marry.” Willow grinned. “Until Lila, that is.”

Her grandmother chuckled, appreciating her cousin’s humor. Lila not so much.

“And your aunt Camilla. The actress. She’s been married three times, hasn’t she?” David asked. Then he looked from her grandmother to Lila. “Did I say something wrong?”

Lila stared at him. She’d told him they didn’t talk about her other aunt. The only reason Lila had told David about Camilla was that her aunt had been in London the year before for the premiere of one of her movies, and he’d commented on her resemblance to Lila’s family.

Lila and her cousins had no idea why their aunt was estranged from their family. They just knew not to talk about her. Something Lila had shared with David. She wondered if he’d mentioned her aunt to get back at Willow for her underhanded jab, or was he simply pointing out the fact that obviously one Rosetti woman had needed a good divorce attorney? Either way, it was unacceptable and unkind. She expected better of David.

“What are you all doing standing…?” Lila’s mother began as she walked toward them with a smile that faded as soon as she saw Carmen’s face. “Ma, what’s wrong?”

Lila’s grandmother waved her hand in David’s direction, obviously relaying to Lila’s mother in Italian what he’d said. Eva blanched, replied to her mother in Italian, and then guided Carmen toward the bar.

“I’ll take you to our table,” Willow said, looking contrite for the part she’d inadvertently played in upsetting their grandmother.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Lila whispered to David, following Willow and his parents to the back of the restaurant, where his brother sat at the family table with Lila’s father. “I told you they’re estranged.”

“I’m sorry. I reacted to your cousin’s shot without thinking. But they all act as if no one in your family has ever been happily married when it’s obviously not true. Your aunt proves that the Rosetti curse is bogus.”

“No, David, in their minds her marriages prove the exact opposite. None of them have lasted more than a year, and there was always some kind of a scandal attached to them.”

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