The Marcelli Bride

11

“I don’t think my stitches are even,” Darcy said as she stared at the ten-inch square of fabric in her hands. “Aren’t they supposed to be even?”

Paige leaned over and studied Darcy’s work, then glanced at her own. “Hey, you’re doing better than me. At this rate, the most they’ll let me do is collect leftover scraps and throw them in the trash.”

Darcy tugged at the thread, but it wouldn’t pull through all the way, which left a little bit sticking up that didn’t exactly match the rest of the pattern.

“This is for a good cause,” she muttered. “Tell me it is, because I’m so not getting it.”

“We’re becoming better seamstresses so that when the next Marcelli bride gets her dress made we can help. Not that we’ll be here, but it beats weeding the vineyards, right?”

Darcy smiled. “I don’t think they’d make us do that.”

So far the Marcellis hadn’t asked her to do much of anything except show up for meals and be friendly. Grammy M had stopped by with the squares of fabric and had taught them a couple of basic quilting stitches, with the understanding that in time they would put their newfound skills to good use on a wedding gown.

While Darcy loved the idea of a family of women sewing each bride’s dress, she had a feeling she wasn’t going to be here long enough to see it happen. Although maybe they would invite her back when Mia got married.

“Have you talked to Lauren?” Paige asked, before she tugged too hard, broke her thread, and swore. “I’m not domestic. It’s as simple as that.”

“You and me both,” Darcy said with a laugh. She tossed her square onto the coffee table in front of the sofa. “Yeah, I’ve talked to Lauren. I feel really guilty. I’m here and she’s stuck in some farmhouse in the Midwest. Lately she seems to know way too much about growing corn, which is a little scary. I don’t think she has anything else to do with her day but watch it grow and ripen.”

Paige grinned. “She’s fine. I promise.”

“Hope so.” Darcy glanced at the agent. “You know, Mia’s convinced there’s something going on between you and Alex.”

Paige paused in the act of threading her needle. She blinked twice. “Really?”

The innocence was too studied, too forced. “Is there?”

“Special Agent Vanmeter and I are working on your security team,” Paige said primly.

“And sharing a house. By the way, Mia told the entire family and wants us to help get you together.”

Paige sagged against the sofa. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

“Not even a little. Of course now everyone is distracted by the news Joe was married before, if that helps.”

“It doesn’t.”

Darcy was stunned. “There is something going on.”

“No, there’s not. But…” She hesitated. “There was. A lot of years ago. Alex and I met during our initial training and we developed a thing for each other. But when training was over, we both decided our careers were more important than any relationship and we went our separate ways.”

Darcy hadn’t had a clue. She supposed no one did, except Mia, and that was the point. “And now?” she asked.

“Now we’re protecting you.”

Darcy didn’t think she believed that was the end of it. “Nothing else. No lingering sparks?”

Paige smiled. “Spark is too strong. There might be some heavy smoldering, but it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Because Alex is such a tight-ass?”

The smile turned into a grin. “You’ve noticed.”

“Hard not to. The guy practically invented the word. He needs to lighten up.”

“He wants to keep you safe.”

It was a philosophy Darcy could get behind. Except, over the past couple of days, she’d found herself being less afraid. Less wary of every noise and person she met.

“Are you going to pursue it?” Darcy asked.

“Not a clue,” Paige admitted. “What about you? Lieutenant Commander Larson looks very hunky.”

Darcy leaned forward and grabbed her fabric square. At the mention of Joe her insides got all tight and her face felt hot.

“He’s okay,” she said quietly.

Paige laughed. “Honey, we all know he kissed you out in the vineyard. You were observed by an agent.”

Darcy looked at her. “You’re kidding.”

“Sorry. No.”

Great. One of the many joys of being related to the president. At least they didn’t know about the kiss in the exercise room.

“He’s cute and all,” she admitted, “but I don’t really have great luck with guys.” The ones she’d met wanted her either for her sister or for her family connections.

“Are you worried he’s only interested because you could help him with his career?” Paige asked.

