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CHAPTER ELEVEN

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, Lizzie canceled?”

Stefano’s irritated tone echoed through the car, catching Jules’s full attention.

She turned in her seat, noticing the distinct frown lines marring his face as he skillfully maneuvered them through the busy streets of Rome. Why in the world was he so upset about Lizzie’s change of plans? Or was something else bothering him? Something to do with the kiss that neither dared to mention?

It didn’t matter. She refused to let Lizzie’s call or Stefano’s gloomy mood ruin this day. This was the very best part of planning a wedding—picking out the cake.

“Lizzie mentioned that there is a special party in the dining room tonight and it’s all hands on deck. You should be happy. Your grandfather’s restaurant is thriving again.”

“I am.” Stefano sighed as he slowed to a stop for a red light. “I’ll find a place to turn around and we’ll head back to the vineyard.”

“Why would we do that?”

“Why not? The only reason we were heading into the city was to help the bride pick out a cake.”

“And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

“What?” He chanced a quick glance her way. “You’ve got to be kidding, right?”

“No. I’m quite serious.”

He’d barely spoken to her since they’d kissed two days ago. Was it because she’d pushed him away? Or was it something more? Maybe he wasn’t over the loss of his wife. Jules had spied a snapshot of him and his wife in a collage in Massimo’s room. When she’d mentioned the particular photo, Massimo would only say that Gianna had died a couple of years ago. It made Jules wonder if there was more to the story—more behind Stefano’s hesitation to let himself live again.

From the photo, she gathered that Stefano’s wife had been nothing like her. Or perhaps it’d be better to say that Jules was nothing like his wife. Gianna had worn her long hair pulled back into a conservative braid, her face had been devoid of makeup and her clothes were quite modest and not the least bit showy. She was the quintessential wholesome, modest wife—something Jules would never be.

For the first time ever, Jules wanted to change. She wanted to be the woman who could make a simple dress look amazing. She wanted to be comfortable in her own skin and not feel the need to hide behind a wall of makeup. But more than anything she wanted a man to look at her with love and desire like Stefano had been looking at his wife in the photo. Correction: she wanted Stefano to look at her that way. But that was never going to happen.

Now he barely glanced her way—not since she’d lost her head and let things go too far. She missed the friendship they’d been building. If only she could undo that moment.

She couldn’t let that stand between them doing their duty as maid of honor and best man. She was a grown-up, and so was he. They could move past this. Somehow.

She swallowed her uneasiness and hoped her voice would sound more confident than she felt inside. “We promised to do everything we could to make this wedding a success. Can you still do that?”

“But it’s their wedding, not ours.”

Jules’s mouth opened but nothing came out. Him mentioning them and a wedding all in the same sentence caught her off guard. She wondered if it was unintentional, or if his thoughts had been straying back to the brief but heated kiss they’d shared.

His knuckles gleamed white as he gripped the steering wheel. “You know what I mean.” His body visibly stiffened. “Not that you and I are getting married—I mean not that we’re even involved—”

“It’s okay. I know what you mean.” She watched as the tension eased out of his shoulders. “But that doesn’t change things. We still have to do this for Lizzie and Dante.”

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Trust me. I do.” She grabbed her wedding planner from her purse and perused the photos of cakes that Lizzie preferred. “I know what she likes. Trust me.”

“You keep saying that, but I just don’t know.”

“If it makes you feel any better, Lizzie picked out photos of cakes. We weren’t sure what the baker could produce on such short notice, so I had her line up her choices in order of what she liked best.” Jules flipped to the section where she’d taped the pictures of the cakes. “None of these look too elaborate.”

“If you say so. Now where exactly am I supposed to be going?”

She read off the directions to the first bakery. While he navigated the congested roadway, she settled back in the comfortable leather seat and thumbed through her organizer. There was still so much to do for this quickly approaching wedding, but it was her escort that kept distracting her. The memory of his kiss was always lurking at the edge of her thoughts. Why couldn’t she forget it? Why did this one have to stand out in her mind?

Going forward, she had to be careful not to let it happen again. These DeFiore men came armed with irresistible smiles, alluring dark eyes that drew you in, and when they talked to you, it was as if you were the only person that existed. Lizzie had already fallen hook, line and sinker. But Jules was smarter than that. She wasn’t going to let her heart do the thinking for her. She knew too well that the L word wasn’t enough.

