Silvio didn't need the money. He simply sold his crop to the highest bidder. And before I could ask, he showed his hand and said, "So I assume this is about Casa Amor, am I correct?" I nodded in the affirmative and he sated, "It is absolutely NOT for sale......"

A pin could have dropped in the room and everyone would have heard it.

He then leaned in and very quietly said, "Except to you!"

To this I absolutely howled with excitement in a gasp and nearly fell off my chair while trying to hold back the flowing river from my eyes. When I finally regained my composure, Silvio got serious and said, "But you will ave to give me a fair price." To this I agreed, and I asked him to name his price. The house was easily worth $6M to the right buyer and I knew in my heart that Silvio did not owe a single dime on the place. "Would he be fair", I thought?

He got quiet again, and said, "After another bottle of wine, we will decide on a price." This actually "popped the air" from the balloon in the room and we were able to enjoy our wine, coffee and dessert. Tiramisu, a Super-Tuscan; Tiganello, and Starbucks coffee was on the menu for the dessert portion of the meal. Brad and I were prepared to pay north of $4M, but we wanted to get the place for under $4M. We were ill-prepared for his offer, which came while Silvio was removing bits of his dinner from his mouth with a toothpick.

"I'll take $3M!"

"3M, did you say", I said quietly?

"Yes, for you...$3M only", came the reply.

I got up from me seat, walked around the table to Silvio and his wife and kissed them both on the lips. I couldn't believe what I had just heard and promised them to have cash available within a few days and be able to close at their request. There was one thing I had to know...

"Silvio, will you return to Tuscany", I asked?

He stated that he indeed would return to Tuscany. He explained that he had only held onto the property in California because I had been renting it for so many years. He knew in his heart at the beginning that I could not afford to buy Casa Amor, but he held onto it; he said, for the pure joy of renting it to me each year. And since I had named the place, and even he had adopted it; he said he had prayed for the day that I would one day ask him to buy Casa Amor. He believed it belonged to me...long before and even if I could never afford it.

Now, he would return to Tuscany...and retire with his Villa and olive groves.