Chapter 18

Eighteen

Silas

“ I ’m not sure if I can write a book, but Harper said just to write down what I know. I kept a journal of my journey so I could remember what it was like when I was first starting out.”

“I love that you’re doing this. I think it will be good for you.”

“I’m still struggling with whether it will be advice for wedding planners or more business focused.”

“I think once you start writing, it will become clear.”

“I hope so. It’s been keeping me awake at night.”

I hated that she was stressed about this. “Why don’t you just have fun with it? Write what you wish you’d known starting out.”

“That’s an interesting idea,” she said thoughtfully.

“If you come from that perspective, maybe the writing will be easier.”

She smiled. “I’ll give it a try.”

Our food came, and we dug in. It was good, not as tasty as my resort, but I was biased.

We talked about how the food compared to my restaurant, and other business things surrounding the resort. It was nice to talk to someone who understood.

When we finished eating, we headed toward the harbor area, where the tour boat was docked. While we waited to board, I asked, “Have you taken the tour before?”

Gia shook her head. “I never did the touristy things in town. We were always too busy with the pizzeria and now, my business.”

“That’s good to know.” Since I hadn’t done it either, it would be something fun for us to do together.

We boarded, and I led her to the top deck to look over the railing at the others boarding.

“I wonder if this is what it feels like to be on a cruise ship.”

I gripped the railing, my eyes riveted on her, not the view. “It’s much bigger though.”

She glanced at me. “I’ve never gone on a cruise. Have you?”

I shook my head. “I’ve only seen them when I was in Key West. They’re huge. I like smaller boats.”

Her brow furrowed. “It’s not like your boat is small.”

“But it’s easier for me to handle. The cruise ships are massive. I can’t imagine being in a hotel that moves. I prefer to see places from the ground.”

“That makes sense.”

We fell silent as the captain went over the safety features. The boat honked, and then it pulled away from the dock. We stood by the railing as someone talked on the loudspeaker about what we were seeing on the shore, including a nice view of the Naval Academy.

Gia was engrossed in what the captain was saying over the speaker, the history of the area, and the things we were seeing.

When we turned around and made our way back, Gia said, “This was neat. I really enjoyed it.”

“I did a good job with planning our date?” I asked her.

Gia smiled. “You did. I’m glad we did this.”

I almost hesitated to ask. “You’re not missing work?”

Her smile fell. “I probably need to be writing. The book is on top of my regular work, and I hadn’t anticipated doing it right now.”

“Sometimes the best plans are the ones that pop up out of nowhere.”

She wrapped her arms around her middle. “I hope so. I could really use something right now.”

She mentioned needing a steady income, and I wondered if her business wasn’t doing well. “What’s going on that’s making you worry?”

“Spring and summer are our busy months. We can barely keep up with the weddings scheduled, but then it slows down, moving from fall into winter. We’re trying to partner with a Christmas tree farm to offer holiday weddings, but the owners are dragging their feet.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, in full business mode now.

“Well, at first the owner, Lori, was interested. She wants to expand the business, including the gift shop, but her sons—well, one of them—seem to have put a stop to the idea. I can understand their concerns. We’d be holding an event on the property that requires parking and guests to be present during their busy season. But it’s an additional income stream for them too.”

“You’d increase your weddings during your slow season.”

“Exactly, and we lose a fair number of couples to your resort. They want to work with me, but they want the one-stop resort more.”

I knew we were in competition, but I hadn’t thought about the direct effect on her business. I’d only been worried about my bottom line. “That wasn’t my intention. I never wanted to make things harder for you.”

Gia shrugged and looked out over the water. “It’s business. If you treated me differently, I wouldn’t respect you.”

I didn’t like that my choices affected her business. I guess on some level, I knew I was taking business from her, but I thought she was doing fine. Her brothers never mentioned that she was struggling. “Do your brothers know?”

“Know what?” Gia asked, focusing on me.

“That you struggle sometimes.” I was pleased she’d confided in me when I suspected she viewed being vulnerable as a weakness.

She shook her head. “I’d never mention my business to my family. They’d tell me to quit and work for them.”

“Would they?” I couldn’t see her brothers doing that. They seemed to respect her tenacity.

“My father takes every opportunity to tell me to work for him. He thinks it’s just a phase. That people don’t want to pay for someone to plan parties.”

“He hasn’t changed his position over the years?”

“To be honest, I avoid him and talking about the business. I can’t remember the last time I went to a Sunday dinner.”

“You think he doesn’t respect you and what you’re doing?”

She laughed without any humor. “You could say that.”

I wondered if that was true. Was Mr. G. so shortsighted that he couldn’t see how he was hurting his daughter? I’d been invited to Sunday dinner tonight, and I was hoping to convince Gia to go with me, but now I was doubting my intentions.

Would she be mad at me for asking her or that I went without her? I wasn’t sure what to do. I’d been so confident that she’d go, even if we couldn’t talk about our relationship. I hadn’t realized the extent of her fallout with her father. I didn’t want to push her, especially if her father was only going to hurt her. Maybe Mr. G. didn’t see how his words had already hurt his daughter.

