Marrying Cade(15)

The sound of waves breaking on the beach was soothing. Melo closed her  eyes, feeling the silk slide of the mother of pearl under her fingers.  Nonna's shell. Her grandmother had worn it around her neck every day.  Then, when she was dying, she'd called Melo into the bedroom, and with  arthritic fingers had carefully unclasped it.

"Tesoro, this is for you."

Melo's hand had come up automatically. Palm forward, trying to reject  her grandmother's precious gift. Knowing what it signified.

"No, Nonna, you need it."

Her voice had broken with the pain of the mere thought of losing the old woman who'd always been her inspiration.

"No, Melo." Her grandmother's eyes softened, and she'd reached for  Melo's hand, turning it up and carefully placing the pendant mid-palm,  and folding her granddaughter's fingers around it. "Silvio gave it to  me. Now it is time for me to give it to you. Put it on. I want to see  how it looks on you."

Tears stung Melo's eyes. Made a lie of her forced smile. Her hands had  been shaking so badly it made making fastening the clasp near  impossible. But eventually she'd managed it. The silver was cold against  her skin.

"Buono." Her grandmother leaned back against the pillows. "I have told your father Paradise Beach is for you."

"But, Nonna … "

"Listen. You know this is all I have to leave. The beach was mine. Your  grandfather gave it to me, and now I am giving it to you. I have left it  to you in my will. The money and other jewelry I have left to your  sister, but you … " Nonna's voice slowed as the urge to sleep overtook  her. "You understand." She smiled slowly as her eyes drifted shut. "Now,  tell me the story."

It was a story Nonna had told her many times growing up as they walked  along the sand, water tickling their toes. Rosa always ran ahead, into  the waves. Her bright cries echoing back to the old lady and her small  granddaughter, holding hands.

Melo swallowed as her grandmother's fingers tightened. "When you were young-"

"Eighteen," Nonna interrupted.

Melo blinked back tears and started again. "When you were eighteen, you  were walking along the beach. Your eyes were filled with tears. You had  argued with Silvio, the only man you ever loved."

Nonna nodded.

"You thought your romance was over." Melo dug deep and the remembered words surfaced. "You thought your dream was over."

The corner of Nonna's mouth curved upward.

"Then, suddenly, he was there. Silvio ran across the beach toward you,  and at the spot we always stopped at while you told me the story, he  grasped your hand." The story was so romantic Melo's throat constricted.  She breathed deeply, knowing Nonna wanted to hear the story. Needed to  hear it. "He fell to his knees, and kissed your fingers. Buried his face  in your hand, and told you he loved you, more than life itself."                       
       
           



       

"More than life itself," Nonna echoed.

"He picked up this shell from the beach, pressed it into your palm and asked you to marry him."

"Yes," Nonna breathed out, long and hard. Her eyes flickered half open.  "He inlaid the shell in silver to make the necklace, and gave it to me  on our wedding day." A half-smile teased her lips. "Of course, he gave  me an engagement ring too, and my wedding ring. Those are for Rosa.  She'll appreciate them more than the necklace. But this, the shell in  silver, this showed me your grandfather's heart. It is the most precious  thing I own, Melo. Wear it with love."

Her eyes closed, the fingers clutching Melo's loosened, and before Melo  had time to call the doctor, Nonna had drawn her last breath.

Melo stood and brushed the sand off her shorts. She turned away from the  sea, and walked up onto the dunes. Here, on the flat, she'd dreamed of  building her house. She'd sat here with Cade, dreaming fanciful dreams  of the two of them living there. Now, the dream was in jeopardy. Someone  else would build their home here. Maybe Marco had been talking to a  conglomerate who wanted to build a whole estate of houses here. Melo's  hands grasped into fists, and her jaw tightened. Over her dead body. The  land belonged to her; her family would have to find another way.

"Melo!"

Melo glanced up, shaken out of her reverie.

