Never Too Late Read online

  “I do,” he replied, his eyes narrowing a fraction.

  Katerina wondered why the mention of the woman’s name brought on the obvious frown, but her curiosity dissipated as the man spoke.

  “This is my family’s vineyard, the Marino Family Vineyard. My parents and brother—” he hesitated for just a heartbeat before he continued “—and his wife Wendy and I operate it.” He gave a gentle pat to his horse. “This is Sam.”

  “He is a beautiful animal…but big, very…big.” Her gaze traveling the length of the animal, she pressed herself against the car’s bumper as Sam stepped close. Katerina smoothed an errant strand of hair into place and stretched out her hand. “Katerina Bauer, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

  The man grinned a moment before removing his glove and extending his own hand. “Pleased to make your acquaintance as well, ma’am. My name is Alex Marino.”

  This time the stranger’s hand, stripped of the soft leather glove, was bare. Still leaning against the car’s bumper, Katerina shivered at the sensations rushing through her at the strong grip. This man works for a living, her mind registered, even as her fingers passed over the rough calluses on his palm. Her fingers, chilled from the dampness, warmed quickly in his firm grip.

  She didn’t want to let go.

  ****

  Still holding her hand, Alex swung a leg over Sam’s neck and slid off the horse. For a moment, he thought she would tumble back into the trunk as her eyes widened and her breath caught. He reached out and caught her elbow. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “No problem. I tripped.” She licked her lips and glanced down at their still-joined hands.

  Alex contemplated the nonexistent heel on the woman’s shoes. If she trips over those, maybe she is a bit clumsy. “I’ll help you with your luggage.” After releasing her hand, he reached into the trunk and hauled out the bigger of the two pieces. He grunted at the surprising weight of the bag. “What do you have in here, bricks?”

  “Books.” She reached for the bag. “I’m sorry the bag is so heavy.”

  “No problem, Miss Bauer.” Alex pulled the bag from the trunk, and then reached for the second, realizing the woman had never answered his question. If she wasn’t at the vineyard for a wine tour, then why was she here?

  Soft hands wrapped around his. “At least allow me to carry this one. Thank you.”

  Her touch caught him by surprise. Alex released his hold on the second bag as Katerina tugged the carryon out of the trunk. He stood back and allowed the woman to precede him up the steps to the front door. What revolutionary new business practice was his sister-in-law forcing upon them now? European wine tasters? As they reached the porch, the front door flew open.

  “You must be Katerina. You made it!” Blond curls bouncing, Wendy McLachlan Marino threw her arms around the newcomer. “I’m Colleen’s baby sister, Wendy.”

  Katerina would have toppled backwards down the steps if Alex hadn’t been standing behind her. He grabbed her waist with his free hand and caught a whiff of a flowery perfume as she fell against him. Shaking off the momentary distraction, he frowned at his sister-in-law. “Wendy, give the woman some space.”

  Wendy grinned as her gaze flitted from Alex to Katerina. “Sorry, I’m just so excited to see you.” She reached for Katerina’s tote, turned, and carried it into the house. Her voice carried over her shoulder. “I told Colleen about my idea for a bed and breakfast. You’re our first guest.”

  Alex gritted his teeth. After eight years, younger brother Tony had suddenly returned home from San Diego and then met Wendy, the female equal to his partying ways. After dating less than two months, they ran off to Vegas and were married by an Elvis impersonator. And his parents had welcomed them both with open arms. The prodigal son, indeed. Not to mention a baby, less than a year later.

  He caught Katerina’s look of alarm. “Don’t worry, she’ll settle down. She’s kind of like a windstorm. Once you get used to her, you’re okay.” He grinned and tilted his head toward the open front door. “After you, Fräulein.”

  Katerina’s brow lifted a fraction at his use of the German form of address before following Wendy into the house.

  Alex followed the two women into a large, tiled entry. To one side a long, winding staircase led up to the second floor. In the center of the room, a small, round table sported a crystal vase of colorful flowers.

