Читать книгу Italian Maverick's Collection - Кейт Хьюит - Страница 45

CHAPTER SEVEN

THIS COULDN’T BE HAPPENING.

The next day, Stefano stood in the office of Ristorante Massimo while Dante took a business call. They’d just returned from getting measured for new tuxes while the women were out shopping. He figured with his one and only brother getting hitched, it was time to pull out all the stops. After all, it was his duty to look his best with Jules on his arm—for the ceremony, of course.

From the disgruntled tone of Dante’s voice, the phone conversation wasn’t going well. And the way his brother was frowning told him that his brother was losing the argument.

Dante slammed the phone down and turned to him. “Lizzie isn’t going to like this. At all.”

“She isn’t going to like what?” Lizzie glided into the room and into Dante’s arms as though they’d been together for years.

Stefano’s gaze moved to Jules, who stood hesitantly in the doorway. He imagined what it’d be like for her to rush into his arms. He longed to pull her petite form to him. He inwardly groaned imagining her soft curves pressing against him.

Jules’s eyes met his. Was that a questioning look? Was it possible she had caught on to his wayward thoughts?

Impossible. His guilty conscience was just getting to him. He had no business fantasizing about her—or anyone.

He turned to Dante and Lizzie, who’d drifted apart. The smiles had faded and a serious undercurrent ran through the room. He wished Dante would just spill the news instead of letting the tension mount. Then again, maybe Dante was waiting for some privacy to talk with Lizzie alone.

“Maybe we should go,” Stefano said to Jules.

“Uh...” Her glance swung back and forth between Lizzie and Dante. “Okay. Call me.”

“No, wait. This involves both of you. Might as well tell everyone at once. Close the door, Lizzie.”

Without a word, she did as he asked, closing out the noise of the kitchen staff. Stefano straightened. This wasn’t going to be good. Maybe this was the last straw for Dante. Perhaps the setbacks had made him realize that the DeFiore men weren’t meant for marriage.

The bad part about all of this was that Stefano had grown to really like Lizzie. She had spunk and a fire in her that you just couldn’t help but admire. And she was good for his brother. Just like Gianna had been good for him. She had been good for him, hadn’t she? At some point, they had been good together...hadn’t they?

The memories stuck a sword of guilt through his gut. Her death was on his hands. He may not have done it, but he was the cause of it. If only he had kept his mouth shut. If only they hadn’t argued—

“Dante, you’re worrying me.” Lizzie stepped up to him. “What is it?”

“That was the studio on the phone.”

“But didn’t we just talk to them yesterday? I thought everything was settled.”

“It was. And then the execs looked at the footage we filmed this past week for the upcoming series.” Dante ran a hand over the back of his neck. “They don’t like it. They say that it isn’t fresh enough. They want to change the backdrop and the menus.”

“What?” Lizzie stepped back. Her mouth fell open, and her eyes widened. “They can’t do that.”

“They can. And they have.”

Well, this certainly wasn’t the news Stefano was expecting. And he was surprised to feel a huge wave of relief. Though he believed his brother was headed for trouble, he didn’t want to see him get hurt. It wasn’t his place to say anything. Dante would have to make his own decisions—for better or worse—all by himself, just like Stefano had done with Gianna.

He relaxed and settled on the couch in the office. He didn’t know why his brother had wanted him and Jules to stick around. She moved to the couch and sat down, too. Even at this respectable distance, she skewed his thinking. His only tangible thought was how her gentle floral scent reminded him of sunny days and grassy fields. And that was not good. He’d forfeited his right to enjoy a woman’s presence the night Gianna had died.

“Do you have any idea why we’re here?” Jules leaned closer to him.

“You’re here because this impacts the wedding,” Dante said before turning to Lizzie. “There’s no way we can do what they want for the show and complete the wedding preparations in time.”

Lizzie’s hands settled on her hips. “But they said they wanted the wedding for the show.”

“They said a lot of things, but we can’t do everything. I’m sorry. We’ll have to reschedule the wedding.”

Stefano didn’t want to say that this was an ominous sign—a warning—but he did think it was a chance for his brother to slow down and think through his choices. Still, the crushed look on Lizzie’s face dug at him. They really didn’t deserve so many problems, but it wasn’t as if he could do anything to help.

“Are you saying you don’t want to get married anymore?” Lizzie’s voice wavered.

“Of course I do.” Dante reached out and caressed her now pale cheek. “You know I love you. Maybe we can just make it something quick and simple.”

Jules moved as if to stand up, and Stefano grabbed her arm, stopping her from interrupting. They really needed to figure this out for themselves. Certainly if there was such a serious problem between him and Jules, he’d want to figure it out for himself. Not that they’d ever be planning a wedding or anything.

When Jules’s puzzled gaze turned to him, he shook his head. Her frosted lips pressed into a firm line, and her brows drew together. But she remained seated. Together they waited to see what their siblings would decide.

