The One In My Heart

“It’s our anniversary,” said Mrs. Somerset. “We’re taking a trip around Italy.”


I got off the outcrop and shook hands with them. “Happy anniversary. May you celebrate many more together.”

“And you two, are you on holiday?” asked Mrs. Somerset, sounding a little breathless.

It hurt, how much she wanted her family back together. I wanted to hug her, but I had no choice but to play my role. “I had a conference in Munich, and Bennett had a few days off. So we thought we’d meet up on the Amalfi Coast, even if it isn’t the best time of the year. Quite a fog yesterday—we could hardly see our way to our hotel.”

“We missed that,” said Mrs. Somerset. “We got into Naples last night—and before that we were in Tuscany, where the weather was wonderful. For February, at least.”

We women were definitely doing the heavy lifting here, while father and son…Mr. Somerset didn’t exactly glower, but neither did he look pleased at this unexpected wrinkle to his anniversary trip.

This was a man who did not enjoy being thrust into situations for which he hadn’t prepared.

I made the executive decision to give him the time to prepare himself.

“Are you staying here on Capri?” I asked.

“No, we’re staying at La Figlia del Mare in Positano,” answered Mrs. Somerset.

“What a coincidence. That’s where we are too—Zelda raved about the place so much we had no choice but to try it.”

“Maybe it’s not so much a coincidence as an inevitability,” said Mrs. Somerset. “I also picked the hotel because Zelda recommended it a while ago.”

There was no time to ponder Zelda’s inexplicable love of La Figlia del Mare.

I set my hand on my fake boyfriend’s arm. “Bennett and I were about to head over to Anacapri and Mount Solaro. But why don’t we have dinner together tonight, if you and Mr. Somerset don’t have other plans?”

Mrs. Somerset must have come to a similar executive decision. She didn’t consult her husband—or even look at him—before she answered. “We would love that. I hear the hotel’s restaurant is excellent.”

“It’s exceptional. Should we say eight?”

“That would be wonderful.”

“Well, see you tonight then. Enjoy Capri.”

I tugged on Bennett’s hand. It took a couple of tugs, but he muttered a “bye” and followed me up the path that would take us across the ruins and back to the road.

“What’s the deal?” asked Bennett, once we were out of his parents’ earshot.

I was afraid he might be miffed, but he only sounded puzzled.

“Your dad doesn’t care to be thrown like this. I mean, how did you feel when the elevator door opened and they were standing right there?”

“Hmm,” he said.

“I know you want to be the one prepared and in charge. And I can see why you opted for the guerrilla strategy. But you’ve caught them unawares twice now. You won’t get much more than this stoic awkwardness out of him. So why not give him that even footing he prefers? You’ll have just as much time to prepare. It’s fair to everyone.”

Bennett exhaled. “You haven’t seen him prepared.”

“That’s fine. I’m a big girl—and you are a grown man.”

“It remains to be seen whether he thinks so—about me, that is,” Bennett said quietly. “I’m sure he’ll be duly impressed with you.”

“By and large you are not a teenage punk anymore,” I told him.

He cast a glance at me. “You’re sure?”

I almost said, “Of course,” before I stopped to think about it: the fake girlfriend, the major-dollar carrot, and the whole elaborate scheme—just so he could have this reconciliation on his terms.

“The truth dawns, doesn’t it?” Bennett murmured as he extended a hand to help me climb over a half wall.

The truth—and what he had told me at the airport in Naples: He had once been a card-carrying actor. The “confession” a few minutes ago that had mesmerized me had been but lines delivered by a skilled player.

I looked up at the sky, hoping for an approaching front that would have us scuttling back to the hotel. “They come to me as boys and leave as men,” I said. “So will you.”

But no clouds in the sky—and no way out for me.

We were walking on a narrow via, along a shoulder-height privacy wall. Without warning, Bennett had my back against the wall. Our gazes held—and I was nothing but agitation and need.

Tell me you meant it. Tell me you meant everything you said.

He only kissed me, a forceful, hungry kiss that left me light-headed—and even more downhearted.

“What was that about?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“You don’t come to one of the most scenic places in the world with a beautiful woman and not kiss her—that’s all.” He let go of me. “Now, do we need to take a bus to get to Anacapri?”





Chapter 9