Chapter 3

Three

Harper

N ever doubt that you are enough.

His words drifted over me, sending tingles down my spine and goose bumps over my skin until the truth of the words settled into my consciousness. And there was just something about how he’d lowered his voice to speak in Italian. I didn’t know the meaning, but I didn’t have to in order to feel the effect of the words—they were like a caress from a lover.

My muscles relaxed one by one until I was leaning into Leo’s body. As we talked, he kept his head slightly bowed, his body curved around mine so that I felt like I had his full attention.

It was an addictive feeling. I’d always felt supported by his family, but I’d never felt this connection to Leo before. I moved my hand from his arm to curve around his back. It brought me even closer to his warmth. I pressed my cheek against his hard chest, waiting for him to pull away and pretend this wasn’t happening.

I closed my eyes and allowed my mind to drift, to pretend that Leo was here as my plus-one, that he was my boyfriend. He obviously adored Evie. Was it possible he could love me too?

I imagined us at a playground, holding hands while Evie played. Her calling out to Leo to help her on the monkey bars or to push her on the swings. It was so real, so vivid, my eyes stung with unshed tears because that dream wasn’t real. It was a figment of my imagination, one I needed to snuff out.

But I let myself play the images like a reel in my head while the music played and couples danced around us. I knew I’d never forget this moment, when we were connected in a way we never had been before.

When the music ended, Leo stepped back, and I looked away, not wanting him to see the crushing disappointment on my face because he wasn’t my boyfriend. He wasn’t even a friend. He was my best friend’s older brother. He was too responsible. Too mature. Too everything for me.

“Thank you for the dance.” I attempted a smile that I didn't think hit the mark before turning to head back to our table. I was stopped by a tug on my wrist.

“It was my pleasure, è stato un vero piacere, ” he said with a smile and a wink that made me feel weak in the knees.

My heart fluttered as I tried to regain my good sense and remember that nothing could happen between us. I was friends with Gia. The Giovannis were like a second family to me, and nothing was worth losing them.

As we walked back to our table, he kept a hand on my lower back, guiding me. The warmth of his palm radiating through my body felt good. By the time we reached our table, my legs were shaky.

I collapsed onto the chair, grateful for the cooler air coming in on the breeze from the bay. Someone had refilled our glasses of champagne, so I took a long drink of mine, emptying the glass, needing to soothe my dry throat, and trying to forget that dance we’d shared.

“Gia’s still missing,” Leo observed.

“You don’t think she’s—” My voice dropped off when I realized what I was going to ask—was she hooking up with Silas somewhere?

I’d seen those two interact enough to know the inevitable result would be him throwing her up against a wall and having his way with her. Silas was so arrogant, so cocky, I had a feeling he’d know not only how to handle Gia, but how to show her a good time.

Leo’s brow raised. “What were you going to say?”

I flushed, and before I could respond, I saw Gia moving across the room toward us. Her cheeks were pink, and if I wasn’t mistaken, her lips were slightly swollen. She’d reapplied her makeup, though, so it was hard to tell.

She offered us a bright smile as she sat down. I wanted to ask her what she was doing, but I couldn’t in front of her brother.

“Where were you?” Leo asked, his gaze steady on her.

Gia smoothed her dress. “I was just checking on things.”

“Anything we can use?” I asked her, wanting to give her an out.

After a quick look at Leo, she said, “We can talk about it later.”

Leo’s lips quirked. “So, I can’t know about the secret workings of Happily Ever Afters?”

“It’s on a need-to-know basis, and you’re friends with the enemy,” Gia said cheekily.

“You really want to know?” I asked him.

“Not unless you have late-night sleepovers and throw pillows at each other.” Then his eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath. “No, wait. This is my sister we’re talking about.”

I wondered if he’d been thinking about me . It was that inner girl buried deep inside me who wouldn’t let go of the idea of him.

Gia narrowed her eyes at him. “Is that what you think we do?”

“You drink champagne to celebrate a job well done, don’t you?” Leo asked.

“Yes,” Gia said tersely.

“Isn’t that how the rules were created?” I asked, feeling a little light-headed from drinking my glass of champagne so quickly. I wasn’t present when they were created, but they’d been mentioned many times since.

Gia played with the tablecloth, a rare sign of unease from her.

Leo shifted in his chair to face her. “What are these rules?”

Gia waved a hand as if it was no big deal. “No sleeping with coworkers. That kind of thing.”

“Is that all?” Leo turned to ask me.

