Still, despite the circumstances of her last visit to the Amalfi Coast, and the entirely new direction her life had taken since, Colette was struck by the notion that being back here truly felt like coming home.

Chapter 52

Now

While Colette was off wandering, and Kim was waylaid on the phone, Annie was left to silently drown her sorrows in dessert and wine.

“Are you OK, Mum?” Charlie asked. “You look so sad.”

Annie hadn’t realized she’d lost herself so entirely to her thoughts. She slapped a smile on her face as she looked back at him.

“I’m grand,” she assured him, “just a bit tired after all the traveling today. You finished your gelato?”

“Yes, but I want more.”

She laughed. He was growing faster than a weed in spring and had a healthy appetite, but that was his second gelato. “Ah, I think you’ve had enough now. We don’t want you buzzing on too much of a sugar rush on your first night,” she teased.

He grinned happily. “It’s just so nice, though. I love Italy already.”

Feeling pleasantly buzzed herself, Annie sipped her drink and fondly tucked a lock of her son’s hair away from his forehead.

“Where’s Colette?” Kim asked, reappearing alongside them.

“She went for a walk. She should be back soon.”

“Everything all right between you two?” she asked cagily. “I noticed a bit of an...edge.”

Annie sighed. “I know—I was probably a bit hard on her over the wine thing. But she sounded so...sanctimonious about my drinking in front of Charlie. What the hell does she know about it?”

“Exactly. But if you don’t mind my saying so, you seem particularly touchy. Understandable after the travel but maybe just try and keep it in check a little—at least till after the launch, pretty please? I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment without the guests going at it.”

Annie chuckled, feeling bad now. “You’re right. I’m sorry. What’s going on now? Another problem?”

Kim rolled her eyes. “It never ends.”

“It was good to see Gabe earlier,” Annie said. “He looks hot. You really did land on your feet there, Kim.” She picked up her glass. “Then again, what else is new?”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, it’s just...he’s a great guy—you’re really lucky to have him.”

“I need to go. Why don’t we see if we can find Colette?” Kim suggested, but by her tone Annie knew that, despite her dismissal, she’d somehow managed to piss her off, too.

“You go ahead, I think I’ll just finish the wine.”

“All right, I’ll be back in a few,” Kim stated tersely as she got to her feet again and disappeared after Colette.