Chapter Two
“Welcome to Venice!”
The flight attendant’s bubbly voice was like nails on a chalkboard, but I forced a smile. Considering the saga that had occurred to actually get us to Venice, a smile, (tbh, it was more like me clenching my teeth for a few seconds before I glanced at my silently fuming husband), was the least I could do.
I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that the scandal would wait until we returned, packaged up neatly with a bow on top. That stopped being an option the moment Corbin said my name on stage, in front of thousands. This latest missive put the final nail in our coffin. His ‘big reveal’ put us on the front page of virtually every gossip and pop culture news outlet in the world.
My first clue that this wasn’t something that would merely blow over? After we finally loaded all our suitcases in the SUV and got Hope situated in her car seat, I had a moment to breathe and stop stressing about being behind schedule. Long enough to let my Mommy Spidey Sense to tingle. I didn’t say anything at first, telling Jacob that I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching us. The one place we didn’t have to worry about being spied on was in our parking garage. Then the elevator chimed and enough security personnel to protect the President came pouring out. They descended on the technicolor Hummer that I’d never seen before, collaring the man behind the wheel. The sound of his camera slamming into the concrete was enough to make me dive into the SUV. It was too little, too late, because our vehicle was set on by the paparazzi camped outside our parking garage. Hope watched the flashing lights, gurgling like it was one of her favorite toys, a disco ball contraption that she could watch flash and flicker for hours. We hadn’t taken any precautions, like arranging for a car with tinted windows, so I got an eyeful of the photo hungry, determined paps who pursued us all the way to the airport.
All signs pointed to us having an epically long flight. Luckily, the powers that be smiled on us. After wailing a bit due to the pressure change, Hope dozed for most of the journey. I would have happily joined her, but I was worried about Jacob.
He spent the duration of our flight out for blood.
First, he laid into the building’s management for not cordoning off the press, or at least giving us a head’s up that they were hoping for a photo op with The Whitmores so we could have left more covertly. Next in line was member relations at the private air terminal. In addition to our camera toting escorts that had our driver dodging in and out of traffic, a slew of paparazzi were also waiting to see us off.
Usually, the sound of Hope’s squeal was enough to make him smile, no matter how sour his mood. But when she let loose one or two after I fed her, he simply leaned over and stroked her cheek, his face somber. Like there was a storm brewing underneath his clenched jaw and navy blue eyes.
I kissed the crown of her head as I rose to my feet. Jacob hadn’t even unbuckled his seatbelt, still knee deep in a terse conversation that I tuned out. I couldn’t go there with him right now. I couldn’t take up arms and get angry about our lives being turned upside down by scandal, yet again. If I went down that road, we’d ruin what was supposed to be a vacation from real life. We only had a few days here and I wanted to spend them enjoying Allegra and her family. Celebrating her wedding anniversary, not thinking about the mess we had to clean up.
A mess that’s your doing, I thought glumly, navigating to the window. Wanting to see the water, the city that felt like a home away from home. The place where I met Allegra De Luca, Jacob’s surrogate mother. Where I learned about his father—and his selfish inclusion of his son is his lie. When he was a boy, Jacob had been thrilled that his father, Carlton Whitmore, was taking him on location. Usually, he was left in the States, with a mother who ignored him and spent her time invested in her philanthropic efforts instead of taking care of her son. But his dad wasn’t some Superman, swooping in to pick up the slack. He introduced him to a kind, Italian woman, that Jacob bonded with instantly. But ‘Aunt Al’ was a secret.
She was Carlton’s mistress.
While they bonded on summer trips to Venice, Jacob had to keep his father’s secret—until Allegra ended things. As an adult, Jacob reconnected with her and they’d been thick as thieves ever since. Two people bonded by secrets and lies that finally lived in the light. Connected by their love of a man who never truly loved them back.
When I met Allegra, I loved her instantly (after I realized that she wasn’t some long, lost, Italian lover of Jacob’s). It was more than her friendly demeanor and how she took me under her wing almost immediately (and it didn’t hurt that she was no fan of Rachel Laraby’s). Ultimately, I think it was the way she loved Jacob. I saw it in her eyes, in how she defended him. And even though I got her stamp of approval, I knew that she would have taken me down if I showed any sign of being an opportunist or inauthentic. To me, Allegra was as much ‘home’ as this city with its gentle water, colorful architecture, vibrant food and locales.