I grinned, feeling lighter than I had in a long time. I tapped my chin. “Oh, there’s more. Let’s see if I can remember correctly… There’s no sleeping with coworkers or members of the wedding party—oh, and Gia’s brothers.”

Leo leaned forward. “Wait. What?”

Shit. Had I said that out loud? That second glass of champagne must have gone directly to my head.

“Did you say there’s an office rule about not sleeping with Gia’s brothers?” Leo asked, his voice dangerously low.

“Yeees,” I said, drawing out the word. “Everyone knows you’re off-limits.”

“I didn’t realize we were ever an option,” Leo said, his tone more amused than irritated.

Gia rolled her eyes. “You know all my friends liked you, even in high school. I just like to keep things clear.”

Leo sobered, his gaze swinging to meet mine. “Is that true, Harper? Did you like me in high school?”

Gia shook her head. “Not Harper. She’d never betray me that way.”

I was grateful Gia had instantly denied it. I knew she hated it when her friends asked about her brothers. She wanted trustworthy friends, not girls hanging around, hoping her brothers would notice them. Angela had been one of our best friends in high school, but when Gia caught her making out with her brother, Matteo, that was the end of that. She’d felt hurt and betrayed.

The guilt settled in deep because I’d crushed on Leo. I didn’t hang around just for her brothers. I genuinely liked Gia and her family. It was why I’d never acted on my feelings or told anyone about them. It was my secret crush, one I’d never tell anyone or admit out loud.

But Leo’s gaze hadn’t left mine, like he was waiting for me to answer. Had he sensed something when we were dancing? Had I moved too close? Been too obvious about my feelings?

“Oh, look, it’s time to cut the cake,” Gia said. In her mind, she’d answered Leo’s question.

I didn’t have a crush. End of story. The truth was far messier.

“Let’s get a closer look, shall we?” I stood and moved toward the table where the crowd gathered around the bride and groom and the four-tier white cake with cascading flowers.

I needed to get away from Leo before he saw through my facade. That was the closest he’d ever been to learning the truth. Between that conversation, the champagne, and our dance, I was off-balance.

As we stood with the rest of the guests, watching the bride and groom hold the knife and carefully slice through the bottom layer, I asked Gia, “Did you learn anything useful?”

Gia rolled her eyes. “Just that Silas runs a tight ship.”

“We suspected that.” He was a well-respected businessman, and even though he didn’t have any prior wedding experience, he’d hired competent staff to guide him. He wasn’t so cocky that he didn’t seek experts when necessary.

“I can’t believe he drew Harrison away from me.”

I frowned. “But he didn’t. Not really. Harrison’s in the business of renting wedding supplies, and he’s the only one in the area who designs and builds arbors.” Ethan assisted him with the more complicated ones, but he wasn’t involved in the wedding business. He owned a hardware store on Main Street and built furniture on the side.

Gia crossed her arms over her chest. “He did it on purpose to piss me off.”

I wasn’t sure I believed that. Harrison was one of the best in the business. He was reliable, and his prices were competitive.

Gia’s lip curled. “I bet Silas offered him an incentive.”

“Harrison is building a business, just like you are. He’s not going to turn down paying customers.” Especially ones with Silas’s reputation in the event-planning community.

Gia sighed. “I’m not mad at Harrison.”

“You came to this wedding to get some insight into Silas. We didn’t find anything, so maybe there isn’t anything to find. He runs a good business, just like you do. You can coexist. You aren’t offering the same things,” I said, trying again to divert her attention from Silas.

“I don’t like that he poached my vendor,” Gia hissed.

“He didn’t, though. He works for both of you.”

“I’ll never forgive him for it.”

I chuckled softly. “You didn’t exactly like him before you learned about Harrison.”

Her lips turned up. “True.”

“Your brothers are friends with him. Maybe he’s not that bad,” I said, trying a different angle.

“Silas has taken some of the biggest clients from me recently. I can’t let it continue. I need to figure out a way to handle this.”

We lost a certain number of potential clients because what Silas could offer was different than what we could. It didn’t help that weddings on the bay were so popular in the area. The town of Annapolis didn’t have a comparable venue. Besides, Gia didn’t own our venues. We rented them.

“I’m trying to get the Christmas Tree Farm on board. It’s something we could offer that’s different.”

“Have they changed their mind about working with us?” I asked.

“They won’t give me a definitive answer.”

“Is it the son—Emmett—who's the issue?” I remembered meeting with the owner—the wife and mother. It had been a good meeting until her overbearing mountain of a son had shown up, nixing the whole thing. Gia hoped they’d come around.

“I think so. I’m going to send Ireland to talk to him. Maybe she can talk some sense into him.”

