The Complete Legacy Series: Books 1 - 6 Read online

  Lia sobbed quietly next to Arianna, holding her hand and stroking her hair for several minutes while Arianna rested a bit. At her stirring, Lia reached for a tissue and dried her eyes.

  “There’s something else that I have for you. Douglas has everything and he will sort it all out after—” Arianna’s voice trailed off for a moment and she seemed to be mustering up the strength needed to continue. “I bought you Thyme.” She smiled at the confusion that she saw on Lia’s face. “Our little restaurant in Tuscany. The one that you loved so much.” A single tear slid down Arianna’s cheek. “The one that we loved so much.” Arianna was crying now, without shame. “Lia—Mom. Make it special. Be happy there. It’s a time for forgiveness. For both of us. Too many years have passed and I want you to live your dream. There’s money too. Enough to buy a villa nearby and—”

  “Ari, no. It’s not what I wanted. I only wanted you. I—”

  “Shh. I know.” Arianna reached to pull Lia to her. “It’s not just for you. It’s for me too. Giving you this—your dream—is making me so happy. You have to know that.”

  Lia looked at Arianna in disbelief, overcome with emotion and the sadness of knowing these were the last words she’d speak to her daughter. “Arianna, I don’t know what to say. I’m not ready to say goodbye to you. I don’t want you to leave me now.” Lia hugged Arianna tightly and their tears mingled together in an abandoned river of grief.

  Finally, Arianna pulled away slightly, putting some distance between them. “There’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

  “What is it, bella? I’ll do anything for you.”

  “Douglas has hired someone to find my daughter. To contact the parents.” Arianna took the deep breath that she needed to continue. “Not now, but when she’s older. When her parents feel comfortable or when she’s eighteen, I want her to know that her mother loved her. I’ve left a lot of money to her in a trust fund, and Douglas will be sure that she’s taken care of, but I wanted to be sure…” Arianna’s voice trailed off and her eyes fluttered shut. “That you will all tell her that I loved her. You and Blu and Jemma and Gigi and Douglas. I wish that she could know you all. That she could be loved by you all.” Arianna got very quiet and whispered, “You’ll give her the box in my closet, won’t you? It’s for her. And the locket? And you’ll tell her that her mother loved her very much?”

  Lia, with tears streaming down her face, looked at Arianna and nodded. “I promise, Arianna. Your daughter will know that you loved her. We’ll find her.”

  “Okay, that’s-s-s good. I’m so tired now. I love you. I think it’s t-t-time to play some music.”

  “I love you too, Arianna. So much.” Lia sobbed, then took her hand. “Okay, shall I get Gigi and Douglas? They’ll want to say goodbye too.”

  Arianna nodded with her eyes closed. “Yes, it’s time—for the party. Have them all come up. And tell Blu to b-bring the music. Please.” She smiled faintly, content to wait a few more minutes.

  Lia crossed over to the intercom to buzz the others upstairs, asking Blu to be in charge of the music that Arianna had instructed her about earlier that week. They entered led by Gigi, who rushed to Arianna’s side, with Douglas holding back just a bit to give them a moment.

  Arianna’s eyes fluttered open when she smelled Gigi’s perfume and felt her arms around her neck, squeezing her tightly to her chest. “Bella, bella. What will I do without you my darling girl?” Gigi sobbed uncontrollably and Douglas stepped nearer to place his hand lovingly on her back.

  “Gi, I have the feeling this man behind you wants to make an honest woman out of you.” Arianna winked at Douglas, who smiled at her behind Gigi.

  Gigi laughed lightly in spite of her tears. “Arianna, you’ve become such the little matchmaker. We’ll see how everything goes, but yes. We are happy together. You did very well, bella.”

  Arianna smiled.

  “Blu, I think it’s time to fire up that playlist for me. Do you have it?”

  As Ari’s favorite opera songs began to fill the room, she smiled and reached for Douglas, motioning for him to come closer so that she could whisper to him.