I ducked my head, bouncing Hope on my hip as I prepared to give my baby girl her first look at Venice. “Look at-” I choked on my attempt at playing tour guide when I peered out and saw the tarmac was filled with photographers. “Oh my God.”
The flight attendant, a Venice native named Greta with an eternally sunny disposition, whisked over to us. She’d kept her smile through Jacob’s clipped answers to her questions, a little tiff with the pilot, and even accepting a couple of dirty diapers from Hope. The smile was nowhere to be found when she took a look outside.
Her eyes bulged. “Oddio...”
I almost didn’t want to clue Jacob into what was going on since he was clearly running on fumes, but I wheeled back to where he was seated. Glaring at his laptop screen. “Baby-”
He held up a finger, finishing what he was typing. “We will have to find another solution going forward when we fly out of the city. I refuse to play games with our security. What kind of half assed operation can’t manage to keep the press away from a damn tarmac?”
Suddenly, I wished I wasn’t the one to deliver the news that the craziness had followed us.
He lifted his eyes, slamming his laptop closed. His gaze locked on Hope first and the blue glittered with a love that I wanted to tell him to hold onto. To do some deep breathing. To just think about Hope, and not go on some sort of rampage that would only make things worse.
I parted my lips to warn him about what was waiting for us, but it got caught in my throat when he blazed towards us. He pressed his lips against mine, his voice losing the sharp edge that had been slicing and dicing for hours.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so irritable, I just can’t stand that they’re hounding us. This whole mess is that-” The nerve beneath his eye ticked, telling me that if Hope wasn’t within earshot and hanging on every word, Daddy would have called Corbin something not-so-nice. “Man’s doing. He’s probably hunkered down somewhere, cackling with delight while he’s playing everyone. And we’re the ones that are being harassed at every turn.” He let out a sigh, a smile flickering across his lips as he eased Hope from my arms. “But The Whitmores are thousands of miles away, far away from all that bull-”
“Crap,” I finished for him with an uneasy chuckle. I stroked his dark locks, trying to live in this adorable moment. Jacob was making faces that made Hope scream like he was the funniest person she’d ever met. I wanted to soak it up, like the rays of sunshine that beamed into the airplane. I wanted to live in this moment, where the only light we felt was of the natural variety. Before we stepped off the jet and the artificial bulbs went wild.
“Not bad for her first flight, huh?” Jacob beamed with pride, glancing over at me. He adjusted his hold on Hope as he scanned my face. I thought I was doing a good job of keeping it together, but he knew me. He brushed a stray curl from my eyes with his knuckle. “I know this is a lot, but let’s make a deal. No more talk about him, the press, or anything related to that interview until we’re back home.” He injected some playfulness in his voice as he balanced Hope with one arm and extended his other hand, like he wanted to shake on it. His olive branch.
I glanced at his hand, biting my lip. “I’d love to agree to that, but I don’t think there’s any escaping it.”
His eyes boiled with frustration as he pulled me in, his forehead pressed against mine. “It’s gonna be okay. Whatever happens, we’ll handle it together.”
I planted a kiss on his forehead, then made a trail to his ear. “I’m glad you said that. Take a minute before you look outside.”
He gave me a puzzled look, but his confusion was as fleeting as our tender moment. A curtain fell across his handsome face, turning to stone. I could tell that he knew what awaited us, but he didn’t say a word. I took Hope, turning to the flight attendant who was still at the window, gaping at the scene outside.
“Greta?”
She didn’t budge, frozen in place like someone had pressed the pause button.
“Greta.” The second go round was louder, enough to shake her from her stupor.
She sliced her hand through her blonde locks, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Whitmore.” She gave her jacket a crisp tug and snapped to attention, the sides of her mouth automatically curling upwards. “What can I do for you?”
Jacob slammed both palms on the side of the plane, looking out at our welcoming party. “Son of a-”
“I think my husband will take that drink after all.”