Her father had told her that he loved her and that he was doing what was best for her. Then he’d left. She never saw him again. It wasn’t until she was a teenager that she learned he’d died in an auto accident. Then there was her mother, who would tell her that she loved her, but when times got tough, her temper would flare and she’d turn to alcohol.

If that was love, she didn’t want any part of it. Growing up, Jules and Lizzie never talked about love. They both quietly acknowledged that they cherished each other like sisters but neither could bring themselves to say the L word. It was as if vocalizing the emotion would jinx their entire relationship. Jules had since avoided the word altogether.

Jules was grateful for the distraction as they pulled up to Sweet Things Bakery. Her anticipation was short-lived—they were booked. Soon they found that Spagnoli’s Bakery, Antonio’s Bake Shop and Cake Haven were also booked. Weddings were a big business. And it was first come, first served.

“This isn’t looking too good.” Stefano started the car.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

He glanced at her with surprise written all over his face. And then, instead of grouching at her, he started to laugh. And laugh. To be honest, she didn’t know what there was to laugh about. How in the world were they supposed to have a wedding without a cake?

Stefano gathered himself. “So how are you at baking?”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” He was kidding, wasn’t he? She looked him in the eyes and saw a glint of seriousness. “I’m awful. I can’t even make a box cake, not without it falling. My baking skills are not pretty at all. We have to find a bakery to do the wedding cake, even if it means visiting every single bakery in this city.”

When they pulled up in front of Tortino Paradiso—Cupcake Heaven—Jules knew they were in the right place. It may not be the wedding cake that Lizzie was dreaming of. But in times of desperation, there had to be compromises.

The building was a dark-chocolate brick. The striped awning was the color of pink-and-pearl-white frosting. And the large windows held various cupcake towers as well as cupcakes displayed in the shape of a smiley face. The display that truly caught Jules’s attention was one of cupcakes decorated as various brightly colored flowers and placed in a garden setting with a white picket fence. It was detailed, imaginative and fun. The bakery radiated a sense of cheerful creativity where the sky was the limit.

“This is it!”

Stefano turned a puzzled look her way. “This is what?”

“This is the place where we’ll find Lizzie and Dante’s cake.”

“Maybe your Italian isn’t so good. This is a cupcake shop. I don’t think that’s what they had in mind for their wedding cake.”

“Just trust me.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

She jumped out of the car before Stefano could say more. She pulled off her sunglasses and smiled at a customer who’d just exited the bakery. In their hand was a cute bag with the picture of a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting on the front. It appeared that this place was all about the details. Now they had to pass one last test—the taste test.

Stefano rounded the car and joined her on the sidewalk. She leaned toward him and whispered, “Just follow my lead. Or else.”

Without waiting for his response, she reached out and slid her hand in his. Goose bumps raced up her arm, and a warm sensation swirled in her chest. She resisted the urge to glance his way to see if he noticed her reaction to his touch. She willed herself to breath regularly and act nonchalant. She assured herself that the reaction had nothing to do with that much-too-short kiss.

“Is this really necessary?” He glanced down at their clasped hands, but he didn’t pull away.

“Most definitely.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m not about to let this place slip through our fingers. So to speak.”

“Shouldn’t you call Lizzie and let her know what you have in mind?”

“I will.”

“When?”

“When I know that this place can fit the wedding on their calendar. Otherwise there’s no point in consulting Lizzie. She may not be here, but she’s still the bride and brides do get nervous. If she knew how many bakeries had turned us away, she’d start to panic. Is that what you want?”

“No, but—”

“That’s what I thought. Now let’s get moving. The only way to find out anything is to ask.”

They walked up to the bakery hand in hand. Jules hoped that she looked more confident than she felt. It bothered her that the only way he’d hold her hand was by way of a threat. He probably would rather do a hundred other less desirable things than act as if they were a happy couple. But he was doing his best to be a good brother and keep his word to Dante—not many people would go to this length.

Like the gentleman she knew him to be, Stefano opened the glass door for her. When she passed by him, she caught a hint of his spicy cologne. She’d never been one to pay much attention to those sorts of things, but in Stefano’s case, she found the inviting scent quite appealing. In fact, she was quite tempted to pause and get a much better whiff.