Ireland was one of the wedding planners. She had a knack for dealing with difficult brides. I think it was the years she’d spent living in the elite circle of Baltimore’s richest. But I wasn’t sure it equated to grumpy men who didn’t want wedding planners on their farms.

Holding weddings on a Christmas tree farm during their busiest season was a lot to ask, especially when it was a family-run business.

“You’re successful because you’re hardworking and the brides know you’d do anything for them.” That was one of Gia’s issues. She was overextended in her business. She worked like someone possessed, like she had something to prove.

When she’d brought me on board to create an organizational system for her, I’d convinced her to let me evaluate everything—the business, the finances, everything. I’d convinced her to hire a couple more wedding planners as the business had grown. But she was right. Lately, we hadn’t gotten as many high-budget weddings as we had previously. We needed a certain number of those to float the business the rest of the year, especially in the off-season. Gia was right to be concerned, but as her friend, I didn’t want her to work harder.

“I have to figure this out.”

Coming to Silas’s den hadn’t helped; it had only fueled her desire to figure out his weaknesses. I wasn’t sure he had any—except maybe her.

I scanned the room and found Silas leaning against the back wall, his gaze on us. “Don’t look now, but he’s watching us.”

Her back stiffened. “I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he gets to me.”

I thought it was too late for that. Everyone saw the blow he’d landed when he’d mentioned he’d hired Harrison for his weddings. Gia prided herself on using the best vendors, and Harrison created custom pieces for our brides. But if Silas was using him too, what did we offer that was unique? Sure, we were good at our jobs, but so were Silas and his wedding planner.

“Are you still planning on staying the night?” I asked her.

She nodded tightly as a gentleman in a suit approached her. “Would you like to dance?”

Gia placed her hand in his and said, “I’d love to.”

“I’m going to head out. I need to get Evie.”

“Have a good night,” she said to me before the man led her to the dance floor.

“You ready to get out of here?” Leo asked.

Suddenly, I was exhausted. I couldn’t solve this problem for Gia, and it was literally my job to ensure we had enough money to survive. “I want to relieve your mom. It’s getting late.”

“She doesn’t mind. Evie’s probably sleeping.”

I hated being away from her. It was nice that I could rely on Leo’s mom, but how could I explain that I didn’t want to? I was all she had.

We gathered our things, and when we left, I didn’t see Silas. I wondered if he’d seen the man ask Gia to dance and if it bothered him. If I had to guess, he liked her more than he let on, and not just as an attractive woman, but as a savvy businesswoman. For that reason, and because he was friends with Leo and his brothers, I suspected Silas was a good guy. But probably not the right one for Gia.

In Leo’s large SUV, I settled into the deep leather seats. “Thanks for driving me home.”

“Anytime.” He signaled to change lanes on the highway. “You know, I didn’t want to come tonight.”

“I don’t blame you.” That hurt, even though I knew he hadn’t meant anything about the company. What guy liked to attend weddings, especially for a couple he didn’t know?

“It’s just that Gia is playing with fire. I wish she’d let this thing with Silas go.”

I thought about what I wanted to say before I began. “I think she feels like she can’t. Silas is taking more of her business, and she’s right to be worried.”

Leo glanced over at me. “Are you serious?”

“We need several large weddings to float us the rest of the year, and she’s panicking because we either haven’t gotten them, or they’ve left before signing the contract. They always end up at Silas’s resort.”

“Does she need help?”

“Don’t tell her I told you. She’d hate that, you know. She wants to make it on her own. The thing is, we used the recent profits to hire a couple of wedding planners and new vendors, and we need continued growth to pay them. The responsibility of employees relying on her is weighing heavily on her.”

“I had no idea.”

“She wants to make it without the family’s help.”

He flicked his hand. “Family helps each other.”

“I think Gia wants to prove she can make it on her own.” She’d always been independent and, as the youngest of four kids, felt like she was babied growing up. She wanted to be more involved in the restaurant, but her father hadn’t allowed it. He had her older brothers for that. He’d wanted her to work for him, but not as a manager. There wasn’t room for her, and she hated that. She wanted to be the boss.

“Papà’s a hard guy to please. I started out as the busboy and dishwasher, learning everything there was to know about the business over the years, but he still doesn’t trust me to manage a restaurant. Not by myself. One of my brothers is usually there, or he is.”

“Aren’t you the manager when your father isn’t working?”

“He’s always stopping by to check on me or calling in to get an account of the night. I’m never in charge, and the employees know that.”

“I didn’t realize.”

Leo shook his head. “I shouldn’t even be telling you this.”

