“I don’t want you to do anything. Just stay here and give us your opinions on the drapes.”
Livvie makes a partial eye roll. “Well, can I at least go get my phone now?”
Charlie throws up her hands. “Yes, okay, yes, go get your beloved phone.”
The sisters make faces at each other. Livvie gives Frankie a kiss on the cheek before she exits. Charlie sighs.
“She’s still hung up on that damn Bruno thug she got involved with,” Charlie whispers. “She actually thinks he’s gonna reappear one day and show up on our doorstep to profess his undying love. I can’t take all the moping. I told her she needs to move on, but…”
“First love will screw you up big time,” Frankie says gently. “We all know that.”
My attention perks at this conversation. A few months back, Livvie got involved with her bodyguard, who turned out to have mafia ties—and not the friendly kind. Long story short, she was kidnapped, he took off, and he was implicated in her disappearance. The Bellantis rescued her, but the bodyguard was never tracked down, although he was later seen sabotaging Marco’s race car in security camera footage. If he’s still stateside working for the Bruno clan, he’s been hiding out exceptionally well. My guess is that he’s long gone.
“I think it’s the lack of closure that hurts her the most,” Charlie adds. “And this waiting could drag on forever. I just wish I could help her get over him.”
“That, sadly, takes time. She’ll have to go through a lot of heartache first.” Frankie stretches her legs out in front of her, straining to see over her belly. “How bad are my ankles?”
“Not gonna lie,” a new voice says. “They’re pretty bad.”
I turn toward the sound. Karina Bellanti is standing in the doorway, looking fresh and perky in a gingham sundress and sandals. “I heard we were picking out curtains?”
“Oh good, the whole gang’s here,” Frankie says chirpily. “There’s enough of you here to take turns rubbing my feet. Get on it.”
The room erupts in conversation, everyone laughing and making jokes. I stand there surrounded by these women that I’ve known for a while, peripherally, but have never truly been bonded to. Until Armani offered me the chance to be one of them…at least for a little while.
My chest fills with warmth. They could be my friends.Realfriends. I have Juliana, of course. She’ll always be my bestie. But being with these women feels different. They’re sisters. They’refamily. I know I don’t really belong, but I can’t help wanting to be a part of it.
Too bad that will never happen.
Because they’ll hate me if they ever find out what I’m up to.
8
CANDI
Dante is waitingin the driveway when Frankie and I return from the Abbott house, and he doesn’t look pleased. There’s a huge black SUV with tinted windows idling beside him.
“Your husband doesn’t look too happy,” I say quietly to Frankie as I park. “Did we keep him waiting for something?”
Frankie makes a pfft sound. “He’s taking me to a doctor’s appointment. That’s just his RBF, resting Bellanti face.”
I can’t help snickering, because it’s true. Armani wears a similar neutral/grumpy expression a lot of the time, too.
Dante comes around and helps Frankie out of the car. She holds on to him for support, and he slips an arm around her and pulls her close. Pretty sweet for a man with RBF.
“How did it go with Charlie and your mom?” he asks.
Frankie sighs. “They made us look at about a thousand swatches of fabric. And Charlie didn’t like a single one of them. Mom, on the other hand, wanted to buy them all.”
Dante smiles, his love for her clear in his expression. “Are you sure you still want Team Trouble decorating the baby’s room?”
“I’ve already picked out everything,” Frankie says. “All they have to do is put it all in there. I’m going to run in and use the bathroom real quick. Be right back.”
I quietly close my car door and set my purse strap over my shoulder. Dante looks like he’s about to say something to me, but he doesn’t, so I make my way toward the house. To my surprise, he catches up and walks alongside me. I feel like I should say something to break the ice, but I don’t know what.
“It was so fun seeing the B&B coming together,” I tell him. “What a nice complement it will be to the winery.”
Dante nods. “Speaking of winery…before you came to work for us full time, did you spend much time at the Brunos’ vineyards up in Santa Rosa?”
