Chapter 10

Ten

Leo

W hen I saw Harper getting ready in the bathroom, it was like my heart stuttered to a stop, and I couldn’t form words. Gorgeous didn’t begin to describe how she looked. The black, shimmery dress showcased the gold highlights in the waves of her hair. But it was the amount of exposed skin and the way her dress clung to the curves of her body that had me off-kilter.

Holding Evie’s hand while she put on her tiny shoes sent a streak of tenderness through my body. I’d do anything for the two of them. My heart ached for something more than the role I’d been given in her life. I wanted to kiss the exposed skin on Harper’s shoulder and ease the straps of her dress off her shoulders, letting the material pool at her feet. Would that leave her in just a lace bra and panty set, or was she bare underneath?

I had no business thinking these thoughts when Evie was with us. Just the memory of that particular fantasy had me shifting in my seat. Being around Harper and not being able to touch her was torture. Why had I thought I could get close to her and control my baser instincts?

The only thing that kept me in check was Evie, chattering excitedly about all the things she was going to eat when she got to the restaurant.

It was the perfect evening, especially when I usually spent it working or alone at home. I hadn’t been on a date in a long time. Since I broke things off with Bianca, I’d refused any more arranged dates from my family, which had left me with no prospects.

When I parked in front of the restaurant and handed the keys to the valet, I rounded the car to find Evie holding Harper’s hand.

I held my elbow out to Harper, and when her fingers curled around my arm, we headed into the restaurant and gave my name to the hostess before following her to our reserved table overlooking the water.

“This is magnificent,” Harper said as she looked at the boats bobbing on the water. I was fascinated by the enthralled look on her face.

“I wanted to treat you.”

Harper looked at me then, her face soft and full of questions. She was probably wondering what I was doing, and it was past time to tell her. Just not with Evie around.

We turned our attention to the menus, and I helped Evie choose something she’d like. I loved going out to restaurants and comparing their operations with mine. Some would say there was no comparison between a pizzeria and a fine-dining experience, but I could take anything I learned and apply it to my business.

Every customer liked to be treated as if they were important when they went out to eat, no matter the price point.

After the waitress took our orders, Harper pulled out a coloring book and markers from her purse to give to Evie.

Harper said, “You’re examining everything as if you’re mentally taking notes.”

“That’s because I am,” I said, shifting my attention to her.

Her head tilted with interest. “What sticks out to you?”

I wondered if she was involved with marketing and customer service in her job at Happily Ever Afters.

“The one thing I’m big on is customer service. How can we treat our customers like they’re dining at a five-star restaurant?”

Her lips tipped up. “Interesting.”

“Papà runs a clean and efficient restaurant, but what if it could be even better? What if you felt like family when you stopped by?”

“Is everyone family?” Evie asked.

Harper turned her attention to her. “Leo’s just saying that it would be nice to feel like family.”

“Like how Leo feels like family?” Evie asked, and Harper’s startled gaze met mine.

“Exactly like that, stellina .”

“What does that mean?” Evie asked curiously.

I tipped my head toward her. “It means little star.”

“That’s sweet,” Harper murmured, as if she couldn’t help herself.

“Some things sound better in Italian,” I said, and her cheeks flushed.

She enjoyed it when I called her bella and bellissima , pretty and beautiful; maybe it even turned her on. I tucked away that tidbit for later.

“Do you speak fluently?” Harper asked me.

“Not as well as I used to. When I was a teen, I decided I was too cool to speak another language, so I refused to converse with my parents unless it was in English.”

Harper pressed the heel of her hand over her heart. “That must have broken your parents’ hearts.”

“I’m sure it did, but that’s how teenagers are, and then they stopped speaking it around the house. I know phrases, and I’m sure I could relearn it easily, but I haven’t gone on their trips to Italy lately. We stay back so they can enjoy their trip.”

Harper traced a pattern on the tablecloth with her finger. “That must be amazing to visit another country.”

“You’ve never been?” I asked politely, even though I knew the answer.

She shook her head and focused on Evie’s coloring.