She went to work, booking it to the bar area. I had a feeling Jacob wanted to raze the whole operation to the ground, but even he could appreciate the thoroughness of the jet company. They did their research—they knew his favorite drink, had a full espresso bar so I could get one of the best white mochas I’d ever tasted at 37,000 feet, and there was even a playpen area specially curated for Hope.
Worst case scenario, we could just camp out on the plane and wait for the press to get bored or hungry.
Greta hustled over, glass in hand. She wasted no time whipping it up, but she approached Jacob like she was walking the plank. “...Mr. Whitmore?”
He didn’t answer, just holding out his hand. He threw it back and grunted a thank you.
“Can I get anything for you, Mrs. Whitmore?” Greta asked softly, playing with Hope’s foot.
“If you could make all the people outside go poof, that would be awesome,” I joked.
She looked confused, glancing towards the window, then back to me.
“Well, maybe not everyone.” Jacob wheeled back to face us, with a genuine smile on his face. The last time he’d grinned from ear to ear like that, it was because of one person.
I dashed back to the window, wanting to see for myself. I stifled a laugh when I saw a familiar figure, practically nose to nose with a photographer, ready to duke it out.
Allegra.
She was dressed in a black blazer and jeans, but as far as I was concerned, she had a cape, here to save the day.
I snuggled closer to Jacob, already feeling ten times better. “Welcome to Venice, baby.”
*
THE FLASHING LIGHTS were no match for Allegra’s smile.
I held onto the contours of it, the love that flowed from it as I dodged questions that skittered our way in rapid fire succession. The accents put a new twist on the same barbed wire wrapped comments, engineered to get a rise out of us. Things like, ‘How did it feel to hear your wife’s ex call Leila the love of his life?’ and ‘Did you name your dead baby?’ and my personal favorite, ‘Does Hope have a long lost brother or sister?’
We didn’t bother saying ‘no comment’, letting them figure that out for themselves as overwhelmed security personnel held them at bay. Allegra stood like a light at the end of the tunnel.
Jacob was at my side. I was worried phrases like ‘dead baby’ would make him choke someone out, but his eyes were filled with a different kind of emotion. The same emotion that had me sobbing as we finally reached Allegra. It probably would have been wise to have this reunion away from prying eyes, but we were in our own world, sobbing and clutching each other on the tarmac, with the Italy I remembered glittering in the background.
Allegra’s ebony hair was longer than I remembered, the dusting of gray now full-on highlights. But her eyes were the same color of growth and new beginnings. Bright, green eyes that melted when she saw Hope.
“Vita mia!” She took a step towards us, clasping a hand to her chest. A tear skated down her cheek as she reached for Hope. Hope let out an adorable gurgle of approval.
“Hope Whitmore.” Allegra sniffled and ducked her head, inhaling that baby scent that made my heart flutter every time it filled my nostrils. “It is nice to meet you, cucciola.” Heat pricked her cheeks as she turned her attention to me, kissing both cheeks. “Leila, you are positively radiant!”
Now I was blushing. “I’m sure I look a mess after the flight and-” I cocked a thumb over my shoulder. “All of this.”
Allegra scowled in their direction. “Bastards, the whole lot of them.” She wrapped Jacob in a bear hug that reminded me of the first time I met Al, on this very tarmac. Like then, my heart tripled in size because their connection and love for each other was so profound.
She murmured something that made him unleash a belly laugh.
“I was tempted to clock a few of them in the jaw, but I don’t want to give them the pleasure of a high dollar shot of the American billionaire dotting some poor ‘journalist’s’ eye.”
Allegra waved her middle finger like a flag and winked at me. “Let’s get out of here before I get carried away myself.” She clutched her chest again, then tickled Hope’s foot, to our baby’s utter delight. “She’s so precious. I can’t wait to get back to the house and introduce my American family!”
Jacob was good at playing his cards close to the vest, but I didn’t miss the emotion that danced across his face. ‘Family’ was such a loaded word for him. With a womanizing father who took his son, wife, and business for granted and a mother who continued to be Pandora’s Box of pain and disappointment, ‘family’ used to mean heartache to Jacob. Many of the bright spots from his childhood included Allegra, proof that family was more than what runs in your veins. ‘Family’ is the people who love you and lift you up. People who are willing to duke it out with paparazzi.
