Page 1 of Recipe for Love (The Andrades 0.5)
Chapter One
If you have to run away, run somewhere wonderful.
Madison Andrade paused to appreciate the beauty of the narrow, cobblestoned streets that paved this provincial town in southern France. Medieval stone arches accented the shaded passageway that ran between centuries-old buildings. The shops were decorated for the holiday season with garlands and lights. She stopped in front the boulangerie whose window boasted a festive display of many Galette des Rois, or Three Kings Cakes, adorned with gold paper crowns. If she had been visiting the area for any other reason, she would have purchased one, and then laughed with her friends or family as they each tried to find the hidden bean in the pastry that would award one of them the title of royalty for the day.
No parties on this trip.
Tucking her hands into the pockets of her double-breasted, red wool jacket, Maddy fought off a chill that had nothing to do with the cool temperature. One rebellious chestnut curl repeatedly escaped her attempts to pin it in her ponytail, flying wild and free in the wind.
A bit like me. A week ago she’d told the pilot of the private jet she’d received for college graduation, “Take me somewhere different, somewhere quiet where no one knows me.” He’d chosen the Provence area around Sablet: a small village he said was famous for its local vineyards.
I don’t drink wine.
But I guess that’s okay, since I don’t speak French either.
In true second-generation-American style, she barely even spoke Italian—a fact her parents, who made the trip back to the old country several times a year, lamented frequently. Her father, Alessandro, may have made a fortune in the technology industry, but he maintained a traditional home life. Her mother, Elise, was a warmhearted, pasta-loving woman with an easy laugh and quick wit. Along with her Uncle Vic, she had helped a large number of their family relocate to the United States, and the entire clan gathered frequently at their mansion near New York City.
It had been the perfect life, until she’d asked her father how he became so successful, and he’d told her a secret—a truth she couldn’t accept.
“We should be heading to the airport,” her six-foot-five wall of a limo driver, Gino, said in a tone that revealed his impatience with her decision to get out and walk the narrow roads. In his late forties, he’d been her driver and bodyguard since grade school. She didn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been by her side. “Your father told me to have you home by Christmas.”
“I’m not going back,” Maddy had snapped, then regretted the action. It wasn’t fair to Gino to put him in the middle. It wasn’t his fault she was crumbling on the inside. More softly, she said, “I can’t.” Just the thought of doing so filled her with a sudden nausea.
“You sound tired. Did you have breakfast?”
“Gino, I’m not a child.”
He shrugged dismissively, just as her father would have, at the comment. Although they were not technically related, he was a second cousin twice removed, and that made him family. According to her father’s definition, half of Italy fit those criteria. The Andrades were known for their generosity and loyalty. They took care of their own and the people who worked for them. Under their protection, widows didn’t lose their homes. People got what they needed. Long-term employees became family, and, as her father always said, “To an Andrade, family is everything.”
It was a beautiful philosophy—and at the end of the day, bullshit.
“You have to tell Stephan,” she’d pleaded to her father.
“No,” her father had said firmly, his belief that his brother had done nothing wrong obvious in the finality of his tone. Because he knew her too well, he’d warned, “And you won’t either.”
She’d grown up in a family of strong men, but her mother had always encouraged her to stand up for herself. In business, the Andrade men held positions of power and influence. In the home, her father would move heaven and earth to make his wife happy. And he was the same with his only daughter. At least he always had been, until they’d found themselves with distinctly different opinions of what was right. “You want me to lie?”
“I want you to say nothing.”
“Then why tell me? Is this a test? Because it’s one I’m going to fail. I can’t sit back and watch Stephan live his life based on lies. I don’t understand how you can.”
“I see now that I shouldn’t have told you the truth. Stephan was throwing his life away. Victor did what he felt he had to do.”
“What if Stephan loved Nicole? What if he still does?”
“It’s done, Maddy. Telling him now would only cause trouble in the family.”
“Are you afraid he’ll walk away if he finds out the truth? Andrade Global will no longer be important to him? Is this about money?”
Family is everything, unless they stand in the way of making a buck—then watch out.
Her father hadn’t been one to raise his voice in his home, but in that moment he’d lost patience with her and had. “I love Stephan like he is my own son. He needed a reason to grow up, and Victor gave him one. The world is not a perfect place. People do what is necessary to protect their families. I don’t judge Victor for the choice he made.”
Toe to toe, father and daughter had glared at each other. “Of course not. You benefited from it.”
“That’s enough, Maddy. This conversation is over.” Her father’s face had held an angry red flush, yet he attempted to speak in a tone that would soothe
her. “Your mother wanted to take you shopping with her today. You know how she likes to buy for all the children at the office. Go with her. Perhaps it’ll help you remember what’s important.”
“Money?”
With a sad shake of his head, he’d held her eyes before leaving, saying, “Family.” He’d closed the door firmly.
Gino’s questions pulled her back into the present. “What’s bothering you, Maddy? Why are we here?”
The genuine concern in his voice made her wish she could tell him, but she couldn’t. “I’d like to be alone, Gino. It’s the middle of the day. This is a small town. No one knows who I am. It’s safe.”
“That’s not your decision to make.”
It should be.
From now on, it will be. “I am going for a walk by myself. I intend to have a quiet meal, alone, in one of these restaurants. I’ll call you when I’m finished. There is no need to rush because I’m staying at the hotel again tonight.”
“Your father—”
“Also needs to give me some space and he knows it. Call him if you want, but I already told him that I’m not going home yet. Not tomorrow, not for the holidays.” Maybe not ever.
“Mio trottolina, you know how hurt he will be if you do this.”
Like her father, Gino would never see her as more than a child, and it rankled her. “Trust me, the biggest gift I can give him is to stay away from him, from all of them.” Meeting her protector’s eyes squarely, Maddy spoke from her heart. “I know it’s your job to keep me safe, but I need this. I need some time to think. I’ve spent my whole life following your advice without complaint—”
Gino’s eyebrows rose to meet his hairline in disbelief.
“Most of the time,” Maddy corrected. When Gino’s expression did not change she added, “Come on, I’ve gotten better with age. I may have resented how you curtailed my social life in high school, but that’s ancient history.” She considered apologizing again, but decided it was better to focus on the present. “I’m twenty-three. If I want a few hours on my own, I should be able to have them.”
After a long, assessing look, Gino nodded and put on his sunglasses. He said, “I’ll be in the limo when you’re ready. Call me if you need me.” He gave the breast pocket of his dark suit a tap, referring to the cell phone she knew he kept there.
Maddy nodded and forced a grateful smile that seemed to reassure him. He turned and strode off, back down the way they’d come.
She hadn’t made it very far when a light, cold rain started and she ducked into a small shop.