My chest welled with emotion. I wanted to show her Italy, and anywhere else she wanted to go. “Have you taken Evie to the beach?”

“I want to go,” Evie said, without looking up at us.

Harper shook her head. “I don’t really take much time off.”

We were only a three-hour drive from Ocean City and many other beaches in Delaware and Virginia.

“You don’t take any vacation time?” I asked.

Harper’s shoulders stiffened. “I just started with Gia, and before that, I worked at the restaurant. I save my time for when Evie’s sick.”

My heart squeezed at that revelation. The plight of a single parent, never having time to just take a trip for pleasure. I wanted to offer to take them to the beach, but it wasn’t my place, and I rarely took time off myself. I covered the restaurant so everyone else could take their vacation time.

“You’re no different,” Harper said pointedly.

“I traveled when I was younger. But those trips were mostly with my family. I’ve never gone anywhere with a woman.”

Harper’s gaze met mine, and something shimmered in her eyes. Did she wish she were the woman I’d take on trips, that I’d plan a future with?

The server brought our food, and we dug in, enjoying the fragrant seafood dishes. We talked about Evie’s school and friends. She adored her teacher and was excited about every little thing—the day the bookmobile came to school, the assembly when a magician performed tricks, and even just playing on the playground. She was a ball of energy and so full of love.

Evie loved her lobster-stuffed ravioli, but it was too much for her to eat in one sitting, so we got her a to-go box.

I paid the bill and shook my head when Harper tried to protest. “This was my treat.”

I held my hand out to Harper when I stood. “Where to next?”

“I heard there are fireworks tonight at the harbor because there’s a festival downtown,” Harper said tentatively, as if she didn’t think I’d want to go.

“You want to go?” I asked them.

“Yes!”

I got the impression that they didn’t get taken out often, if ever, and this was a real treat for them. I didn’t want the evening to end, although I did want to talk to Harper in private. “To the fireworks it is then.”

I parked downtown, and we walked to the harbor. There was a raised wall around the edge of the dock where we could sit and watch the people coming and going.

I braced my arm behind Harper. The more crowded the area got, the more it forced Harper to lean into my chest. I secretly enjoyed the proximity.

I felt the slight tremor that ran through her body every time she moved closer. I resisted the urge to nuzzle my nose in her hair. I wished she were mine to touch and hold. This friendship thing wasn’t serving me anymore.

Evie danced to the music in front of us. Harper pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures and then a video.

It felt like we were a family. It sparked a longing in my chest. I needed to talk to Harper tonight. I couldn’t wait any longer to find out if she liked me.

When the first firework exploded over the water, the crowd stilled, and everything went quiet except for the loud popping noise. Evie climbed onto my lap and huddled against my chest. I pulled her closer, loving the feel of her in my arms.

Harper smiled as she looked at us, and I knew what she was thinking. Evie deserved to have a man in her life who thought she was the world. I could be that guy if only Harper felt the same way I did. What were the odds that she’d harbored some secret crush on me through the years or just discovered this attraction like I had?

The odds weren’t in my favor, but it didn’t stop me from hoping and wishing.

When Evie flinched a little from the noise, I asked, “Want me to cover your ears?”

“It’s okay,” she said, but she pressed her face into my chest and closed her eyes tightly.

“Is she afraid of fireworks?” I asked Harper, whose eyes widened.

“Not usually.”

“Want to get out of here?” I asked Harper, my heart racing with the need to ease Evie’s distress.

“We probably should,” Harper said, rising and waiting for us to follow her.

I easily lifted Evie in my arms and headed to the pizzeria and their apartment.

“I’m sorry. She’s always enjoyed them in the past,” Harper said, regret tinging her voice.

“She might have been too young to know to be scared. If it’s the noise that bothers her, you can always get her noise-canceling headphones.” I’d seen a few kids wearing those in the crowd.

“I thought it would be something nice we could do. I had no idea she’d get scared.”

“It’s not your fault. Kids’ preferences change.” I’d seen that over the years with Evie. She liked apples one day, and the next day, they were gross.

