“That I’m a chicken?”
I laughed. “No, Aphrodite. You’re nervous because this means something to you, and when something means that much, sometimes it’s hard to share it.”
“How come you’re not nervous then?”
The honesty and vulnerability in her eyes held me captive. “The moment I found you, you brought me home. I want the world to know it. To see it when I look at you. If being vulnerable is a death sentence, then you’ll be the only one doling it out.”
She kept my eyes for a second before she nodded. “I’ve come this far.”
“One step at a time.”
“Rushed steps.” She laughed. “But still steps.”
“We have the rest of our lives to take it slow.”
We grew quiet as we walked hand in hand through the thick crowds of people visiting Portofino in the summer. I watched as Leonora window shopped and sampled some of the local foods. She was quieter than normal, especially after she’d look up and get a glimpse of thecastellolooking over us.
As the day grew thinner and so did the sun, we returned to the hotel to get ready for the party hosted by Rocco. He was going to promote the gin company I’d started. It was going to be Casino Portofino’s exclusive brand. Only a certain, exclusive label would be served at the casino; another at the hotel in Portofino; and the general label would be served to the world.
I wasn’t sure if anyone could use the term “friend” when it came to the men I dealt with in my life, but Rocco was close to it. We’d grown close when I was a racer for his family’s team. When I’d called to personally invite him to the weddings, he eagerly accepted—for as ruthless as Rocco could be, he had a deeply romantic soul—and had asked me to race for an event. I’d been a big draw in the racing world. My retirement came as a shock and disappointment to a lot of people.
After our talk at thecastello, Leonora had relaxed some, and we’d enjoyed our time out, but as she started to prepare her things to get ready, I could tell she was getting anxious again.
“Unsure about which dress to wear?” I asked, watching her.
She stopped looking through the closet. “No. I know which one. Why?”
“You keep searching.”
She shrugged. “Moving things around, more like.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do I expect tonight?”
“Rich. Rich. Rich.” I took a seat on the bed, relaxing back, using my elbow as a prop.
“That part is written in stone. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Rocco wants to sing at the wedding.”
“That’s nice, but not where I was going with that, Big. Stop dodging.”
“I’m not dodging.”
She snatched a pad from the desk and flung it at me. I moved and it hit the bed, then I started laughing.
“Seriously! I’m not going to have a pink weapon in my reach tonight. I need to know how many women you’ve left scorned here so I can prepare. Especially for the previous fiancé.”
Leonora was fishing for reassurance, but there was no reassuring where Abree Caffi was concerned. She was a wild card with a wicked temper, and she didn’t appreciate that I broke off the engagement. If Rocco wouldn’t have gotten to know me, she might have convinced him to kill me on her heart’s account.
If anything, Abree and her sister, Rosaria, knew how to play on Rocco’s romantic heartstrings. But after I’d explained to him how my mother’s death had brought truth into my life, he understood why I’d broken the engagement. My parents were toxic together, and to end that cycle, I refused to enter a marriage where I knew we’d become the same way. Ending it was for mother—to honor her, in a way.
I’d hesitated to accept his invitation to the party he was hosting when I’d spoken to him about doing the charity racing event. He’d sensed it and knew why. He assured me all would be fine, and I knew he could keep the sisters in check, but a woman had to hold her own around them. If a man came to her rescue, they would see her as weak. Leonora was a defender of women, an advocate of them, which made her an ally when it came to her job. But this was a different playing field, and the Caffi sisters didn’t view the world like everyone else. Still, I knew Leonora would find her way and take no shit from them.
I sat up. “Come here.”
She made it to the bed, and I took her hips in my hands. “Here’s the truth. Abree’s a jealous woman, and it makes her mean.”
A small smile played on Leonora’s lips. “Mean? That’s it?”
“Fucking vicious.”
