Chapter 8

Eight

Leo

W hen we were finished eating, Harper said, “It’s getting late. We better head home and get ready for bed.”

Our meal was free, but I didn’t protest when Harper threw some bills down for the tip. It was important to her to pay her own way. Or maybe she didn’t want to make it seem like a date.

It was something I hadn’t thought too much about when I suggested the outing. I knew I wanted to spend more time with Harper and Evie, and when Evie said she was hungry, dinner made the most sense.

When Manny showed up, it took everything in me to stay at the table with Evie and not follow them out. I wanted to know what he said to her and protect her from him. But it wasn’t my place. Harper was more than capable of handling him.

I walked them upstairs, grateful that Harper invited me in.

“Go get ready for your bath,” Harper said to Evie.

Evie crossed her arms over her chest, and her bottom lip popped out. “I don’t want to take a bath.”

“You were playing outside all day,” Harper reminded her.

After a few seconds, Evie said, “Fine,” before stomping down the hallway, presumably to her bedroom.

Harper shook her head before turning her attention to me.

“What happened with Manny?” I asked, my voice low in case Evie returned.

“Nothing that hasn’t happened before. He was probably jealous I was with you and wanted to make his presence known.”

“He only cares about you and his daughter if you’re seeing someone?” I asked, irritation swirling in my gut.

“It seems that way. Sometimes it’s easier not to be seen around town with anyone.”

“That’s not right.” I knew I’d seen him with other girls.

Harper sighed. “I’m the one who has to deal with him, and I’d rather not.”

“Does he hassle you on a regular basis?” I asked her; every muscle in my body pulled taut as I waited for her response.

“Just when he thinks I’ve moved on.”

I should have felt better that Harper hadn’t dated much over the years, but she had a right to a life too. “So, he doesn’t want to be involved in your lives, but he still wants to control it.”

Harper smiled sadly. “Something like that.”

“I don’t like it.”

Harper shrugged like there was nothing she could do about it. “It is what it is. I reminded him that he made the choice not to be in our lives or contribute financially. He threatened to get more visitation, and I referred him to my attorney. It’s the same song and dance we do every few months.”

“You have an attorney handling this for you?” I felt bad that I was so out of the loop on this, but then, the custody and child support arrangement with her ex wasn’t my business.

“Avery Arrington. She’s expensive but worth it. Every time he does this, she shoots him a letter reminding him of his unpaid child support and all the ways we can enforce it.”

“He could go to jail,” I said.

“Yes, but he can’t work and pay in jail,” Harper pointed out.

“He’s not paying now,” I said gruffly, frustrated with the situation.

“I just want him to leave us alone. I don’t think it’s good for Evie to have him in her life.”

“Not when he shows up angry like he did tonight.” Although Evie seemed more upset about her mother being with Manny than Manny acting like an asshole in front of her.

“I can handle him, and I have for years.”

“I know you can. I just worry about you.”

She pressed a hand to my forearm. “You don’t need to. I’ve got this.”

“But who’s got you?” At the end of the night, when Evie was asleep, who did she have to talk to? Who supported her?

Harper smiled sadly. “I have Evie and your family.”

I wanted to protest, to tell her it wasn’t enough. That she needed me, but we weren’t there yet. She still thought of me as Gia’s overbearing and protective older brother. I wanted to be someone different to her. That’s why I'd invited her to my house. I just needed to stick with the plan. “I’ll get everything ordered for the playhouse. Maybe Evie would like to help me paint next weekend?”

Harper’s forehead wrinkled. “Don’t you have enough work to do on the house?”

I grinned. “Remember, I’m hiring a contractor for that. I have time.”

Harper shook her head. “Then she’d love that.”

I had a feeling Harper could use a distraction from what happened with Manny. But I’d already spent a lot of time with her today. I needed to give her space and time to realize I might be more than just her best friend’s brother. I wanted her to see herself with me.

Evie ran across the hall, and the water turned on.

“I’d better supervise her,” Harper said, and just before she turned to leave, I kissed her cheek. “Good night, bella .”

Her cheeks flushed with pleasure, and I wondered if it was the Italian word. I’d used it on other women because I knew they enjoyed it. But with Harper, I said it for an entirely different reason. I felt the truth of the word deep in my soul.

My heart thumped in my chest as she murmured, “Good night.”

I hoped she knew I was sincere, and it wasn’t just an act. But before I could say anything, she’d disappeared into the bathroom. The water was running, and Evie chattered excitedly about something. I couldn’t make out the words, but I closed my eyes for a few seconds and imagined we lived together, and Harper was giving a bath to Evie and our baby.

Before I could get lost in that vision, I left, locking the door behind me. When I arrived home, it felt emptier than ever. Evie and Harper showed me what it was like to have someone in my space, and I liked it. Probably a little too much because now there was a hole in my chest that I couldn’t seem to fill.