Darcy hadn’t considered that. “Could I?”

Paige looked at her. “Honey, with a couple of phone calls, you could practically get him his own ship. I doubt he’d be interested. Not in any command he didn’t earn. He shares that with Alex.”

Darcy chuckled. “Are you saying Joe’s a tight-ass, too.”

“Pretty much.”

Darcy hadn’t touched that particular body part, but she’d leaned against a lot of him, and he was rock solid everywhere. A quality she’d never considered in a man before but now found very desirable.

Colleen walked into the living room. She carried a tray heavy with sandwiches, cookies, and the inevitable bottle of Marcelli wine. This one was a cab-merlot blend.

“Now what are you two girls talking about?” Colleen asked as she set the tray on the coffee table and sat in the wing chair opposite the sofa.

Paige waved her scrap of fabric. “That I was never very good at the domestic arts. All this lack of success is making me feel inadequate. I’m going to go clean my gun.”

Darcy watched her go, then turned to Joe’s mother. “I’m afraid I’m not any better at this. My stitches aren’t even.”

Colleen opened the bottle of wine and poured them each a glass. “I wouldn’t worry about it. At the rate we’re going, one of my granddaughters will have grown up and gotten engaged before Mia ever considers settling down.” She handed Darcy a glass, then relaxed in her chair. “I love Mia so much, but too many days with her around exhausts me.”

“She’s sure full of energy.”

“Among other things. I thought Lorenzo was going to have a heart attack when he realized Ian was sharing Mia’s room. We’d given him his own, of course, but young people today…” Colleen stopped and frowned. “My God. Did I actually say that? ‘Young people today’?” She closed her eyes. “I’m turning into my mother, only without the charming accent.”

Darcy laughed.

Colleen looked at her and smiled. “I suppose it was bound to happen.”

“We’re all getting older.”

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to claim that for some time,” Colleen said. “On the one hand Mia wears me out, on the other the house seems quiet without her. I’m glad we have you here with us, Darcy.”

The unexpected words surprised Darcy. She tried to be a good houseguest, but she knew she was a relative stranger here. “You’ve all been very kind.”

“Trust me. We’re not altruistic enough to be noble. We like having you around,” Colleen told her. “Although I’m not sure being an honorary Marcelli is as exciting as the life you’re used to. After all, you can go to the White House anytime you’d like.”

Darcy nodded because it was expected, but in truth she didn’t feel as if she could just drop in. Maybe to see Lauren, but not for any other reason. Certainly not to see her father. Appointments were required.

“It must be hard for the president,” Colleen said as she set down her glass of wine. “He’s been a widower for a long time, yet it can’t be easy for him to date.”

“Not really. There’s a lot of speculation about his love life, but he has always said he won’t get involved with anyone until he’s out of office.”

“I suppose that makes sense. How would he know if the woman was interested in him or what he could offer? Still, he must be lonely.”

Darcy reached for a small sandwich but didn’t bite into it. She’d never considered that her father also had to deal with hangers-on. Sure, in his regular life, but not romantically. Of course there would be women who would want to marry the president. A fair number probably wanted to just sleep with him, but she didn’t want to think about that. Talk about an ick factor.

“Of course he has his girls,” Colleen said. “Children are a blessing. And you’re both so close. You in town and Lauren right there in the private quarters.” She smiled. “I think you were smart to have your own place so you could keep your privacy.”

“It is nice,” Darcy said because she knew the truth was far less appealing. A part of her had been interested in living in the White House. She’d imagined a room across from her sister and plenty of moments to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But she’d never been invited. When rooms had been assigned and living arrangements discussed, the assumption had been she would be staying in her D.C. apartment.

She’d kept her hurt to herself. She hadn’t wanted to upset Lauren or put her in the awkward position of having to petition their father on Darcy’s behalf.

“Do you go to many dinners and evenings there?” Colleen asked.

“Some. He hasn’t really started entertaining much yet. I received invitations when he was vice president, but I was still in graduate school and had to refuse a lot of them.”