  Donica Laurent, one of the owners of The Flower Basket, stood next to the table, frowning as she studied the bouquet. “Hi, Alex.” She tucked a sprig of eucalyptus leaves into the vase. “I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you?” Pulling a pair of shears from the pocket of her long, flowered dress, she snipped and dropped a wilted flower bud in her pocket.

  Alex set the suitcase at the foot of the steps. “Good, Donica.” He sniffed. The sweet aroma of fresh baking wafted toward them from the back of the house and his stomach growled. His good humor restored, he smiled at the florist. “Want to stick around? Smells like Nonna’s in the kitchen.” He pulled on Donica’s brunette ponytail. “I can promise whatever she is making will be good.”

  Donica laughed and gathered up her boxes. “I would love to stay but I have more deliveries. I’ll take a rain check.” She waved. “Bye, Wendy.” She raised her eyebrows at Kat. “Bye…”

  “Katerina.”

  “…Katerina. Wow, cool name.” With a backward wave and a swirl of skirt, she was gone.

  Alex smiled at the bewildered-looking woman standing in the middle of the entry, the torn red scarf trailing onto the tile floor in one hand and the carryon in the other. “I’ll leave you in Wendy’s capable hands.” With a nod and a sigh of relief, he turned to make his escape.

  As he reached the still-open front door, a shrill cry echoed from the living room. Through the large archway, Alex glimpsed his ten-month-old niece standing in the playpen and shaking it back and forth. A wail issued from her rosebud mouth.

  Wendy’s head swiveled between her guest and her daughter. “I’m being summoned.” She put her hands together and tilted her head. “Please can you carry her things up to the guestroom, dear brother-in-law?” She batted long, dark, mascaraed lashes as she smiled mischievously. Even after motherhood, Wendy McLachlan Marino managed to stay fashionable. Today she wore a pair of ivory linen slacks, a matching boat neck sweater, and five inch red heels.

  Alex shook his head as he looked out the front door, where Sam waited patiently at the foot of the steps, eying him as if to say did you forget about me? Irritation grew as Wendy exited the room without waiting for an answer, leaving him with the less-than-graceful Katerina Bauer. But seeing the look on the woman’s face, somewhere between dismay and regret, he took a deep breath and told himself to think positive.

  “Of course.” He tilted his head in the direction of the living room. “New mom.” The small smile from the visitor warmed his heart and his irritation at Wendy was forgotten. He studied her for a minute and got the distinct impression she didn’t smile much. The blue eyes behind the black glasses were solemn. “Allow me to take your bags and we’ll get you settled upstairs where you can freshen up.”

  Wendy’s voice drifted in from the living room. “Tell her dinner’s at seven, Alex.”

  Hearing the directive, he winked at the visitor. “Dinner’s at seven.” He hefted the larger of the two bags and led the way up the steps. At the top, he turned right and stopped at the second door. Entering, he set the suitcase just inside the recently remodeled guest room. After a glance around, he remembered how easily Wendy had convinced his parents to redecorate the unused bedrooms and add bed and breakfast services to the ranch’s offerings. He gritted his teeth. As if growing their own grapes and making wine weren’t enough. He stood back and watched the young woman as she entered the room, only to stop and slowly rotate, her eyes wide.

  The theme was definite wine country. Several paintings of Tuscan scenes of rolling hills and cypress trees were scattered throughout the room. Bought by his parents
on their numerous trips to the Old Country, similar paintings were scattered throughout the house. A pale green bedspread with pink roses covered a four—poster, walnut-frame bed.

  Katerina set her carryon at the foot of the bed and continued to survey her surroundings. “This room is lovely.” The first genuine smile appeared on her face.

  Alex was stunned at the transformation in the woman. Full, red lips revealed even, white teeth and her blue eyes sparkled with delight. He pulled away his gaze and scanned the room, suddenly seeing it through a stranger’s eyes and begrudgingly acknowledged Wendy’s artistic influence. “You like it?”

  “Very much.” She slid her arms out of her coat, laid it across the back of a chair, and set a large, black Italian leather handbag on the seat. “It’s certainly more spacious than the efficiency at the college. I hope you don’t mind your sister-in-law offering me the room here?”