“You want him to have more faith in you?” I asked gently.

“Something like that, but ultimately, I want to open a new restaurant. Our profits support the possibility, but Papà won’t consider it.”

“Where would you open it?” I hadn’t heard anyone talking about another restaurant. Mr. G., as I liked to call him, loved having one restaurant where his entire family worked together.

“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t gotten past his skepticism that a second location would overextend us. But I think we can manage it. Especially since I’d do the heavy lifting.”

“I had no idea you wanted to open a second location.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I have so many ideas on how to improve the business, and Papà isn’t interested in hearing them. I want my own space to create and run the business. I don’t want him hovering forever. At first, I thought he’d take a step back, but he’s not showing any signs of slowing down, and Mom says that he’ll never retire.”

I chuckled. “She does say that.”

“I think he enjoys being in the restaurant, greeting the customers. He’d be bored if he left.”

“So, you want him to have that restaurant while you lead a second?”

He glanced over at me as if surprised I was interested. “That’s right.”

“If you approach your father with the plan and the projected numbers, you’ll have a better shot.”

Leo sighed. “I can have Carlo take a look at the numbers.”

Carlo was the brother who oversaw the books. I’d never spent this much time with Leo, and I sensed being around him wasn’t good for this attraction I had for him. It only made it worse. He wasn’t an ancillary figure in my life. He was becoming a bigger part of it.

He drove me to his parents’ house on the outskirts of town, where I’d dropped off Evie earlier this afternoon. “I’ll grab Evie. Mamma’s probably already asleep.”

“Thank you.”

I’d left my car at their house earlier to ride with Gia. I hadn’t expected her to stay the night at the hotel, but it worked out. I got into my car and turned it on, opening the back door so Leo could put Evie inside without waking her.

But nothing prepared me for when he came out the door with Evie cradled in his arms. I’d never seen him carry her like how a father held his child.

My heart thudded in my chest as he carefully lowered her into the car seat and pulled the straps over her tiny shoulders. He clipped her in and tested the tightness of the straps over her shoulders. Leo’s actions were sweet and protective and sent pangs through my heart.

What would it be like to have this help all the time? A man to watch Evie while I worked. Someone to pick up the slack when I was exhausted. Instead of going down that road, I steeled my shoulders as he straightened, gazing down at Evie with a soft look. “She didn’t wake up.”

“She usually doesn’t once she’s asleep.”

His lips twitched. “She’s so sweet when she’s sleeping. When she’s awake, she’s constantly on the go.”

I smiled indulgently. “That’s my Evie.”

He closed the door.

“Thanks for carrying her. She’s getting heavy for me,” I said, trying to cover how affected I was.

“You’ll be okay getting home?” Leo asked as he opened the front door for me.

I slid into the seat. “I make this drive all the time.”

Leo leaned an arm against the frame of the door, considering me. “I worry about you.”

I gave him a tight smile. “You don’t need to. I’ve got this.”

He cocked his brow. “But who's got you ?”

My body flushed with heat. I took his question to mean something else entirely. Was he offering to take care of me and my needs? No one had done that in such a long time, and certainly not well. I had a feeling Leo knew his way around a woman’s body, and I’d love to find out. But I was sure he’d meant who was taking care of me in other ways.

“The Giovannis. Always.” Or at least I hoped so. If they found out that I’d harbored a crush on their eldest son, they might not feel the same way.

“If you need anything, call me.”

“I don’t have your number.” I never needed it. If I needed to talk to one of her brothers, they showed up at the house, or Gia texted them.

“How is that possible?” Leo asked as he shifted his stance to pull out his phone. “Put your number in, and I’ll send it to you. Then you can text me to tell me you got home okay. I won’t be able to sleep until you do.”

That was—I swallowed—I couldn’t even describe it. I took his phone and, with shaky hands, inputted my number and name and saved it to his contacts. “You’ve got it now.”

His fingers flew over the keys, and my phone inside my purse buzzed with an incoming message. “Now you’ve got mine. Don’t forget to let me know you got home safely.”

“Will do,” I said.

He leaned down, and, for a few exhilarating seconds, I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead, his lips brushed over my forehead. “ Brava. ”

It was sweet and had my insides fluttering.

He winked as if he knew the effect he had on women and closed the door softly so he wouldn’t wake Evie.

He watched me drive away, and my crush morphed into something far more sophisticated. I liked him. My attraction had only grown. I had to remember he was just a good guy. He wasn’t attracted to me. I was just his younger sister’s best friend. An extension of Gia. Not an attractive woman he could see himself with.