Page 49 of Retrograde
There would be months when she stayed logged into the team accounts and barely even checked her own, leaving her own followers to know she was still alive by the content Faith tagged her in. Faith was the true influencer on the team, not her.
‘Now, don’t comment on the exterior. It still needs work,’ Mateo said to them as they pulled up to the farmhouse, through wrought-iron gates with a sign that read ‘Villa Clemente’ hanging above them.
He was right, it still needed alotdoing to it. It had always reminded Lucie of the shambles of the hotel inMamma Mia!when Donna had first arrived, except this was Italian, not Greek. Still, despite it being run-down and in need of some TLC, she knew this place would stay in the Carolan family for generations.
There was an orange tree in a large, round brickplanter. It sat in the middle of the driveway and was one of the many sources of the smoothies and juices her mum had been making for breakfast every morning. The plan was to eventually have a proper orangery somewhere in the grounds. The stone exterior, despite being damaged, was beautiful and Lucie didn’t doubt that her parents would seek out a local stonemason to do the repair work to restore it to its former glory.
The sage-green shutters over the windows were rotting, but they just needed to be replaced and they would help bring the outside of the property back to life. One of the upstairs rooms, the master suite, had a small balcony, not big enough to step onto but so that the big, oak doors could be opened and let the light and the air in. There were plants everywhere you looked. Not just flowers, but hedges, trees and vines that filled the empty spaces. The place was huge, and Lucie couldn’t wait to see the finished gardens and the terrace out the back.
‘Damn, that view,’ Brett commented, peering out the windscreen at the rolling Tuscan hills that stretched out ahead of them. The farmhouse was sat atop one of these hills, and every key room in the house had a perfect view of the landscape.
‘That was the main reason Mateo’s family bought it all those years ago. It’s just a shame we’ve got to pour so much time and money into renovations,’ Rosa smiled sadly. It was bittersweet, knowing they still had such a long road ahead before they could enjoy it to the fullest.
Rosa hadn’t had any big acting roles since their youngest, Isabella, had been in high school and she’d graduatedseven and a half years ago. Mateo’s last two films had flopped, too, despite having big names attached. They were lucky they had been left their dream house in a will. The sale of their LA home still wasn’t quite enough to cover all the work that needed doing, and they were relying on royalties to help them live.
‘I’m sorry about the state of everything.’
‘Mum, stop worrying. We’re here to help you, remember?’
‘Okay.’ Rosa took a deep breath. ‘I just want you to have a nice break.’
‘Mrs C, being here is exactly what I need to sort myself out. I could have a sleeping bag in the barn for all I care.’ Brett reached into the back of the car to squeeze her hand in appreciation.
Rosa looked at him with the kind of love his own mother looked at him with. It made Lucie’s heart melt. ‘I think this is the perfect environment to help you heal.’
‘I think your cooking alone could do the trick.’
‘Especially your focaccia,’ Mateo chimed in. Focaccia had been a staple food in their household growing up. It was one of the only ways Lucie would consume bread.
‘But seriously, thank you both for letting us come. I have a long way to go, but I know I’m in safe hands and I’m so glad I can help you out in the process. I love you guys like you’re my own family.’ Brett abandoned his signature cheeky grin for a genuine, heartfelt smile aimed at all three of them. It caused Rosa to dab at her eyes with her handkerchief.
‘That’s because weareyour family.’
20
‘Luce, I can’t sleep in here. I was serious about the sleeping bag in the barn, I don’t need a nicely decorated room to be happy.’ Brett gestured around the guest room he’d been assigned to. It was the only bedroom that was fully decorated, and he was point-blank refusing to sleep in it. Lucie was tired, but nottootired to argue.
‘Yes, you can. And you will,’ she insisted, hauling his suitcase onto the bed and unzipping it for him, opening it to reveal an array of designer clothing. To his credit, it wasn’t like a summer doing farmhouse renovations had been on the cards when he’d been packing for a quick trip to Monaco.
‘You or your parents should have it until your rooms are done. Then we can swap.’
‘My parents wantedyouto have it. You’re a guest, it’s only right. And my room is fine, too. Just needs a lick of paint and a better mattress.’
‘A better mattress? At least sleep in here with me, then.’ He was equally as exasperated as she felt. How had two of the most stubborn people in the world ended up being such good friends?
‘No, you need space. It’s fine, Brett. The mattress will be here in a few days.’
When Lucie had contacted her parents not even sixhours ago about bringing Brett here for the summer, she knew it was a huge ask. There would be instances where Lucie had to jet off for work commitments and leave him there under their watchful eye, but she was lucky that they loved Brett as much as she did. They didn’t treat him any differently than they would treat their own kids, and that meant they were equally as willing to prioritise his health. They’d even volunteered to sign an NDA.
Brett needed a sanctuary. He was going to have a lot to do to keep him busy and distracted, but this trip wasn’t going to be without its challenges. Therapy was going to take alotout of him. The Carolans mutually agreed that he needed somewhere to escape to at the end of the day, somewhere to relax. It didn’t feel right to expect him to do that surrounded by storage boxes, peeling paint and broken floorboards. Lucie was still worrying about falling through the floorboard right next to her bed.
‘I love being an honorary Carolan.’ Brett pulled Lucie in for a hug, his broad frame encompassing her petite one. She wasn’t sure who needed the comfort more, but either way, she felt safe in his arms. She just hoped he felt the same way.
‘If it makes you feel better, we can start on Mum and Dad’s room as soon as the living area is done. The furniture and décor for both rooms are all in storage in one of the barns already, I just need to take a few road trips to find some artwork and paint the walls. After I’ve argued with Mum about what colour paint she wants.’ She pulled back, removing his Gucci loafers from the case and holding them out for him to slip on.
‘Road trips?’ Brett’s face lit up.
‘Yeah.’
