Page 19 of Christmas Treasures

“Sounds magical,” Charlie murmured.

“It was.” He grinned, remembering the first evening he’d spent there. “I went there for dinner. I’d been in Florence about a week, and I was starting to run out of money, so I needed a job. I was just walking around, looking for a place to eat for cheap. I found it by accident and followed the smell right inside. They sat me at this wobbly table with candle wax caked into the wood, and just as an older woman brought the house wine to my table, I heard shouting coming from the kitchen.”

Charlie lifted an eyebrow. “Shouting?”

“Full-on Italian kitchen drama. A man stormed out of the back, red in the face, muttering about ‘temperamental chefs’ and that he was done. He slammed his apron on a chair and walked right out the front door. Lucia followed him out, still shouting. Not that I could understand her, but I got the idea when she gave him the finger.”

Charlie laughed. She really had a nice laugh. Kind of girlie and bubbly. Not what he’d have expected.

“Then, this little girl peeked out from behind her mother, and she smiled at me. Like she and I shared a secret or something. I’ll never forget that.”

“Bianca?”

“That’s right. She had these big brown eyes in this tiny face. I don’t know what came over me, but I suddenly had the idea to ask Lucia if she needed any help in the kitchen.”

Charlie tilted her head. “Just like that?”

“I’d worked in kitchens before. I needed the money. I tried to tell her all that in my broken Italian. Later, she told me she offered the job to me without any expectation of me actually doing any work. She said she figured I was a spoiled, lazy American. But she was desperate. She looked me over once, handed me an apron, and said, ‘Non toccare il mio sugo.’”

Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Don’t touch my sauce.”

Max laughed. “Took me three days and a pocket dictionary to figure out what she said. I didn’t dare ask her to repeat it.”

Charlie shook her head, smiling. “That’s actually really romantic.”

He nodded, chest aching at the memory. “It was. We fell in love over the next few weeks. We had some glorious months together. And then she got sick.”

“Oh, Max, that’s awful.”

“Broke my heart to lose her. But that’s when she asked if I would take Bianca if anything happened to Rosella—her mother-in-law. Her husband died when Bianca was only a baby, so Rosella came to live with them. Anyway, we had the time to make it all legal, should it come to that.”

“Why didn’t you stay?”

“After I lost her, I just wanted to come home. I’d beenaway for years, traveling the world. This will sound pathetic, but I just wanted to see my mom.”

Charlie’s eyes misted over. “Not pathetic at all. Very sweet.”

“And I didn’t think Rosella would pass away before Bianca was an adult. She seemed very healthy. Robust even. Rosella took Bianca out of Florence, to her small village, to raise her there. I’d promised Lucia I would help them, so I arranged to send money once a month.”

“All this time?”

“It was the least I could do. Since I left. But honestly, I knew Bianca was better off with her nonna. And now she’s going to be stuck with just me.”

“And your family. As sad as it is to lose her mother and grandmother, she’s coming into a family with a lot of love to go around.”

“Huh. Okay,” Max said. He’d not thought she’d noticed him or his family much at all.

“What?” She chuckled.

“Like I said, I didn’t think you had any time for the Hayes brothers.”

“It’s obvious you’re a close family. If I’m being honest, I’ve felt a little envious. I’ve seen you all together at various events and you always seemed to be having so much fun. When you’re alone, you notice these things. Or maybe that’s just me.”

“No, it’s not just you.” He sliced into the chocolate cake before him but didn’t bring it to his mouth. “And thanks for sharing that with me. You’re welcome to join the Hayes family any time. At risk of your own peril, of course.”

She looked into his eyes, causing his pulse to quicken. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The dinner guestshad trickled out, leaving empty glasses and candle stubs in their wake. Laney and Nolan were finishing up in the kitchen, laughing softly over dishes.

---