Between Land and Sea by Joanne Guidoccio Read Free Book Online Page B

am very proud of you. But you don’t have to move to New York. You can be a successful author and still live here.”
    “Why must I live so small? Are you afraid I might surpass Mirabella? Is New York not big enough for both of us?”
    “In the past, I always encouraged that competitive spirit, but it is misplaced here. You have the beginnings of a wonderful life. You just don’t know it yet.” Her grandmother blew her a kiss and faded away.
    Barbara woke up to the incessant ringing of her alarm clock. Her head still throbbed and she could taste the bile in her mouth. She turned off the alarm and noticed a small seashell sitting on her night table. Pale pink and delicate, the seashell reminded her of her favourite cove along the Malta shoreline. She sat up. It had not been a dream. Annabella had visited her last night. Her mouth tightened as she recalled fragments of that conversation. For some perverse reason, Annabella wanted her to stay in Carden and not venture any further. Her grandmother didn’t want her to connect with Mirabella. How unnatural of her to think that way! Every daughter wants some kind of connection with her mother, even if the relationship is not a pleasant one.
    Barbara looked longingly at her bed. She was tempted to take a sick day. She was entitled to two a month and had not taken any since she had started her job. But deep down, she knew that an unstructured day would only add to her discomfort. She would continue to obsess about her conversation with Annabella and get very little else done. At the office, she would interact with her colleagues and work on her book.
    The book.
    She smiled and calculated that she could easily complete the final draft by the end of tomorrow. And then she would celebrate with Graham.
    The dinner party.
    She had forgotten all about it. But she was not worried. The Specialist Skills button gave her access to millions of tried-and-true recipes. She no longer had to depend upon cookbooks. She could intuitively create and produce a magnificent meal. And she had none of the jitters of an inexperienced hostess.
    In spite of this extensive font of knowledge, Barbara found herself settling upon one of Andrew’s favourite meals. He had often raved about the succulent gnocchi, tender veal, and decadent tiramisù that he had enjoyed during his visits to Italy. She recalled how his eyes would light up whenever he described these dishes to her.
    She realized that she no longer harbored any resentment toward Andrew. Even if he had allowed her into his life, they would not have stayed together. Embarrassed by her altered looks, he would have kept her hidden. That would not have sat well with her Bella nature. A natural born extravert, she longed to be center stage.
    She showered, had breakfast, and dressed for the day. She took extra care with her makeup and skillfully camouflaged the dark circles under her eyes. She then sat down and made up her grocery list. She would go shopping after work and make the tomato sauce, gnocchi, and tiramisù this evening. Tomorrow she would only need a couple of hours to cook the meat and set the table.

Chapter 9
    At work, Barbara forgot all about Annabella. The phone rang incessantly and a steady flow of clients came through the door. She was only able to carve out an hour for her writing. But it didn’t matter. She was still making progress and would complete the final draft by the end of tomorrow.
    After work, she rushed over to No Frills and purchased all the groceries on her list. When the cashier rang up her bill, Barbara cringed at the final total. Then she thought of the wonderful smile that had lit up Graham’s face when she had offered to prepare him a home-cooked meal.
    She ate a quick supper and spent the rest of the evening preparing the tomato sauce, gnocchi, and tiramisù. In spite of her expertise, she still found herself tired when she had finished.
    Looking through the kitchen cupboards, she discovered an eight-piece Royal