His Lost-and-Found Bride

She gathered up the papers she might need, closed her windows and headed for the door. Her mobile sounded just as she walked down the stairs. Logan. She answered quickly, but could barely make out his voice for the background noise. ‘Logan, where are you?’

She walked out into the bustling crowds, her feet turning automatically in the direction of San Marco, the waterbus drop-off on the Grand Canal. His voice was lost as she struggled to hear, so she continued through the thronging crowds towards the drop-off point. There, in the distance, she could see Logan and a smile flickered to her face.

His bag was clutched in one hand, alongside a pale beige jacket and his mobile phone. His white shirt was wrinkled, his hair rumpled and his face red. It was the first time in her life she’d ever seen Logan looking hot and bothered. It was kind of nice to know that could actually happen to him too.

He ran his fingers through his hair and looked around him, scanning the crowds. The rock concert had obviously caught him equally unawares.

She lifted her hand and waved at him, snaking her way through the people. A flash of relief was all over his face and gave her an unexpected glow. He moved towards her. ‘Lucia, thank goodness.’ He held up his hands. ‘This place is even madder than usual. It wasn’t until I hit the airport that I heard about the concert. I guess I should have got an earlier flight. The queue for the water taxis and buses was a mile long.’

She gave a nod and glanced at his bag. ‘You look hot. How about we find somewhere to sit down and get something cool to drink?’

Logan let out a long breath, his brow furrowed. ‘Do you think you’ll be able to find anywhere?’

Lucia gave a little nod of her head. ‘You forget, Logan. I’ve been here more than ten years. I know all Venice’s best kept secrets.’ She nodded her head for him to follow and weaved through the crowds. She was glad she’d opted out of wearing her normal business attire today. In these conditions she would have sweltered in her fitted suit dress. Instead, the lighter short-sleeved white blouse and knee-length navy skirt helped to keep her cooler. She pulled her sunglasses down from her head and snaked her way through the cobbled side streets of Venice. These were instantly cooler out of the sun’s blistering rays and after a few minutes’ walk they were away from the madding crowds.

She pointed towards a café with tables and parasols set on the street. Logan gave a sigh of relief and sank down into a chair. ‘Perfect,’ he said.

The waitress appeared instantly and they both ordered two drinks, one cool and one coffee for later.

She was still amused by how flustered he looked. ‘I’m sorry about being so late, Lucia. I hope I haven’t ruined your schedule for the day.’

She shook her head. ‘No problem. I’d just decided to leave a little earlier because it was so hot. I’m happy to meet you outside rather than in the office.’ She pulled out her files. ‘I brought the paperwork with me. We can do it now, if you like.’

The waiter appeared and put their drinks on the table. Logan finished his cool drink within a few seconds, then sat back in his chair and sighed. He gave her a quirky smile and held up his hands. ‘I don’t remember Venice ever being this hot. What on earth is happening?’

She shrugged her shoulders. ‘A cross between a heat wave and an extra twenty thousand people descending on the city at once?’ She pushed the papers over towards him. ‘These are the ones I need you to complete. Then we can file the fresco as a “new find” with the Heritage Board. They are the ones that can authorise any restoration that might need to take place.’

Logan was scouring the papers. He lifted his eyes towards her. ‘And who would do that?’

She paused for a second, wondering if it was an answer he really wanted to hear. ‘It would probably be me. I’ve done most of the work on all of the last frescoes that needed to be restored. It used to be my boss, Alessio Orsini, who handled fresco restoration, but once he’d trained me and overseen my work a few times he was happy to hand over the reins. I think he’s looking to retire soon.’

Logan nodded slowly. He sat down his pen. ‘How would you feel about working in Tuscany? There is a good chance that I’ll still be there for the next few months.’

Logan was being cautious, but for some reason she felt as if a little man with icy feet was marching down her spine. It was almost as if he didn’t want her there. She felt insulted.

She looked at him steadily. ‘I’ll go wherever I’m needed. My job is very important to me. The other personalities involved aren’t important.’ She picked up her cappuccino and took a sip, breaking the little caramelised biscuit at the side into pieces.