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CHAPTER THREE

WAS THAT WHAT it was like to be hooked on someone?

Jules gave a slight shake of her head. She wouldn’t know. She’d never let herself get that close to anyone. She glanced at the engaged couple, who were gazing longingly into each other’s eyes. It was as though they had forgotten that anyone else was in the room. She considered making a joking comment, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She’d never seen Lizzie so happy...ever. And she didn’t want to do anything to ruin it.

“I should be going.” Stefano hedged his way toward the door.

“Wait.” Jules sent him a desperate look. He couldn’t just leave her there. “Could you give me a ride?”

She may not want to ruin Lizzie’s happiness, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be subjected to it in large quantities. No way was Stefano escaping this den of love and leaving her trapped. There was only so much she could take of this sugary sweetness. And her teeth already ached.

Lizzie pulled away from Dante. “A ride where?”

“To get a hotel room.”

“Why would you do that?” V-shaped lines formed between Lizzie’s brows. “After all, this will be your home during school breaks.”

“What?” This was news to her.

Before Jules could find the words to set her sister straight, Stefano stepped forward. “Jules might enjoy staying at the villa. It’s quite spacious, and it’ll be helpful for her to see where the wedding will take place.”

Lizzie’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Jules had the feeling she was wearing a similar expression. The man who didn’t approve of her appearance and who thought weddings were a waste of time was now suggesting she stay with him? She wasn’t so sure how she felt about his offer.

Lizzie’s gaze narrowed as it darted between Jules and Stefano. “Thank you, Stefano. But I’m sure Jules will be more comfortable staying here.”

Jules swallowed and straightened her shoulders. “I think a hotel would be best.”

“You really don’t want to stay here?” Lizzie’s voice grew soft, eroding Jules’s resolve.

Dante stepped up and pulled Lizzie close. Her head tilted against his shoulder as if they’d been leaning on each other for years.

Dante met Jules’s gaze. “You are welcome here. Anytime. For as long as you want. It’s your home now, too.”

“Thank you.” It really meant a lot coming from him, but it still didn’t change her mind. She couldn’t impose on them. But she didn’t have the money to stay in a hotel indefinitely. She turned to Stefano. “How far is the vineyard from here?”

“It’s a bit of a drive.”

“But my brother will be happy to get you back and forth.” Dante smiled as though he really liked the idea.

Jules worried her bottom lip. It was only logical that she go home with Stefano, and he seemed fine with the idea. So why was she throwing up roadblocks?

“I guess Stefano’s right. With the wedding being pushed up, we need to get started right away.” And then Jules got an idea and turned to her foster sister. “Maybe you should come with me.”

Lizzie’s expression filled with worry. “I’d really like to, but I have to stay here as they want to start filming this week. I’m sorry.”

“Oh. I see.” It was going to be challenging planning a wedding without the bride constantly on hand, but somehow they’d make it work.

“But I do have some notes.” Lizzie rushed back the hallway and soon returned with a notebook. She handed it over. “I wrote out a bunch of ideas and attached pictures I cut out from magazines. How about you look over these and then we’ll talk?”

“Sounds good. But what about your dress? Will you be able to get something in such a short time frame?”

Lizzie sent her a knowing smile. “I had the same worry. I ran out as soon as the studio proposed the idea, and I found exactly what I wanted. It’s being altered right now.”

“Great.” Check the most important item off the list. “Did you happen to find one for me?”

“Actually I found three that will work. All you have to do is try them on and see which looks the best.”

Okay, so maybe this rushed wedding wasn’t going to be as horrible to plan as she’d initially envisioned. It wasn’t like Lizzie would turn into bridezilla or anything. Her foster sister had never been a prima donna.

“Are you sure you won’t stay here?” Lizzie begged her with both word and look. “I was really hoping we could catch up on everything and watch some old movies together.”

If it were only Lizzie in the apartment, she wouldn’t hesitate to stay. But even now she noticed how Dante and Lizzie gravitated together. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. And if she were perfectly honest, she wanted to see the vineyard. From everything she’d heard, it was gorgeous. Who would pass up a chance to stay at an Italian villa?

Once you got past his solemn attitude, her host wasn’t too bad, either. She glanced over at Stefano, who was talking with his brother. Okay, so he was a lot more like droolworthy. Her stomach fluttered. Thankfully the attraction was a one-way avenue. He’d already made it perfectly clear that she wasn’t his type.

She glanced away—but not soon enough. Lizzie raised her eyebrows, followed by a questioning look. Jules rolled her eyes and shook her head. The last thing she needed was Lizzie thinking that she had a thing for Stefano. He was much too serious for her. And she didn’t have time for a guy. She had other things on her mind—like planning a rushed wedding and figuring out what to do with her future once she withdrew from grad school.

“How are things coming with school?” Lizzie stepped closer to her.

“Uh...good.” That was strange. It was as if Lizzie could read her mind. She considered telling Lizzie her decision and getting it over with, but not with the guys in the room. This delicate conversation was going to require some uninterrupted privacy.

“Are you ready to go?” Stefano sent her a direct look that said he wanted to escape honeymoon central.

“Yes, I am. Just let me grab my bag.”

“I’ve got it.” Stefano gripped the handle.

Jules turned back to Lizzie, who had an expectant look on her face. “We’ll talk later. I’m so happy for you. And don’t worry about a thing. I promise we’ll plan the best wedding. Ever.”

