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I couldn’t worry about that, not when this thing with Harper was so new. I owed it to her and myself to explore it. If not, I’d always wonder what if.
Eleven
HARPER
Ifloated through the wedding the next day, remembering Leo’s kiss and his declaration that he liked me. I was relieved to finally know my attraction wasn’t a one-sided thing. Maybe it started a little later for him, but he felt the same way I did. It was almost too good to be true.
I usually tempered my expectations for a situation like this, but I couldn’t because my lips still tingled from his touch, and I felt the grip of his hand on my hip.
I spent time with Evie that evening before she went to bed and then texted Leo about our pizza date the next morning. I loved the idea of spending time in the restaurant. It reminded me of my childhood when I practically lived at the pizzeria with Gia and her brothers. We colored in the office, played in the storage room, and when we got older, we cleared tables and washed dishes.
I’d been so envious of Gia’s close relationship with her family, even as it grated on her. She wanted something different, but I loved the family atmosphere of the pizzeria. And now, everything I ever wanted was here.
But I couldn’t help but think it wouldn’t last. That his parents or Gia would find out. That Leo would decide a relationship with me was too much trouble.
If Leo wanted to expand the business, was it a good idea to get involved with me when his parents wanted someone else for him?
I had trouble sleeping that night, and when I woke, I cuddled with Evie on the couch while she watched cartoons. When her stomach rumbled, I got up to make pancakes, but before I could, there was a soft knock on the door. Assuming it was an emergency of some sort, I opened it without asking who it was. “Is everything—”
It was Leo. He was grinning, his eyes dancing with mischief.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, surprised to see him so early.
“I thought we could make pancakes.” He leaned down to kiss me softly, and I turned to make sure Evie hadn’t seen us.
“Who is it, Mommy?” Evie asked, and I stepped back so Leo could enter.
“It’s Leo. He wants to make breakfast with us.”
“Yay!” Evie exclaimed as she bounded off the couch and over to us.
“You like pancakes?” Leo asked her.
She gave him a pointed look. “They have to have chocolate chips.”
“I brought supplies.” He lifted the grocery bag that contained pancake mix and chocolate chips.
I shook my head, still not quite believing he was here. “You didn’t need to do this.”
Evie raced to the kitchen, and Leo took the opportunity to kiss me again. “I wanted to.”
He winked at me and then turned to Evie, who had pulled up a kitchen chair to stand on.
Leo wanted to spend time with us. He liked us. It was unexpected. I never thought anything would happen between us, and there were too many reasons why we were a bad idea.
I sat on the stool across from them, trying to come to grips with reality. Leo Giovanni was in my kitchen, making pancakes with my daughter. Goose bumps popped up on my skin.
“Lots of chocolate chips. I’m on it,stellina,” Leo said to Evie and winked at me.
If I thought Leo was attractive before, it was so much more potent now that he’d said he liked me.
If we were going to hide this from his family, we were going to have to be careful. But right now, I only had to worry about Evie.
“We’ll make breakfast and then go to the playground. Maybe the adults will stop for coffee.” Leo winked at me.
When I allowed myself to think about dating a man, this was my dream—making breakfast together before we walked to grab coffee and then to the playground. I never thought I’d be one of the happy couples I saw walking together on weekend mornings.
“Can I get a frappa-chino?” Evie said, stumbling slightly over the word.
