18. Francesca
FRANCESCA
Someone knocked on the open door to my office, so I flicked my eyes up from my computer, expecting to see Elio, who stopped by to talk shop throughout the day.
But it was Leo.
I continued my hard stare under the assumption he would leave at my hostility.
But he stayed. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
I’d prefer it if we never spoke again.
“Boss,” he added, like sucking up to me would help.
It wouldn’t help one bit. “You need something?”
He hesitated by the door, clearly unsure if he should walk in or not. But then he stepped inside and approached my desk as he slid his hands into his front pockets.
“What did you need?” I repeated, trying to cut to the chase.
“Can we sit?”
“I am sitting.”
“I mean, face-to-face—”
“I’m fine right where I am.”
“Alright, then.” He took a seat in the armchair and turned it to face my desk directly. “Wolfe mentioned your engagement. I’m happy for you.”
I continued my stare.
“I think he’s right for you.”
“Thank you so much for your approval.”
“Look, I’m not trying to start anything—”
“Then why the fuck are you here?”
“Cristo, I want a relationship with you.”
I sat back in the chair.
“I would love it if…if I could attend your wedding.”
This was not the request I expected to hear.
I’d thought he would say something stupid, like he wanted to move to a different position in the winery, like maybe he was sick of the wine tasks and wanted to be more involved in the arms side.
“We aren’t having a wedding. Wolfe and I are just going to get hitched at the church. ”
“Well, I’d love to be your witness.”
“The priest will be our witness.”
“Look, you won’t even know I’m there—”
“Look, you killed my dad.”
He stilled at the verbal punch.
“If Dad were still alive, we’d have a big-ass wedding, and he’d give me away. But that’s not going to happen now, is it? You took that away from me too, Leo. So you have a lot of nerve, coming in here and asking for this.”
He bowed his head and stared at his hands.
I wasn’t sure why I’d let him live. I wasn’t sure why I continued to employ him at the winery. I didn’t see this ever being any less hostile. “Maybe it’s best if you leave.”
He lifted his chin and looked at me, eyes wounded.
“I’ll never stop hating you.”
“If you hated me, you would have killed me.”
I didn’t have a rebuttal to that…my goddamn moment of weakness.
“I know there’s still hope for us. Otherwise, I would be dead or dismissed from the winery.
I understand it’s going to take a lot more time than a couple weeks.
I just didn’t expect you to get married so quickly.
Maybe if this were a year into the future…
maybe we would have had more time to work this out. ”
“You don’t even seem like the kind of guy who gives a shit about weddings, Leo.”
“I don’t,” he said. “But it’s yours. You’re my sister, and Wolfe will be my brother. Family means even more to me now…now that I’ve lost the only parent I’ve ever really had.”
I had the urge to blast him with another insult, but I decided to swallow it.
I’d already savagely eviscerated him. It wasn’t doing either of us any good at this point.
My father’s funeral was two weeks ago, and while I would grieve my whole life, it was time to move forward.
I knew I should handle this conflict differently as the one running the show now.
“Leo, it’s gonna take time for me to come around.
A lot of time, probably years, if it ever even happens at all.
” Which it probably wouldn’t. “And I don’t think it’s fair for you to insert yourself into this matter since this is about Wolfe and me.
It’s not about anyone else but the two of us, and you asking to be there is taking the spotlight off him and me and shining it on our damaged relationship instead.
I’m sure your intentions are pure, but they come off as selfish. ”
His eyes dropped like my words hit him in a tender spot.
“We fell in love in secret. Our love blossomed despite the torrential rains that hit us. It’s always been him and me—and that’s how I want this to be.
” Wolfe never officially moved in with me, but he pretty much did right off the bat.
Our relationship matured by years instead of months.
At this point, this ceremony at the church felt more like a formality, because he already felt like my husband. “I hope you can understand that.”
Leo stared at his hands for a while before he lifted his chin and looked at me again. “You’re right.”
“I know.”
The corner of his mouth tugged in a momentary smile. “Happy for you both.”
“Thanks.” I stared at him and waited for him to leave.
He lingered and stared at me like he had more to say.
I tried to be kinder, but my patience was limited.
The vineyard had been rebuilt and life continued on once more, but I couldn’t forget what had happened in the hallway right outside my door.
I would never forget the moment I realized that my brother had been the rat all along.
The way he’d pinned everything on Wolfe to throw my father off the scent.
If that hadn’t happened, my father might have accepted our relationship.
Leo must have realized further conversation was pointless because he rose from the chair. “Back to work, then.”
“Alright.” I turned back to the laptop and focused on my email again. But then I felt a stare from across the room, so my eyes flicked back to the door.
Leo suddenly walked out, but it seemed like he’d been standing there, staring at me.
Just two minutes later, heavy boots sounded outside my office.
I knew exactly who it was without looking.
Wolfe approached my desk. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah. He asked to come to the wedding, and I told him to fuck off.”
