Flirting with Love (32 page)

By seven o’clock there was so much testosterone in the house that Elisabeth, Daisy, Callie, Emily, and Catherine escaped to the back deck. Knight lay at Elisabeth’s feet as the girls sipped coffee and talked. It was a brisk, sunny morning. The birds chirped, and the dogs played with Sweets in the yard.

“I heard Jake was looking for Fiona last night,” Emily said just above a whisper.

“Oh, no.” Catherine leaned in closer. “Is that why he didn’t come home last night?”

“No, he was with someone else,” Emily said. “But I know he was looking for her because I stopped at the diner this morning and Margie asked me if Jake caught up with Fiona.”

“Well, from what I’ve heard from Luke, she would have been just another conquest if he had, even if she was his long-lost love. Luke seems to think Jake will never find that part of himself again. That he’ll never allow himself to fall in love again,” Daisy said. “So it’s probably a good thing. Rumors around here. Sheesh. Can you imagine?”

“I don’t know. Braden love runs deep, and he never did get over her,” Emily said.

Silence settled in around them, and Elisabeth tried to break the tension.

“So, who was your money on last night? Ross or…?” Elisabeth asked Emily.

“What money?” Emily furrowed her brow, but Elisabeth saw the way her fingers tightened on her coffee mug.

“Mine was on you and Ross,” Daisy answered.

“Mine, too,” Callie said.

“I refused to feed into it,” Catherine said. “But if I had, my money would have been on you and Ross.”

“Oh, that money.” Emily shrugged and shifted her eyes away.

Elisabeth gasped. “You thought I’d leave Ross? After I told you how I felt about him?”

“Actually, I bet double or nothing on you and Ross.”

Elisabeth swatted her arm. “You…That was so unfair.”

“If you’re going to be in this family, you’d better grow thicker skin,” Daisy said with a little nudge.

Luke and Jake came flying out the door. They were a tangle of arms and big, burly bodies as they pushed past Elisabeth, weaved around Daisy and Emily, and leaped off the deck. Jake tackled Luke as Wes ran out the doors, past Elisabeth and Daisy—stopping for half a second to kiss Callie—dove off the deck, and piled on. Ross walked leisurely out of the house and handed Elisabeth his coffee mug. He kissed her lips and sighed.

“It’s that time, I suppose.” Within seconds he was rolling around on the grass with his brothers as they wrestled and laughed and pinned one another down.

Callie turned her back and covered her eyes. “I can’t watch. I’m always afraid someone’s going to break a bone.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Daisy assured her. “My medical degree will be put to good use with these guys around.”

Elisabeth watched Ross wrestle with Jake. They stopped, midtackle, and stared each other down. It lasted only a second or two, and then they were mangling each other once again. She smiled at them. Ross looked so happy, and she loved seeing this playful side of him.

“This is what family’s all about.” Elisabeth sipped Ross’s coffee, happy as could be. She had a man she adored and she was surrounded by the nicest friends a girl could ever ask for.

“Okay, boys, time to stop.” Catherine marched off the porch in a pair of blue capris and a white blousy shirt and stood over the pile of men, hands firmly planted on her hips.

All four men stopped cold and shared a knowing look. In the next breath, they had Catherine up in the air, her butt on Luke’s and Wes’s shoulders. The dogs barked at them.

“Put. Me. Down!” Catherine’s smile was priceless.

Elisabeth couldn’t imagine her mother ever looking so carefree and happy, and she felt sad. Not as much for herself as for her mother. She wished her mother were happier, but she knew that wasn’t something she could do anything about. Happiness, she knew, came from within first; others only enlivened the feelings that were already present.

“To the driveway!” Emily hollered.

They carried Catherine out to the driveway, and when they set her on the ground, she hugged each one of them, then immediately swatted their backsides with a loving hand.

“I’m too old for that. I could have broken a hip,” Catherine said through her laughter.

Daisy raised her hand. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Ross laced his fingers in Elisabeth’s and pressed a kiss to them.

“My money was on us, too.” Ross reached into his pocket and pulled out her aunt’s key chain.

She looked at the keys, then back up at Ross. “I don’t understand.”

“Come on.” He led her down the driveway, and like the Pied Piper leading mice, the others followed along.

“I never got rid of the van. I knew how much it meant to you, and my intention was just to fix it up for your pie deliveries, but then you started the pet business.” He shrugged and pointed behind the berm of trees.

There, on the other side of the trees, sat her aunt’s van, repainted bright pink. It had bold black lettering on the side that read,
TRUSTY PIES & PET PAMPERING
, along with a picture of a dog—complete with bows on her collar—sitting on its hind legs, holding a pie in one paw.

“That’s why I was with Tate. Inside, there’s a refrigeration unit for your pies and cabinets for your grooming supplies.” Emily pressed her lips together and lifted her brows at Daisy and Callie. “Not dating, just coordinating. I cannot wait to go to Italy.”

Elisabeth covered her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. “You did this for me?”

“I’d do anything for you.” Ross took her in a passionate kiss that had all the girls
aww
ing, and Elisabeth melting in his arms. Exactly where she was meant to be.

The End

LUSH. VERDANT. HILLY
…
Amazing
. Emily stood on the covered balcony of the villa where she’d rented a room just outside of Florence, Italy, overlooking rolling countryside and the spectacular city below. The sun was kissing the last light of day goodbye, leaving chilled air in its wake. She sighed at the magnificent view, wrapped her arms around her body, and gave herself a big hug. She couldn’t believe she was finally here, staying at the villa that her favorite architect, Gabriela Bocelli, built.