Allegra set up Hope’s carseat with a speed that made me whistle. “You’re gonna have to teach me a trick or two. I swear it takes me half an hour to install this at home.”
“Aunt Al has had a lot of practice,” she chuckled, sliding behind the wheel. “Aurora would only fall asleep the first month we brought her home if we drove her around the block, so I became an expert.”
She read my mind, handing me a physical album before I even got the words out. It was a bubblegum pink thing with frayed edges, the letter A stitched on the front. I flipped it open, gasping when I saw the cutest newborn, snuggling in a wicker bassinet. Her full head of ebony locks reminded me of Hope. Beneath the picture was her wristband, Allegra’s daughter’s name typed in faded letters: Aurora De Luca.
“She is absolutely gorgeous, Allegra!” I kept flipping, watching her grow before my very eyes. She had her mother’s rich, sun kissed skin and midnight colored tresses. Mischievous green eyes gleamed up at me. The baby grew into a teen that I was betting was a handful, flashing a kiss at the camera.
“Aurora would answer that compliment with, ‘I know!’.” Allegra clucked her tongue. “She’s 16 going on 30.”
Jacob settled in the seat beside her, up front. “I’ve decided I’m going to find a way to keep Hope adorable and obedient for all time.”
Hope let out a perfectly timed squeal.
“I think adorable is a given, but obedience was out the window the day she made her first appearance, ahead of schedule,” I joked, dabbing at Hope’s mouth, only to have her unleash her new favorite sound. Her lips shuddered as she performed for her captive audience, sending a spray of saliva all over the place.
Allegra pointed the SUV towards the exit, laying on the horn when a few brave photogs decided to cluster around the gate. “Just enjoy this time, before she gets old enough to give you lip and headaches. When I told Aurora you two would be coming to the anniversary celebration, she informed me that she’d need a new dress if Jacob Whitmore would be in attendance.” She shifted her eyes to the rearview mirror, a wince-like smile dancing across her lips. “I’m afraid she has a schoolgirl crush.”
“No worries,” I assured her with a hearty laugh. We’d only been in Venice for half an hour and I was already in a better mood, putting all the bad juju aside in favor of a few days with family, music, and love. “She clearly has good taste!”
*
I THOUGHT JACOB’S ESTATE was breathtaking, but the De Luca villa rendered me utterly speechless.
I was guilty of making certain assumptions. Based on Allegra’s personality, I assumed that we were headed to a modest abode tucked in the Italian countryside. Instead, she expertly navigated us through the bustling streets of the floating city. After exiting the main drag, she pulled to an iron gate that was wrapped with lights and fresh flowers. We were right on the river, surrounded by opulence. The main villa an architectural feat in and of itself, complete with annexes that I could see young Allegra playing epic hide and seek. Or sneaking out (or sneaking someone in).
There were no servants here. We were assisted by cousins whose names were fired left and right, kissing my cheeks and shaking Jacob’s hand. Gathering our things, then headed to one of the annexes.
Allegra gestured at the entrance to the main villa. “Let’s head in and have some refreshments. I know Angelo can’t wait to meet Leila and Hope!”
She led the way and I situated Hope in her sling, marveling at the grounds. I fell back a few steps, my voice lowered as I leaned in Jacob’s direction. “I had no idea...” I trailed off, blushing because I wasn’t sure how to tactfully mention that I was surprised this was Allegra’s home.
“That Allegra was filthy rich?” Jacob grinned. “Her father was a real estate magnate, and her husband, Angelo, works in finance. Money has never been an issue, but I think she’d be thrilled that you were expecting something a little less...”
“Familiar?” I muttered under my breath as we breezed into the terra-cotta lined entrance.
Allegra kicked off her shoes and let out a whoop that reminded me of my mother, hollering up the stairs that she needed help with the groceries. “Ang! Aurora! They’re here!”
Down a long, antique lined hallway, a dark haired head popped out. “I’ll text Aurora!” A deep, baritone voice rippled down to us.
“Technology will be the death of us,” Allegra said with an eye roll. “It’s bad enough that she test us her meal requests from upstairs.” She trailed off in Italian, her smile returning when she glanced at Hope. “Paolo and Mika are preparing your rooms, but feel free to make yourself at home.”