Lizzie’s worried expression eased. “Thank you. You’re the best.”

“I’ll remember that you said that.” Jules smiled, so happy to see her sister again. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

* * *

What in the world had he been thinking?

Stefano shook his head. Obviously he hadn’t been thinking, at least not clearly. What he knew about playing host wouldn’t even fill up his mother’s thimble—a memento that his father kept on his dresser. And what Stefano knew about making women happy was practically nonexistent. His wife could attest to that—if she were still alive. Guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders.

It was just one more reason that taking Jules home with him wasn’t a good idea. Because once you got past all the makeup and distinctive clothes, there was something special about Jules—something that intrigued him. And that was definitely not a good thing.

But he couldn’t just leave her stranded there with those two. His brother could barely keep his hands off Lizzie. Not that he could blame him.

But there was no way anyone could convince Stefano to stay in that apartment—no matter how spacious it was. There was only so much of that mushy stuff that one could handle. Regardless of his hesitation, Jules didn’t deserve to play the third wheel.

“Thank you.”

Her voice startled him out of his thoughts. “What?”

“Thank you for helping me out back there. I don’t think I could have stood to watch them much longer. Did you ever see such a happy couple?”

He shook his head. At last, they had something in common. “They certainly have it bad for each other.”

“You noticed that, too?”

He nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. “What do you think about their rush to say I do?”

“I was beginning to think that Lizzie was never going to settle down with a family of her own, especially after—well, anyway, it’s full steam ahead.”

After what? He wanted to ask, but he didn’t. He just hoped that Dante knew what Jules was referring to. He wasn’t crazy about the rushed engagement and even less so about the hurried wedding. He wished Dante would take his time and give the whole marriage idea more thought.

Perhaps now Stefano wasn’t the only one with reservations. He’d noticed the brief frown that had crossed Jules’s face back at the love nest when she thought no one was looking. Maybe she’d had a change of heart about this whirlwind romance.

Could it be he had an ally—someone who thought the happy couple should slow down and see reason? Sure, the television people were anxious for the wedding. The only thing that mattered to them was their ratings. But marriage was about so much more than a popularity contest. It was a lifelong commitment—one that could have devastating consequences if you weren’t careful.

He cleared his throat. “That sure was a surprise about them pushing the wedding up so far. It’s only a matter of weeks away. I wonder if they’re doing the right thing.”

He took his focus off the road for a moment and glanced over to find Jules studying him suspiciously. Definitely not a good sign. It would seem that he’d read her reactions all wrong.

“What are you worried about?” she asked. “Don’t you like Lizzie? Don’t you think she’s good enough for your brother?”

“Whoa! Slow down. That isn’t what I meant.” Why in the world had he even opened his mouth? He should have just left well enough alone.

He kept glancing between Jules and the road. She crossed her arms and arched a brow at him. She was waiting for an explanation, and he didn’t know exactly what to say. He didn’t want to open his mouth and insert his freshly polished dress shoe. But she didn’t look as though she was about to let him off the proverbial hook anytime soon.

He sighed. “What I meant was that if it’s real between them, there’s no need to rush—no matter what the television studio says. They can take their time—”

“That’s not the real truth, is it?” When he didn’t have an immediate denial, Jules barreled on. “The truth is you know about Lizzie’s past and you don’t think that she’s good enough to marry into the DeFiore family.”

“That’s not true.” He wished that was the case. If his disapproval was the only obstacle Dante and Lizzie had to face, their future would be paved in rose petals. But the truth was he thought they made a great couple—a couple totally in love with each other. The problem with love was that it was blind and deaf to the truth. And sooner or later, devastation would plan a sneak attack—it always did. But how did he explain any of that to Jules? Unless you had lived through it—twice in his case—you just couldn’t truly understand.

Marriage to a DeFiore ended with dire consequences.

“Then what is it?” Jules continued to stare at him. “Why are you against this wedding?”

“I’m not. At least not as far as them being together.”

“But...”

He couldn’t do it.

Telling Jules the whole truth wasn’t an option. He couldn’t pry open that door to his past—to relive the pain. And though he barely knew her, he couldn’t stand the thought of Jules turning those luminous green eyes on him in judgment, followed by condemnation. Gianna’s family still looked at him that way. He’d finally accepted that they’d always blame him.

Pain and worry drowned out his common sense, and he spoke from his tattered heart. “I don’t think they know each other well enough yet. Heck, even when you’ve known someone for years, there’s still so much adjustment you have to make.”

“You sound as though you know this firsthand.”

He shrugged off her comment.

There he’d gone and done it. He’d cracked open the door to his past. And now he just hoped he could get it closed again before too many memories leaked out. The painful image of his wife’s mangled car being towed away had him gripping the steering wheel tighter.

He choked down the jagged lump in his throat. “The point is that I like Lizzie. I think she’s great.”

“You do?” There was a note of surprise mingled with happiness in Jules’s voice. “Really?”

He nodded and then switched on the turn signal as they neared the entrance to the vineyard. “I just don’t want them to rush things and then find out later that they made a mistake.”

“Is that what you think they’re doing? Making a mistake?”

He shrugged again. “I think love is a two-edged sword. And if you aren’t careful, you’ll get cut.”

He didn’t look at her this time, but he could feel her steady gaze on him. He wasn’t going any further with this conversation. He didn’t owe her any other explanations. None whatsoever.