“Well, I’d like to say that it’s been great catching up, but we never were good at casual conversation. So if that’s all, I should be going.” Luca turned to the door.
“Wait. You can’t go. Not yet.” His father’s voice took on an ominous tone, causing Luca to turn back. “You need to know...”
When his father’s voice faded away and his gaze centered on the coffee in his cup, Luca became suspicious that there really was a problem. His father never acted coy. Whatever it was had his father acting out of character.
“I need to know what?” Luca asked.
His father’s hand shook just a bit as he turned to place the coffee cup on the table. When he turned his attention back to Luca, his eyes were dark and unreadable. “The family business is failing.”
Failing? The grove of lemon trees had been in his family for five generations. It was a tradition. It was their history.
Luca had to be certain he understood his father. “And this is why you want me to move home?”
His father sighed. “I’m not getting any younger. It’s time I pass the torch to you and step down. But before I do this, I need to know that you’re up to the challenge. Are you ready to settle down and do the work necessary to save our business and our home?”
Sure, he’d been gone for a long time, but in all honesty, he never meant to be gone forever. His home in Halencia was where he planned to settle...eventually. He’d just never thought anything would happen to it. He always imagined it’d be there waiting for him when he was ready to accept his destiny.
But now his father was looking to him for help. What did his father think Luca could do that he hadn’t already done himself? Luca didn’t have any answers, but he did know this was his chance to prove to his family that he was someone they could count on.
After all, they had world-renowned lemons with a delicate taste and low acidity. Surely there had to be a market for them. They’d never had a problem in the past.
It would be so easy to turn his father down and go back to his comfortable life in Milan. After all, he hadn’t created the problem. It wasn’t his responsibility to fix it.
But this was the first time his father had ever turned to him for help. How could Luca walk away from that? He was certain his mother would plead with him to let go of his pride and help his father.
It wouldn’t be easy moving back to Halencia. His father might talk of retirement, but Luca knew his father wouldn’t do it. The business was all his father had left. It was in his blood. So how would Luca work side by side with such a stubborn man?
Before he made up his mind, they needed to get a few things straight.
“Why do you want my help?” Luca asked, needing his father to admit that he needed him.
“I...I just told you.”
“No, you told me the company is in trouble, but you didn’t say why you turned to me.”
His father hesitated. “Fine. I need your help. I can’t do it alone. Is that what you want to hear?”
Luca nodded. “Yes, it is. And there’s one more thing.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“Then just listen. If I succeed, you’ll sign over the position of president to me.”
His father’s dark brows gathered and his mouth opened, no doubt to protest.
“You did say that you were planning to step down, didn’t you?” Luca knew as sure as the sun was going to rise tomorrow that unless an agreement was in place, his father would never step down. Once the company was back in the black, his father would no longer have a reason to hand over the reins.
His father sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. “Okay. You’ll be president if you succeed.”
“And you’ll put this all in writing?”
The duke’s shoulders grew rigid as his bushy brows drew together. “My word isn’t enough for you?”
“Let’s just say, this way there will be no room for misunderstandings.”
His father studied him for a moment. “The Luca who left here years ago never would have asked for such a contract.”
“I was young then. And my mother had just died. It’s not fair to throw that in my face—”
“Slow down. You didn’t let me finish. I was going to add that I am impressed. You’ve grown up to be a man who isn’t afraid to stand his ground, even against his father. I just hope you have that much resilience and guts when it comes to turning around the business.”
“I will. Trust me.”
Luca hoped he sounded more assured than he felt at that moment. His entire future and his family’s legacy hinged on him pulling together a new business plan. And it was just starting to sink in that this endeavor might be much more important than proving himself to his father.
He had just signed on to save their home—the place where his ancestors had lived for generations. The place that was filled with memories of his mother. The thought tugged at his heart.
And at the moment, he didn’t have a plan. He had to come up with one fast. And it had to be good—no, it had to be great.
* * *
At last her mother was resting.
Elena breathed a sigh of relief. Her mother was far too active. It was difficult to get her to stop and elevate her ankle like the doctor had told her to do. And her mother looked wiped out. She’d said her ankle throbbed at night and it kept her awake.
Today, Elena had promised to sit with her to watch an old black-and-white movie starring Cary Grant. Her mother seemed pleased with the suggestion, seeing as her father wasn’t one for movies. He’d rather play checkers or cards to pass the time.
It was only a matter of minutes into the movie when her mother drifted off to sleep while sitting upright on the couch. Elena put a throw blanket over her and was on her way to the kitchen for another cup of coffee when there was a knock at the door. Not wanting her mother to wake up, she rushed to the door and opened it.
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