“But I have my dress picked out.” Lizzie pulled away from Dante. “This isn’t fair. This television show is messing everything up. We should quit.”

“You’re forgetting we signed a contract. And I don’t think you really want to walk away from this. I see how you light up in front of the cameras. You’re a natural.”

Lizzie sighed, and her shoulders slumped. “But it’s our wedding. What are we going to do?”

This time when Jules went to stand up, she gave Stefano the death stare when he reached out to her. Boy, that woman was as stubborn as she was beautiful. What exactly was she going to offer to this conversation? He had to admit that he was quite curious. Still, it wasn’t for them to interfere.

Jules’s mouth started to open, but he beat her to the punch. “Jules and I should be going. Let us know what you decide to do.”

All eyes turned to him. There were also two sets of raised brows and one frown. Everyone’s face held an unspoken accusation. What in the world had he said that was so bad?

“Don’t mind him.” Jules turned her back to him. “We’re here to help you. I think the real question is, do you still want to go through with the ceremony as planned?”

Dante and Lizzie gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Yes.” They spoke in unison.

Somehow that answer did not come as a surprise to him. Love made people do foolish things and gave them the illusion that they could overcome anything. But there were some things in life that even love couldn’t conquer.

“Then let me help.” Jules pressed her hands to her slender hips.

Lizzie raised her brows. “What do you have in mind?”

“Do you trust me?” Jules looked directly at her sister.

“Of course.”

“Good. Then let me take over your wedding for you. All you’ll have to do is your final dress fitting and make sure you show up for the ceremony.” Jules grinned at her sister, lightening the mood.

“But there’s so much to do. We couldn’t ask you to do it all yourself—”

“Why not? I am the maid of honor, you know. And this isn’t my first time helping with a wedding. And you know how I enjoy organizing things.”

Lizzie turned a questioning gaze to Dante. “What do you think?”

He shrugged. “Whatever makes you happy is fine by me.”

Lizzie turned to Jules. “You’d really do this for us?”

“Consider it my wedding gift.”

“And,” Dante piped up, “I’m sure my brother can give you lots of help. He has great taste. Isn’t that right, Stefano?”

All eyes turned to him. Stefano struggled not to choke on his own tongue. They wanted him to help with the wedding preparations? Were they serious? “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

That response only succeeded in gaining him yet another round of frowns. He swallowed hard while keeping his chin high. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he just wasn’t ready to concede to picking out flowers and whatever else went into a wedding.

Dante walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. “This experience will do you good. Maybe it’ll give you some new ideas for your wine-tasting events.”

Stefano resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His brother was really digging deep to come up with ideas of why he should waste his time planning some froufrou event. But he knew better than to vocalize his thoughts. He had no doubt that Jules and Lizzie would pounce on him like two lionesses going after fresh meat. Inwardly, he cringed at the thought.

“And what do you expect me to do about work at the vineyard while I’m out planning your nuptials?”

“I’m sure Papa won’t mind taking over the vineyard in your absence.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said that. What do you know that I don’t?”

“He’s hinted that he’s feeling a bit left out. Ever since Gianna’s accident...well, um, you’ve been doing more and more of the work.”

“And he told you this?” Then it all clicked into place. He recalled how Dante and their father had repaired their strained relationship. Their father must have confided his true feelings to Dante.

“All I’m saying is that you don’t have to worry about the vineyard—it’ll be handled. And I’m sure you don’t want Jules to have to rely on public transportation when time is so vital.”

Didn’t his brother understand that it wasn’t just the work? Planning a wedding would bring back unwanted memories. Thinking of Gianna still brought with it a truckload of guilt. If he hadn’t married her and if he hadn’t been expecting a life like the one his mother and father shared—a traditional lifestyle with the man working in the fields and the wife at home tending to the children—then maybe they wouldn’t have started fighting. Maybe then she wouldn’t have torn off in an angry huff that stormy night...

“I know Stefano won’t let us down,” Dante said confidently. “He’s always there when the family needs him.”

No, he wasn’t. Otherwise he’d have been there for Gianna. But that was beside the point right now.

And so was how he felt about his brother tempting fate with this wedding. The only truly important thing now was that his brother was counting on him and he couldn’t let him down. It’d been a long time since Dante had asked him for anything.

“Yeah, I’ll help. As long as Papa is okay with the plan.”

Dante smiled broadly. “Good. I’ll call him as soon as we’re done talking here.”

Stefano couldn’t believe he was going to help plan a wedding. Surely they didn’t expect him to do more than drive Jules around. Even that would be a challenge. Though she was not his type, he couldn’t deny her beauty. And those short skirts that she wore that showed off her toned legs were such a distraction. Jules’s clothes were nothing like Gianna would have worn, no matter how modern his wife wanted to be. And what amazed him most was now that he’d gotten over the shock of Jules’s trendy wardrobe, he was really starting to like the way she dressed.