  “Thank you, Douglas.” She looked into his eyes and tried her best to give him one of her biggest smiles. “For everything. You did good by me. And I know you’ll see to it that everything I’ve left is carried out, including the plans for the garden wedding.” She couldn’t help making another joke, and Douglas laughed in spite of himself.

  Douglas leaned over and whispered in Arianna’s ear. “She’s lovely, Ari. I think I love her.”

  Arianna smiled and squeezed his hand.

  “I love you too, Ari.” One last squeeze from Douglas.

  Now only Gigi was left. One last hug, and then she was ready to listen to the music.

  She pulled Gigi close to give her the biggest hug her waning strength would allow. “I adore you, Gi. You’ve meant everything to me.”

  Gigi sobbed and just hugged Arianna closer.

  “Now, I know you’re not going to argue with me about everything that I’ve got set up for you. Douglas has it all. You’ll have this house, and Gi—” Arianna pushed her back a bit so that she could look her in the eye. “Fill it with love and music and parties…” Gigi nodded, unable to speak.

  Arianna propped herself up in bed one last time as Gigi walked over to be near Douglas. She looked around at the small group of people that she loved so much, smiled as her eyes settled on Blu. “Could you turn it up just a bit, please?” She let the music fill the space as her head sank back into the pillow and her eyes closed for one last time.

  Chapter 42

  Blu and Lia stood outside in the law office parking lot, quietly talking as they waited for Gigi.

  The women looked over at Gigi and both smiled at the same time. She’d come out of the building with Douglas. With his arm lightly around her waist, they seemed lost in conversation before they finally noticed Blu and Lia by the car. Douglas leaned down to give Gigi a quick peck on the lips as they said their goodbyes, and Gigi made her way to where Blu and Lia were talking near Arianna’s convertible.

  There was a comfortable silence as they waited for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts about everything that had transpired in Douglas’s office that morning, how much each of their lives would be changing. In good ways, but bringing with it the reminder of such great loss.

  Finally Blu broke the silence. “Lia, can I give you a lift? Do you have plans for the rest of the day?”

  “No, no plans today.” Lia wiped a tear and seemed to struggle for a moment. There was more to say, but a lot had already been said too. Arianna had only been gone for two months and their grieving had only really just begun.

  “Well, I have an idea that I think Ari would have loved,” Gigi said.

  Blu and Lia looked at her in expectation.

  “It’s such a lovely day. I say we all head back to the house and share a bottle of Arianna’s favorite Chianti in the garden.”

  Blu and Lia looked at one another and grinned.

  “That sounds like a perfect plan to me. Do you want to invite Douglas?” said Blu.

  “Yes, he’ll be along in a little while.” Gigi winked and smiled.

  “Okay, then. Shall we?” Blu said, gesturing towards the car.

  As Blu started up the car she turned to Lia in the back seat. “Any objections to the top being down?”

  “None on my part.” Lia smiled in anticipation of feeling the sun on her face and the wind in her hair.

  As they made their way across the bridge, each lost in their own thoughts, Gigi reached over to the volume, turning it as loud as could be as the first notes of Arianna’s favorite opera began to play.

  Legacy Series

  (Book 2)

  In Her Own Time

  By

  Paula Kay

  Copyright © 2015 Paula Kay

  Cover design by Beetiful Book Covers

  All rights reserved.

  PaulaKayBooks.com
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br />   Chapter 1

  Lia walked across the kitchen with the last of the remaining food to be covered and put away for later. The wedding had been beautiful, the backyard something out of a magazine. She held back the tears that threatened to fall and surprised herself that they still came so easily whenever her thoughts turned to Arianna, which was often. Especially today, watching Gigi and Douglas take their vows in the garden that Arianna had loved so much. She would have been quite pleased with herself to see that her matchmaking had stuck. Lia giggled, thankful that the tears that had threatened had turned to more light-hearted memories of her daughter.