When we disembarked the boat, we walked through town, stopping to get ice cream and buy fudge to eat later. When we walked past the shop Petals, Gia dragged me inside.

“Is Lily here?” Gia asked the clerk.

“She’s in the back,” the girl at the counter said. “Let me get her.”

A few seconds later, a blonde woman came out with a huge smile and a hug for Gia. “What are you doing here on a Sunday?”

Gia flicked a hand in my direction. “We went to brunch and took the boat tour.”

Lily’s eyes widened when she saw me. “You went to brunch with Silas Sharpe?”

I leaned over to shake her hand. “The one and only. Why do I get the impression that people are surprised to see me with Gia?”

Lily’s lips twitched. “I mean, you’re kind of enemy number one around here.”

“Lily,” Gia chided, as if she was embarrassed.

I kind of knew that by the way she treated me, but it was interesting to hear others talk about it.

Lily raised a brow. “What? It’s surprising, and I can’t believe you’re doing touristy things and not working.”

Gia threw a thumb in Silas’s direction. “That’s his fault. He insisted on hanging out today.”

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and rocked back on my heels. “Sunday’s my day to relax.”

“Well, if you can get this one to do the same, I’ll love you forever,” Lily teased.

“You’re already in love with Jake. Stop teasing Silas.”

Lily smiled easily at me. “Jake’s the mechanic over at Harbor Garage if you ever need work done.”

“I’ve heard of it. They’ve built quite a name for themselves, especially with classic vehicles.”

“That’s right,” Lily said with a bright smile. “Were you coming in for a bouquet? I have one you’ll adore.”

Lily pulled a vase out of one of the fridges that was filled with sunflowers and other ones I couldn’t name.

“This is perfect,” Gia said as she reached for her purse to pay for it.

“I’ll get it.” There was no way I’d let her pay for flowers when I was here.

Gia frowned at me. “You don’t have to do that. This is my addiction.”

“I’m buying you flowers,” I said to Gia, placing my card in Lily’s outstretched hand. She seemed all too willing to help me out, and I appreciated it.

Gia was a tough woman to treat. I was surprised when she allowed me to schedule her that spa day and that she’d worn the designer dress and shoes I’d picked for her.

I waited while Gia and Lily talked about some developments in an upcoming wedding. I gathered that Lily was her flower supplier. When they said their good-byes, Lily said to me, “I hope to see you around more.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. I wanted the same thing, but did Gia? I carried the vase outside. “Is that where you satisfy your flower addiction?”

“The monthly subscription service is hers, but I like flowers more often.”

I draped an arm over her shoulder. “You should always have fresh flowers.”

“That’s a dream of mine. I’d love to have them on my desk and in every room of my house. But that’s ridiculous. This is already too much.”

“Why would you say that?” I asked as we headed down a side street with uneven sidewalks.

“Cut flowers only last so long. Some say it’s a waste of money.”

“It’s not if it brings you joy, and I, for one, love seeing you happy.”

Gia smiled, and her cheeks turned pink. “You’re sweet when you want to be.”

“I’m sweet, period. This isn’t an act, baby.” I pulled her into my side and kissed her upturned lips. This had been the perfect day.

We walked around town like we were a couple. I guess I should have been more worried about running into her brothers, but I knew they were busy with the new restaurant, which was out of town.

When we reached her house, she unlocked the door and led me inside. “This is my place.”

It was small but updated. There were wood floors throughout. A small living room was on the right, with a fireplace and sofa, and the dining room was on the left. She led me to the kitchen in the back that overlooked a small backyard. She arranged the vase on the counter, looking a little uncomfortable to have me in her space.

“It’s perfect for you.” It was just the right amount of space for one person.

Gia smiled. “It’s hardly a house on the water or a penthouse, but it’s mine.”

“That’s what I meant,” I said as I moved closer and turned her so she faced me.

“What now?” Gia asked, and I loved that she hadn’t immediately kicked me out.

I glanced at the clock on the microwave. I had a little bit of time before I needed to leave for the Giovannis’, but I didn’t feel right not telling her where I was going.

“I have dinner plans, but we have a bit of time before I need to leave.” I leaned down to kiss her, but she stepped back.

Gia frowned and pulled away from me. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to keep you.”

Did she think I was seeing someone else? I guess we hadn’t had a discussion about expectations. “When I’m dating you, I’m not seeing anyone else, and I expect the same from you. I know we didn’t talk about that—”

She swallowed hard. “That sounds good.”

I kept my gaze trained on hers. “Your brothers invited me to dinner.”

She frowned. “You’re going to my family dinner night?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Of course not.” She hadn’t physically moved any farther away from me, but I felt the distance between us.

“I’ve gone to dinner there in the past.”

Gia smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You should go.”

My heart thudded in my chest. “I’d like it if you’d go too.”

“But my family doesn’t know about us, and I doubt they’d understand it after I’ve hated you all these years.”

Hate felt like a strong word. But I suspected she was creating more space between us. “We wouldn’t have to come out to them, but I’d like to spend more time with you.”

