THE DAY COULDN’T have been more beautiful.
The sun was bright. The blue skies were clear. And the air was warm.
But the mood in the car was anything but bright and cheery. The shadows under Enzo’s eyes said that he hadn’t gotten much sleep, if any. She’d at least drifted off for a few hours but her stomach wasn’t feeling the best. She wrote it off as motion sickness. It would soon pass.
After a quiet car ride, they arrived in Florence. Without much sleep, espresso was very tempting. When Enzo repeatedly offered to get her some, her stomach still wasn’t up for it.
On her phone, Sylvie did a search of stores in Florence. “There are a lot of shops we can check for decorations.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
She started reading off the directions. When she looked up, she noticed he’d turned in the opposite direction. “The shops are the other way.”
“This is just a little detour.”
“But we have to get back to the vineyard and finish setting up.”
“Relax. We have time. And you did say you’ve never taken time to look around the city.”
It was true. Since she’d moved from Patazonia, she hadn’t spent much time in Florence. Sadly, the few times she’d visited this beautiful and historically rich city, she’d been here to do wedding business and so still hadn’t seen much. She’d dreamed of one day taking the time to visit some of the city’s sights, but there was always a meeting to attend, a need to rush back to the estate and never enough time to just relax and be a tourist.
The fact he was taking a detour this morning was something she’d wanted for a long time. So why was she fighting it? Why didn’t she just let go of her worries and enjoy the day—wherever it led them?
Enzo parked the car. Sylvie stepped out and lifted her face to the morning sun. It warmed her skin and energized her. This was going to be a good day after all. This tour of Florence with Enzo as her guide would be priceless.
“Where are we going to start?” Excitement pumped through her veins.
“This way.” He gestured over his shoulder. “I hope you wore your walking shoes.”
“I did.” She never imagined she would be touring Florence, but she’d dressed to do some serious shopping and that involved a lot of walking.
The people of Florence shared friendly smiles and greetings. They made Sylvie feel as though she fit right in. Enzo started off by telling her that he wasn’t a professional tour guide so he wouldn’t be able to answer all her questions about the city, but he would do his best. She had no doubt that he was the perfect person to show her the sights.
“Unless you want to take a professionally guided tour,” he said. “I’m not sure what time slots are available. Whatever it is, we can make it work. I don’t want you to miss out on anything.”
Sylvie placed a hand on his forearm. “Stop. I would like you to do the tour, if you’re still willing.”
He nodded.
They set off, side by side. There was just something about seeing the city through his eyes that appealed to her. And with Enzo’s mood improving, the company was the best part of all.
“Our first stop is the Ponte Vecchio Bridge or Old Bridge,” Enzo said. “It’s one of the oldest bridges in Europe. And it still has houses built on it, though most of them are now shops.”
“I can’t even imagine living on a bridge.” She marveled at the idea.
“There are some great views from there.”
They started across the crowded bridge. There was an energy flowing through the crowd as they laughed and talked amongst themselves as well as conversed with the vendors, most of whom were jewelers. She was immediately drawn in by the showcases. She told herself that she was only going to browse. She didn’t have any extra money to splurge on any of the dazzling baubles for sale—not when she was about to lose her home and job. But looking didn’t cost anything.
She was in awe at some of the remarkable pieces. But there was a necklace of silver and gemstones designed to look like a cluster of purple grapes with green leaves all wired together. It was remarkable. And she loved it. Then she looked at the price. It was too much for her budget. She gave it a lingering glance then, with a resigned sigh, she moved on.
She didn’t say anything to Enzo about the necklace, but when he was drawn in by a wristwatch, she backtracked to take a second look at the necklace. She didn’t want to explain to Enzo why she couldn’t buy it. She didn’t want to make him feel guilty over the events at the estate. After all, it was just a necklace—a stunning, handcrafted necklace—but a necklace all the same.
As they continued across the bridge, Sylvie pushed thoughts of the necklace to the back of her mind. It wouldn’t change things to dwell on something she couldn’t have. However, the memories made today were priceless. She loved everything about her time in Florence—including her tour guide. As soon as the thought came to her, she dismissed it. Where had it come from? She was just letting the excitement of the day and their newfound easiness with each other get to her.
She paused by the bridge’s outlook to take in the beautiful view of the river and the surrounding city.
“Wait here,” Enzo said. “I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared into the crowd. She wasn’t sure where he was going, most likely tracking down some espresso. A yawn tugged open her mouth. She refused to give in to her tiredness. Today she would take in all the sights. Tonight she could sleep. But right now she didn’t intend to miss a thing. Or at least whatever they had time to see.
Enzo returned. “Turn around.”
“What?”
“Turn around.” When she frowned at him, trying to figure out what he was holding behind his back, he said, “Trust me.”
With a bit of trepidation, she did as he asked. He reached around her, placing something on her neck, but he moved so fast that she couldn’t get a good look at what was in his hand. For a moment she thought it was the necklace she’d liked so much, but she dismissed the notion. He wouldn’t know about it, as she hadn’t mentioned it.