  As he grimaced, guilt hit Alex like a ton of bricks. Maybe he had been giving off the wrong impression. Certainly Wendy’s sudden changes to the operation of the vineyard were annoying, but this woman was an innocent bystander. He caught the woman’s look of concern and shook his head. “Not at all. Make yourself at home. My mother says the more the merrier.”

  Her fingers rested on the back of the chair and she smiled. “I grew up on a vineyard as well. My younger brother, along with my father, manages it now.”

  Alex leaned against the dresser and crossed his arms. “Are you involved with the family business?”

  She looked down at her torn red scarf and, her fingers probing the tear, suddenly frowned. “I am, although I work full time at the university. My brother is supposed to be learning the business but…” With a flick of her hand, she tossed the scarf onto the dresser. “He is easily distracted. He married recently and, well, they both like to have fun.”

  Although curious at the cryptic answer, Alex pushed away from the dresser to leave and inadvertently bumped the chair. Her large purse toppled onto the floor, spilling out a wallet, notepad, several pens, and two paperback novels. “Oh jeez, I’m sorry.” He bent to retrieve the items. As she knelt to do the same, their heads collided with a loud smack. Sharp pain shot through his head as he ricocheted back. “Holy—. Are you okay?” He dropped to his knees and reached for her hand, pulling her into a sitting position.

  Katerina rubbed her head as she rotated her neck, her rapidly blinking eyes focused on the far wall, her dark-framed glasses dangling on the end of her nose. “Now I am balanced. The bump in the front makes the one in the back not hurt as much.” She removed her glasses, folded them, and placed them in a leather case. Catching his eye, she burst out laughing.

  Her sudden merriment was infectious and Alex found himself laughing with her, the pain in his head already forgotten. He brushed a stray curl back from her face and stared into eyes as blue as the Pacific Ocean.

  She was definitely not a California girl. Her pale skin hinted at many hours indoors and her clumsiness gave no hint of a hidden athlete. Only this time, her eyes didn’t have the deer-in-headlights look they had when he and Sam had frightened her into the trunk of her car. Now they looked curious, inviting…

  At the crazy thoughts running through his mind, he shook his head. He stood and reached for her elbow to help her off the floor. “My mother’s going to kill me when she hears I’ve been abusing the guests.” He looked into her eyes and for a moment he had the insane urge to kiss the full, red lips of this woman he had met less than an hour ago.

  She patted his arm. “Tell her the accident was my fault. Like I said, I’m a bit clumsy.”

  Alex backed toward the door, away from the mysterious pull of the stranger’s blue eyes. “I’ll send up some ice for the bump on your head…for both bumps.” Two long strides completed his escape into the hallway and he heaved a deep sigh of relief. His heart pounded as if he had just gone sky diving. He had the same feeling of stepping off into thin air. Then, he knew where he would land. But this time…he had no idea.

  Chapter Two

  Katerina sank onto the bed’s flowered comforter, fell back against the pillow, and stared at the ceiling. What had just happened? She would have to keep her wits about her with that one. Suddenly chilly, she rubbed at the goose bumps on her upper arms. Had the handsome American really been about to…to…

  A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She sat up quickly and smoothed out the wrinkles in her long skirt. After taking a deep breath to calm herself, she called out, “Come in.” Her voice came out a little shaky and she cleared her throat just as Wendy burst through the door, a plump-cheeked baby girl with a mop of black curls perched on her hip.

  “Sorry. This one gets a little demanding at times.” She chucked the toddler under the chin and kissed the top of her head. “Of course, with her heritage, what did I expect?” She set a towel and a bag of ice on the bed. “What did you and Alex do up here anyway? Get into a wrestling match? I was only gone ten minutes.”

  Katerina looked away so Wendy couldn’t see the sudden redness infusing her face. “We bumped heads.”

  “I’m not surprised. Alex is good at bumping heads.” A wry grin on her face, she glanced out the window. “Are you ready for a quick tour before dinner?”