  “What’s so funny in here?” Blu grinned broadly as she entered the kitchen, crossing the floor to give Lia a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “You really outdid yourself with dinner, Lia. It’s as if we were transported back to Tuscany.”

  The two women locked eyes for a moment, acknowledging what was left unsaid about Tuscany. The memories with Arianna there were some of the best that Lia had, and she suspected that Blu felt the same, even though Blu had a few more years of memories to draw from.

  Lia hugged Blu back. “I was just thinking to myself how pleased Ari would have been about the wedding. And that reminded me of all the stories that Gigi and Douglas had told me about her attempts at getting the two of them together.”

  “It was quite a feat, if I do say so. Ari once told me, shortly after Douglas’s first wife had passed, that she secretly knew he and Gigi belonged together. At the time, I discouraged her from saying anything. It was too soon. But she knew. She definitely had a sense when it came to matchmaking.”

  Lia stared intently at Blu for a moment. “Why do I get the feeling that you have something to tell me?” She grinned playfully at the young woman whom she’d grown very fond of over the last year.

  “Mom, can I have some more ice cream?” Jemma bounded into the kitchen, interrupting the conversation momentarily.

  “We’ll talk more later.” Blu winked at Lia. “And you, my darling daughter—” She patted the young girl playfully on the bottom. “—where are your manners?”

  “Sorry, sorry.” Jemma grinned at Lia. “Please, may I have a bit of ice cream, chef Lia?” she said in a very funny British accent, causing the two women to burst out laughing.

  As Lia got Jemma her ice cream and sent her on her way to eat at the table in the other room, Blu poured the two women a glass of wine. “Come, sit with me a minute.”

  Taking the wine out of her hand, Lia sat down at the breakfast table across from Blu, fully prepared to get all the scoop of what had been going on in her life since the big move to the beach house. “Tell me everything. Don’t leave anything out.” Lia grinned mischievously. She had spoken to Blu several times on the phone, but with the young designer’s ambitious work schedule, it seemed she barely had a minute to catch Lia up on anything that was going on in her life.

  Blu looked intently at Lia before she spoke, and Lia felt her chest tighten at the conversation that she knew was coming. “Why are you here, Lia?”

  Lia felt herself bristle. “Of course I wouldn’t miss the wedding.”

  “You know that’s not what I mean.”

  Blu looked as if she was trying to be stern, but Lia knew that Blu, perhaps more than anyone, would understand her reluctance. Lia looked down as she gathered her words.

  “Why haven’t you made the move yet? It’s been a year since—”

  “I’m well aware of how long it’s been. Trust me when I say that I don’t need any reminders about that day.” She didn’t mean for her words to sound so harsh, and as soon as they were out of her mouth, she was sorry for how she’d spoken to Blu.

  Blu didn’t brush away the tears that appeared suddenly in her eyes; Lia rushed over to her around the table, grabbing her in an embrace. “I’m sorry. You didn’t say anything wrong. And I know your heart’s in the right place.”

  The two women hugged for a moment, okay with the silence and each lost in her own thoughts about the day that they’d said goodbye to Arianna.

  Finally Blu spoke. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about her. I still can’t really believe that she’s gone.”

  Lia nodded as Blu continued.

  “I can only imagine how you must feel. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pry.”

  “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to react that way. I guess I’ve just been feeling a little edgy about everything. I don’t want you to think that you can’t talk to me about it. About anything. I’m sorry that I snapped,” Lia said.

  “Believe me, I totally understand about snapping these days.” Blu laughed, which helped Lia to relax just a bit after their tense moment. “Honestly, Jemma is nearly driving me mad. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s behaving pretty well today, but the girl is getting to be a bit of a prima donna, if I do say so myself.” Blu sighed in exasperation.

  “Seriously, Blu, you need to nip that in the bud.”

