Page 50 of A Very Italian Wedding
They were greeted with silence.
Rose disentangled their hands, and Ben heard the crunch of her feet on the ground as she moved closer to the edge of the water and swept the torch light from her phone in a wide semicircle making the ripples glitter. ‘I can’t see far. She’s not near the edge. Do you think she’s here?’
Ben shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘It’s hard to predict what an animal will do when it’s afraid.’
‘Have you ever had a pet?’ Rose asked, turning to him.
Ben thought about it. He didn’t like to share stories from his past. What was the point? But there was something about Rose’s hopeful expression in the moonlight that made him break one of his own rules. ‘Never.’ He paused. ‘My parents were elderly and needed quiet. They were sick for most of my teens and a pet wouldn’t have been a good idea.’ He waited for her to sympathise, to feel sorry for him. Could feel a familiar deadweight in his chest, expecting it to get heavier.
Rose’s attention fluttered across his face and her lips pursed. Her body was still, as if she’d somehow absorbed his emotions and was trying to process them. He braced himself for her sympathy wishing he’d kept his mouth shut.
‘You should start with something small. Maybe a house plant?’ She studied him intently and he ground his jaw surprised.
‘A plant?’ He could feel the heavy weight lighten.
Rose nodded. ‘I’d suggest a cactus. They’re difficult to kill and don’t take much effort.’
‘Is that supposed to prepare me for being a pet owner?’ he asked, amused.
‘It’s supposed to prepare you for letting yourself get close to something.’ She studied him, then nodded. ‘If you keep that alive, you’ll be ready for something like a hamster. It’s important to take things slowly and work yourself up.’
‘Another rule.’ Ben grinned. ‘I’d rather have a dog, something manly with big teeth.’ His amusement faded as he looked across the lake. He’d almost forgotten about Coco, he’d got so caught up in flirting. Clearly, they both had. ‘I think we should go back to the villa.’
Rose looked surprised. ‘But we haven’t checked all the way round the lake yet.’
Ben took a step closer to her, caught another whiff of strawberries and clenched his hands. ‘I don’t think she’s here.Coco was frightened. Instinct made her run, but it’s in her nature to find somewhere safe. Safe isn’t a dark and cold lake, safe is with Luna or somewhere in the villa.’
Rose stared at him. ‘You’re right,’ she said, looking surprised. ‘I had a gerbil called Biscuit once.’ She frowned changing the subject so quickly it took him a moment to catch up. Rose didn’t give much of herself away either – so he appreciated the confidence. Even if the change in subject was odd.
‘What happened to it?’ Ben could see from her face that something had.
Rose broke eye contact. ‘She died. I got her for Christmas and my parents had a fight.’ She paused. ‘Can’t remember why – it was probably the food, or wine, my mother’s dress or maybe it was that the presents she got were too expensive or just wrong.’ She shrugged. ‘They screamed at each other for almost an hour. It was so loud I hid under my bed. And the next time I checked on Biscuit, she was dead. Dad took her back to the pet shop to complain and they said she’d likely suffered heart failure. It can happen with too much noise. Not all of us can handle the stress.’ She straightened her shoulders as if confirming she could. She was a strong woman – but with too much weight, even strong things broke. He knew that from designing buildings.
‘Can any of us?’ Ben asked, wondering how many times Rose had needed to be strong. Perhaps she followed all of her strict rules to stay sane?
‘Sometimes, you don’t have a choice,’ Rose said. ‘If we go back to the villa, where should we check?’ She began to walk, retracing their steps. It was darker than before, and he contemplated taking her hand again. But now Ben wasn’t sure who needed the contact more and he wasn’t sure he was ready to give in to this powerful need to touch her.
They walked in silence, then Rose suddenly stopped and turned so she could look up at him. ‘I was wrong…’
‘About what?’ Ben asked.
Rose gave him a shy smile. ‘About the cactus. I think you might be ready for a spider plant.’
18
BEN
Marco was searching through shrubbery in the garden when Ben and Rose got back to the villa. ‘Did you find Coco?’ he asked eagerly, frowning when he saw she wasn’t with them.
‘I’m sorry,’ Ben said. ‘The good news is I don’t think she’s in the lake.’
Aurora’s voice suddenly boomed in the darkness, as she shouted for the dog again, making Ben jump.
‘Everyone’s been walking through the garden and further afield,’ Marco said. ‘There’s no sign of Coco. Luna’s beside herself.’ He frowned. ‘She’s still threatening to call off the wedding. I can’t believe she’d even say that.’ He looked upset. ‘Over a dog too.’
‘I think it’s over more than that,’ Rose murmured. ‘I’ve known her a long time and when she’s anxious or worried, she lashes out.’ She blinked. ‘We have to find Coco, then you both need to talk about what just happened. If you do, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a solution.’ She patted Marco on the shoulder, but his friend still looked unhappy.
‘Where haven’t you looked?’ Ben asked – because the fastest way to fix things was to find Coco.