But her makeup still made him pause. He wished she wouldn’t apply it so heavily. He thought she was beautiful, but to be honest, it was hard to tell with all the makeup. And it taunted him, making him long to wipe it away and get to the real woman beneath it all.

* * *

The dresses were done. Check.

Well, not exactly. They were picked out, which in Jules’s opinion was the hardest part of any wedding. Lizzie had her heart set on a stunning full-length oyster-colored gown. The fitted bodice was hand-beaded with crystal embellishments. The sweetheart neckline accentuated Lizzie’s long neck, and the asymmetrical pleating that draped up over her waist was to die for. Jules thought it was absolutely perfect—befitting Cinderella herself.

For herself, they’d agreed on a knee-length strapless dress. The part she liked the best was the color: jazzberry jam. A black sash set off the whole dress and tied at the side. And they both agreed on a pair of black strappy sandals to go with it.

That was one thing she admired about her sister. Lizzie wasn’t afraid of making decisions and going for it. She knew what she liked, and she didn’t waver after her decision was made. Jules wished she was more like her. But maybe there was hope for her. Lately she’d noticed that she was more willing to make a decision without any input, and it felt good.

Armed with a wedding guide, a day planner and a credit card, Jules was ready to get to work. She glanced over at Stefano as he navigated his way through the congested streets of Rome.

“Is traffic always like this?” she asked.

“Like what?”

“So busy.”

“Not always, but we’ve hit the morning commute. I told you we should have waited a bit before coming to the city.”

She shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat. “I thought you were just putting me off because you didn’t want to come with me.”

“Why would you think that? I agreed to help, didn’t I?”

She glanced down at her black-and-white plaid miniskirt. It was the tamest thing she owned. For the first time she felt out of place. The truth was she used her clothes as a defense mechanism. If people were busy talking about the length of her hemline, they weren’t noticing how the heavy makeup camouflaged her facial scars.

But right now she wondered what it would be like to let down her guard and dress like everyone else—like Lizzie. It would definitely be different. Maybe it’d make Stefano less hesitant to escort her around Rome. It was a thought. One she’d take into consideration. She just wasn’t so sure that she was ready to let down her tightly held defenses just yet.

“I...I just know that your brother gave you a healthy shove into agreeing to this.”

“Here’s a lesson in DeFiore men. When we don’t want to do something, we don’t do it. And nothing and no one will change our minds.”

She took in his serious expression. Maybe she was reading too much into his reluctance to leave the vineyard that morning. Perhaps she should have believed him when he’d said he didn’t want to get stuck with the morning commuters.

But she still found herself thinking of visiting a boutique or two while they were shopping. She couldn’t afford off-the-rack fashions. Unlike her sister, who shopped at secondhand stores, Jules found most of her stuff at the back of stores on the clearance racks. When your tastes were a bit eclectic, it made discount shopping a lot easier. But that would have to wait. She had other, more important, business to deal with first.

“I was just going over the wedding checklist, and we might just pull this off.”

“Might?” He chanced a quick glance her way.

“Well, yes. It’s going to be a lot of work, but we already have the venue and the dresses, and Lizzie found a place online that will print her invitations and mail them for her. Those will go out this week. Let’s see. What else is there?” Her gaze skimmed down over the master list. “Lizzie mentioned something about you being able to supply tables and chairs.”

Stefano nodded. “We have plenty we keep on hand for large events at the winery.”

“Great.” One more thing checked off her long list. “Are we almost at the next florist?”

“Yes, it’s right ahead.” Stefano braked for a traffic light. “I still don’t know what you didn’t like about the last florist.”

She turned a narrowed gaze his way. “They were trying to pawn their overstock on us. They wanted to make an easy sale, and I don’t want that. Lizzie and Dante deserve more than that. Lizzie and I don’t exactly come from a traditional background. And now that she’s found her Prince Charming, she—they—deserve to have a perfect day. And if that takes you and I driving all around this city to find the right florist, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“I didn’t know you were that invested in this wedding.”

“There’s a lot about me that you don’t know.”

“I’m listening if you want to tell me.”

For a moment, she was tempted to let down her guard and open up to him about the loss of her mother and the string of foster homes. But what would that accomplish? Nothing. She had to stay focused. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Lizzie and Dante.”

The traffic surged forward, and Stefano followed. “It doesn’t look like there’s any parking. I’ll drop you off. You have my cell number, right?”

“Yes, but aren’t you coming in?”

“The last time you were in and out so fast that I’d just walked up in time to hold the door as you stormed out—”

“I wasn’t that bad. Was I?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Let’s just say that everyone knew you weren’t a satisfied customer.”

“But what if these people don’t speak English? You have to come with me. After all, you told your brother that you would help with everything. You don’t want to go back on your word, do you?” Jules reached down and grabbed her oversize purse, which contained pictures of the dresses and color swatches. Without waiting for his response, she added, “I’ll see you inside.”