‘Bright pink dress,’ Rose filled in.
‘Yes, that’s Marco’s Aunt A who we’re going to pick up.’ He saw her squint at the picture. ‘Next to Aurora, you’ll see her sister – Marco’s mother – Elena.’
‘She’s very beautiful,’ Rose commented, although her tone suggested there might be something wrong with that. ‘I’m guessing the man on the left is Marco’s father?’
‘Yep. Leonardo Marino, he’s a good man,’ Ben said, smiling. ‘He’s not into suits but likes white shirts and chinos. His father, Marco’s nonno, Cesare – that’s Italian for Caesar – is beside him.’ He pictured the older man’s face, which was wrinkled from a lifetime spent in the sun. He was still handsome, and, in thepicture, he was grinning. Ben knew he hadn’t had a lot to smile about recently, though.
‘And the older woman?’ Rose asked after another moment of silence.
‘The one with the big smile is Isabella Marino, Marco’s nonna. She’s…’ He had to search for the right words. ‘A tricky woman sometimes, but she has a big heart. In many ways, she runs the family or at least she keeps everyone in line.’
‘Does she keep you in line?’ Rose shot back.
Ben grinned. ‘She tries. Isabella taught me how to make the perfect pizza. She also told me how to impress women in Italy.’ He frowned, slamming his foot on the accelerator and overtaking a car as it slowed, before pressing his palm on the horn.
‘Did she teach you how to drive too?’ Rose asked, her voice breaking as she clearly tried to hide her panic.
‘Sorry, I tend to get carried away when I’m over here,’ Ben said, slowing and allowing a couple of cars to overtake.
Rose folded the photo carefully and placed it back in his wallet. ‘Tell me more about the family,’ she said. ‘Are they close?’
‘Yes, very. They own a restaurant in Bellemilia, did Luna mention that?’ he asked as soon as the road was clear again.
‘She said something about it. She also told me we’d all be staying together in the family house.’
‘You don’t sound very happy about that,’ Ben said.
‘In my experience families can be complicated,’ Rose said. ‘I’m concerned they’ll be a distraction. I want Luna to really think about what she’s doing without the added pressure of people who might not have her best interests at heart. She can be a bit too trusting sometimes.’
Ben bristled. He couldn’t help it. ‘I think you’ll find the Marino family are just as infatuated with Luna as she is with Marco. They’re good people,’ he added. ‘The best I know.’
‘I’m sure they are,’ Rose said gently. ‘But that still doesn’t mean this marriage is a good idea. Wed in haste, repent at leisure is a mantra I share with all my clients.’
‘Clients?’ Ben asked as a car came up behind them at speed and overtook before weaving back into the same lane, forcing him to apply his brakes again. He saw Rose grip the edges of her seat and swore he could hear the enamel chipping off her teeth. In the back seat, Coco let out a yip. ‘I’m sorry,’ he muttered.
‘While it’s tempting, I’m not blaming you for other people’s driving.’ Rose shook her head and reached into the back so she could pat a hand on the dog carrier, muttering sweet nothings under her breath, and getting a growl in return. When she turned back, she folded her arms.
‘You were about to tell me about your clients,’ he pressed, partly to take her mind off the other cars and partly because he wanted to know. If he understood Rose better, it might be easier to convince her to let Marco and Luna’s wedding go ahead without interference.
Rose sighed. ‘I’m a psychologist,’ she said. ‘I specialise in working with people on improving their relationships. Some of my regulars call me the Love Doctor.’
Well, that explained alot.
‘I see,’ Ben said. ‘Then I’m surprised you’re so against what is so clearly a love match.’
Rose snorted. ‘I think I need to meet Marco before I can make a decision about that,’ she said. ‘I’m not against love, but I am against any connection that doesn’t go through the proper format.’ Her voice was clipped. ‘In my experience that’s only going to expose people to a lot of future pain and Luna doesn’t deserve that.’
Ben remained silent as he tried to work out exactly what that meant – and what might have happened to this woman to make her so suspicious. It was usually easy for him to get people –especially women – to open up. He was about to ask more, but another car sped past and Rose let out a curse. Then she pulled her earphones out of her bag and put them on before shutting her eyes. ‘I’m going to try and get some sleep,’ she muttered.
Ben remained silent, absorbing the pretty views as they sped towards Italy. But his mind was whirring.
How many more surprises was the woman going to deliver on their journey? And why – despite their opposing views – with every additional moment they were together did he like Rose a little more?
3
ROSE
Rose felt a palm tap her shoulder and jumped in surprise as she stirred from her nap, stiffening immediately as she tried to work out exactly where they were.