  Lia didn’t say out loud what she was thinking about the sudden change in the young girl’s lifestyle. Basically she had gone from rags to riches, and Lia wondered if maybe Blu needed to start saying no to her daughter more often. But she would hold her tongue for now. It wasn’t her place, and Blu wasn’t asking her advice. Besides, what did Lia really know about being a mother? She couldn’t keep herself from having the thought that was never completely out of her mind.

  Choices. She hadn’t been the best at making them. And there had been years of regret. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever be able to truly push that regret aside. Somehow, that voice in her head always won out; even after the amends, the good times; and the countless conversations with the only person that truly mattered when it came to her decisions. Even after Arianna’s forgiveness.

  “You okay, Lia? You seemed a million miles away just now,” Blu said.

  Lia sighed and looked up at Blu, who was gently touching her arm. “Sorry, what were you saying?”

  “I was just agreeing with you that I needed to get to the bottom of the change in Jemma’s behavior sooner rather than later.”

  Lia nodded.

  “But can we talk about you, please? Now that we’re both in agreement that it’s okay to talk freely?”

  Lia could sense Blu’s reluctance to continue the conversation, and she felt an obligation to give her the green light, putting her out of the misery that she’d had to endure earlier when Lia nearly bit her head off. She took a deep breath without even realizing it and nodded for Blu to continue. “Yes, go ahead.”

  “I’m just worried about you.” The two women looked up as Gigi and Douglas entered the kitchen laughing at something that Douglas was whispering in Gigi’s ear. “We all are, actually,” Blu continued.

  “We all are what?” said Douglas as he refilled the wine glass of his bride.

  “You look so serious in here. Is everything okay?” said Gigi, and Lia saw the familiar crease of worry appear across her friend’s forehead.

  “Yes, never you mind. It’s not the time for newlyweds to worry about anything. Blu and I were just catching up a bit,” said Lia, hoping that Blu would drop it, but noticing the look pass between the two other women, already sensing that the conversation wasn’t over.

  “I was just about to ask Lia what her plans were. For the move and all,” Blu said quickly, as if she had to jump in while she still had the nerve—and perhaps the backup of the happy couple, by the looks of things.

  Lia sighed, knowing that there was no getting around the conversation. “Okay. So, why exactly is it that you all are worried about me?” She directed her question at all three of the people whom she’d grown to care for so much over the last year. They’d all been there at the end for Arianna, and they had continued to be there for one another in the time since. It was the closest thing to family that Lia had known since her own childhood, really, and she treasured their friendships a great deal.

  Douglas fidgeted just a bit, looking to Gigi, and Lia couldn’t help but
notice that a whole conversation seemed to be taking place in that look. If she weren’t so uncomfortable about being the topic of conversation, she’d make a joke about it. But now was not the time; Douglas was clearing his throat as if he had something important to say.

  “Well, we were having a conversation earlier tonight amongst ourselves. Lia, you know we care about you. Actually, the thought of you leaving doesn’t make us happy, and I know I can speak for Gigi in that regard.”

  Gigi laughed, and Lia knew without her saying it that the joke was partly about the meals that she loved to make for them on nearly a weekly basis. She smiled in spite of her discomfort as Douglas continued.

  “It’s just that it’s been a year now since Ari—since Arianna passed away—”

  Lia took a sharp breath in and squared her shoulders, surprised yet again at the stinging tears that she was desperately trying to hold back.

  Gigi turned, giving Lia a big hug as Douglas continued.

  “I know I—we certainly don’t need to remind you how long it’s been. We all think about her every day, Lia.” He looked her in the eye, seemingly to ask for permission to continue, which Lia granted with a slow nod of her head.

  “It’s just that Ari wanted something for each of us. She was very clear about her wishes.” Gigi crossed the short distance to stand beside Douglas, taking the hand that he offered her as he continued. “Honestly, I never would have believed that she would have been so right about Gigi and me. She seemed to know, long before this old dog did, how perfect this lovely lady would be for me.” He brought their clasped hands up to his lips to gently kiss his bride’s hand.

  “Before Ari passed, she and I had many conversations about what she wanted for you, Lia,” he said.