I opened my laptop and ordered the play kitchen set and pretend food and plates Evie wanted. Then I searched for the perfect table and chair set. Plastic made the most sense since it was an outdoor playhouse, but I bookmarked another wooden set that would be perfect for her room. Maybe one day, I’d be in a position to spoil Evie and Harper.

I’d focus on the next part of the plan, painting the playhouse and taking them out for a nice dinner. I wanted to act while things were fresh. I didn’t want to give Harper a chance to back away.

The more time I spend with them, the more I liked them. I loved having them in my space, but it felt a little deceptive because she thought I was just being brotherly when my intentions were anything but.

The next time a server called out of work, I made a conscious effort not to call Harper in. Instead, I advertised for new waitstaff. As much as I wanted to see Harper and spend time with her, I wanted her to have a break too. It wasn’t right that she was always on call when she had a full-time job and a child.

There was a good possibility Harper came into work because she felt an obligation to me and my family. I didn’t like that dynamic between us. She didn’t owe me anything, and I needed to stop relying on her to work. She had a job with Gia now, and a daughter whom she wanted to spend time with in the evenings.

Harper had to work a wedding on Saturday, so we made plans to paint the playhouse on Sunday. I’d sent options for paint colors through text and asked Harper to find out which one Evie preferred. A few times, Evie seemingly highjacked her phone to send emojis and GIFs.

On Saturday, I stopped by my parents’ house after work, knowing Evie was there. As soon as I went inside, Evie ran toward me, asking to be picked up.

I complied, breathing in her sweet scent. “You smell like cookies.”

Evie giggled. “Nonna made them.”

I pretended to breathe her in, and she giggled more. I set her on the floor where she’d been playing with some dolls.

“What are you doing here?” Mamma asked.

I kissed her cheek. “I came to see you.”

She grunted like she knew that wasn’t true.

“I heard Evie was here, and I couldn’t resist seeing her.”

Mamma’s brow raised. “That’s what I thought. Evie said she was at your house?”

“I told Harper they could play on the playground. It’s in good shape and just sitting there.”

Mamma tipped her head to the side. “That was nice of you.”

I grinned. “I’m a nice guy.”

“Hmm,” Mamma said. “She said you’re making her a playhouse, too.”

“It’s just a storage shed. I don’t need the space, and she’d love it.”

Mamma didn’t say anything else because Papà came into the room for dinner, and we sat down to eat. Evie crawled onto my lap at some point, and I entertained her. When a soft knock sounded on the back door, Evie scrambled off my lap. “Mommy.”

I opened the door for her, and Harper’s eyes widened when she saw me standing there. I usually only stopped by for Sunday dinner, but I wanted to see her and Evie.

“Are you hungry? There’s plenty left over,” Mamma said to her, bustling around the kitchen.

“I’ll take it with me. I have to get this one home and ready for bed.”

I helped Evie gather her things and carried Evie outside to Harper’s car. Once Evie was strapped into her car seat and the food was on the passenger side seat, Harper asked me, “What were you really doing here?”

“Having dinner with my family,” I said.

Harper frowned. “You’re not usually here when your parents are watching Evie.”

“I wanted to see Evie. I missed her.” Before Harper could respond with questions I wasn’t ready to answer, I asked, “Are we still on for painting tomorrow?”

“Evie can’t wait,” Harper said as she slid into the seat.

I wanted to ask Harper how she felt, but I couldn’t get a read on her. Was she just doing this as a favor to a friend, or did she feel something for me?

“I have next Friday night off if you want to go out to eat.” At Harper’s conflicted expression, I added, “I promised Evie I’d take her out.”

Harper’s expression softened. “That would be great.”

I slapped the top of her car. “I’ll pick you up at six.”

Before she could change her mind, I closed the door and waited for her to drive away. Then I went inside to say good-bye to my parents.

I didn’t stick around because I was worried they’d ask questions about me hanging around Harper and Evie. I wasn’t ready for my family to get involved. They could be pushy and opinionated. I wanted Harper and Evie to myself for a little while longer.

The next day, I got the paint supplies ready for the playhouse and finished cleaning out the garage. With Harper and Evie visiting, I was more conscious about how clean the house was. I tidied the kitchen and living room, removing the dirty dishes from the sink. I even ordered juice and some kid snacks so Evie felt more at home.

When they arrived, Evie jumped out of the car and raced toward me. “Are we going to paint?”

She looked up at me, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yes. Are you ready for it, bimba ?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted as I leaned over to kiss Harper’s cheek.

I loved the flush of her skin every time I greeted her. “Morning.”

She held up a box of donuts. “I brought food.”

“You didn’t need to do that,” I said as I took it from her and led them into the kitchen. I put out a few plates so we could eat and poured orange juice into glasses.

“It was the least I could do since you’re building Evie a playhouse.”

Evie ate quickly, then asked to go out to the playground. When Harper said yes, I waited for Evie to dart outside before I responded, “You don’t have to repay me.”

Harper cleared her throat. “I have to do something.”

“I like doing things for you and Evie.”