Jacob had already removed his shoes, so I let out an ‘eep!’ and followed suit, stepping out of my flats. “You have a beautiful home, Allegra!”
“Grazie!” She looked as peevish as I felt, like she was embarrassed by the wealth and opulence. That she’d grown up with all of this and remained so humble and relatable made me love her even more. “I think my father disapproves that this has become the De Luca compound since I inherited it, but there’s just so much space. I’ve always had an open door policy to anyone who needs a place to stay.”
“We should float that concept to my mother-in-law,” I cracked, regretting it after it came out since Jacob usually looked like he was eating glass whenever Alicia crept into conversation.
He didn’t roll his eyes or walk right past it, smirking instead. “I think she’d go into cardiac arrest. If she had her druthers, she’d build the staff their own house, tucked out of sight—but then they wouldn’t be at her beck and call.”
“How is Alicia?” Allegra was leaning against the door jamb to what I assumed was a sitting room. Her face was nearly as impassive as Jacob’s when he pretended he wasn’t as bothered as he really was. Allegra had made a life for herself after she broke off the affair with Carlton, but there was no escaping their torrid history and connection.
“Alicia is Alicia,” Jacob said flatly, his palm frigid on the small of my back. “You probably want to take a seat, don’t you, babe?”
I’d just had a seat for over nine hours, but I wasn’t gonna make things more awkward. “S-sure.”
“Right!” Allegra flashed an uncomfortable smile and snapped to attention. “Why don’t you guys get comfortable and I’ll bring some drinks?” She hustled towards the end of the hall and stopped halfway, forgetting something. “What would you guys like to drink? We have, uh, vino, water-”
“Whatever you and Angelo are having works for us,” Jacob answered for us both, leading the way into the room, suddenly in a hurry to sit down. He settled into a rustic looking love seat, but I wandered around, rocking Hope as I stared into frames that held black and white pictures. Of family, of the villa when these things wouldn’t have been called antiques and artifacts because they were fresh off the sales floor. Hanging over a wooden mantle was a portrait of Allegra and Angelo on their wedding day. Allegra was glowing, covered in lace. Her husband beamed from the frame like he was the happiest man in the world.
I wanted to mute the questions, but there was no escaping the curiosity. Did he know about Carlton? Surely she had to have explained who this American who was popping over for visits was. I was a strong woman, but I don’t know if I could invite the son of my significant other’s former lover to break bread with us.
“You can wait until they’re back to ask, or you can get it out of the way now.” Jacob read my mind from across the room. When I faced him, I didn’t see discomfort or nerves rippling beneath the surface. It was too bad, because my stomach was officially doing jumping jacks.
“I wasn’t-”
“Lay.” He gave me a look that told me it was too late to turn back the clock. “It’s natural to have questions. If I were you, I’d have plenty.” He situated Hope’s diaper bag beside him. “Fire away.”
I nibbled on my bottom lip, suddenly wishing I hadn’t been so preoccupied with ignoring Corbin. The flight would have been the perfect opportunity to ask 20 Questions. Asking them here, surrounded by history, was ten times harder than being in the clouds, thousands of miles from the other two people who lived it.
I swallowed and got on with it. “How long have you known Angelo?”
Jacob tapped his chin, mulling it over. “About ten years or so, I believe.”
I felt the period at the end. I was kind of hoping he’d give me a bite sized recap that included what I really wanted to know, but Jacob was clearly gonna force me to get specific.
I inched towards the love seat. “Mind if I join you?”
His eyes sparkled playfully. He was enjoying making me squirm. “Be my guest.” He lifted the diaper bag and plopped it on the floor beside him, then nodded at the empty space that remained.
“Sooo...” I rounded my lips, getting comfy beside him. Hoping he’d just tell me what I wanted to know.
“Sooo...” he repeated, petering off expectantly. When I glared at him he leaned in, dropping his volume to a whisper. “Unless you want to have this conversation with the whole gang, I suggest you just ask me what you’re dying to know.”
“You drive me crazy,” I growled, eyeballing him. He wasn’t gonna budge, so I surrendered. “Fine! I want to know what Angelo’s role is in all of this. How he’s...cool with you, us, being here to celebrate them.”
