richness as it ran through his fingers. He loved the feel of the warm sun on his shoulders as he planted and pruned and fussed over every detail of his garden. It was his chance to make things grow, to play for a little while at being the Creator.
Peppi longed to play that role again. He took a deep breath and let the morningâs warmth fill him. Gazing at the gardens, a plan began to form in his head. In his mind he could see new bushes blossoming along the walls on the perimeter of the courtyard; he could see the grapes hanging neatly down from the arbor over the bench; he could see the flower beds bursting forth in their rightful splendor.
Peppi scratched his chin as he mulled it all over. He knew where all the gardening tools were stored. Whatever else he needed he could buy in town. Luca, however, would be a problem. He was sure to protest if Peppi asked his permission to take over the gardening duties on his behalf. That being the case, Peppi decided not to bother asking.
As eager as Peppi was to get to work on the gardens, however, he was equally anxious to get out on his bike and take a quick training ride. It was far too beautiful a morning to waste the opportunity, so he dressed quickly, filled his water bottles, and hurried downstairs with his Colnago.
The village was just coming to life as Peppi rolled along at a gentle pace past the bakery and across the piazza. The baker, as always, had already been at work for hours and the warm smell of freshly baked bread was everywhere. It blended pleasantly with the aroma of hot coffee wafting from the cafes and bars. Further along the shopkeepers were out in force, sweeping the sidewalks in front of their stores while the restaurant and trattoria owners set out their tables and chairs in anticipation of the rush of lunchtime patrons who would no doubt be eager to dine al fresco that afternoon. All around car engines were grumbling to life as commuters prepared to head off to work.
As Peppi neared the opposite side of the village, a motorist came up from behind and gave a friendly toot on the horn to let him know that the car was overtaking him. The driver swerved to the left to avoid Peppi as they approached the hill that descended from the piazza. To the right, the road hugged the narrow strip of sidewalk that bordered the houses. To the left, however, the ragged edge of the road gave way to a steep embankment that plunged down to the banks of the little stream below. The car skidded on the crumbling pavement, but the driver righted it in time to keep from tumbling over the edge.
Peppi shook his head as he watched the car speed away. Such brushes with fate were, he well knew, part of the daily routine of Italian drivers. The brief thrill of a near miss always provided the required rush of adrenaline that often got them through the day, or at least until their next cup of espresso.
As he coasted down the hill, Peppi drifted over to the left to take a closer look at the pavement near the edge of the road. Given its state of disrepair, it was only a matter of time before someone had an accident. He made a mental note to mention it to Luca. Then he pedalled off down the road, thinking all the way about Anna and his dream and how happy it had made him for a few sleepy moments. He looked up at the sun beaming down on the countryside. It was such a beautiful morning that he decided to stay out for a longer ride than he had originally planned, perhaps even take a spin past the mulino. What was the hurry? He had all day and the gardens would still be there when he returned.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Lucrezia looked out the window as she massaged the sides of her forehead. It had been a busy, hectic day; she had been on the run from the moment she rolled out of bed early that morning. First there was a meeting in Sulmona with one of the companyâs vendors. Later, she had to drive to Ancona to meet with one of the distributors. Next came a stop in Pescara to talk with a church
Peppi longed to play that role again. He took a deep breath and let the morningâs warmth fill him. Gazing at the gardens, a plan began to form in his head. In his mind he could see new bushes blossoming along the walls on the perimeter of the courtyard; he could see the grapes hanging neatly down from the arbor over the bench; he could see the flower beds bursting forth in their rightful splendor.
Peppi scratched his chin as he mulled it all over. He knew where all the gardening tools were stored. Whatever else he needed he could buy in town. Luca, however, would be a problem. He was sure to protest if Peppi asked his permission to take over the gardening duties on his behalf. That being the case, Peppi decided not to bother asking.
As eager as Peppi was to get to work on the gardens, however, he was equally anxious to get out on his bike and take a quick training ride. It was far too beautiful a morning to waste the opportunity, so he dressed quickly, filled his water bottles, and hurried downstairs with his Colnago.
The village was just coming to life as Peppi rolled along at a gentle pace past the bakery and across the piazza. The baker, as always, had already been at work for hours and the warm smell of freshly baked bread was everywhere. It blended pleasantly with the aroma of hot coffee wafting from the cafes and bars. Further along the shopkeepers were out in force, sweeping the sidewalks in front of their stores while the restaurant and trattoria owners set out their tables and chairs in anticipation of the rush of lunchtime patrons who would no doubt be eager to dine al fresco that afternoon. All around car engines were grumbling to life as commuters prepared to head off to work.
As Peppi neared the opposite side of the village, a motorist came up from behind and gave a friendly toot on the horn to let him know that the car was overtaking him. The driver swerved to the left to avoid Peppi as they approached the hill that descended from the piazza. To the right, the road hugged the narrow strip of sidewalk that bordered the houses. To the left, however, the ragged edge of the road gave way to a steep embankment that plunged down to the banks of the little stream below. The car skidded on the crumbling pavement, but the driver righted it in time to keep from tumbling over the edge.
Peppi shook his head as he watched the car speed away. Such brushes with fate were, he well knew, part of the daily routine of Italian drivers. The brief thrill of a near miss always provided the required rush of adrenaline that often got them through the day, or at least until their next cup of espresso.
As he coasted down the hill, Peppi drifted over to the left to take a closer look at the pavement near the edge of the road. Given its state of disrepair, it was only a matter of time before someone had an accident. He made a mental note to mention it to Luca. Then he pedalled off down the road, thinking all the way about Anna and his dream and how happy it had made him for a few sleepy moments. He looked up at the sun beaming down on the countryside. It was such a beautiful morning that he decided to stay out for a longer ride than he had originally planned, perhaps even take a spin past the mulino. What was the hurry? He had all day and the gardens would still be there when he returned.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Lucrezia looked out the window as she massaged the sides of her forehead. It had been a busy, hectic day; she had been on the run from the moment she rolled out of bed early that morning. First there was a meeting in Sulmona with one of the companyâs vendors. Later, she had to drive to Ancona to meet with one of the distributors. Next came a stop in Pescara to talk with a church
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