Take Me (Take Me 1)

“I can’t believe you came all the way to Italy,” she said. “For me.”

Janica bit her lip. “Luke and I thought we were doing the right thing, but maybe…”

Lily squeezed her sister’s hand. “You came to save me, didn’t you?”

Janica nodded, and a lone tear fell. “Maybe you didn’t need saving after all. Maybe everything was going just fine until we came along and ruined everything.”

“It would have happened anyway. San Francisco, Italy, it doesn’t really matter.”

“He loves you, Lil,” Janica said fervently. “I know he does.”

Lily sucked in a breath. “Did he say something to you?”

Janica shook her head and Lily’s face fell. “No, but that’s not the point. I know he loves you. And you should have seen him down there in the lobby. I’ve never seen anyone look more pathetic.”

Lily crumpled, and Janica hugged her. “I don’t know what to do. What to think. He said he loved me, but then he said it didn’t mean anything. And I love him so much I hate myself. And now he says we’re legally married.”

“Shh,” Janica crooned against Lily’s hair. “Remember when I was a little girl, and I’d be really upset about something?” Lily nodded. “And you always said that if I went to sleep when I woke up in the morning everything would be so much better?” Janica reached for Lily’s hand and helped her to her feet. “It always worked, Lils,” Janica said as she walked her sister toward the bedroom.

“I’ll never be able to sleep,” Lily protested, but Janica had taken control and was flipping back the covers, smoothing down the crisp, clean sheets, and fluffing the pillows.

“Hop in,” Janica said, and Lily looked at her baby sister, glad that she didn’t have to do all the worrying by herself anymore.

“Jan,” she said, “will you stay with me for a while?”

“Just like when we were kids,” Janica said.

For the first time, their roles were reversed as Janica curled herself up around Lily and rocked her to sleep.

Chapter Fourteen

After spending a long sleepless night on the couch in the lobby waiting and hoping for Lily to come down the stairs, and say, “I forgive you. I love you. Come to bed,” Travis was glad to see the sun finally shining on the cobblestones outside. She obviously hadn’t forgiven him and he still hadn’t figured out any way to win her back. Where, he wondered desperately, was the guy who could talk his way out of any situation? What had happened to his smooth words?

Their plane was leaving the following morning and Travis was running out of time. Somehow, he knew that if he couldn’t convince Lily that he loved her there in Tuscany, he’d never be able to. Real life in San Francisco would, without a doubt, intrude and stomp all over his flagging hopes of being with the woman he loved.

Stubbly and haggard, Travis stretched his arms and legs out. Maybe an espresso would kick-start his brain and help him feel halfway decent. He headed out onto the quiet streets, down to the corner cafe.

Standing at the bar, Travis downed three espressos, cutting himself off when his head started to buzz in a rather unpleasant manner.

A well-polished woman came in off the street and signaled to the waiter. Travis didn’t spare a thought to the woman’s abundant br**sts or perfectly made-up face. Instead, he noticed the way the light played off a huge sapphire on her right hand.

“That’s it,” he said, filled with sudden anticipation. “I need to buy her a ring!”

Throwing down several coins on the polished bar, Travis asked the cafe owner where the nearest jewelry shop was located. Changed from a pathetic loser to a man on a mission in a matter of seconds, Travis’s long legs ate up the distance between the cafe and the jewelry store. Given that it was barely past sunrise, the store was dark and deserted. He paced back and forth in front of the store, his impatience growing by leaps and bounds with every moment that passed.

And then he noticed the sign, translated to read, “Closed on Mondays.”

Travis had to restrain himself from punching the glass in on the door as he snarled, “What am I going to do now?”

He pushed through the front door of the hotel and was greeted by Giuseppe, who was just starting his shift at the check-in desk.

“Signor Travis! What a beautiful wedding it was yesterday.” Giuseppe winked. “I saw that you and the signora left the celebration as soon as the cake was cut.” Noting Travis’s wrinkled and weary appearance, he said, “You are up early after such a night. Is there something I can help you with, signor?”

Travis figured he was out of luck, but he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t give it one last try. “I need to buy Lily a ring,” he said, getting straight to the heart of it. “Will any stores be open today?”

Giuseppe shook his head. “I’m sorry, with the festival everything is closed because of the celebration.”

Travis nodded and closed his eyes in defeat.

“All hope is not lost, signor. I will make a phone call if you will wait a moment,” Giuseppe said as he picked up the phone at his elbow. After a short, colorful conversation that Travis was too tired to try and follow, Giuseppe smiled broadly. “My sweet mother has a small business selling antique jewelry. Would you like to see her?”

Considering that he would have bought a dime store ring out of a bubble-gum machine at that point, Travis was thrilled by this option. He ran down the street to retrieve their rental can where they’d parked it during the festival and an hour later, Travis looked at the ring in his palm. Now that his initial panic had receded, Travis realized that the store down the street being closed had been a blessing in disguise. A new, shiny platinum diamond ring wouldn’t have fit Lily at all. Not like the ring that had so lovingly been given to him by Giuseppe’s mother.

Thick, soft gold, the band had weathered time and was beautifully imperfect. A three-carat sapphire sat in the center of the band, while red rubies and green emeralds surrounded the sparkling blue gem that reminded Travis so much of Lily’s eyes. It was a ring like none Travis had ever seen, rippling with color and character.

Just like Lily.

As Travis drove up the winding streets back toward the hotel, he prayed that Lily would wear the ring.

Unfortunately, Travis knew that at this point not even an addicted gambler would have bet on it.

Lily opened her eyes as the first rays of light streamed in the bedroom window. Janica lay next to her on the large bed, snuggled up tight with a pillow. Lily’s first sensation was delight at the beautiful blue sky.