Harper sighed long and hard, as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“I had a good time.” Just being close to Harper and watching the joy on Evie’s face as she danced to the music was enough for me.

“Yeah?” Harper asked.

I let Evie down when the fireworks were a distant popping noise, and she asked, “Can we get ice cream?”

“I don’t see why not,” I said before realizing too late it wasn’t my call. “Is that one of those moments when I should have asked you first?”

She laughed easily. “Probably. But it’s okay. We can get ice cream.” Then she stiffened. “Unless you have other plans.”

“You two are my plans this evening,” I said, leaning down to kiss her cheek and wishing I could do more.

We debated on ice cream stores before stopping at the newest one, a fountain soda shop. Evie opted for a root beer float, and both Harper and I got the lemon-lime one with vanilla ice cream.

“We love this place,” Harper said.

“You come here a lot?” I asked her, curious to know more about them when they were by themselves.

Harper nodded. “We walk to the playground and stop here afterward.”

I wondered if she did special things to make up for other stuff that Evie was missing out on—a father, a single-family house, and an extended family. Harper never mentioned her grandparents or even her father.

“Are you close to your mother’s family?” I asked.

“Mom didn’t speak to her parents. I think they were upset when she got pregnant. That’s my guess, anyway.”

“They’ve never reached out to you?”

She shook her head. “That’s why I always thought her story was true. Honestly, if they wanted to find us, they could have.”

“Probably.”

“And I don’t know who my father is,” Harper said so quietly that Evie, who was writing on a child’s chalkboard nearby, wouldn’t hear.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I can’t miss what I never had.”

I highly doubted that, but I didn’t call her out on it. I didn’t want to make her feel worse. But I couldn’t imagine life without my father. He taught me how to ride a bike, how to make my first pizza, and how to treat a woman right. I owed everything to him. That’s why it was important for him to approve my plans for the restaurant going forward.

“Would you want to learn how to make a pizza?” I asked, suddenly wanting to give Evie everything she was missing.

At Harper’s raised brow, I added, “You could come in early on Sunday before the restaurant opens.”

It was one of my fondest memories of my father and the pizzeria, the time he spent teaching me things. How to make the perfect crust for pizza and bread for the subs. He believed in using the freshest ingredients and never skimped on anything due to cost. At the same time, he liked to keep things simple. He’d always say there’s nothing fancy about making pizza and subs. I always thought creating amazing food had a beautiful quality to it.

Evie raised her head. “I can make my own?”

“That’s right,” I said to her, and I couldn’t resist asking Harper, “How about you? Would you like it too?”

She nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but the waitress arrived with a tray of our drinks and set them in front of us before she could.

“What were you going to say?” I asked her once the server returned to the kitchen. I had a feeling it was something important. That there was something pressing on her mind.

Evie returned to the table, climbed onto one of the chairs, and slurped her float. Her eyes got big as the sugar reached her mouth.

Harper waved a hand in the air. “Oh, it was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Was she going to ask about my sudden interest in her, and if she did, what was I going to say? A lot depended on how she felt about me. Was I brave enough to tell her the truth when I wasn’t sure about her feelings?

If she’d asked what we were doing, how would I have responded? I was in uncharted territory, liking a woman who was so intertwined with my family. What would my parents think? What would Gia think? I knew my brothers would be concerned it would affect our business.

All I could do was enjoy my time with Harper and Evie and pretend they were mine, if only for tonight. I knew I needed to tell her something tonight. Instead of worrying about it, I focused on Evie, offering to color with her.

It was surreal to be at an ice cream store on a Friday night, enjoying time with a five-year-old and her mother. Normally, I’d be working, even if I wasn’t scheduled to.

Once Harper heard what I had to say, she might tell me she only thought of me as a brother. Something painful twisted inside my chest.

“Are you okay?” Harper asked me, concern etched on her face.

“Of course.” I hated keeping things from her, but we couldn’t talk in front of Evie.

We sipped our sweet drinks and talked about the best combination of sodas and ice cream flavors, vowing to return and try a different one next time.

I liked that promise, and I hoped I got to hold them to it. When we finished, I walked them home. Once the door was unlocked, Harper said, “You should come in.”