“Well, I think if you would have asked him how he felt about The Whitmores 25 years ago, he probably would have called us every profane thing he could think of,” Jacob admitted. “As you know, my father’s reputation proceeded him...and so did Allegra’s.”
My eyes widened. “Allegra had a reputation?”
“Not for being a player,” he chuckled, stretching his arm behind me. “C’mon, Lay. That’s not in her nature, then or now. But look around you. What man in Venice wouldn’t want to steal the heart of the De Luca girl? Angelo was no different. I certainly don’t know the details of their love story, you’ll have to ask Al about that. I do know that when my father climbed on a plane and went home, there was only one guy who stood a chance, and that guy was Angelo.”
I twisted my mouth to one side, my imagination painting the whole sordid, Shakespearean tragedy. I hadn’t even met Angelo officially and I wanted to hug his neck. To love someone who was tangled up in a relationship that was clearly toxic—it took a kind of strength that most people didn’t possess.
“When Allegra finally cut my dad loose and tried to move on with her life, to move on with Angelo, there were strings attached. Strings like no more Whitmores. Period.”
My heart clenched, knowing how hard that must have been for her, for Jacob, but how vital it was to really move forward. The wounds were too raw, too fresh to keep any attachments. To look back.
“So, Allegra became something that I convinced myself was some sort of waking dream. And when that didn’t work, I tried to blame her for the miserable state of things in the Whitmore household. But with time and some growing up, I knew that life is too complicated, and there’s no villain in this story. And if there was one, it certainly wasn’t Allegra. I was the one that reached out-”
“And I was furious.” A thickly accented voice cut through Jacob’s explanation and we both whipped our heads towards the door. A man who took up most of the frame height wise and was built like a linebacker stood there, holding a bottle of wine and two glasses. He had a full head of gray that hung in dramatic waves around his face. It didn’t take much to rewind the clock. To see a younger man, madly in love and clinging to his fears and anger. Deep brown eyes hiding the truth: he didn’t hate The Whitmores and he certainly didn’t hate Jacob. He was terrified of losing Allegra.
“Unfortunately for that foolish boy who tried to exert control over a situation that had nothing to do with him,” Angelo continued, “Allegra gave me an ultimatum. I could support her friendship with Jacob, or I could fuck off.”
He entered the room, propping the glasses on the table. “I pouted and stood my ground for 24, 48 hours at most. Long enough to realize that she cared for Jacob in a way I didn’t understand—and it wasn’t mine to understand. She just needed my support. My trust.”
“-and he clearly made the right choice,” Allegra breezed in behind him with two glasses of wine. She waited for him to pour and serve ours, then she lifted her glass to us. “Here’s to letting go and finding friendship and connection in unlikely places!”
I exchanged glances with Jacob, who gave me a peck on the cheek before he raised his glass. “Here, here!”
We all took a hearty gulp in unison. The alcohol, combined with my embarrassment, flushed my cheeks to a tone that matched the liquid that swirled in the glass. I turned to Allegra first. “Sorry I’m so nosy, I just-”
“I’d have the same questions, tessera,” she assured me with a smile that warmed my soul. “And as evidenced by us all being in the same room, this story has a happy ending.” She clapped her massive husband on the back. “Where are your manners! Leila, this is Angelo.”
The whole room seemed to shake as he made his way over to me, extending a hand that was nearly as big as my head. “It is truly a pleasure.”
I accepted it with a dopey grin. “Agreed.” I swayed a bit, cocking my head at Hope who had nodded off. Daddy’s story time always put her out cold, even if the subject matter didn’t include princesses and castles. “And this sleeping little one is Hope.”
“Cuore mio!” he gushed. “She is gorgeous!” He held out a hand to Jacob. “Congratulations, Jacob. I’m thrilled you’re here.”
“Not as thrilled as me.”
A new voice, sultry and exotic, oozed from the door and I got my first look at Aurora de Luca, who was dressed like she was headed to a club in a skin tight black dress.
Her mahogany locks whipped around her bright face as she strutted over to Jacob, sitting squarely in his lap. “Hi, Uncle Jacob!”