Chapter 11

Eleven

Harper

I floated through the wedding the next day, remembering Leo’s kiss and his declaration that he liked me. I was relieved to finally know my attraction wasn’t a one-sided thing. Maybe it started a little later for him, but he felt the same way I did. It was almost too good to be true.

I usually tempered my expectations for a situation like this, but I couldn’t because my lips still tingled from his touch, and I felt the grip of his hand on my hip.

I spent time with Evie that evening before she went to bed and then texted Leo about our pizza date the next morning. I loved the idea of spending time in the restaurant. It reminded me of my childhood when I practically lived at the pizzeria with Gia and her brothers. We colored in the office, played in the storage room, and when we got older, we cleared tables and washed dishes.

I’d been so envious of Gia’s close relationship with her family, even as it grated on her. She wanted something different, but I loved the family atmosphere of the pizzeria. And now, everything I ever wanted was here.

But I couldn’t help but think it wouldn’t last. That his parents or Gia would find out. That Leo would decide a relationship with me was too much trouble.

If Leo wanted to expand the business, was it a good idea to get involved with me when his parents wanted someone else for him?

I had trouble sleeping that night, and when I woke, I cuddled with Evie on the couch while she watched cartoons. When her stomach rumbled, I got up to make pancakes, but before I could, there was a soft knock on the door. Assuming it was an emergency of some sort, I opened it without asking who it was. “Is everything—”

It was Leo. He was grinning, his eyes dancing with mischief.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, surprised to see him so early.

“I thought we could make pancakes.” He leaned down to kiss me softly, and I turned to make sure Evie hadn’t seen us.

“Who is it, Mommy?” Evie asked, and I stepped back so Leo could enter.

“It’s Leo. He wants to make breakfast with us.”

“Yay!” Evie exclaimed as she bounded off the couch and over to us.

“You like pancakes?” Leo asked her.

She gave him a pointed look. “They have to have chocolate chips.”

“I brought supplies.” He lifted the grocery bag that contained pancake mix and chocolate chips.

I shook my head, still not quite believing he was here. “You didn’t need to do this.”

Evie raced to the kitchen, and Leo took the opportunity to kiss me again. “I wanted to.”

He winked at me and then turned to Evie, who had pulled up a kitchen chair to stand on.

Leo wanted to spend time with us. He liked us. It was unexpected. I never thought anything would happen between us, and there were too many reasons why we were a bad idea.

I sat on the stool across from them, trying to come to grips with reality. Leo Giovanni was in my kitchen, making pancakes with my daughter. Goose bumps popped up on my skin.

“Lots of chocolate chips. I’m on it, stellina ,” Leo said to Evie and winked at me.

If I thought Leo was attractive before, it was so much more potent now that he’d said he liked me.

If we were going to hide this from his family, we were going to have to be careful. But right now, I only had to worry about Evie.

“We’ll make breakfast and then go to the playground. Maybe the adults will stop for coffee.” Leo winked at me.

When I allowed myself to think about dating a man, this was my dream—making breakfast together before we walked to grab coffee and then to the playground. I never thought I’d be one of the happy couples I saw walking together on weekend mornings.

“Can I get a frappa-chino?” Evie said, stumbling slightly over the word.

Leo pointed his spatula at her. “That’s up to your mother.”

“If you eat your pancakes,” I promised, feeling generous since my dream seemed like it was finally coming true.

“Yay!” Evie cried, doing a little dance.

I appreciated that Leo asked me before making any promises. Maybe this thing between us could work.

Evie helped Leo mix the batter and dump in way too many chocolate chips, but I couldn’t bring myself to chide them. They were adorable together. By the time the batter was poured onto the griddle, they were covered in flour, and Evie’s mouth was covered in chocolate.

While they waited for the pancakes to cook, Leo played music, and they danced around the kitchen. Leo sang into the wooden spoon until Evie snatched it for herself. My heart felt close to bursting as I watched.

I found myself videotaping it on my phone so I could look at it later. There was something about these moments with Leo that felt fleeting, and I didn’t want to forget them.

All of a sudden, Evie stopped dancing and shrieked, “The pancakes!”

“I completely forgot about them,” Leo said, and the two of them erupted into laughter. Leo was genuinely having a good time with my daughter.

I never thought anyone would want to deal with a single mother and her child. Evie’s own father wanted nothing to do with her. But Leo was breaking all my preconceptions. I wondered if it was because he’d already bonded with Evie.

