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When Carlo finished, Vito rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, his gaze on the horizon. “So, the cause is unknown, correct?”
“Correct,” Carlo answered. “We will know when the tissue samples come back.”
“But you think it is a virus of some kind.”
“Yes, I do.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I should’ve caught it. This is on me. I’m in charge of the vineyard.” I squared my shoulders. “We’ll lose all the affected vines. You should fire me.”
Vito’s cool mask was firmly in place when he jerked his head toward the side. “Walk with me.”
I promised Carlo I would return shortly, then fell in step next to Vito. He didn’t walk quickly. Instead, he slowed and matched my stride to his, and we didn’t speak as he led us deeper into the vineyard. I wasn’t one for hysterics, but I could feel myself spiraling. This was a catastrophe of epic proportions. All the money that would be lost . . .
What if the entire vineyard was affected? What if we had to rip out every root?
“Vito—”
“Take a deep breath,” he murmured, clasping his hands behind his back. “This is a problem to solve and I will help you and Carlo solve it. Capisce?”
“It’s more than a problem to solve. It’s a goddamn disaster. We could lose everything.”
“Carlo said it should only affect a section, maybe two. Regardless, we will not let this place fail. Things happen, but this isn’t the end of the world.”
“Just the end of the vineyard.”
“Viruses happen in vineyards.” He spoke patiently, as if dealing with a hysterical child. “You know that as well as I do. And if we must buy new plants, then we will buy new plants. We come up with a plan and follow it through.”
He made it sound so easy. But I knew how much work went into replanting and nurturing new vines. It would take time. And a lot of money. This didn’t come cheaply.
Worse though, it was a blow to my pride. I hadn’t noticed. I hadn’t noticed and I should have. “It’s my job. I didn’t do it. Everything we harvested in the fall could be affected.”God, I had to tell Bruce. He would need to dump the recent Cabernet Franc, at the very least. I dragged in a ragged breath. All that effort and cost?—
Vito stopped and put both hands on my shoulders. His midnight-colored eyes radiated calmness in the gray morning light. “What could you possibly have done differently, if you’d noticed it? Bella, you aren’t perfect. And it is bad, yes, but no one died. This can be rebuilt.”
I nibbled my bottom lip. Why didn’t he understand? Maybe for a mob boss whether someone died or not was an important barometer of failure. But for me, a vigneron, whether the grapes lived or died was a basic job requirement. “I’m freaking out,” I admitted. “And I can’t understand how you’re so calm.”
His gaze was warm and soft, and it sucked me in, soothing me. “This is only money, which I happen to have a lot of. And I already planned to make improvements. So now we combine the improvements with replanting. Let Carlo advise you and then we’ll do whatever you want.”
The words washed over me like a cool rain. My panic receded and I took a deep breath. Feeling like I should do something, I straightened his perfectly straight tie and admired the fine gray patterned silk.You just want an excuse to touch him.“You’ll let me decide?”
“Sì, certo. I told you this many times. I want to work with you, not strip this all away from you.”
He was saying all the right things and my heart slowed with each second that passed. “You’re good in a crisis, you know that?”
“I’ve been told this, yes. Now, aren’t you curious about the reason I came out here to find you in the first place?”
Oh, right. I was so distracted that I hadn’t even noticed. “Was it to tell me how amazing and awesome I am in bed?”
“No, although this is certainly true.” He cupped my jaw in his hands and rubbed his thumb along my cheekbones. “I have to run an errand today. I don’t know if I will be back by six.”
“Didn’t you get my text? I’m hanging out with a friend tonight.”
“And you will bring this friend to the cottage. Use the jacuzzi, if you like. Have my brother send out dinner. But I want you waiting there when I get back. Are we clear?”
Like a habit, I opened my mouth to argue—except I couldn’t get the words out. I didn’t want to refuse. There was something reassuring about this man, and this had been a really shitty day already. Seeing him tonight would make me feel better. “Okay, Vito.”
My compliance earned a tiny hint of a smile from him. “Va bene, angioletto mio.” He kissed my forehead, then pressed a quick kiss to my lips.
He left me there, lips tingling as I watched him walk away, his long overcoat shifting with each step. I could see the little white puffs of his breath, the strong slope of his neck leading into broad, capable shoulders. A giddy, fizzing sensation erupted in my chest, like I was filled with sparkling wine.No, stop. I’m just happy, that’s all.