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Leo laughed and clasped my shoulders. “You’ll have your hands full with Gia. I admire you for doing what you’re doing. I hope she appreciates it.”
We reached my car, and I turned to face him. “So, you’re really okay with this?”
“I’m in love with Harper, so who am I to judge who you love? If she feels the same way, then I’m all for it. I’ll check on Gia too.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I hope you’ll be part of the Giovanni family one day.” Leo shook my hand.
Contentment flowed through me. “Isn’t it the other way around? Gia will be part of the Sharpe family.”
“I don’t know. You can’t resist the pull of our family. It’s too strong.”
“I couldn’t resist Gia, that’s for sure.”
Leo held up his palm. “Too much information.”
“Got it. Sorry.” I could talk about caring for his sister, but anything more personal was off-limits.
“I like you two together. It makes sense, and Harper saw it first. I just hope it’s the real deal.”
“That’s all up to your sister. She’s focused on her business and resists making time for anything or anyone else. Although she did let me take her out the last two Sundays.”
“Life isn’t all about work. I could easily have worked more when we opened the second restaurant, but I wanted to spend time with Harper and Evie. I didn’t want to be working all the time. And my brothers figured out a way so that I could be home in the evenings with them. Relationships are about compromise, but I didn’t see it that way. I wanted to spend a lot of time with them, and I made it happen. If you two want the same, you’ll make it work.”
“You realize it’s your sister that puts up the biggest fight.”
Leo laughed. “I don’t envy you. I just hope she sees that love is a once-in-a-lifetime thing and grabs hold with both hands.”
I tipped my head back. “Ifshe loves me.”
Leo hummed. “I hope for your sake she does.”
“I appreciate it. I’ve got more work to do.”
“Let me know if you need anything. I’ll talk to my brothers and check in with Gia.”
“I don’t think she’ll appreciate it.”
“Tough.”
I laughed. “She’s lucky to have you.”
“She’s luckier to have you. We let her down over the years with Papà, but I have a feeling you’re going to do right by her.”
“You think this is the right thing to do?”
“How do you feel in your heart?”
“Like I need to have a conversation with her father.”
“Then that’s what you need to do. I’m a big believer in following your heart. It brought me to Harper and Evie, and I’ve never been happier. It feels like it was meant to be.”
We said our good-byes, and I wondered what he’d meant the whole way to the Giovanni house. Were we meant to be? It certainly seemed like it when I thought back to the years we resisted each other and then to the interactions at my resort. I never acted like that with anyone else. I wouldn’t take a woman into a broom closet. I was usually so focused on work, but Gia made me forget everything.
She made me see that there were other things in life, like love and happiness. I just hoped she felt the same.
By the time I pulled up to their house, I was questioning if this was the right decision. What if her father wasn’t open to hearing what I had to say? What if he didn’t like me for his daughter? Just because Leo was understanding about our situation didn’t mean her parents would be.
