Chapter 27
Napa Valley, California
As soon as Ava hung up the phone, she raced from the house to find Raphael. She spied him at the top of a rise and ran toward him, kicking up dirt behind her. Vino trailed her, barking in her wake at the excitement. When she reached Raphael, she flung her arms around him with glee. “We’ve won, we’ve won! Caterina and Santo did it!”
Raphael gave a victory yelp and flung his straw hat in the air. He caught Ava in his arms and whirled her around, her pink skirt flaring in ripples around her bare legs. They fell against one another, laughing with relief. Vino joined in, jumping and barking at the celebration.
“Now we have a chance,” Ava said, pushing her loose hair from her forehead and clasping a hand to her chest. “They spoke with a reporter from The Ne
