at him to find a frown pulling at his lips. Disappointment wiped away her own smile. Not exactly the look a bride would want from her intended bridegroom, but it wasn’t as if they were even involved. So then why did his scowl dig at her?
After reviewing each flower on Lizzie’s list, the man assured her he’d be able to order them all. The bridal bouquet would be quite extravagant. And the changes the florist suggested, although small, were just enough to set off the flowers.
With the deposit made, Jules and Stefano turned to the door. She slipped her hand back in his. She didn’t have to, she knew that, but she wanted to feel his strong fingers entwined with hers. It had been a long time since she’d dated. Maybe she was lonelier than she’d thought. Or maybe all of this focus on the wedding was making her realize how alone she’d be without her sister.
“Don’t worry,” the salesman called out. “You two will have a marvelous wedding.”
She turned and waved goodbye. His words drove home her loneliness. Maybe always being the bridesmaid wasn’t all she’d convinced herself it would be.
Jules sucked in an unsteady breath. She’d promised herself on the flight over that she wouldn’t fall apart. She would be happy for her foster sister. No matter what.
“Are you okay?” Stefano stopped on the sidewalk to look at her.
“Umm...yes, I’m fine.” When she realized that her hand was still in his, she tried to pull away, but this time he was the one to tighten his grip.
She gave up the struggle and took comfort in the innocent touch. Instead of dwelling on her loneliness, she turned her thoughts back to Apricot. She desperately wanted to take the kitten home with her. She’d soon be known as the spinster cat lady, she mused. She wondered what Stefano would say if he knew about the direction of her pathetic thoughts.
As for the kitten, she wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to transport it such a long distance. And if she didn’t know better, she’d swear that Apricot was working her way into Stefano’s heart. Perhaps finding Apricot a home wouldn’t be as hard as she’d originally thought.
She still had a handful of weeks until the wedding to make up her mind about the cat. One way or another Apricot would have a loving home.
* * *
More than a week had passed since the whirlwind, otherwise known as Jules, had blown Stefano’s routine life off course. Nothing was the same with her around. She’d befriended his father. Nonno thought the sun rose around her. And Maria had taken her under her wing, showing her some of her favorite recipes. It was as though Jules fit right in.
But she didn’t belong at the vineyard. And she never would. Nothing good would come of him imagining any other scenario.
So if that was the case, why had he immediately noticed Jules’s absence from the breakfast table? He forced himself to stay there and eat. After all, she wasn’t his responsibility. It was enough that he had to babysit her on their numerous ventures to Rome, but the line had to be drawn somewhere. He couldn’t risk getting involved.
Once he’d finished his caffè, he quietly emptied his barely picked-over breakfast into the trash. He had no appetite even though Maria was a fine cook. At last he escaped to the silence of the outdoors, but it was no easy task. His father was in quite a chatty mood. In fact, he hadn’t seen his father this animated in a long time. Maybe Dante had been right. Maybe Stefano had unintentionally cut his father out of more of the business than he’d intended. At least one of them was happy.
Once outside, Stefano hesitated. His thoughts turned back to Jules. Maybe he should check on her. After all, something could be wrong. He assured himself that it was his duty to be a good host. With his mind made up, he made his way around to the front of the house, preferring to avoid the prying eyes in the kitchen.
In no time at all, he was standing outside Jules’s room. He rapped his knuckles on the door. “Jules, are you there?”
“Come in.”
He didn’t know what to expect when he opened the door, but it wasn’t the sight that greeted him. There was Jules sitting on the floor, surrounded by an array of various shades of purple-and-white tissue paper. And the kitten was scurrying around, chasing bits of paper. What a mess.
In the middle of it all, Jules smiled up at him. “Hi. Did you need something?”
“I didn’t see you at breakfast. I thought maybe you weren’t feeling well.”
“No, I’m fine. I’m just busy.” She held up a tissue-paper flower for his inspection. “What do you think?”
“Um...” He wasn’t so sure what to say. “It’s nice.”
Her smile broadened. “Thanks. I’m a bit of an expert at these by now. But I’ve never had to make them by myself before. Usually the bridal party gets together for some fun and we make the flowers. By the end of the night, there’s hundreds of them. But since Lizzie wants a small wedding, I guess it’s up to me to make them.”
“But I don’t understand. Isn’t that what we went to the florist for?” He’d never figure out women, no matter how long he lived.
“This is different. These are for decorations.”
“If we need to buy more flowers, just say so.” By the looks of this room, she’d been here forever making flowers.
“Thanks. But it’s not necessary. I want both types of flowers.”
This wedding business was way more involved than he’d imagined. Jules was going to wear herself to a frazzle. There had to be a better way to go about it. And that’s where he could help her out.
“You can’t do everything yourself.”
With a paper punch in one hand and tissue paper in the other, she paused and glanced up at him. “Why, Stefano, is that your way of offering to make flowers with me?”
“Definitely not.” When her smile dimmed, he hurried to correct himself. “I mean, I can hire someone to do this stuff. I can hire as many people as it takes. Just tell me what you need.”
Jules unfolded her legs and stood. “I don’t want strangers doing Lizzie’s wedding.”
He was obviously missing something, but he had no clue what it might be. Back when he was married to Gianna when he didn’t understand her logic, he’d just shrug and walk away. Maybe if he’d asked more questions and tried to understand her better, their life wouldn’t have careened out of control.
“Why in the world not?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Okay, he probably could have worded that better. He cleared his throat to try again. “Talk to me. Obviously there’s something I’m missing and I’d like to understand.”
Surprise reflected in her green gaze. “I...I don’t have money to buy them a proper wedding gift. I know it’s silly, but I want to create a cozy wedding with a personal touch. Lizzie doesn’t know I’m doing all of this. And don’t you tell her.”
He felt like such an unfeeling lowlife now. The money aspect had never even crossed his mind. And he had to admit Jules’s gift would surpass even the most expensive offering because it came from the heart.
“Your gift will be their favorite.” And he meant it. “What can I do to help, aside from making flowers? I don’t think mine would be suitable for anything but the garbage.”
Jules’s stance eased, and she asked if she could use his computer to order some favors. She listed off things he never would have thought of, including wedding bubbles and sparklers. It would definitely be a wedding to remember.
“You’re welcome to use my computer anytime. Now, how about taking a break to eat?”
She settled back on the floor, right in the middle of the mess. “I’ll get to it