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"It’ll get done," Darcy said "There are plenty of hands to lighten the load"

"When did you get philosophical?"

"When Lorenzo Marcelli died in my arms"

"I want to talk to you about that"

She looked away "I’, Mia ran into the room Tears poured down her cheeks as she headed directly for Joe He pushed back from the desk in tiainst his shoulder

"I can’t believe he’s gone," she cried "I loved him so much and I never told him"

"He knew," Joe told her as he aardly put his arms around her

She cried until he felt the h his shirt He patted her back and looked at Darcy, desperate to knohat to do next

"It was very quick," Darcy said "He was at peace"

Mia straightened and looked at her "You swear? He wasn’t in pain"

"Not at all"

"I’lad" The tears made her face all blotchy

Ian walked into the room, and Mia left Joe to hurry into his arms "I can’t believe it," she said "He was fine e left Just fine"

For once Ian didn’t seeave the Mia out of the library

"Too much emotion," Joe said when she’d left

"Mia leads with her heart," Darcy told hi that until someone breaks it"

He didn’t want to think about that happening Honestly, he didn’t want to think about anything Right noould sell his left nut for ahi as it ay fro and Tessa entered the room with a tray of sandwiches and a pot of coffee

"You’ve been in here so long," she said quietly "You missed lunch"

She seemed smaller and more frail As if the essence of who she was had been lost As she set the tray down, she began to tremble Joe stood, then looked helplessly at Darcy

"Hold her," she mouthed

Joe stared at the tiny woman, then opened his aran to cry He pulled her close and stroked her back She barely came to the center of his chest, and he was afraid if he held her too tightly, she would snap in two

Darcy stood and rabbed a box of tissues and passed them to him He offered a couple to Tessa, who took them and wiped her face

"I’ed her "You’re wonderful and you miss your husband Of course there are tears We’re all sad Lorenzo would probably tell us ere being foolish, crying over e can’t change Then he’d want to know if anyone is checking on the grapes"

Tessa looked at her A slight sht That is what he would have said But he would have been happy, too, to kno e, carved desk "He would sit here so He would do the books and I would read to Marco, or knit In the winter we’d have a fire" Tears filled her eyes again She opened her mouth, closed it, then quickly left

Joe sank back onto his chair "I’ve reachedtime"

He didn’t like the sound of that "Marco should be running things Everyone’s looking toone Those with natural leadership ability always rise to a position of authority"

"It’s his family"

She walked around the desk and crouched in front of hi both his hands in hers, she looked at him Just looked

He knehat she wanted--for hi the Marcellis as his own changed too much

"I’m not one of them," he said stubbornly "I know that makes me a real bastard, but I’e reality"

"This isn’this hands, leaned forward and lightly kissed hi them away Learn from your past"

He jerked free "You don’t knohat the hell you’re talking about"