Best Man for the Bridesmaid

She nuzzled Apricot close to her neck. “You know I’m leaving soon. The wedding is next week. And then my time here will be over.”

Apricot purred and used her tiny pin-like nails to climb up on Jules’s shoulder, where she liked to perch. The kitten’s happy meter went all the way to the top, and all Jules could hear was the sound of purring. Jules loved the sound. It was comforting and reassuring. Boy, was she going to miss Apricot, this vineyard and—

She brought her thoughts up short. She refused to miss Stefano. He was the one to turn away from her—to dismiss their lovemaking as if it meant nothing. And to think that she’d blurted out that she loved him. She blinked rapidly. No way was she going to cry. He didn’t deserve her tears.

Wedding or no wedding, she didn’t know if she’d be able to face him again. There were just some things that you couldn’t take back once they were spoken. A frustrated growl rose in her throat. Why, oh, why had she thought Stefano had been the exception to her rule about not trusting people with her heart?

Her fingers ran over Apricot’s downy-soft fur. There was something so comforting and reassuring about a fur baby’s presence. It calmed her and let her realize that she was wasting her time standing around thinking about Stefano. He was going to be Lizzie’s in-law, and that was all. She’d probably never see him again. Well, that might be stretching it a bit, but their run-ins would be few and far between.

Speaking of which, she was supposed to ride with him to Rome for the final dress fitting. Her stomach knotted up thinking of sitting next to him—alone with him—for the entire ride. That wasn’t going to happen. She’d get to Rome some other way.

A glance at the time told her that she had to get a move on. A red-and-white-striped sundress flirted just above her knees. The new white-heeled sandals perfectly complemented the dress. She had to admit that it was a big stretch from her usual black-and-purple ensembles, but she was finding that she was having fun with colors. Maybe she’d hemmed her fashion choices in too tightly. She was actually quite comfortable in the dress. Of course, she’d applied makeup to cover up her scars, but she hadn’t gone so heavy with the eye makeup. Maybe when she went back to New York, she would maintain this makeover. Or at least switch up her wardrobe now and then.

She reached up and removed Apricot from her shoulder. “You have to be good, okay?”

Those big blue eyes stared at her, looking as innocent as could be. But Jules knew what trouble this fur baby could get herself into from climbing up on furniture and being unsure how to get down to sticking her paw in a glass of water and tipping it over.

“We’ll just see if Massimo is up to keeping an eye on you. He’ll make sure you don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone. And you can entertain him. I don’t know why, but he certainly seems to like you, little miss.”

Apricot mewed as if she knew what Jules had said to her.

With a smile, Jules headed downstairs in search of Massimo. Since his stroke, his room was on the first floor, and he spent a lot of time in the living room with the large glass wall that made the room bright and cheery. And that’s exactly where she found him. He was sitting on the couch doing a crossword puzzle. He glanced up and sent her a lopsided smile.

“I see you brought the fuzzy one to visit.”

“Yes, Apricot is feeling particularly energetic. I was wondering if you could keep an eye on her while I go to Rome. Today is our last dress fitting.”

“Ah, my grandson will be driving you.”

“I think I’ll take the train. He has work to do.”

“DeFiore men don’t put work ahead of their obligations to beautiful women.” Massimo reached out and squeezed her hand. “I know something is troubling you. Just remember that anything worth having is worth fighting for. Life isn’t easy, and the good stuff doesn’t just land in your lap. You have to work for it and never give up.”

“Are you ready to go?”

She turned to find Stefano standing in the hallway. His face was a mask of indifference. It was the first time they’d spoken to each other since their moment on the grassy hillside.

“If you’d just drop me at the train station, I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I said that I would take you, and I’m ready to go. Besides, there isn’t another train until much later.”

She sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was end up in a fight with him. “I was just asking your grandfather if he’d keep an eye on Apricot.”

“I’d love to.” Massimo reached out for the fluff ball, and she gently placed the squirming kitten in his hands.