Leo showed her how to flip the pancakes, but after several attempts, he took over for her and said they’d have to keep practicing.

I wondered if he’d stop by for pancakes more often. The fact that Leo already knew Evie might make dating him easier. She wouldn’t question us spending time together unless she caught us kissing.

When the pancakes were cooked and eaten, I cleaned up the kitchen while Leo supervised Evie washing her hands and changing her clothes. She’d gotten chocolate and syrup everywhere.

When we were done, we put on our shoes and headed outside.

We didn’t hold hands, and I wasn’t sure if that was for Evie’s benefit or in case we ran into one of the Giovannis while we were out. I vowed not to worry about the what-ifs, especially not when things were so new.

We got drinks from the coffee shop and made our way to the playground. There were only a few kids there so early.

We sat on a bench and watched while Evie played with one of the other kids.

Leo tipped his head in her direction. “Is she that friendly with everyone?”

“She knows the mailman, the delivery guy, and everyone who lives in the neighborhood, and the crazy thing is, she remembers things about them. Their pets’ names, if their kid was sick, or whether their family lived outside of town. She’s so unlike me in that respect.” I was so quiet and shy. It was a godsend when I befriended Gia, who had more of an outgoing personality.

“Maybe it’s because of our family. We are loud.”

I huffed out a laugh. “That’s true. Especially when you’re all together.”

“Have you thought about having more kids? I’ve always wanted a big family like mine.”

“I don’t want to be a single mom again. I’d want the father to be involved, and I’d want their support.” I didn’t voice my worries out loud, but how did you know if the guy would be the type to stick around?

“That makes sense.”

I wondered if he was asking about us, but it was too soon. How could he possibly know if he wanted kids with me?

“You wanted something different for Evie, but just because it didn’t work out the way you thought, doesn’t mean something better won’t come along.”

I nudged his shoulder with mine. “You mean—with you?”

“I meant someone who loves your daughter and you. You deserve everything.”

The space between my shoulder blades tightened. “My mom didn’t get that.”

“She made her choices. She dated guys who weren’t interested in commitment. She blamed it on them, but it was her.”

“I’ve never heard anyone explain it like that.” Gia hated my mother for not being there for me and for exposing me to her boyfriends. “I’ve been so jaded by everything that I haven’t even bothered trying to meet anyone. I just figured it was enough to be the two of us.”

“I hope you give me a chance.”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing?” I asked him, my voice a little breathless.

“I want to be good for you. I want to be everything you need.”

We were supposed to be exploring this chemistry between us, but Leo seemed a little more serious than that. It gave me hope that he might be the guy for me. “I can take care of myself.”

“That’s what I love about you. You’re strong.” He kept his gaze on Evie as if he was making sure she didn’t get hurt. It was so similar to how a father should act that my heart ached.

But my brain snagged on his words— that’s what I love about you. He couldn’t mean that. It seemed more feasible that he’d admire me, but it was too soon for a romantic kind of love. Wasn’t it?

“You are too. Being the eldest of the family, the responsibility weighs on you the most.”

He raised a brow. “You see that?”

“I see everything about you.” I’d watched him from afar for years. I saw the way he took over more and more responsibility at the restaurant. How seriously he took it. He liked being in charge, but it came with a price, especially when he still answered to his father.

Leo shook his head. “I can’t believe you crushed on me since you were a teenager.”

I flushed. “All the girls had a crush on you. I wasn’t any different.”

He shifted on the bench, resting his elbows on his knees as he looked over at me. “I’d like to think you were different.”

His expression was serious, so I said, “Honestly, I didn’t think anything would come of it. It was safe because you were so off-limits. You were the oldest, you never looked twice at me, and I was almost like a sister.”

His head shook. “I never thought of you like my sister. I tried not to think of you at all. I think I knew it would be a slippery slope, especially when you were younger.”

“And now?”

“Now we’re both adults who can make their own decisions and mistakes.”

I didn’t like referring to our attempt to get to know each other as a mistake, but there would be consequences from our relationship. Even if everything felt right in the moment.

We watched Evie play for a while, and then Leo said he had to get to work and prepare the restaurant for opening. We walked to the pizzeria, and Leo unlocked the door and closed it behind us. We washed our hands while he prepped the kitchen.

We sat on stools while he efficiently moved around the room, starting the sauce for the day. He showed Evie how he prepared it, the temperature, and the time it took to cook. Once it was simmering in a big pot, he said to Evie, “Now it’s time to make your pizza.”