Lauren had teased her about not wanting to come to anything but being unwilling to flat out say so. Lauren had said-

Darcy picked up her wine and took a sip. Was that what had happened? Had she said no so many times that they’d stopped asking? Did they think she wasn’t interested?

No, she told herself. That wasn’t possible. They had to know the truth. Didn’t they?

The days stayed warm and sunny. Joe knew from his nighttime reading that warm sunny days were best right before harvest. That the heat and light brought out the sugar in the grapes. Or did it keep sugar from being in the grapes? Damn. He’d just read about it the other night. Why couldn’t he remember?

Because this wasn’t his thing, he told himself. He wasn’t interested in wine or Marcelli land or grapes.

He rounded the corner of the house and saw Darcy in the shade, leaning against the back of a large jacaranda tree. Her eyes were closed, and her book had fallen off her lap. Just behind her were two agents, playing cards.

Joe nodded at them, then approached her. He crouched down at the edge of the blanket and waited until she opened her eyes and saw him.

“Hey,” she murmured, her voice low and her skin slightly flushed.

She wore a loose tank top and shorts, both black. Flipflops lay beside the blanket. Any makeup she’d applied that morning had faded, leaving her lips bare and only a shade or two darker than her cheeks.

She was gorgeous. Sexy, soft, and a thousand other things he shouldn’t think. If he did, the physical manifestation of his thoughts would inform everyone in visual range exactly what he had on his mind.

“Hey, yourself.” He sat next to her. “You’re still not sleeping.”

“Don’t go there, big guy. I’m too drowsy to fight with you today.”

“It’s not a fight if you do what I say.”

Her eyes widened as she laughed. “Do you think there’s even the tiniest chance that’s going to happen?”

“Not in this lifetime.”

“Or on this planet,” she told him. “I’m okay. And for your information, I’m sleeping better.”

“How much?”

“Maybe fifteen percent.”

“Not good enough.” Her hand lay beside his. He wanted to pick it up and touch it, maybe lace their fingers together. Which meant his brain had failed and he was in serious need of some combat time.

“You should talk to somebody,” he told her. “A professional. Even my SEAL teams need help now and then.”

“Okay. Maybe. When this is over and I’m back in D.C.”

He thought about pushing back, but if she saw someone sooner it would mean one more body who knew her location. That crowd was already too big for comfort.

“Brenna says the chardonnay grapes will be ready to harvest in a couple of weeks,” Darcy said. “I kind of want to be here to see that.”

He glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then lowered his voice. “I’ve been reading some of the books she left me. Harvest is a lot of work. There are-” He broke off at her smile. “What?” he demanded.

“Oooh, I could really blackmail you with the fact that you’re studying up on wine.”

“But you won’t. We’re in this together.”

The second the words were out, he wondered what he was talking about. Darcy should have been surprised, too, but instead of calling him on it, she changed the subject.

“I’ve never spent any time in this part of the country, and I have to say I’m sorry about that. I really love it here. I could get used to this kind of life.” She glanced at him. “I mean that at face value, so don’t get all weird on me.”

“I rarely get weird on anyone. I can see how it could be appealing.”

She stretched out her legs, then drew a knee to her chest. “Really? So why are you so determined to get away from here as fast as you can?”

A legitimate question. “I love what I do,” he said. “I make a difference every day. I trust my guys with my life, and they do the same with me.”

Her dark eyes settled on his face. “And you can’t trust the Marcellis?”

“Not the same way.”

“That’s unfortunate, because they are just as willing to give up their lives for you. They love you, Joe. More than you know and certainly more than you deserve. I wish you could see that.”

He shrugged, not sure what to say.

“The good news is they’re not going to give up,” she told him. “You are so stuck with them.”

“I’ve figured that out already. Brenna and Mia are easy, but I don’t know what to do with the rest of them.”

“You’re letting Grandma Tessa feed you. That’s something.”

He shrugged. “It’s just food.”

“Not to her. My next goal is for you to start calling people by their actual names.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “What are you talking about?”