Dread filled my stomach. Was this where she asked what my intentions were and why I was spending so much time with them?

“Let me get Evie to bed, then we can talk. Feel free to grab a drink from the fridge. I’ll be right back.”

“Do I have to go to bed?” Evie asked as they walked to her bedroom. “I want to play with Leo.”

“Leo has to go to bed too.”

“Then why is he waiting for you?” Evie asked, as she looked over her shoulder at me.

I grinned and said, “I’m just making sure you get to bed at a decent hour.”

I wasn’t sure what to say, but that seemed to placate her. When they disappeared inside her room, I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and made myself comfortable on her couch. I mindlessly scrolled through my phone, my mind racing too much about what was going to happen when Harper returned to focus on anything.

When Harper stood at the end of the couch, I put the phone down. “Is she asleep?”

“She was out before I finished reading.”

“That’s good.” Then I wondered what it would be like to read Evie a story, to tuck her into bed. It was a little crazy because Evie wasn’t mine any more than Harper was.

Harper sucked in a breath, as if gathering her thoughts.

This was the part when she asked what I was doing here and why I was so interested in them. Was she already dating someone? Wouldn’t she have said something about that? I couldn’t remember her dating many men over the years, and if she did, maybe she kept it quiet from the family. She was entitled to her privacy, but the tenuousness of this situation gnawed at my stomach.

I stood, needing to be closer to her.

Her face lifted as I approached. “I have to ask you something.”

“Shoot,” I said and then winced. I wasn’t talking to one of my brothers. This was Harper. I needed to use finesse.

Looking back, I realized things with Bianca were so comfortable and easy. I could see now she was just a friend, but whatever this was with Harper was something more. Did she feel it too?

I noticed she was wringing her fingers in front of her body when she said, “Thank you for dinner, but I’m not sure—”

I sighed and took a step back, creating distance between us. “It’s a good idea?”

Harper nodded and gestured between us. “I don’t know what’s happening here.”

My heart pounded hard in my chest. I swear she could hear it from where she stood. “Whatever you want to happen.”

Then I waited for her to absorb those words and interpret their meaning.

Finally, she sighed. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you, Leo. But you’ve never shown any interest.”

The blood rushed south as I erased the distance between us, murmuring sweet words in Italian to her as I cradled her jaw and anchored her hip with my free hand. “Say it again.”

Her eyes fluttered open as her gaze met mine. “I’ve always wanted you.”

Then I crushed my mouth to hers, needing to absorb the vibration of those words on my lips. She tasted like a combination of lime and vanilla. As I explored her mouth, I tipped her chin higher so that I had a better angle. Her lips parted, allowing our tongues to tangle together. I couldn’t believe I was kissing Harper.

A tingle traveled through my body, making me feel light-headed. But we needed to talk. I pulled slightly back and waited for her eyes to open. Her lips were swollen from our kisses.

“Did you say you’ve always liked me?” My voice sounded like I was chewing gravel.

She nodded. “I thought it was some silly teenage crush, but then it only intensified these past few weeks.”

I rubbed the scruff on my jaw. “I can’t say I felt the same way. You were younger than me and Gia’s best friend.”

Harper carefully schooled her expression. But I didn’t want to put space between us. Not after that kiss.

“I thought of you as off-limits.” In the back of my mind, I knew she was still forbidden. My parents wouldn’t approve.

Harper nodded. “And now?”

Now was the time to tell her how I felt about the situation, not how everyone else would perceive it as wrong. “The more time I spend with you, the more I want you.”

She gestured toward the hallway. “You can see I’m a package deal. I have Evie.”

“I love Evie.” That part was easy. It was my feelings for Harper that had me twisted up in knots.

Harper’s expression softened. “Is that why you like me, because you adore my daughter, and Mrs. G. is always pressuring you to settle down and give her some grandkids?”

“What? No. Why would you say that?” This had nothing to do with my mom or Evie. “This is about me and you and this uncontrollable desire I have for you. Believe me, if I could like someone less complicated, I would.”

