Page 69 of Marsala and Magnolias

Mary Ellen sat in her bedroom and tried calling Antonio again. She hadn’t been able to get through since she woke up this morning. It was getting late in Sicily now. His phone went to voicemail yet again. She’d already left him a message. She wasn’t going to leave another one. She threw her phone down on the bed with a sigh. They hadn’t spoken since she’d left California, and right now she needed him. She wanted to rant to him about what her mom had done. She still couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe David had put her up to it either. Asshole.

Apparently, he’d come to Cincinnati to interview for a job, and he’d thought he’d catch up with her folks while he was in the area.

She looked up at the sound of a knock on her bedroom door. “Come in.”

Her dad poked his head around. “Are you okay in here, love?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. I should come down.”

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “I’m glad to get you by yourself. I’m sorry, love. I didn’t know what your mom was up to.”

She smiled and patted the bed for him to sit. “I know that.” Her poor dad rarely did know what her mom was scheming, and even when he found out, he didn’t usually get a say in things. “I’m trying not to be mad at her. She means well in her own way.”

Her dad gave her a rueful smile. “You sound like me.”

She chuckled. “I’ll bet you have to tell yourself something along those lines every day, don’t you?”

He nodded and looked over his shoulder at the door before lowering his voice. “She does mean well, and in a way a lot of it’s my fault, because I never pull her up on things. I go along with it for an easy life. But Mary El, you can’t let her boss you around. You can’t let her …”

“She’s not going to somehow persuade me to get back with David, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

He blew out a big sigh of relief. “I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know. I know you took it hard when he … when it ended between the two of you.”

Mary Ellen took hold of his hand. “I did. I was hurt for a long time, but him dumping me was probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” She smiled as she remembered what Antonio had said. “I’m grateful to him. If we’d gotten married I would never have gone to Napa. I wouldn’t have my amazing job and all my friends there. And I wouldn’t have met Antonio.”

Her dad frowned. “Tell me more about him? You’d said you were seeing someone new, but that’s all I knew.”

“Because I didn’t know what to tell you. It’s all happened so fast. He’s amazing, Dad. I think you’ll love him.”

Her dad looked skeptical. “All David told us is that he’s Italian and he’s in the wine business. I’ll be honest, love, that worries me. He sounds like a bit of a Romeo. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Mary Ellen smiled. “Antonio would never hurt me. He loves me, Dad. I love him. This is it. He’s the one.”

Her dad gave her a cautious smile. “You think so?”

“I know so. He’s a good man. He’s a bit full of himself, but he has a heart of gold. He’s honest and he’s loyal. I love him, and I know he loves me.” She smiled as she spoke. She knew all of it was true. She had no doubts left, only confidence in Antonio and in their future together.

“And can he support you? What does he do in the wine business? He’s not in sales, is he?”

She had to laugh. “He kind of is. He’s in every aspect of the business. He’s the CEO of Di Giovanni Wines; his family owns it.”

“Oh! So, he can take care of you, then.”

She laughed. “Yes, in a style I will quite happily become accustomed to. Even though I think I do a damned good job of taking care of myself.”

“You do, love. I don’t mean that. I just had visions of some guy who’d mooch off you—take advantage.”

“No. You’ve got no worries there.”

They both looked up as the door opened and her mom stood there looking suspicious. “What are the two of you up to?”

Mary Ellen smiled at her. She really did think she was trying to help, but she needed to be set straight. “I’m just telling Dad about Antonio. I think you’re both going to love him.”

Her mom pursed her lips. “I don’t like the sound of him. I don’t know why you had to be so rude to David last night. I’ve asked if he wants to come for dinner this evening.”

Mary Ellen Scowled. “Well, if he’s coming, I’ll be going out.”

“And I’ll be going with her,” said her dad.

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