“I don’t do family dinners. I told you why. I have to protect my energy. My father doesn’t believe in me, and I can’t be around that.”

I hated that for her. My parents had always supported me and my brothers in our business endeavors. They never once doubted that we’d be successful. “I understand that, but I was hoping it would be better if we went together.”

She cocked one brow. “Are you planning on telling them about us?”

“No.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “How will it look when you all of a sudden take my side?”

I hadn’t thought about that. We were usually arguing, not supporting each other. “I guess I didn’t think it through.”

She waved me off. “You go. Nothing should change because we spent some time together.”

We’d just had the exclusivity talk, and she was already pushing me away. “I don’t want to leave you like this.”

She led the way through her house and opened the front door. “I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

I had other ideas for how to spend the time before dinner, and they had everything to do with seeing her bedroom, but I wasn’t sure how to breach this void between us. “I don’t want to go.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I think you should.”

“This doesn’t feel right.” I shut the door gently.

“I need some space.” Her lips pressed into a tight line.

I placed my hands on her shoulders. “I want you to feel comfortable going to your parents’ house.”

Her gaze lifted to meet mine. “Your going doesn’t change anything. Don’t worry about it.”

That was probably true, but it still didn’t sit right with me. “You won’t try to ease this rift between you and your parents?”

“Is it a deal-breaker for you? If so, we don’t need to see each other anymore.” Her voice raised with every word.

My heart stutter-stepped. “You don’t mean that.”

“I don’t like the way you’re pushing me into something with my family.”

I held up my hands and stepped back. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that.”

“I’d like you to go now.” Her eyes were glimmering with unshed tears, and I hated leaving her like this.

“Okay, but this isn’t over. I like you, Gia.”

She nodded but didn’t respond. I opened the door and walked out, even as everything in my body was urging me to go to her. To make her feel better. But I didn’t know how to do that. I’d overstepped with her family, but I had a relationship with her parents and her brothers separate from her. That wouldn’t change. It would be easier if she got along with them.

But she was right. What did it matter when we couldn’t come clean about our relationship? Was I ready to tell her brothers?

I headed toward my car, wondering if I’d made a big mistake with Gia. Should I have approached it another way? Would we recover from this? I wasn’t sure about anything.

I drove to Mr. and Mrs. G.’s house, pleased to see that Leo, Harper, and her daughter, Evie, were already there. I headed to the backyard, where Evie was swinging on the swing set.

“Higher. Higher,” she cried as Leo pushed her.

I never thought Leo would date a woman with a child, but they were perfect together, and, according to Harper, she’d crushed on him as a teenager. So, it felt like it was fated. Was that what Gia and I were to each other? Were we circling each other for years, and our relationship was inevitable? Or was it all a mistake? Were our issues too insurmountable for us to overcome?

“You came for dinner?” Leo asked, clasping my hand.

Evie shot a look over her shoulder. “Daddy Leo, what are you doing?”

“I’m pushing. I’m pushing. Hold your horses.”

Evie frowned. “I don’t have any horses.”

“Daddy Leo, huh?” I asked him.

“Yeah, it’s a new thing,” he said proudly.

“You like it.”

“I love everything about Harper and Evie. They’re it for me.”

“Yeah, I got that when you proposed.” That was the evening that Gia and I got back together, and I’d never forget it. I think a part of me was a little jealous that my friend had found happiness.

“What about you? You seeing anyone?”

I cleared my throat, uncomfortable with the conversation. “Kind of.”

“Who is it?” But before I could answer, he continued. “There were pictures of you and Gia at the fundraiser, but Gia said she did it as a favor. Some tit for tat because you’re letting her work with one of your wedding couples?”

“That’s right.” It was close enough to the truth that I didn’t feel like I was lying. But I still didn’t feel great about it.

Evie jumped off the swing, stumbled, and before I could reach out to steady her, she ran for the house.

Leo turned to face me. “I hope you’re not dicking her around.”

I flushed hot because I most certainly was, just not in the way he was insinuating. “I realized I was doing my brides a disservice by not allowing them to work with the planner they wanted.”

Leo frowned. “What about all your talk about exclusivity and business, and how you were making all this money?”

“It wasn’t what the brides wanted. They want to work with Gia. Besides, this is just a trial thing. It might not work out.”

Leo stepped closer. His face was stony. “Gia wants this so bad. If you fuck her over—”

“I don’t plan to fuck her over.” I wasn’t so sure what Gia wanted from this. I had a feeling she was going to break things off. She was so closed off to the idea of love that she’d never even consider it, especially not with me. That thought sank like a rock in my stomach.

It felt worse that Leo was threatening me about treating her right when he didn’t even know the whole story. I hated having to keep my true feelings from him. But what could I say? I love your sister, but she doesn’t love me.

He wouldn’t understand. He’d blame me. They all would.

I knew better than to mess with my best friends’ younger sister. But then I hadn’t been thinking with my brain. My heart had led me here, and I’d hoped I hadn’t made a huge mistake in falling for Gia when she wasn’t capable of anything more.