Page 60 of A Very Italian Wedding
‘Luna,’ Rose said as she reached the second floor of the villa and spotted her friend sitting in a pool of sunshine on the staircase that led to Rose’s floor. Coco growled as she approached but didn’t budge.
Her friend looked as tired and pale as Marco had, and Rose quickly dropped onto the step beside her. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked, ignoring the shih tzu as she tried to nip at her dress. ‘I’ve been trying to speak to you since last night.’ She patted Luna’s knee, just managing to save her fingers from Coco’s snapping jaws. Clearly, their short truce in the cellar was over.
Luna sighed. ‘I needed time to think. I’m sorry.’ She gave Rose a dim smile. ‘Besides, from what I saw last night, you had better things to do than talk to me. Was that real or did I imagine it?’ She looked surprised.
Rose laughed. ‘It was real. I’m not sure what happened. But?—’
‘Oh, I can guess.’ Luna let out a lusty chuckle. ‘But the real question is, do you want it to happen again?’
Rose shrugged. ‘Ben said he’d like it to. If I’m honest, I think I would too, but…’ She sucked in a breath. ‘It’s moving a little fast. I need to slow things down. I don’t want to get into a situation like my parents and make a mistake.’ Just the thought had her insides curling into themselves.
‘Looks like you ignored a few dozen of your Love Doctor rules,’ Luna said indulgently.
‘I’m sorry.’ Rose grimaced. Her friend had lived through hours of sermons about the importance of taking things slowly, about the dangers of rushing into love. Then in one single nightRose had broken every single rule she’d ever preached or made up. Did that make her a hypocrite?
Luna placed a palm on Rose’s knee. ‘I’m happy for you. You deserve to meet someone, and you’ve spent far too long running from love — trying not to be like your parents. But Rose — you aren’t. I only hope Ben deserves you. He’s certainly hot enough.’ She waggled her eyebrows.
Rose smiled. ‘But what about you? You were angry last night.’
‘I was.’ Luna drew in a long breath. ‘Everything felt like it was falling apart. I still feel like Marco’s trying so hard to please his family that he’s lost sight of whatwewant. Everyone seems so fixated on us having children, but I’m not ready for that yet. When hisnonnarefused to come to the wedding and Coco ran away, it felt like the final straw…’ She winced.
‘And what about your mum?’
Luna relaxed. ‘She’s finally managed to get herself on an early flight tomorrow, from London. She’s in a taxi now, heading for a hotel close to Heathrow airport.’ She sounded relieved. ‘She called just now to tell me. When I mentioned I might cancel the wedding, she said I need to give Marco another chance.’ She sighed. ‘She told me not to worry about what other people want and just to focus on us. Also, she said just because Marco loves me, he doesn’t have to love my dog.’
Coco growled malevolently.
‘I know I don’t.’ Rose grinned and earned herself a laugh. ‘So it sounds like you’ve got a few things to talk to him about?’
Luna looked embarrassed. ‘I’ve been ignoring his calls.’ She spun her engagement ring on her finger, looking unhappy.
‘The key to a good relationship is communication,’ Rose said primly.
‘And now you sound just like your old self,’ Luna teased.
Rose frowned. She didn’t feel like herself at all. ‘I’m just saying the only way you’re likely to put things right with Marco is if you talk with him. I happen to know he’s speaking with Ben in the garden now.’
‘Do you really think the wedding should go ahead?’ Luna asked, looking at her suspiciously. ‘Is this Ben’s doing? Because you haven’t been keen up until now.’
‘It’s not Ben exactly.’ Rose pulled a face. ‘Perhaps I’ve just realised I need to loosen up a little. Marco makes you happy and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. If you want to marry him, you should forget what anyone else thinks and go ahead.’ She shrugged. ‘I’ve realised I have to stop trying to control everything – it’s pretty obvious from my work with Mum and Dad that I’m not always right.’
‘It’s not you that’s wrong.’ Luna squeezed Rose’s hand. ‘Just as long as you remember — and that you deserve to be happy too…’
‘Rose is a beautiful woman – I don’t think I noticed it until now.’ Marco’s voice carried as Rose and Luna slowly made their way across the garden. From here, Rose could see the men were sitting on a bench overlooking the sparkling swimming pool in front of them.
‘She is,’ Ben said carefully.
‘Wait,’ Luna said, scooping Coco into her arms and tugging Rose behind a blood-red oleander situated just a few metres away from where the men were sitting.
‘What are you doing?’ Rose complained as Luna tugged her closer, ensuring they were both hidden. She could just make out Ben and Marco’s silhouettes through the branches.
‘Shhhh, they’re talking about you.’ Luna giggled, nudging Rose. ‘Don’t you want to know what Ben has to say?’ She winked suggestively. ‘I know I do.’
Rose grimaced but didn’t move. Spying was definitely not something the Love Doctor would recommend, but she wouldn’t mind hearing what was going on inside Ben’s head. Perhaps if she eavesdropped for a few minutes, it would help her to understand what he saw in her? Or even what he really expected to happen going forward.
‘I know you said Rose wasn’t your type, but I wanted to thank you for keeping her occupied since you arrived,’ Marco said seriously. ‘When I asked you to keep her busy in the restaurant and you refused, I thought you meant it.’
A block of icy dread made itself at home in Rose’s belly. What did that mean, exactly?