He pulled out a container of leftover sauce, reheated it, and smoothed it over her crust. “We normally use fresh sauce, but the newest batch won’t be ready for a little while yet.” He pointed to the array of toppings that were chilling in the containers on the prep table, covered by plastic. “Do you know what you want on it?”

Evie studied the options and said firmly, “Pepperoni.”

Leo chuckled. “Pepperoni it is. I’m glad you went with something besides plain cheese.”

“I like pepperoni.”

Leo ruffled her hair. “That’s the thing—we’re allowed to change our minds.”

Evie looked up at him as if he’d said something important, and maybe he had, but I was mesmerized by the way my little girl was looking at this man. She was missing a father figure in her life. She had Mr. G. and all of Leo’s brothers, but at the same time, the Giovannis weren’t our family.

Leo patiently demonstrated how he dressed a pizza but allowed Evie to do it her own way. He smiled when she placed the pepperonis in the shape of a smiley face.

“Can’t say we’ve ever served a smiling pizza before.”

Evie gave him a serious look. “Everyone would love it.”

“I have no doubt,” Leo said, his voice soft. And when he lifted his gaze from her, he winked at me.

He showed her the pizza oven and how they arranged the pizzas when there was more than one, the oven temperature, and how long it took to cook. Evie was interested in everything he had to say.

“My dad used to bring me in on the weekends and show me the exact same things before he let me make my own pizza.”

Evie looked up at him. “Really?”

“Yeah, it’s one of my favorite memories of my father.”

“I don’t see my dad very much,” Evie admitted, and my heart broke for her. Then I wondered for the hundredth time if I was keeping her from her father, and whether that was fair.

“Sometimes, it’s not our biological dads, but someone else who holds that special place in our hearts. You have your mother and Mr. and Mrs. G.”

“And you,” Evie said solemnly.

“That’s right. You have me. Never forget that.” Leo’s voice was firm in his delivery, and my heart fluttered overtime at their sweet exchange.

He showed her a few other steps he took to open the restaurant before the rest of the employees would come in and finish opening the dining room. He even allowed Evie to stock some of the condiments.

When her pizza was done, he sliced it and served it on plates in the break room. We each ate a slice before he packed it up for Evie to take home. When the employees started to trickle in, he said, “I’ll take you home.”

“Leo has to work today,” I reminded Evie when her expression fell.

“But what are we going to do?” Evie whined.

“What we do every Sunday. Get caught up on laundry for the week and clean.”

“That’s boring,” Evie said, and I couldn’t help but feel a little inadequate. Did other families spend the entire day together? Did they plan elaborate day trips?

“When you’re done, maybe you can watch a movie, and I’ll stop by later,” Leo offered.

“You will?” Evie asked.

“You don’t have to—” I started to say as Leo said, “I want to.”

I needed to warn him that Evie was coming to rely on him. She was getting used to seeing him more, and it was going to hurt if this didn’t work out. I had more than my own heart to worry about. Evie would be crushed if Leo disappeared.

At our door, he kissed my cheek and said to Evie, “Be good, and help your mother today, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Evie grumbled.

“Hey, it’s a big responsibility. You’re a big girl now, and helping your mother is a good thing.”

Evie nodded solemnly. “I am a big girl.”

“That’s what I was saying,” Leo said as I opened the door, and Evie shot inside ahead of us.

“Thank you for today. It was—” How could I describe the best day I’d had in forever? “Perfect.”

Leo grinned. “It was fun for me too.”

“If you’re not serious about this—”

“I’m very serious about you and Evie,” Leo interrupted me.

“Please don’t hurt her,” I said, vulnerability making my voice shake.

“I won’t.” Then he kissed me softly. “Go inside so I can get to work. I don’t want to leave you, but I have to.”

I didn’t state the obvious, that if he opened a new restaurant, he’d have to work even more. And it wouldn’t be downstairs. It would be across town. I remember Gia complaining she only saw her family at the restaurant in those early years.

At the time, I wasn’t sure what she was complaining about, but now I understood. Dating someone who owned and ran a business meant long hours and time away from each other. As sweet as it was today to make a pizza in the kitchen, would the novelty wear off eventually?

I went inside and shut the door. Evie was sitting on the floor, playing with her dolls, and I took a few minutes to gather myself. To remind myself not to fall too hard for Leo, but I was afraid I already had.

A man showing up early on Sunday morning to make me and my daughter pancakes was the most romantic thing I’d ever experienced. Other things just didn’t compare.