They entered an open-air courtyard. “This way. The street levels up, then descends to the harbor.”
A twenty-foot-tall olive tree in the center provided shade for a couple eating a gelato. Residential buildings surrounded three sides of the piazza. The second floor of the tallest coral-colored home was adorned with a bright mural of local men and women smiling down at Sabrina. Behind her, the remaining side of the square opened to a sea view.
“This is one of the few spots that isn’t ever crowded—” Lorenzo was cut off as Abba’sMamma Miaplayed out from his pocket. He slipped her backpack off his shoulder and reached for the phone. “I have to take this call, it’s my mother.”
“Go ahead. I’ll, um, just enjoy the view.” She bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing over the selected song for the ringtone.
Lorenzo held the device to his ear and spoke in rapid Italian. She left him by the tree and leaned her elbows on the iron fence, watching white water form from waves crashing against the coastline. The tide was coming in. A flash of red revealed a surfer taking advantage of the strong waves.
I wonder how he would appear in a period costume?
Sabrina began to daydream and fantasize about having Lorenzo as an escort to the Jane Austen ball. A classical violin soundtrack played in her head. She pictured him in a white shirt, mint-green-colored waistcoat, and matching hunter-green coat and knee breeches, the immaculate tailoring contouring to his body. He’d offer his hand to her. Their gloved hands would touch, and in her own mauve-colored, empire-waist-cut silk gown, she’d hold her skirt and float onto the dance floor.
Her musings were interrupted when she heard Lorenzo let out a short breath. From the corner of her eye, she saw his jaw was rigid with tension. He hung his head. A wave of concern rushed through her body. Her thoughts of the ball evaporated. “Is something wrong?”
“I hate to do this to you, but I have to cut our plans short.” He ran a hand through his hair. “There was a landslide at my family’s vineyard. The soil was so saturated, it finally gave way.”
She gasped. “I hope nobody was injured. Is there anything I can do to help? I have some basic first-aid knowledge if you could use an extra pair of hands.”
Of all the scenarios running through her mind, this was the absolute last one she’d ever imagine.
I hope they had some emergency supplies on hand. When we had flooding back home, the power went out and it took several days before we had any power or clean drinking water. We were lucky that the animals were only rattled, but otherwise no worse for wear.
“Mother thinks everyone escaped unharmed, but she needs me there to help her. My father is still unaccounted for.” Lorenzo’s general pallor whitened. “Until the danger has passed, it would be best if I left you here.”
“Where is your home? Do you need me to drive you there?”
He shook his head. “As much as I appreciate your offer, unfortunately, Isola Nostrum isn’t reachable by car.”
Mentally translating one of the few words she knew from Italian to English, her jaw dropped. “You live on an island?” she sputtered.
“I do.”
“I just assumed Riomaggiore was your home,” she said.
Lorenzo fingered the collar of his shirt. “It’s the closest town on the Italian mainland to Isola Nostrum. It’s about the same distance as Capri to Naples, thirty-four kilometers.”
Sabrina resisted the urge to reach up and rest her hands on his shoulders. She raked her fingers through her ponytail. “I won’t keep you, but please promise me you’ll be careful getting home.”
“I’ll do my best. There is a lot on my mind.” Lorenzo rubbed his temples. “I’ll at least see you to the Castillo Roccia.”
Their pace to the harbor quickened. Sabrina tried her best to engage him in neutral conversation. “Are your parents both native to Isola Nostrum?”
“My father is. My mother, on the other hand, is originally from the northern city of Cremona, famed for making Stradivarius violins.”
“Is your mom a musician?”
“She can hold her own.” Lorenzo smiled tightly. “All music talent in the Toscani family belongs to my older sister, Leonora.”
When they reached the marina, the slope of the street descended dramatically into the water. Boats were lined up in a neat row, bobbing up and down with the swell of the tide. Algae-covered ropes secured them to the dock. A ring of large brown rocks protected the boat launch area as a makeshift seawall. With the tide low, bits of green seaweed clung to the rocks.
“My boat is just behind me; this is where I’ll leave you.” Lorenzo’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “The navy-blue building holds the bed and breakfast, Castillo Roccia. It’s the last building on the left. Tell Giulia I sent you.”
“Thank you for taking care of me. For what it was worth, I enjoyed seeing Monterosso al Mare and part of Riomaggiore through your eyes.”
“Likewise,” Lorenzo said.
They stared at one another for several long moments, neither one of them certain what to say. Though they had only spent three hours together, Sabrina couldn’t help but feel a fledgling connection to this man. There was something mysterious about him that captivated her.