“You like me but don’t want to,” Harper said a little flatly, and I didn’t like it.

“I’m sorry. I’m screwing this up. Let me start over. Can we sit?”

When she gave me a slight nod, I held my hand out for her and moved to sit on the couch. “I haven’t liked you since we were kids. It was more recent, but I think I knew deep down there was something there, but I just kept reminding myself you were Gia’s friend.”

“That makes sense.”

“When I realized it, I thought about how I should approach you with these new feelings. I thought I’d spend time with you, get you used to the idea of me, and see if it was real or just a fleeting emotion.”

She turned her head slightly. “What did you decide?”

I raised a brow. “You really need to ask that after that kiss?”

If she didn’t have a child sleeping in one of her bedrooms, I wouldn’t have wanted to stop.

“I just want you to be sure of your feelings before we do anything else. I don’t want you to regret anything, and a lot of people would be affected by this.”

“I can’t say I haven’t thought about that. Extensively. Can’t help but think that my parents wouldn’t be okay with us.”

Harper grimaced. “Gia has a rule against dating her brothers.”

“Is she serious about that?” I asked her.

“When we were teenagers, there were girls who were friends with us just to get closer to you guys. She had that one blow when our best friend, Angela, hooked up with Matteo.”

“All I know is that I like you, and I love your daughter. I don’t know how anyone else would react, but can we explore what this is first?”

I didn’t want to say it, but what if it didn’t work out? What if there was an initial spark of attraction that fizzled out quickly? Why tell everyone if it wasn’t going to last?

“I’d like that, but I can’t ignore what this means for your family. They’re everything to me.”

“I get that.”

Her brow furrowed. “If they aren’t okay with it, I don’t know if I could withstand it.”

I nodded. “They’re like a second family to you.”

“A first one, really. I’m not worried about what my mother will think about this.” She gestured between us.

I captured her wrist between my fingers, encircling the delicate bone. “Does it matter what anyone else thinks of what’s going on here?”

Logically, I knew it did, but I was thinking with my heart and my body. I wanted her, and she wanted me. Nothing else should matter.

She studied me for a few seconds before she said, “No.”

“Can I kiss you again?” I asked, and when her lips tipped upward in the early beginnings of a smile, I kissed her. I didn’t want to stop. I wanted to explore this thing between us. See where it would go.

But she stopped me with a hand pressed to my chest. “I want to take things slow. I have Evie to think about.”

“That’s the beauty of us, isn’t it? I already know Evie. You’re not introducing her to a strange guy.”

She licked her lips. “That makes it more precarious. She loves you. What if you decide we’re not for you? I might lose you and your family. The only one she’s ever known.”

I ran a hand through my hair. As much as I wanted to be reckless, we couldn’t. “I can do slow.”

She touched my face. “I’ve liked you for a long time. I’m not in a rush.”

I kind of was, but I could respect her decision. “I’m fine with that.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “How do you see this going?”

“I want to spend time with you and Evie, doing whatever you want to do.”

She closed her eyes.

“Is something wrong?”

When she opened them, her eyes were glassy. “No one’s ever wanted to spend time with both of us before.”

“I like you, Harper. I’m attracted to you in a way I haven’t been to anyone else. But I’m aware you’re a single mother. I already know and love your daughter. Anyone who dates you should want to spend time with both of you.”

Her lips twisted. “I haven’t had the best taste in men.”

I had a feeling she didn’t think she was worthy of someone better, but I intended to prove to her she did.

“I look forward to showing you how much you both mean to me. But for now, I should head home.” I stood, and she followed me to the door.

I kissed her again in front of it, slower this time, as if she were a lover I’d already spent hours making love to and wanted to imprint my kiss on her brain for days to come. “Sweet dreams.”

The evening went better than I could have imagined. I couldn’t get over the fact that Harper had a crush on me. She'd never let on. Was everything finally falling into place for me, or was this new relationship going to derail what I was trying to do with the business and my parents?

I couldn’t worry about that, not when this thing with Harper was so new. I owed it to her and myself to explore it. If not, I’d always wonder what if.