  Katerina glanced at the ice bag. “Well…”

  “No, you’re right. You should probably rest.” Wendy disappeared into the bathroom and then reappeared a second later. “Clean towels, shampoo, conditioner, hair dryer…” She stopped a minute and surveyed the room. “I think I got everything but if you need something…” She stopped for a breath and fixed her guest with a discerning eye. “I’ll be downstairs.” She spun on her heels and departed with a backward hand wave and a “later, gator.”

  As the heavy, oak door clicked shut, Katerina surveyed her new living quarters. Wandering into the bathroom, Katerina marveled at the whirlpool tub, glass-enclosed shower, and long counter on either side of the sink. At home, the tiny bathroom was shared by the entire family and she chuckled as she realized she could be easily spoiled staying with the Marino family.

  Americans certainly like their space. She settled on the bed and sank into the plush pillows. Her eyes drifted shut, the image of the handsome horseman dancing against her eyelids.

  Two hours later, Katerina descended the long, carpeted staircase into the entry. The ice had worked its magic on the slight headache resulting from the tumultuous afternoon. She meant to just close her eyes but instead had fallen asleep, the first real rest she had gotten since her arrival in California, which she attributed to the welcome quiet. The walls at the apartment on campus had been thin, allowing her to hear the ongoing activities of her neighbors. Here, the spacious house and thick walls muffled sounds. Curious to meet the rest of the family, she followed the sound of voices to the dining room and stopped in the archway, where chaos reigned.

  At one end of the table the baby pounded the tray of her highchair with a spoon and chattered nonstop. Her mother sat next to her, pulling pieces from a slice of bread. “Coming, Jaiden, coming. Just be patient.”

  On the other side of the high chair sat a tall, muscular young man with the same black hair and dark eyes as Alex. “She may have my hair but she sure got your gift of gab.” He held a sippy cup out to the toddler. “Daddy has your milk, baby girl.”

  At the window, a half-grown Golden Retriever stood with her paws on the windowsill, barking furiously and feathery tail wagging madly.

  Wendy brushed a stray blond curl out of her eyes and glared at her husband. “Tony, would you do something about that dog? I can’t even hear myself think.”

  Fighting back a smile, Katerina caught Tony’s eye.

  He winked, and then shot a look at the dog. “Pasta, quiet!” He glanced back and smiled, waving an arm. “Come in. You must be Katerina. As soon as we get this little tyrant taken care of, we’ll have dinner. Have a chair. Sorry about the craziness.”

  Although unaccustomed to being around children, Katerina couldn’t help but s
mile at the chaotic scene. The young couple, obviously new at parenting, hovered over the talkative little girl. Her gaze wandered to the head of the table, where a tall, rotund man with a full head of salt-and-pepper hair sat reading the newspaper as if he were the only one in the room. Like fathers everywhere, he was oblivious to the noise.

  A door swung open and a middle-aged woman with wavy, shoulder-length black hair with only a few strands of gray came in with a basket of Italian bread. Catching Katerina’s eye, she threw a welcoming smile in her direction before setting the basket in front of her husband and disappearing through the swinging door.

  Feeling oddly at home, Katerina selected a chair across from Wendy and the baby. Taking a seat, she surveyed the room. At the far end, a wide window looked out on rows of grape arbors stretching into the gathering darkness of early evening.

  The dog had quieted and lay on the wooden window seat, chin on paws, but her gaze fixed on something outside. At the other end of the room, patio doors opened to a glass-enclosed walkway winding through what she guessed was a garden from the few bits of greenery she could see.

  Completing her survey of the room, she spied a buffet sporting a large, shiny espresso machine. Espresso would be a welcome change from the weak American coffee served at the cafeteria. Things were definitely looking up. She pulled the cushioned seat closer to the table and reached for the water glass.

  “You’re sitting in my chair.”

  Katerina’s hand jerked at the raspy voice behind her, spilling a drop of water onto her skirt. She dabbed at it with her napkin as she turned to find an elderly woman dressed in black peering over a pair of rimless glasses.

  “Nonna, leave the poor girl be. She’s company.” When Tony gestured with the baby’s cup, the lid flew off and milk splattered on the tablecloth.