Surviving Broken(6)
“I think you should go for it. Go have fun in Tuscany for the weekend.”
“It’ll feel strange being at the vineyard without Tracy and Vincent.”
“If he turns into a real creeper, you can always come home.”
JC nodded in agreement, inspecting the twins’ hairdos. “Thanks,” she said, putting her arm around Shayla’s shoulder. “Can I tell Tracy?”
“JC! I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”
“Oh come on. It’s just one little secret between three sisters.”
“All right. Whatever. But no jokes,” Shayla insisted.
“Deal,” JC agreed with a giddy smile.
Shayla opened the bedroom door. The boys took off, galloping down the hallway, calling for their Papa. They followed close behind. Relief washed over JC seeing the newlyweds on the veranda with Tom, Luca and John.
“Papa! Nana! Aunt JC needs a time out. She’s a bad girl. She broke the rules.” Richard stated shaking his head, counting on his fingers mimicking his aunt.
“Yeah, she boke the ules. She wikes you,” Thomas said to Luca.
JC balked and her eyes turned as big as saucers. Heat flushed over her, turning her cheeks pink. “Oh, shit!”
“Watch out. They repeat that too,” Her mother, Tess, warned with a chuckle.
Everyone laughed, especially John. “I tried to warn you. They’re like parrots.”
“They’re sooo getting coal in their stockings after that one,” JC muttered under her breath.
Luca’s eyes gleamed, his lips tipping upward in satisfaction.
Tracy snuck JC a sly smirk, glancing at Luca sitting on a chaise. JC casually tilted her head toward the hall, giving her sister a discreet signal. She hastily made her way down the long hallway to the sanctuary of her room.
Morning rays beamed through the sliding glass door engulfing the white room in sunlight. JC rocked on the balls of her feet, gripping the natural hued flagstone with her toes. She mindlessly played with the soft edges of the sheer white curtains, gazing out over the dream-like view of the Aegean Sea, waiting for reinforcements.
“I knew you stayed with him, but what’s Luca doing here?”
Hearing the click of the closing door, JC spun on her toe. “First things first, good morning, Mrs. Giovanni,” she congratulated before blurting, “I don’t know what happened!”
“We just stopped to say goodbye before catching our flight to Bora Bora, so I only have five minutes. Make it fast.”
“I wound up staying with him last night. I tried to get him to drop me off, but that wasn’t going to happen…he’s way too smart. He probably senses my acute fuck-and-flee disorder and knows if he lets me out of his sight I won’t go away with him.”
Tracy cringed. “I hate that term.”
“Oh, come on. You know I’m only being a smart ass.” JC rolled her eyes. “Let me rephrase it, he probably senses my extreme case of commitment phobia. Happy?”
“Yes, thank you.” The lines on her forehead crinkled probingly. “He asked you to go away with him?”
“He invited me to Tuscany for the weekend.”
“And you said yes?”
“Please tell me he’s not psycho.” She sat on her bed, clasping onto a big square azure blue pillow. JC feared Luca might mistake her acceptance as step one towards a relationship instead of a fun weekend away for a romp in a vineyard. She had no desires to date exclusively, or hold hands while walking on the beach, or get a dog, or any scenario involving a boyfriend. There was no white picket fence in her future.
“Holy crap! I knew this was gonna happen. He was totally scoping out your picture at my house. I can’t believe you agreed to go out of town after one date.”
“I don’t know what happened. It’s all your fault! What did you expect? Other than Vincent’s horn-dog brother Antonio, we were the only single people in a room full of blissfully happy couples.”
“I told you that you could bring a plus-one.”
“Plus-one?” JC scoffed. “Why the hell would I bring a date to a wedding? That’s like eating a meal right before going to a buffet.” Reservations wore a deep notch between her brows. “I had a moment of weakness, mixed with lone wolf syndrome!”
Tracy pointed at her sister, shaking her finger. “Ooooo, you are breaking all kinds of rules.”
“You sound just like Mom when you say holy crap. Married one day and look what happens. If you start calling me by my middle name, I’ll never forgive you. And don’t start with me about my stupid rules. Shayla just talked me off the roof. I’m in panic mode.”
“Luca’s a little full of himself, but he’s a nice guy. He’ll definitely show you a good time.” Tracy gripped JC by both shoulders, giving her a little shake. “Go to Tuscany. Have fun. Love you, sista.”