Gabriela Bocelli wasn’t a very well-known architect, but her designs exuded simplicity and grace, which Emily had admired ever since she’d first come across this villa during her architecture studies. That felt like a hundred years ago. She’d dreamed of visiting Tuscany throughout school, but in the years since she’d been too busy building her architecture business, which specialized in passive house design, to take time off. If it weren’t for one of her older brothers, she might still be back in Trusty, Colorado, dreaming of Tuscany instead of standing on this loggia losing her breath to the hilly terrain below.

She pulled her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans and texted Wes.

You’re the best brother EVER! So happy to be here. Thank you! Xox.

Emily had five brothers, each of whom had hounded her about her safety while she was traveling. Or really,
whenever
they didn’t have their eyes on her. Pierce, her eldest brother, had wanted to use his own phone plan to buy her a second cell phone with international access.
Just in case
. She’d put her foot down. At thirty-one years old, she could handle a ten-day trip without needing her brothers to rescue her. It wasn’t like she ever needed saving, but her brothers had a thing about scrutinizing every man who came near her. Yet another reason why she didn’t date very often.

Still, she was glad they cared, because she adored each and every one of their overprotective asses.

Adelina Ambrosi appeared at the entrance to the balcony with a slightly less energetic smile than had been present throughout the day. Adelina had run the resort villa with her husband, Marcello, for more than twenty years. She was a short, stout woman with a friendly smile, eyes as blue-gray as a winter’s storm, and wiry gray hair that was currently pinned up in a messy bun. She must have mastered the art of walking quietly to keep from disturbing the guests.

“Good evening, Emily.” Adelina brushed lint from the curtains hanging beside the glass doors. Emily was glad they loved the property as much as she did. They rented out only two rooms of the six-bedroom villa in order to always have space available for family and friends. The villa was a home to them, not just a resort or a business, as was evident in the warm guest rooms.

“Good evening, Adelina. Any news on Serafina’s husband?”

Serafina was Adelina and Marcello’s daughter. She and her eight-month-old son had been living in the States when her husband, Dante, a United States Marine, had gone missing in Afghanistan while out on tour almost three months ago. Adelina had told Emily that she’d begged Serafina to come home and let her take care of her and baby Luca until her husband returned—and Adelina was adamant that he
would
return. Emily, on the other hand, wasn’t quite so sure.

“Not yet, but I have faith.” Adelina lowered her eyes, and with a friendly nod, she disappeared down the hall in the direction of her bedroom.

Emily turned back toward the evening sky, sending a silent prayer that Serafina’s husband would return unharmed.

“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?”

The rich, deep voice sent a shiver down Emily’s spine. She turned, and—
holy smokes.
Standing before her was more than six feet of deeply tanned, deliciously muscled male. His hair was the color of warm mocha and spilled over his eyes, hanging just an inch above the collar of his tight black T-shirt. She opened her mouth to greet him, but her mouth went dry and no words came. She reached for the stone rail of the archway she’d been gazing through and managed a smile.

His full lips quirked up, filling his deep brown eyes with amusement as he stepped closer.

“The view,” he repeated as his eyes swept over her, causing her insides to do a nervous dance. The amusement in his eyes gave way to something dark and sensual.

It had been so long since Emily had seen that look directed at her that it took her by surprise. She cleared her throat and reluctantly dragged her gaze back to the view below, which paled in comparison to the one right next to her. The one who brought with him the scent of something hot and sexual.

Alluring.

How delicious are your lips?

Holy crap. Get a grip
. It must be the Italian air or the evening sky that had her heart racing like she’d just run a marathon.

Or the fact that I haven’t had sex in…

“Awestruck. I hear Italy has that effect on people.” He leaned his forearms on the thick stone rail and bent over, clasping his large hands together.

“Yeah, right. Italy.” Emily’s eyes widened at the sarcasm in her voice. She clenched her mouth shut. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. He probably had this crazy effect on all women, and here she was gushing over him. She didn’t gush.
Ever
. What the hell?

He cocked his head to the side and smiled up at her. Emily drank in his slightly wide-set nose, the sexy peppering of whiskers along his square jawline, and the spark of playfulness in his eyes. A low laugh rumbled from his chest as he arched a brow.

Oh God
. She felt her chest and face flush with heat and crossed her arms. A barrier between them. Yes, that’s what she needed, since apparently she couldn’t control her own freaking hormones.

“I’m sorry. I just got in this evening and it was a long trip. Eye fatigue.”
Eye fatigue?
She held her breath, hoping he’d pretend, as she was, that that was the real reason she was ogling him.

“I just arrived myself.” He held a hand out. “Dae Bray. Nice to meet you.”

Emily felt the tension in her neck ease as he accepted her explanation. “Emily Braden. Day? That’s an interesting name.” She shook his strong, warm hand, and he held hers a beat too long, bringing that tension right back to her body—and an entirely different type of tension to her lower belly.

“Maybe I’m an interesting guy. Dae. D A E,” he said, as if he had to spell it often, which she imagined he did. “Is this your first time in Tuscany?”

How could he be so casual, speak so easily, when her heart was doing flips in her chest? He didn’t have an ounce of tension anywhere in his body. He was all ease and comfort, his body moving fluidly as he shifted his position and leaned his sexy, low-slung-jeans-clad hip against the rail. When he crossed one ankle over the other and set his palms on the stone, his T-shirt clung to his wide chest, then followed his rippled abs in a sexy vee and disappeared beneath the waist of his jeans. Her eyes lingered there, desperately fighting to drop a little lower. It took all of her focus to ignore the heat spreading through her limbs and drag her eyes away.