frown at me,” Dante said lightly. “We’re family and you’ll soon find that the DeFiores are huggers.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
From what Lizzie had told her most of the family lived outside the city on a vineyard. Too bad there wouldn’t be time to visit, but Jules didn’t want to overstay her welcome or crowd the lovebirds. Her mission was to check out the groom, catch up with Lizzie and get wedding details—lots of details. It was never too soon to plan the perfect wedding, and Lizzie deserved no less.
“Let’s go upstairs and get you settled.” Lizzie started for the front door of the restaurant.
“Where exactly are we going?” Jules asked, looking around and trying to get her bearings.
Dante spoke up. “There are apartments above the restaurant. And the entrance is outside.”
“Sounds good. We can get started right away on the wedding plans. We don’t have time to waste.” Jules grabbed for her purse. Before she could reach for her carry-on, Stefano had it in hand. She turned back and followed Lizzie out the door. “Do you have a date picked out? Say, next spring? Or summer?”
“That’s what we wanted to talk to you about.” There was hesitation in Lizzie’s voice.
Jules’s hand gripped the strap of her purse tighter. She sensed trouble. Were they calling the wedding off? They didn’t seem to be fighting or anything. So what was the matter?
“Lizzie, at least let your sister get settled in before you get into it.” Dante maneuvered her suitcase in through a side door and over to a waiting elevator.
“You’re right. My head is just spinning at the moment.” Lizzie turned to Jules. “Wait until you see the penthouse. It’s amazing. I think our entire apartment would fit in the guest room alone.”
Jules watched as Lizzie leaned over and placed a kiss on Dante’s lips. A look came over her sister’s face—a look of utter happiness and love. Suddenly the impact of what was about to happen struck Jules. The thought made her stomach plummet. How had she missed this before?
First, there’d been the eviction notice. Their New York apartment building was converting to expensive condos. That shock had been closely followed by the panicked search for affordable housing combined with trying to find a way to tell Lizzie that she’d had a change of heart about her future. All in all, she’d been pretty caught up in the drama that was her life.
But even with all of that, she couldn’t hide from this piece of reality forever. The backs of her eyes stung, and she blinked repeatedly. The life she’d always known—Lizzie and Jules joined at the hip—was over.
She was now alone in this great big world.
* * *
The smiles.
The I-love-you looks.
The kisses.
Stefano couldn’t wait to bolt for the door. His younger brother certainly had it bad for Lizzie. Whatever was going on with the wedding, they certainly weren’t about to call it off. Maybe they’d already eloped. Stefano ground his teeth together. The thought of his brother doing something so impulsive—so reckless—had Stefano’s whole body tensing up.
He knew what it was to love and lose. He knew the pain...and the guilt that ate at him. He didn’t want Dante to end up like him or their widowed father. DeFiore men inevitably ended up alone—one way or the other. Dante knew all of this; he just chose to ignore it. Avoidance, it was a DeFiore trait. So was stubbornness. And he couldn’t forget to toss in a driving need for independence.
“What has you so quiet this evening, big brother?” Dante clapped him on the back.
“I have a lot on my mind.”
“Really? Do tell?” Dante moved through the open floor plan from the ultramodern black-and-white living room to the stainless steel galley kitchen.
“Nothing you’d be interested in hearing.”
“Aka it’s vineyard business.” Dante pulled open the fridge and perused the contents. “Want something to drink? Looks like Lizzie stocked up on everything for her sister’s arrival.”
“I’m good.”
Dante withdrew a bottle of water and unscrewed the top. “Okay, what’s eating you?”
Before Stefano could think up something to tell his brother besides the truth, the women returned. Thank goodness. He could now escape before the lovey-dovey stuff started again.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Lizzie smiled. When her eyes landed on Dante, she glowed with happiness.
“It really is amazing.” Jules twisted her hands together, looking a bit uncomfortable as the lovebirds radiated toward each other as if by magnetic force. “Well, don’t keep us in suspense—what did you have to tell us about the wedding?”
Stefano’s gaze moved from Jules, with her now sad eyes and her drawn face, to the happy couple who looked as though they belonged on the front of a Valentine’s Day greeting card. With their arms draped around each other’s waist, they looked lovingly into each other’s eyes. Stefano glanced away. He truly wanted it to last for them, but the DeFiore statistics were against them.
“Shall we tell them everything now?” Lizzie stared adoringly up at his brother.
Stefano’s gut rolled nauseously. There was only so much sugary sweetness he could stomach before he became ill. Had he and Gianna ever looked that ridiculously in love? If they had, he couldn’t recall.
“Tell them,” Dante prodded. “It isn’t like it’s a secret. And to pull this off, we’re going to need their help.”
The smile faded from Lizzie’s face. “I guess you’re right—”
“Guys, what is it?” Stefano hadn’t meant to lose his patience, but he really did want to get out of there. He needed to head back to the vineyard, where he could lose himself in work and forget the lovey-dovey stuff as well as Jules’s little purple butterfly that still tempted and teased.
He felt Jules’s narrowed gaze on him. He ignored her as he crossed his arms, willing this to be over. Soon.
“Well, the thing is,” Lizzie began, reaching for Dante’s hand, “the reason we couldn’t pick you up at the airport is that the studio contacted us for a teleconference.”
Jules implored her sister with her big emerald eyes. “Would you just tell us what they said?”
“They want to spotlight our wedding on the show—our very own cooking show.”
“That’s wonderful!” Jules rushed over and hugged her sister.
Stefano held his place. His gut grew uneasy. There was more to follow. He was certain of it.
When the girls pulled apart, Lizzie continued, “The thing is we have to have the wedding in the next two months—”
“What?” Jules’s eyes grew
