But as the morning wore on, she realized she couldn’t put off telling them her news. To hurt them like that when they’d been such wonderful parents to her all her life would be unconscionable. She would have to tell them the truth. Not everything, but enough to satisfy them.
After getting ready for the big day, she walked through to the kitchen to take her pills and make her phone call. As it turned out, her father had already left for work, so her mother phoned him there and they set up a three-way call.
“Irena? I’ve been anxious about you,” her father began without preamble.
“I know. How are you?”
“Fine, but that’s not the point.” Her father sounded upset. “What’s this about sightseeing with some Italian and his son? Who is he?”
She took a fortifying breath. “His name is Vincenzo Antonello. He’s divorced and has a six-year-old boy named Dino. He manages the Antonello Liquers plant in La Spezia.”
“The one you covered in the magazine section.”
“Yes.”
“Is he the reason you’re still in Italy?” Her mother’s question wasn’t an idle one.
The blood hammered in her ears. “Yes.”
“I’ll never forgive Andreas for what he did to you,” her father blurted emotionally.
“Please don’t say that. I believe it was meant to be. He couldn’t help how he felt when he met Gabi a-anymore than I could help my feelings for Vincenzo.”
Her words were met with silence before her mother asked, “What feelings?”
Now was the moment. “When I met him two months ago, we spent all our time together. I didn’t mean to, but it just happened. By the time I had to leave, he’d asked me to marry him.”
“When you were already promised to Andreas?” Her father sounded stunned.
“I wasn’t promised to him, Father. We weren’t even engaged! It’s true we both loved each other, but apparently not enough to make it to the altar. There were times he turned to Leon before he turned to me. I know now I was never in love with him. That’s why I came back to Riomaggiore.”
Her mother made a sound in her throat. “So what are you saying?”
She gripped the phone tighter. “Vincenzo and I are getting married in a few hours.”
“A few hours—” both parents cried in unison.
“Yes. There’s a church down the road from his apartment. A Father Rinaldo is going to marry us. I know this comes as a huge shock to you. To me, too, actually. You have no idea how much I love him. He’s a wonderful man with a darling son.” The realization that her feelings for Vincenzo had grown into love came as a shock to Irena, but the moment she said the words she knew them to be true.
Her father was the first to recover. “Does the boy live with him?”
Irena closed her eyes. “No. Dino lives with his mother. They’ve worked out visitation.”
“So you’re going to be a part-time mama before you’re a mama!” Spoken like a mother.
Tears slid out from beneath Irena’s eyelashes. “I’m very happy about it and hope you will be, too.”
“When are we going to meet him?” her father wanted to know.
“We’re taking a honeymoon to California for two weeks. I’ll phone you when we get there. After we return and everything settles down, the three of us will fly to Athens. Vincenzo’s heard all about how wonderful you are and is anxious to—”
“Irena?”
It was Dino.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go. I promise to call you soon. Love you.” She clicked off. “Here I am!”
Dino came running into the apartment wearing shorts and a dinosaur shirt. When he saw her in the dining room, he came to a full stop. “You are bellissima!”
It struck her how much she’d missed him. “Grazie,” she said with a smile before hugging him.
His brown eyes took in the cream-colored two-piece suit she’d bought in one of the boutiques. Around her neck she’d looped the matching colored lace mantilla she would put on when she entered the church.
While they’d been shopping she’d asked Vincenzo what he thought would look good in her hair. He’d said it didn’t matter as long as she left it down.
“Is it time?”
She glanced at her watch. “Almost. I was afraid you wouldn’t make it.”
Vincenzo came in from outside, also dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. His eyes appraised her so intimately, she trembled. “After we left Milan, there was a terrible accident on the strada that held us up. Come in my room, Dino, and we’ll both get ready.”
“Your new suits are on the bed!”
“Fantastico!”
She could hear water running from the shower. Before long Dino came running back to the kitchen in his new navy blue suit and white shirt. Vincenzo had chosen the same outfit for himself. Both wore a blue-and-silver striped tie.
Irena reached inside the fridge and pulled out a florist’s box that held two creamy baby roses and her corsage. She lifted Dino’s from the tissue and pinned it to his lapel. When it was done, she kissed him on the check. “Now you look bello like your papa.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Vincenzo spoke in his deep voice. She whirled around and met a pair of hot blue eyes. “Do I get a rose, too?”
He was incredibly handsome. Her mouth went too dry to talk. Instead, she reached for the other rose and walked over to him. Her fingers were all thumbs as she had to try several times to pin it on right. All the time she was fussing, Vincenzo placed little kisses here and there on her face, causing Dino no end of delight.
“Now it’s your turn, Signorina Spiros.” Near the shoulder of her suit jacket he fastened her corsage made of a cluster of cream-colored roses. “You do realize you won’t be called that name much longer.”
How could she possibly forget? Her impulsive trip back to Riomaggiore had come about half in a daze of pain and confusion, half with the ridiculous notion that Vincenzo might have meant what he’d said about the two of them marrying. Now here she was, ready to make promises to love, cherish and honor this man she’d only known for a short time.
Odd that she’d known Andreas for years, yet even after they’d started seeing each other as a couple, she’d never learned to know all the little things about him that she already knew about Vincenzo.
Every day with him, sometimes hourly, brought a new surprise. Part of the time she was breathless. The other part she found herself reeling with new information he fed her.
Feeling flushed and nervous, she turned to Dino. “I think we’re ready.”
“First some pictures.” Vincenzo put his camera on the veranda table.
She caught his arm. “I just phoned my parents and told them we were getting married.”
His eyes held a question. “Should I expect the police to descend on me before I can get you to the church?” he teased.
“No. They’re not like that, but they’ll want to see pictures.”
“So will my father.”
After he set the camera to take some timed shots, the three of them stood together in front of the climbing