The chime above the door startled her from her daydream. What was she thinking? She wasn’t in Italy to get involved with a man, casually or otherwise. Her lips pressed firmly together as she held back a frustrated sigh. When the store clerk spotted them, it was with great effort that Jules forced her mouth into a smile.

“Showtime,” she whispered to Stefano. “Remember this is for your brother and my sister.” She didn’t know if the warning was more for him or her.

“Hi,” the saleswoman with a pink-and-brown-striped apron said from behind the counter. “If there’s anything I can do to help you, just let me know.”

“Actually, there is something.” Jules led the way to the counter. “We want to know if you have an opening for a July wedding.”

“Let me just pull up my calendar.” The woman had a friendly smile and a bouncy ponytail. She typed in the information. “Any particular date?”

Jules read off the date as the woman’s fingers clicked over the keyboard. Then an ominous silence came over the showroom. Jules’s chest tightened as she waited for the verdict. The woman said nothing, and then she typed a little more. Behind her dark-rimmed glasses, her eyes narrowed and her forehead creased.

“This summer is so busy. It seems like everyone is getting married.”

Jules wanted to press her for an answer, but she used every bit of willpower not to sound overbearing and pushy. “Yes, it’s a great summer for a wedding.”

Was that a sigh she heard from Stefano? She glanced his way, but he was still wearing that stoic expression as he pretended to be totally absorbed in the array of cupcakes in the display case.

The silence was unnerving. If this place couldn’t help them, she didn’t know what they were going to do. Chances were really good that at this late date every bakery was booked. Lizzie would be crushed. After waiting all this time to find her soul mate, this wedding had to go on without a hitch—or at least go on.

“We’ll take anything you can do.” Jules didn’t care at this point if she sounded desperate. She was desperate.

When Stefano flexed his fingers, she realized that she had a death grip on him. She loosened her hold and lifted onto her tiptoes to peer over the counter, but she was at the wrong angle to read the computer monitor.

The woman glanced over at her. “I know you’re anxious for an answer, but I have a bit of a conflict. I’m checking to see if there is a way around it. If you just give me one more minute.”

“Sure. Whatever it takes. I know this is short notice, but it’s so important.”

The saleswoman smiled. “I understand. You two are a cute couple.”

Jules felt Stefano’s gaze on her. He wanted her to correct the woman, and she would, just not yet. They needed a spot on the calendar before Jules would risk rocking the boat.

“Okay, I can make this work. It just took a bit of juggling.”

Jules released Stefano’s hand and clapped her hands together. She was more wound up about this than she’d realized.

“If you could just give me your name, I’ll add you to the calendar.”

Jules supplied the necessary information. The last part that might mess up this arrangement was the location of the wedding. She hesitantly informed her that the wedding and reception would be outside the city at the vineyard, but the woman barely batted an eye except to tell her that there’d be an additional delivery fee. Jules told her that would be perfectly fine.

They now had dresses, flowers and a cake, of sorts. This wedding was going to come together. And Jules had already figured out what to do about the food. Dante’s family had been anxious to help; they could do covered dishes. From what she’d learned in her short time in Rome, the DeFiore family was a group of accomplished cooks. She couldn’t imagine buying anything that tasted anywhere as good as the dishes they made in the restaurant.

Right now was Jules’s favorite part of the wedding preparations—a chance to sample mouthwatering cakes from dark chocolate to angelic white. Or in this case, sample the wide array of cupcakes. Jules grinned like a little kid as she eyed the display case filled with cupcakes decorated in every imaginable color.

“Relax.” The woman smiled at Stefano. “I promise this won’t hurt at all. In fact, you might enjoy it. If you two would just have a seat at the table over there, I’ll grab some samples.”

“Thank you.” Jules took Stefano’s hand and led him to the table. Once they were seated, Jules turned to him. “Would you relax? You’re making everyone uncomfortable.”

“What?” Stefano glanced across the little white café-style table at her.

“Cheer up. This won’t take long, and you get to taste some delicious cupcakes.”

“Sorry. I was thinking about something else.”

“I’m sure you were,” she mumbled.

“I was.” His gaze narrowed in on her. “I was thinking about the vineyard.”

