Patricia Thayer - Her Surprise Family

Rafe stood and leaned toward his grandmother. “Can I show them the box?” he whispered.

Vittoria nodded and Rafe hurried into the house. Within minutes he returned with a beautiful hand-carved jewelry box. He handed it to his grandmother and she opened the ornate brass clasp. She reached inside and took out the medal.

Rafe held it up. “My grandpa got a Purple Heart for being shot.” There were oohs and ahhs from the boys as the medal was passed around.

“For months I never knew if Enrico ever made it to safety. Another year passed, and then the war ended.” Tears filled her eyes at the memory. “I thought he must have died, because he’d promised never to forget about me.

“But he didn’t die,” Rafe said encouragingly.

Vittoria took her grandson’s hand. “No, but I had no word from him. I still waited. By then my padre had arranged for me to marry Giovanni Valente.”

Rafe’s eyes narrowed. “But you didn’t want to marry him.”

“No, Rafe, I didn’t love Giovanni as I loved Enrico. But my famiglia urged me to marry him because of his wealth. Even during the war, the Valentes managed to hold on to their vineyards. We had nothing left of value except the set of ruby rings that was to go to the firstborn daughter when she married. That was me. And my padre already had given the rings to Giovanni.”

It still saddened her to remember it all. She had used the yards of white silk from Enrico’s discarded parachute for her wedding gown. At least she’d have something of her true love with her.

“But Grandpa came back to rescue you.”

Vittoria smiled. So many times she had told this story to her children and now her grandchildren. “Si, he returned the week of my wedding.”

She recalled the day clearly. She had nearly fainted when Enrico came for her. He took her into his arms and kissed her until she realized she wasn’t dreaming. He’d come back, just as he’d promised.

“Your nonno asked to many me, but my padre insisted that I was already promised to another. That didn’t stop Enrico. Together we went to the Valente famiglia to explain. Giovanni was furious that I wouldn’t marry him, but finally agreed to release me from the promise. However, he swore he’d never love another and refused to return one of the rings. That he slipped on his little finger as a symbol of his stolen bride. Then Madre Valente placed a curse on both rings, stating that until the two were joined again, love would not be an easy road for the Covellis or their children.”

For all these years, Vittoria’s heart had ached deeply. She opened the box again and took out the remaining ring. Although her Enrico had never believed in the power of the curse, Vittoria knew that something had shadowed their love over the years. She had trouble conceiving a child, but was finally blessed with two sons. And her son Rafaele almost did not make it to the altar with his bride, Maria. Could the curse be the cause of these things?

Rafe got up on his knees. “Can I see it?”

Vittoria opened the case to display the large bloodred ruby with a circle of diamonds embedded in the ornate gold band. When the two rings had been side by side, they were a perfect pair. The last time had been more than fifty years ago.

“Wow! I bet it’s worth a million dollars.”

“Oh, Rafaele. This ring is a symbol of love, and it’s priceless. And true love is the only thing that will break the curse and bring the two rings together again.”

Chapter One

More than one hundred years old, and Stewart Manor was still a sight to behold.

Rafe Covelli drove his truck through the wrought-iron gates and gazed at the three-story structure. Years ago this place had been one of Haven Springs’s most regal homes. Even the missing shingles and peeling trim paint couldn’t take away from the grandeur of the architecture.

Ever since he’d been a kid, it had fascinated him. He’d ridden by on his bike and stared at the big, haunted-looking house, wondering what it would be like to live in such a place. His imagination had dreamed up all sorts of secret passages, hidden rooms and a few ghosts.

None of it was true, of course. The grand house had been built for wealthy businessman William Stewart, who had been mayor of Haven Springs at the turn of the century. His son, William, Jr., and his wife had lived here along with their only child, a daughter named Hannah. As a boy, Rafe remembered nice Miss Hannah, who’d never married and lived in the house until her death three years ago.

A distant cousin inherited the estate, but not wanting the big house, he put Stewart Manor up for auction. The town’s landmark sold for a fraction of its worth. This was the first time someone other than a Stewart was going to live there.

Rafe stopped his truck in front of the house and noticed the woman standing on the porch. It looked like he was about to meet Haven Springs’s newest resident, Ms. Shelby Harris.

Grabbing his clipboard, he climbed out of the cab. He made his way up the walkway, flanked by overgrown weeds, to the porch steps.

“Ms. Harris?” He tipped his baseball cap with the Covelli and Sons logo. “I’m Rafe Covelli.”

The woman appeared to be in her late twenties. She nodded. “Thank you for coming by, Mr. Covelli.”

“No problem. I’ve been working in the area. We’re doing the facade restoration on the houses up the street.”

When Rafe climbed the steps, he was surprised to find that the woman was nearly eye to eye with him. He was over six feet, so Shelby Harris had to be at least five-ten. A quick glance told him her height was all in a pair of long, slender legs, encased right now in a pair of nicely fitted jeans. His gaze moved to her narrow waist, then to the cotton T-shirt that did little to hide full breasts. His pulse began to race in appreciation. It had been a while since a stranger this appealing had come to town. The last had been Jill Morgan, who recently married his younger brother, Rick. Rafe’s gaze moved to her oval face, framed by short brown curls, and his heart did a somersault as he met the most incredible green eyes he’d ever seen.