“You avoid mentioning anyone by name. Probably because you don’t want to call Colleen and Marco Mom and Dad, which makes sense, but what about the Grands. Even I’m calling them Grammy M and Grandma Tessa. It’s who they are. The fact that they’re related to you is beside the point.”

He made a noise low in his throat. She laughed.

“Are you growling at me?” she asked, sounding more delighted than annoyed.

“Yes.”

“I’ve never had a man growl at me before.”

“They were probably all too scared of your Secret Service agents.”

“And you’re not?”

“I could take every one of them.”

Darcy stood by the window in her room, but instead of the view, she saw questions. So many opportunities had seemed to slip through her fingers. Times when she could have said something, only to hesitate out of fear or concern or need. What had she missed because of that hesitation? What had been lost?

She crossed to the secure phone on the nightstand in the corner and dialed Lauren’s number. Her sister answered in two rings.

“Hi, it’s me,” Darcy said.

“Hi, you. How’s it going? Are you basking in your sunny days and sultry nights?”

Darcy smiled. “There’s not much sultry here. Humidity is required for that.”

Lauren sighed. “There’s plenty here. Near record levels. The corn is growing, though. Growing and moving closer to the house. I’m beginning to feel like a character in a Stephen King novel. Soon I’ll be slipping into insanity.”

Darcy sat on the edge of the bed and battled guilt. “I’m sorry you’re stuck wherever you are.”

“Me, too, but I’ll survive. The Secret Service guys are nice, and I’m teaching myself to cook. Nothing up to White House standards, of course, but I never really bothered before. Even when I was married…” Her voice trailed off.

Darcy knew her sister enough to know she was about to get lost in the past. Given that Lauren was trapped in the middle of nowhere and on her own, she didn’t think that was a good idea.

“You should plan your welcome-home party,” Darcy said quickly. “Start working on the guest list. You can put me on top.”

Lauren laughed. “Hardly. You don’t like all those fancy events, but I appreciate you making the effort for me.”

“Is that what you think?” Darcy asked lightly. “That I don’t like the White House social scene?”

“You don’t. When Dad was vice president, he made sure you got invitations to everything, but you never came. I know grad school kept you really busy, but we both figured you were too polite to actually say you hated that kind of stuff.”

Darcy wasn’t sure what to say. Yes, she had been busy with school, but she’d also been confused and feeling unwelcome.

“I thought the kindest thing was to not ask you anymore,” Lauren added. “Was I wrong?”

“No. Of course not.” Darcy flopped back on the bed. “Maybe. I mean I know I kept refusing invitations, but I didn’t want to be cut off from you two.”

Lauren sucked in a breath. “Is that how you feel?”

“Sometimes.”

“Oh, Darcy. I’m sorry. You know we don’t want that.”

Darcy’s mouth twisted. “I know you don’t want that.”

“Stop it. Dad loves you. He talks about you and asks about you, which he wouldn’t have to do if you called him and came by sometimes. He’s busy, but he’s still your father and he cares about you.”

Darcy wanted to believe that, even though it wasn’t true. After her mother had died, she’d been so lost. Finding out the truth about her biological father the same day that her mother died had nearly destroyed her. Worse, the man who was her biological father was already dead, so she’d lost him before she ever found him. She’d been emotionally battered and unable to feel anything for months. Ryan Jensen had reached out to her time and again, only to have her walk away from him. Just about the time she’d been ready to reach back, he’d stopped trying.

“It’s complicated,” she said.

“It doesn’t have to be,” Lauren told her. “He wants you in his life.”

Darcy wasn’t so sure, but maybe she should find out before making any more decisions.

“All right,” her sister said. “Change of subject. I’m so bored here. Tell me something exciting that’s happening in your life.”

Darcy opened her mouth to say there wasn’t anything exciting, but what came out instead was, “I’ve met someone.”

Lauren squealed. “You’re kidding. That’s so great. The petty, bitter side of me is complaining that you get to meet a guy while I’m stuck in a cornfield, but I will squash those evil thoughts and focus only on you. Who is he? What’s he like?”