Harper nodded but still looked uncertain. Hopefully, she’d understand that when I did things for her, there weren’t strings attached. She didn’t owe anything to my parents or family either, but she’d have to realize that on her own.

We got the paint ready, then called Evie over. We were painting the trim and siding white and the shutters black. It could easily double as a storage shed or a little child’s playhouse.

Evie took long breaks to eat a snack and play on the playground while we kept working.

When we were done, we sat on the grass to admire our work.

“How did the meeting with the contractor go this week?” Harper asked.

“I liked that he’s the owner and well-respected in the area. I still scheduled a few more appointments with other contractors while I’m waiting on his estimate.” But I had a good feeling about Cade. He seemed reliable, and from all accounts, he did good work.

“It will be nice when your house is done.”

“I can’t believe I waited so long to do it.”

“Maybe you didn’t have a reason to finish it before.”

I rolled her sentence over in my head, wondering if she was right. I was living in a sort of limbo, not wanting to move ahead with my life, content to keep things the same. But I’d been wanting more responsibility at work for a while. Maybe I was ready for other changes too.

We cleaned up and got ready for family dinner. We drove over separately so that Harper would have her car to take Evie home afterward.

When we arrived, Mamma greeted me and then said, “I heard that Bianca is engaged.”

“Good for her.” I never told my parents she cheated on me. I felt it was better they thought we mutually agreed to end things.

“Whatever happened between you two?” Papà asked.

“We were better off as friends.” That much was the truth.

“I just want you to meet a nice girl and settle down,” Mamma said.

“I know you do, Mamma.”

Harper offered me a sympathetic look from across the table.

“Maybe you should try that online dating. That’s what all the young people are doing these days,” Papà said.

“That’s not really my thing.” I preferred to meet someone in person and get to know them. I wish Mamma would focus on one of my brothers, but I was the eldest. In her mind, I was supposed to be the first one to settle down.

“Better you than me,” my brother Matteo said quietly.

I couldn’t help but wonder what my parents would think of me liking Harper. Would they think she wasn’t the right girl for me? Or would they be happy because she’d officially be part of the family?

I needed to know if she felt the same way or if I was wasting my time.

The conversation turned to the restaurant and my plan to hire more waitstaff.

“Harper’s always filled in,” Papà said.

“And I’m happy to continue to do that,” Harper said with a smile.

I shook my head. “Harper wants to spend her free time with Evie. She already has a job working for Gia.”

Papà thought Gia’s business wasn’t a real one, that wedding planning wouldn’t be something that people wanted to pay for. So far, he’d been wrong, but he was too stubborn to see it a different way.

“I don’t mind,” Harper insisted.

In an effort to change the subject, I asked, “When are you going to retire, Papà?”

“When you boys are ready.”

“We’re not boys anymore, and between the three of us, we can handle the business. Maybe when you go to Italy this fall, you should let us run it on our own. No lists of instructions to follow, no phone calls to check up on us.”

“And what will that prove, huh?” Papà asked, his elbows on the table.

“That you trained us well, and we’re more than competent to handle the business in your stead. That you could think about working less and, eventually, retiring entirely. I’m not saying you can’t stop by and talk to the customers, but let us take over more of the business decisions.”

Carlo lowered his voice and said to me, “If he can’t agree to that, he’ll never agree to the expansion.”

Unfortunately, the entire table had fallen silent, and Papà heard him clearly.

“What was this expansion you mentioned?”

Carlo shouldn’t have said anything. I wasn’t ready to tell Papà our plans. “There’s three of us, and we don’t need that many managers.”

“Matteo is the kitchen manager, and Carlo handles orders, supplies, and the books. You manage the dining room. It works.”

I shook my head, frustrated with his logic. “But we don’t need all three of us working so much.”

Papà leaned his elbows on the table. “What are you proposing?”

“Opening a second restaurant. I’d handle finding a location and the necessary renovations.” It was too soon. I didn’t have the numbers ready.

Papà shook his head. “I never saw the business as more than one restaurant. I wanted it to have a family feel. How can we do that with another restaurant?”

“We can keep that same vibe with two. They’ll be in two separate locations, two different towns. I think it’s natural as businesses expand. Let Carlo run the numbers, and I’ll get back to you.”

I had to convince Papà. I had so many ideas to make the business better, but Papà was content doing what we’d always done.

Mamma shot him a look, and he sighed. “I realize I need to hand the business over to you eventually, but it’s hard.”

“I know it is.” It was hard to let go of the control he’d had our entire lives. “But you raised us in the business. We learned everything from you.”

Papà pursed his lips. “That is true.”

“Give him a chance,” Mamma said.

“Leo is smart, and he got the business bug from you,” Harper said.

It felt good to know the women in my life were on my side. Now I just needed my father’s support.

“Get me those numbers, and I’ll look at them.”

Harper smiled at me, and I let out the breath I’d been holding. Maybe, just maybe, I’d get everything I wanted.