When we get to the bottom of the stairs, Cristiano is waiting, with a hand buried in his pants pocket. Valentina’s right. He is hot. Not scorching hot, take your breath away, like Antonio, but I’m sure women throw themselves at him too.
“Ladies,” he says with a wide grin. “Are you ready?”
Valentina nods, flashing him a grin of her own. She hasn’t once complained, but I’m sure she misses her friends and the freedom she had in Fall River. A surprise will be good for her.
“We’re ready,” Lara replies. She sounds like a teenager who needs a little excitement in her life, too.
Cristiano stops and turns to her. “We won’t need you for this.”
Whoa. Where did that come from?
Lara seems less taken aback by his attitude than I am. “Valentina invited me. I like surprises too.” She smiles at him, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Not this time.” His tone has the ring of finality.
Even Lara, who is a bit pushy, doesn’t challenge him, and I don’t intervene on her behalf. She needs a better sense of boundaries. Valentina might have asked her to come, but she’s my assistant and should have checked with me.
The interaction between Cristiano and Lara is interesting. Both their parents worked for the Huntsmans, and they’re around the same age. They should know each other well enough to speak their minds, but the air is thick with unspoken words.
“Valentina will fill you in on every detail when we get back,” I promise Lara, hoping to diffuse the awkwardness. She means well, and I do feel a bit bad for her. He slapped her pretty hard—for Cristiano, anyway.
“Have fun.” She touches Valentina’s shoulder as we leave. “I want to hear all about it when you get back.”
“So where are we going?” I ask when we’re outside, not really expecting a straightforward answer from Cristiano.
“Somewhere we can walk.”
I roll my eyes and follow him.
“Is this a good surprise?” Valentina asks, beaming up at him.
“Of course. Do I look like the kind of guy who likes bad surprises?” He winks at her, and she giggles, batting her eyelashes, like the preadolescent she is.
I make a note to tell Antonio that she has a crush on Cristiano. I want him to give his friend a heads-up so he doesn’t inadvertently encourage her behavior.
I’ve always been more relaxed about this sort of thing, to counterbalance Isabel’s fears about the male species. But now that she’s gone—or maybe it’s being back in Porto—I’m on high alert when it comes to our girl.
Valentina chatters incessantly, playing twenty questions with Cristiano, who tells her only enough to whet her appetite. Lara was exactly right. Despite his easygoing manner, he’s a pro at subterfuge.
As we approach what appears to be the barns, Alvarez, Mia, and Santi—who I’m not entirely sold on—are huddled near the fence.
“Does Antonio keep horses?” I ask Cristiano, excited about the possibility, but missing my horses too. I’ve thought about them a lot over the years. They helped keep me sane after my mother died.
“You’ll have to see for yourself.”
There’s a familiar shadow in the doorway of the main building. The man resembles Silvio, who managed the stables at Quinta Rosa do Vale. He taught me to ride and care for the horses. I left my beloved animals in his care when we fled to the US. As much as I would miss them, I knew they’d be in good hands.
It can’t be him. Why would he be here?
I hurry down the path, with Valentina and Cristiano lagging behind. My eyes never leave the barn door.It’s him.
“Silvio!”
“Daniela,querida,” he says, embracing me. For a moment, I feel like a young girl again. This man was such an important part of my life as a child, and even as a young woman.
“I’ve missed you,” I murmur. “How’s your wife?”
“She’s a very contented avó. She babysits for our grandchildren while my daughter and son-in-law are at work. How are you,senhora?”