He gave a nod as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I figured. He mentioned it to me a couple days ago.”
I immediately glanced down to his left hand, where white gauze was wrapped around one of his fingers. “What happened?”
He extended his hand and smirked as he admired the bandage. “Just got some ink done.”
“Oh, I was afraid you had cut yourself.”
“If I had, I would have run straight to my favorite nurse.” He waggled his eyebrows.
I smirked. “Ah, I remember those days.” I looked at his hand again. “What did you get?”
“You really can’t figure it out?” he asked with amusement. “My wedding band.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t considered what he would wear. I guess I’d thought he wouldn’t wear a wedding band at all. He didn’t seem like the kind of man to wear jewelry.
“Did you already buy me a ring?”
“No. I just didn’t think you’d wear anything.”
“Not wear anything?” he asked with a laugh. “Try to go out without your wedding ring and see how that goes.”
“I only mean that you work with your hands a lot, so…”
“And that’s why I chose the ink. A black band with an F in the middle.”
“That’s…really sweet.” Wolfe had been nothing but sweet since we’d met, but he continued to surprise me. He was so good-looking that it was hard to believe he could be monogamous and so committed without ever having been in a relationship prior. It made me feel more special.
“You’re going to get some ink too.”
“I am?”
“Eventually. Maybe my name on your hip, somewhere only I can see.”
I had my hair and makeup done at the salon down the street from the church. My hair was styled in big, soft curls. I didn’t want to look completely different on my wedding day, so I had my makeup applied the same way as I usually did it, just a little darker and heavier.
I knew I should feel a bunch of knots in my stomach, but I felt nothing at all.
Only peace.
I felt like I was coming home after a long day at the office. Felt like I’d finally reached my destination after a long flight. Felt like the chaos of the world had finally died down—and now everything made sense.
The cobblestones were way too precarious for me to handle in heels, so I walked barefoot to the church and up the steps before I sat on the bench out front and secured the straps to my sky-high white heels.
I wore a diamond necklace and the ring that he’d given me, the ring I only took off when I showered and slept.
I righted myself and approached the large double doors to the church, staring at the old wood for a moment. I still felt peace, but I also felt excitement and joy and desperation. My hand finally turned the knob, and I opened the enormous door, knowing Wolfe was already waiting for me.
It was sunset when I opened the door, and the sunlight stretched across the tile floor before I stepped inside.
The enormous church was empty, the inside of the dome painted in a beautiful fresco of angels.
All the pews were empty of people. Leo and I used to come to this church every Sunday morning with my father for church.
We still attended as adults, just not as often.
The heavy door shut behind me, and as I stepped forward, my eyes adjusted to the darker lighting inside.
The priest stood there in his robes with his hands together at his waist, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at me.
Wolfe was seated in the front row on the aisle in a black suit. I’d recognize those enormous shoulders anywhere, the dark ink of his tattoos popping up from the collar. He rose to his feet, a behemoth compared to the small priest, and then he turned to look at me down the aisle.
His eyes immediately took me in, and even at this distance, I could see the way his stare changed.
It started off indifferent and became thoughtful and deep, then gentle…
and finally, mesmerized. He didn’t have that possessiveness in his eyes, like he was desperate to make me his.
It was something so much deeper than that.
I walked forward, the sound of my heels fading once I reached the rug that ran down the center. It was a long walk, and the closer I approached, the more detailed his expression became. He hadn’t blinked once since he’d first looked at me, and it seemed like he might not blink ever again.
In a suit that fit him to a T with a black watch on his wrist, he looked infinitely more handsome than ever before. Tall and muscular and just beautiful.
I finally reached him, noting the way his eyes had never left me that entire time.
I half expected him to reach for me and grab me, kiss me, pull me in, and squeeze my ass.
He didn’t do any of those things.
It was the first time I saw Wolfe hesitate, like he was in disbelief, like he couldn’t believe what his eyes showed him.
His eyes flicked back and forth between mine, and then I saw a hint of moisture before he blinked it away.
He swallowed before he moved closer to me, his big arm circling my lower back before he gently moved my hair behind my shoulder so he could place his fingertips against my cheek.
Then he did something he’d never done before.
He lowered his forehead to the top of my head and closed his eyes…
just holding me in the church, the world utterly silent.
He held me that way for a long time, his breaths so slow it was like he was asleep. He smelled the same, didn’t mask himself with cologne. He felt the same too, like a living fireplace that cast heat across the whole room.
He finally pulled away and lifted my chin slightly to meet his stare.
We hadn’t said a word to each other, but it felt like an entire conversation took place. He told me how beautiful I was. Told me he loved me. Told me he wanted to marry me today. Said it all with just his stare.
He let me go, grabbed my hand, and guided me to the priest.
The priest smiled as he looked at us both. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, Father.” Wolfe turned to face me directly and gripped my hand against his chest, right over his heart, where I could feel it gently beating, like he was the calmest he’d ever been. “Please make this woman my wife.”