short days later she was working for a man who’d come from the other side of the world. She tried to hide her excitement, but suspected it showed in her eyes. The man just laughed, though, and it somehow put her at ease, made her feel less backward than she probably should in her mama’s old hand-me-down dress and shoes.
“So, this pie. Is it as wonderful as your brother promises? Or was that just to tempt me into hiring you?” He winked, his eyes sparkling, and—goodness gracious—Edna felt that wink in the very crux of her thighs. It was all she could do not to collapse.
“Well, if I do say so myself, it’s about the most delicious thing you could eat in the whole world.” Although, after she spoke, she felt a little less certain. Her world, after all, had just grown—by leaps and bounds. So she added, “At least in Rowan County, Kentucky—which is where we come from. I can’t really speak for Italy, of course.”
The man who’d just saved them continued to smile at her. “Well, we shall soon see. There are apple trees right over there.” He pointed. “When the apples ripen, you can bake me one of these delicious pies.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Dell said, still perfectly confident. Then he added, “You said you was alone here? So then…you don’t got a wife or nothin’?”
The man shook his head. “Oh, no—no wife for me. Not yet.”
Dell nodded and Wally grinned, and Edna wondered why—until she figured it out. They thought the handsome man liked her. That way.
Could it be? Surely not. She was so…country. Andhe was so sophisticated. Even if he was a farmer just like them, well…they truly came from different worlds.
So she was sure her brothers were being way too optimistic as she asked, “What’s your name, mister?”
“Giovanni Romo,” he said, drawing the syllables out with his exotic accent.
Edna repeated it in her mind, to make sure she remembered. Giovanni Romo. It was the most wonderful name she’d ever heard.
“Time for lunch,” Edna announced, beginning to back down her ladder.
“Wait,” Rachel said. “You’ve just barely gotten started and I’m not even hungry yet.” She was still stunned by the notion of her grandmother once being in love with a Romo, and she was dying to hear the rest of the story.
“Well, I am hungry. And it’s a good story. One I only tell once in a blue moon, by the way. So if ya don’t mind, I think I’ll just stretch it out, take my time. Do it in…what did they used to call it in magazines? Installments,” she said. “Yep, we’ll do it in installments.”
“What if I do mind?” Rachel said, peering down at her. Edna was on the ground now, so Rachel backed carefully down, as well.
“Too bad,” Edna said pointedly.
So Rachel just rolled her eyes, then followed Edna into the house. “No perks for the free help, I see,” she muttered under her breath, letting the old screen door slam behind her. Rachel still couldn’t believe it—Edna and a Romo?
As Edna set about washing her hands, then grabbing a fresh loaf of bread baked in the bread machine Rachel had gotten her one Christmas, she said, “Speakin’ of the Romos, though, there’s somethin’ I reckon you oughta know.”
She said this like it was nothing, but Rachel instantlyknew it was something . Something big. Especially with the way Edna’s story had begun. “What’s that?” she asked, lathering up her own hands.
Edna moved around behind her, gathering lunchmeat and cheese from the fridge. “Mike Romo wants to buy the orchard from me.”
Everything in Rachel froze solid as she turned off the faucet. “ What? ” It felt like…like Mike Romo had just tried to rob her house or something, like he’d invaded her personal space in an unforgivable way. It was one thing to be mean and nasty to her , but another to try to take her grandma’s beloved home and business.
“Now, nothin’ new about a Romo offerin’ on the place—one or
“So, this pie. Is it as wonderful as your brother promises? Or was that just to tempt me into hiring you?” He winked, his eyes sparkling, and—goodness gracious—Edna felt that wink in the very crux of her thighs. It was all she could do not to collapse.
“Well, if I do say so myself, it’s about the most delicious thing you could eat in the whole world.” Although, after she spoke, she felt a little less certain. Her world, after all, had just grown—by leaps and bounds. So she added, “At least in Rowan County, Kentucky—which is where we come from. I can’t really speak for Italy, of course.”
The man who’d just saved them continued to smile at her. “Well, we shall soon see. There are apple trees right over there.” He pointed. “When the apples ripen, you can bake me one of these delicious pies.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Dell said, still perfectly confident. Then he added, “You said you was alone here? So then…you don’t got a wife or nothin’?”
The man shook his head. “Oh, no—no wife for me. Not yet.”
Dell nodded and Wally grinned, and Edna wondered why—until she figured it out. They thought the handsome man liked her. That way.
Could it be? Surely not. She was so…country. Andhe was so sophisticated. Even if he was a farmer just like them, well…they truly came from different worlds.
So she was sure her brothers were being way too optimistic as she asked, “What’s your name, mister?”
“Giovanni Romo,” he said, drawing the syllables out with his exotic accent.
Edna repeated it in her mind, to make sure she remembered. Giovanni Romo. It was the most wonderful name she’d ever heard.
“Time for lunch,” Edna announced, beginning to back down her ladder.
“Wait,” Rachel said. “You’ve just barely gotten started and I’m not even hungry yet.” She was still stunned by the notion of her grandmother once being in love with a Romo, and she was dying to hear the rest of the story.
“Well, I am hungry. And it’s a good story. One I only tell once in a blue moon, by the way. So if ya don’t mind, I think I’ll just stretch it out, take my time. Do it in…what did they used to call it in magazines? Installments,” she said. “Yep, we’ll do it in installments.”
“What if I do mind?” Rachel said, peering down at her. Edna was on the ground now, so Rachel backed carefully down, as well.
“Too bad,” Edna said pointedly.
So Rachel just rolled her eyes, then followed Edna into the house. “No perks for the free help, I see,” she muttered under her breath, letting the old screen door slam behind her. Rachel still couldn’t believe it—Edna and a Romo?
As Edna set about washing her hands, then grabbing a fresh loaf of bread baked in the bread machine Rachel had gotten her one Christmas, she said, “Speakin’ of the Romos, though, there’s somethin’ I reckon you oughta know.”
She said this like it was nothing, but Rachel instantlyknew it was something . Something big. Especially with the way Edna’s story had begun. “What’s that?” she asked, lathering up her own hands.
Edna moved around behind her, gathering lunchmeat and cheese from the fridge. “Mike Romo wants to buy the orchard from me.”
Everything in Rachel froze solid as she turned off the faucet. “ What? ” It felt like…like Mike Romo had just tried to rob her house or something, like he’d invaded her personal space in an unforgivable way. It was one thing to be mean and nasty to her , but another to try to take her grandma’s beloved home and business.
“Now, nothin’ new about a Romo offerin’ on the place—one or
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