Romance In The Tuscan Hills: A New Beginning Read Online Free Page A

less.  If you tell yourself being alone is your choice, then it's okay, when really it is not.  Everyone deserves happiness, Dani.  Don't build the wall up around you so tall that no one can get in.”
     
    “Do you always give advice when people don't ask for it?”
     
    Carlo shook his head.  “No.  No, only when I think what they really need is to hear it.”
     
    ~*~
     
    Instead of following Carlo around watching him fix dripping faucets, Dani grabbed a book and retreated to the garden.  She found a wicker bench and curled up on it.  She soon lost herself in the world created on the pages of the book.  How long had it been since she had time to relax and read?  It seemed she was always going, going, going and never giving herself time – or permission – to relax. 
     
    Before she could turn the next page, Dani heard a string of Italian curse words from inside.  “Carlo?”  She hurried inside to see what was wrong.  “Carlo?”
     
    He leaned against the bathroom door frame with his hand wrapped in his white shirt.   Red stained the fabric.
     
    “Carlo, what happened?”
     
    “It's nothing.”  He tried to shrug off the severity of the injury.  “The wrench slipped and cut my hand.  I'm fine.”
     
    “No, you're not – you're bleeding.”  Dani rummaged around in Nonna's medicine cabinet and linen closet until she found a first aid kit.   “Let me help.  You can fix yourself up one handed.”
     
    Carlo grudgingly let Dani lead him to the kitchen table.  He bit his lip and tried not to wince as she cleaned out the cut with antiseptic, put on antibiotic ointment and wrapped it in a gauge bandage.
     
    “I do appreciate you helping out around here, you know,” Dani said after she was finished patching him up.   “I may not ask for help – okay, I never ask for help – but it's nice all the same.  So, thank you.   Can we maybe start over?  I don't want you to think of me as some city rich bitch kind of girl.  I'm not like that.  Not really.  I may come across as cold sometimes, but it's because I don't want to get hurt.”
     
    “The wall,” Carlo said.  “You build a wall around you so tall, I and no one else can climb it.”
     
    “I'll try to knock it down a bit if you agree to start over,” Dani said.  “Let's just go back to the beginning.  I'll start.  'Hi, I'm Dani.  Thanks for dropping by to fix up Nonna's place.  I know she would really appreciate it, and so do I.'”
     
    “I'm Carlo,” he played along.  “And it is my pleasure to help take care of a woman as beautiful as you.”
     
    Dani looked up.  The air between them was charged with an almost tangible electricity.  He was magnetic.  There was no other way to describe it.  Dani was drawn to him.  There was no rhyme or reason to it.  It just was.  She bit her lower lip, letting a brick on her invisible wall fall as she admitted that to herself one more time.   There was no rhyme or reason to it.  It just was.
     
     

     

10. Chapter Eight
     
     
    Dani grew accustomed to her and Carlo's routine as the week went by.   He'd show up in the morning, tool belt at the ready, fix whatever needed fixing that day,  they'd sit around over afternoon coffee and talk.  It had been a long time since Dani just talked to someone without no real agenda in sight.  Carlo didn't care about a stack of reports she analyzed which was really the only reason she talked to Robert, her boss.  Carlo seemed vaguely interested in getting to know her on a more personal level like Steve, but knew better than to dip his toe into stalker waters.  He seemed content to just let things evolve naturally without pushing.  Dani liked that.  It made her feel comfortable and at ease. 
     
    “So what's on tap for tomorrow?”  Dani pulled her legs up to her chest and sipped at her coffee.  She did her best to not look at Carlo.  Looking at Carlo lead to thinking of Carlo with his work shirt riding up on his