But as she reached for the pendant, Enzo said, “Hold still. I’m having a hard time with this catch.” When she stopped moving, he said, “I’ve almost got it… There we go.”
Sylvie moved her long hair, letting the chain rest against her neck. And then she lifted the pendant, finding the stunning mixture of gemstones and wire art. “How did you know?”
When she turned a smile to him, he returned the gesture. “I was hoping for that reaction.”
“What reaction?”
“Your smile. It brightens the whole world—at least my entire world.”
His words caused her heart to pitter-patter faster. “Thank you so much.” She fingered the pendant. “I love it. But you shouldn’t have done it. I’ll pay you back—”
“No, you won’t. That was a gift from me to you.”
“But—”
“No buts, just enjoy it. It looks good on you.”
They moved on, stopping to visit the bust of goldsmith/sculptor Benvenuto Cellini, where lovers from near and far had visited and affixed hundreds of locks to the fence surrounding the statue. Legend had it if they threw the key in the Arno River, their love would be eternal.
Sylvie wondered about having a love like that—a love like her parents’. She didn’t believe it happened for everyone. It wouldn’t happen to her, but the thought of having a love that endured time, trials and tribulations was very tempting indeed.
From the bridge, they visited Piazza della Signoria, Florence’s town center with its remarkable open-air sculpture gallery with its stunning works of art. There was so much to take in that it couldn’t all be done in a day, but they kept moving.
Sylvie snapped photo after photo on her phone. She didn’t want to forget a single moment. At the Galleria dell’Accademia, she marveled at all the statues and paintings. However, the sculpture of David by Michelangelo made her pause and admire the level of skill involved. Sylvie never considered herself a fan of Renaissance, but she was starting to change her mind.
With a lull in the crowd, she paused to consider how someone could carve stone with such detail. It was truly amazing. It would definitely take a lot of talent and strength as well as imagination. She wondered if people doubted Michelangelo’s talents in the beginning. Did his parents encourage him to do something more traditional with his life—like blacksmithing? Or did they encourage him to follow his dreams?
She thought of her loving mother, who’d always wanted the best for Sylvie. She’d thought Sylvie had talent designing wedding dresses but believed it took more than talent to make it in this sometimes challenging world they lived in. And so her mother had encouraged her to find a more traditional career. Sylvie had heeded her mother’s cautious words, but she couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if she’d been brave and followed her dreams.
Sylvie turned to Enzo. “Thank you for bringing me here. I will never forget this day.”
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to say to you and for one reason or another, I’ve kept putting it off.” His sincere gaze met hers. He drew in a visible breath. “I’m sorry for how I acted after Paris. It wasn’t right. I tried to blame you and it was so wrong. The truth is the night meant more to me than I was willing to admit. I made every excuse possible to avoid dealing with those feelings. Thank you for not giving up on me and giving me time to get my head screwed on straight.”
His words touched her heart, making it flutter in her chest. She wasn’t quite sure what he was trying to tell her. A part of her wanted to delve deeper into this subject, but the other part of her didn’t want to ruin this moment. As hard as it was for her, she believed it was best for both of them to accept what he was willing to give and not push for more. But that didn’t mean she didn’t owe him an apology, as well.
“I’m sorry, too.” She glanced back at the famous statue as emotions churned within her. “I was freaked out, too, after Paris. I never expected things to go in that direction. And then I thought you were mad at me, which made everything worse.” She chanced a glance in his direction. “I don’t normally act so bold.”
A smile played at the corner of his lips. “I like that bold side of you.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “Bold looks good on you.”
She smiled, too. His gaze caught and held hers. Her heart pounded in her chest. It was so loud it echoed in her ears. How was it possible this man could have such a powerful draw over her?
“About last night—”
“We were both exhausted,” she said. “There’s nothing more that needs said about it.”
His gaze searched hers. “You don’t think less of me?”
“No. I think you’re a very caring brother and friend.”
And then his gaze noticeably lowered to her lips. Was he going to kiss her right here in front of all these people? She didn’t care who watched. All she cared about was being in his arms once more.
Her heart thumped harder and faster with each passing moment. The background faded away. In that moment it was just the two of them—
Someone bumped into Sylvie. She landed against Enzo’s muscular chest. Jarred from the magical spell that had been spun over them, Sylvie jumped back. They both turned to find a teenage boy.
“Sorry.” The boy’s face was flushed.
“Be careful,” Enzo warned. “You could have hurt someone.”
The boy nodded and moved on, submerged into the crowd.
Enzo turned to her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded as her heart slowed. The stolen moment was over before it’d even begun.
“Come on,” Enzo said, “we need to keep moving. I don’t want you to miss visiting the shops before they close.”
He took her hand in his and moved onward, working their way to the exit. Her hand felt good within his grasp. She refused to define what it meant. A label on this thing happening between them would ruin the moment. It was best just to live in the moment and not analyze it.