“He’s…” Darcy curled up on the bed and grinned. “He’s gorgeous. A naval officer and a former SEAL. I know nothing will come of it, but still, I really like him.”

Lauren sighed. “Sounds fabulous. Okay start at the beginning and talk slowly. I want to know every detail.”

“So you’re reading the books,” Brenna said. “Learning about the wine. What do you think?”

Joe held in a groan. “I’m sorry I said anything about them.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Brenna said cheerfully, “but you did, and now I get to grill you on them. It’s time to give in. Let the wine have its way with you.”

They were in the storeroom in the winery. Brenna had gotten even bigger, which didn’t seem possible. How far could one body stretch before splitting open?

As uncomfortable as it made him to look at her bulging stomach, his situation was made worse by the fact that he couldn’t just walk away. Not from a very pregnant woman who looked as if she could go into labor at any time. No matter how much she bugged him.

“I’m not interested in the wine,” he said, facing her and folding his arms over his chest. “I’ve told you.”

“I only listen to about half of what you say. It’s not personal-I deal with all men that way.” She grinned. “You can’t escape us. This is your destiny, Joe.”

“Not in this lifetime.”

The humor fled her eyes as she grabbed his arm. “I’m serious here. I’m pregnant. I’m going to have a baby. That’s bound to cut into my time. Four Sisters is growing. Grandpa Lorenzo won’t live forever. I need some help.”

The walls instantly began moving in on him. He pulled away from her and moved toward the door. “Marco can take over.”

“Whoa. Stop right there. No one is taking over from me. I said help. Like a partner.”

“Like I said-Marco.”

“Sorry, big brother. You’re the one. You’re the heir. Not just because you’re male, although that’s a big part of it, but also because you have the determination to make things happen. You have a lot to learn before you’ll be of any help to me. So you need to start now. You have responsibilities.”

He wanted to hit something or throw something. The barrels were too large and the desk behind him had been screwed down. He thought about tearing the intercom out of the wall, but what would that accomplish?

He glared at her. “It’s not going to happen,” he said, speaking slowly. “You can’t make me want this. I’m not interested in you, in them, in the winery. In any of it.”

“Is this why your marriage failed?” she asked softly. “Because you wouldn’t let anyone in?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” She rubbed her stomach. “We’re not leaving you, Joe. No matter how long you’re gone or how much you push us away. It’s been three years. What will it take for us to finally earn your trust?”

When he didn’t answer, Brenna shook her head and walked out without saying a word. Seconds later Darcy appeared. Her knowing expression only made the need to destroy something even stronger.

“Go away,” he growled.

“I wasn’t listening in,” she said. “You were yelling pretty loud until the end there. I’m guessing the whole back forty knows what you two were fighting about. Don’t you ever get tired of having the same argument over and over again?”

“Yes. They need to give it up.”

“Or you need to give in.”

He threw up his hands. “Perfect. You want to run my life, do you? It’s your fault it’s screwed up in the first place.”

“Oh, right. Because the sole purpose of the kidnapping was to mess up your career plans. I’m trying to help you here, you jackass. But you’re too stubborn to see the truth. You keep pushing them away, and they keep coming back.”

She moved closer. “You say the navy is your family, your life. But what do they care about you? You’re a rank and a number. Someone capable of doing a good job. There are a dozen guys who could take your place. Even now someone else is doing your job, and that’s what’s killing you. But this is different. This is your family. They love you. It’s specific and personal and you’re blowing it.”

He didn’t want to hear any of this. “Don’t call me a jackass.”

“Why not? You’re acting like one. You’re such a typical male, wanting to be defined by what you do. But you’re more than that.”

He moved close and considered shaking her. “You’re the most annoying woman I know.”

“Maybe, but I’m trying to help you. You should be grateful and offer me a small but tasteful gift. Flowers or chocolate.”

He grabbed her and pulled her close. But instead of shaking her, he lowered his head and kissed her.

She let herself sink into him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“That works, too,” she whispered before kissing him back.