Apparently she hadn’t spoken quite as softly as she’d thought. “Are you that bored that you’d rather be working?”

“Why must you jump to conclusions?”

She shrugged. Was she wrong? Was it possible he wasn’t wishing he was anywhere but here with her?

“Then why were you thinking about the vineyard?”

He leaned the little chair back on its two rear legs and crossed his arms as though trying to decide if he should take her into his confidence. That bothered her. After everything she’d told him about her past, he really had to decide if she was trustworthy?

Before she could say a word, he spoke up. “It was brought to my attention that I’ve been cutting my father out of the business side of things at the vineyard. I guess I was so intent on keeping busy after Gianna died that I hadn’t noticed that he felt cut out. That was never my intention.”

“And you think your father wants more responsibility.”

Stefano nodded. “He’s succeeded in keeping everything under control while I’ve been helping you with the wedding. And he seems happier. But then again, I don’t know if it’s the winery or if he’s falling in love.”

“What? With whom?”

Before Stefano could answer, the saleswoman returned with a tray full of cupcakes. Jules’s mouth started to water just looking at the beautiful little cakes. With a knife they cut the cupcakes in half. The flavors ranged from lemon with buttercream frosting to red velvet with cream cheese frosting to banana crème. All in all there were eight flavors to choose from.

Jules didn’t know how she was going to make such a truly difficult decision. All of them tasted divine except maybe the vanilla. It was good, but in comparison to the others, it was a bit boring.

“Well, did you make a decision?” the woman asked after returning from helping some other customers.

“I don’t know. They’re all so good.” Needing some help, she turned to Stefano. “What do you think?”

She didn’t normally turn to a man for advice. Typically the men she’d dated never wanted to involve themselves in decision making of any form. It was easier to stand on the sidelines and let someone else do the problem solving. And she wouldn’t bother asking for Stefano’s input, but this decision was a big one. She didn’t want to get it wrong.

Who was she trying to kid? She valued Stefano’s opinion a lot. He had good taste and...she liked him. Even though he wasn’t crazy about weddings, he’d turned his life upside down to help her out. Someday when he was ready to get on with his life, he’d make somebody a good husband.

She glanced across the table at him. He smiled at her, and her heart gave off a fluttering sensation. What were they talking about?

His gaze moved to the tray, now littered with crumbs. “I think I like the espresso with buttercream.”

“You do? Really?” He was a man after her own tastes. When he nodded to confirm his choice, she countered with, “But what if not everyone cares for coffee flavor?”

The young woman spoke up. “That’s not a problem. You know that we can do two flavors.”

“That would be great.” Since he’d stepped up and picked out one flavor, now it was her turn. “I think the other should be strawberry with the cream cheese.”

The woman started typing in the information. She paused and looked at Stefano. “And the groom’s name?”

Jules wasn’t about to let him mess this up. “The thing is he isn’t exactly the groom.”

“Really?” The woman’s brows rose beneath her bangs. “But you two look so perfect together. I would have sworn—oh, never mind. It’s none of my business. If you’ll just tell me your groom’s name, I’ll put it in the computer.”

She didn’t want the woman to get the wrong idea. “I’m not the bride. We—” Jules pointed back and forth between her and Stefano “—are the maid of honor and the best man.”

The woman’s eyes lit up and the worry lines left her face. “That makes sense, because I could sense that you two are a couple. And quite in love with each other. I can always tell these things.”

Stefano leaned forward and opened his mouth. Before he could utter a single syllable, Jules kicked him under the table. His mouth snapped shut, and his brows drew together as he glared at her. She smiled broadly back at him, hoping to soothe his ruffled feathers.

“Now that we have that straightened out, if you’ll just give me the name of the bride and the groom, we’ll get this order in the system.”

When they finally walked out the door, Jules was amazed at how laid-back and easygoing the woman was about the wedding. She had actually been sympathetic about Lizzie having to work instead of getting the chance to do the actual planning of her wedding.

Now if only everything else would fall into place. And Jules didn’t just mean for the wedding. No, she had something else in mind. A chance for people to see her as something more than a scarred-up goth chick.

But to do that, she’d have to let her guard down. She’d have to do away with the things that after all these years were inherently her. Could she do it? And would it make a difference to Stefano?