His scrutiny seemed to make her nervous and she glanced away. “As I told you on the phone, I plan to turn Stewart Manor into a bed-and-breakfast inn.”

Rafe let out a low whistle. “And I explained that was going to take some work. And money.”

“I’m not afraid of work, Mr. Covelli,” she said. “But if you can’t handle the job...”

The woman was prickly as a cactus. “I didn’t say I couldn’t handle the job.” He stepped off the porch and squinted into the bright August sun, looking up at the massive structure, then began to calculate the things that needed immediate attention. The gables along the top story were badly in need of repair—the wood was weathered and rotted in some places. That was Rick’s specialty; maybe he could drag his brother out here to do the job. The roof was in bad shape and needed to be replaced. That meant the inside had to have rain damage.

He glanced back at her. “How much time and money do you have, Ms. Harris?”

“That’s what I want to talk to you about.”

The look on her face told him he was in trouble. Damn. He’d seen that same expression on his sister’s face too many times. This was serious. Something was up and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what. “Okay, talk.”

Her back straightened stubbornly. “Most of my ready cash went into buying this house. It will be a month or so before I have more available. Right now I need to be a little frugal. I thought maybe we could work out some sort of...deal.”

Rafe knew he should turn around, climb back into his truck and drive off. He had enough of his own problems without giving away his time. But something kept him rooted to the spot. Maybe he was curious about why a single woman wanted to buy this old house and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. And the longing in her sparkling eyes made him ask, “What do you have in mind?”

Shelby stepped into the sun, which brought out the coppery highlights in her dark hair. “Because of the historical status of this house, all the facade repair is covered under the federal grant money.”

Rafe nodded. “We’re already handling that.”

“Yes, I’ve seen your work around town. You’re very good. But I need more done. I would like you to check the roof and have a look at the front rooms inside. Tell me how much it would cost to fix it up—” she hesitated and took a deep breath “—a little at a time. The bare necessities. Enough so I can open for business.”

Rafe held back his smile. “Haven Springs isn’t exactly overflowing with tourists.”

“But with the summer there’s the lake traffic, and then in the fall people come to see the foliage. I plan to advertise—there are people who like to stay in historical homes. After a few months I’ll be able to afford to continue the work on restoring Stewart Manor.”

There was that stubborn attitude again. Her full mouth drew into a pouty bow and something stirred in his gut. Damn.

“Let’s have a look, then.” He returned to the porch and walked to the heavy oak door with its oval cut-glass center. He opened it and stepped over the threshold into a huge entryway. A dim coolness greeted him as he stood on the bare hardwood floors. A magnificent chandelier hung from the high ceiling, edged with oak crown molding. The staircase across the hall made its way to the second story. Several spindles were missing in the banister, and a few of the steps were also missing.

“You’d better stay off the stairs until I’ve checked them out,” he said as he turned to his left and entered the front room, what used to be called the parlor.

Shelby stood back and watched the cocky Mr. Covelli move around her house. So he thought she was helpless. That she had to be warned about obvious dangers. Well, she had news for him. She’d spent her entire life taking care of herself and could do it just fine.

She’d asked around and knew he was her best chance for a fair deal. Worse, he knew it, too.

She went after him only to find him standing at the three double-hung windows and eying the frames. Then he glanced down at the ornate woodwork along the baseboards. He squatted for a closer look. She couldn’t help but notice the nice curve of his rear end, the way his muscular thighs strained against the fabric of his worn jeans. Her gaze moved to his chambray shirt as the muscles of his broad shoulders and back flexed. A shiver of awareness raced through her. She quickly raised her eyes to his face and found him in deep concentration. His bronze skin bespoke his Italian ancestry and the fact that he worked in the sun.

His eyes were chocolate brown and mesmerizing. His coal-black hair was cropped short around the ears. He pulled off his cap and his thick mane still appeared neatly combed. She somehow knew that was the way Rafe Covelli’s life was. All in neat, organized order. Everything cut and dried. Black or white.

The complete opposite of hers.

She doubted he would go along with her idea. It was beginning to seem crazy even to her.

“Well, Ms. Harris,” he said as he stood and faced her, “there’s bad news. You’ve had a water leak around these two west windows.” He pointed out the spots.

Shelby’s gaze was glued to his large hand with the long, tapered fingers. Strong, capable hands that carved wood. She couldn’t help but wonder how the roughened palms would feel on her skin.... She blinked away the thought and turned her attention back to what he was saying.

“First, I’ll have to go up to the attic and find the leaks, then I’ll have to replace these frames and tear out the plaster.” He went down on one knee. “See the moisture here? It’s worked down into the baseboards. This section of wood is warped and will have to be replaced, too.” He stood and walked into the hall again. She hurried to keep up. “The stairway needs to have those steps and spindles replaced. All in top-grade oak.” He kept walking until he finally reached the living room.