Cade had crested the dunes, and was walking across the sand. He dropped  down next to her, leaned close, and dusted his lips across hers. Gently.  "Good morning."

Warmth flooded Melo's features. Somehow she was shy around him this morning. Hesitant.

He brushed a hand across her cheek, then cupped her head, pulling her  closer in, and kissing her harder. "I missed you this morning when I  work up." A wicked grin teased the corner of his mouth.

"So you decided to come find me?" Melo asked huskily.

"No. I decided to come and take some photographs." Cade indicated the  camera slung around his neck. "Finding you was an unexpected bonus."



Any other woman sitting on a beach in old jeans, and a well-worn T-shirt  might have looked ordinary. Not so Melo. Cade's body tightened as he  breathed in her perfume. Even stripped of the artifice of make-up and  fancy clothes, she was totally gorgeous.

He'd snuck out before breakfast, and borrowed a car from the hotel's  owner to come and take photographs of the beach, needing to have  pictures to feed his imagination. And now his imagination was racing  overtime, but not with thoughts of what a new hotel would look like if  he decided to buy the beach, but rather of Melo. His mind replayed in an  endless loop all the suppressed images of the night before. Melo, with  her long hair curled around her bare shoulders. The little noises she  made as they made love. They were alone on the beach. Blissfully alone.  It seemed almost sinful to resist the opportunity.

Cade gazed into her eyes. There was an air of wistfulness around her. A  sadness that hung around her like mist. He swallowed, and damped down  his attraction.

"Are you okay? You look sort of sad."

Cade didn't really want to probe. After all, if she had a problem she'd  probably tell him. He'd learnt that about women. If they had an issue  they'd bring it up. Surprise niggled at him for asking the question. And  for holding his breath until she gave him an answer. It must be because  Melo wasn't just any lover, but had been his childhood friend.

"I was thinking about my grandmother." Her fingers fiddled with the  pendant she wore around her neck. "Just remembering … you know?" She  didn't seem to want to talk about it, and guilty relief flooded Cade.

"Will we walk?"

Melo nodded, and he pulled her to her feet.

"So, everything ready for tomorrow?" Cade asked.

"Yes, except for the church. I'm meeting the lady who's doing the flowers there later today to decorate it. What are you up to?"

"I wanted to take some pictures. Then I'm meeting up with Adam, who  wants to check I've got everything straight for the wedding. I think  he's worried about my speech." Cade grinned. "He's made me promise not  to embarrass him, but wants to check it over anyway. He's always been a  bit of a control freak."

"He just likes to make sure he knows what's going on." Melo bit her lip,  and her eyes clouded. "You can't blame him. There's nothing worse than  being left out of the loop."

Cade glanced at her quickly. Could she have any idea he was keeping something important from Adam?

Melo gazed out over the clear azure water and stayed silent.                       
       
           



       

Cade relaxed. It was just an off the cuff comment, nothing barbed or  laden with innuendo. He took the lens cap off the camera and fired off a  couple of innocuous shots, including a few of the little hill they'd  sat on when they were younger.

Paradise Beach was the perfect location. His mind drifted back in time  to the first time he'd seen it. He'd been trailing behind Melo, carrying  the picnic basket as she ran excitedly ahead.

"Wait till you see it, Cade. It's just perfect." Her eyes shone as she tossed her long mane of hair back to grin at him.

He remembered how his arms ached, being the human packhorse carrying everything. It was a long trek from the main road.

"Here."

They'd rounded the corner onto the most beautiful slice of paradise he'd  ever seen. He'd stood, silent and awestruck at the scene before him.  Long white sand. Clear turquoise water, with little silver glints of  reflected sunshine dancing across its surface. Melo had climbed up onto  the dunes facing the sea.

"Bring the stuff up here," she'd called.

He'd followed, laid down his burden, and then sank onto the sand next to  her. Her legs were tucked up to her chest, and her whole body vibrated  with happiness.