Loving Gigi

  That would be crazy.

  Especially for a man who had no intention of seeing her again.

  Chapter Four

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  Three years later, Gigi sat on a bench in West Princes Street Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland, and unwrapped her meat pie, closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy the warmth of the spring day. The peace of the moment was broken by a familiar female voice.

  “I thought you were going to the gym,” Annelise Douglas said as she jogged in place beside the bench.

  “I’m working out my arms today,” Gigi answered as she brought her sandwich up to her mouth and defiantly took a bite.

  Annelise kept jogging. “I hate that you can wallow in food and never put on weight.” Just over five feet, Annelise was constantly battling her weight. She maintained her slender figure by living on salads and working out each day.

  Gigi finished chewing then rewrapped the remaining portion. “I’d love to tell you I’m not wallowing, but it’s my mother’s birthday this weekend so I have to fly home tomorrow.”

  Stopping only to stretch one of her spandex-covered legs on the edge of the bench, Annelise said, “You love seeing your mother; what’s the difference if she comes here or you go there?”

  Gigi closed her eyes and sighed. “A big difference. Too many memories.”

  “Does she really live in a castle on the Grand Canal? What is that like?”

  “It’s a palazzo. More like a house that someone with a title once owned.” Gigi raised her eyes to Edinburgh Castle, a beautiful backdrop to the city that had been her home since she’d graduated from college. “Nothing like a castle.”

  “Well, if my parents lived in Venice, I’d visit them all the time, palazzo or no palazzo. You can take me home with you any time.”

  No, I can’t, Gigi thought. Annelise knew her well, but there were things Gigi preferred to deny even to herself. How confused visiting Venice made her feel was one of them. “Have you heard from Miss Fletcher?”

  “She called this morning. She wanted to know if you had finished cataloging her aunt’s estate.”

  “Finished last night. I emailed the auction house the list this morning. I thought I had sent it to her, too. I’ll double-check. Tell her she should have a date by next week.”

  “Will do,” Annelise said, stretching her arms above her head. “You’ll be back on Monday, right?”

  “Oh, yes,” Gigi said. She didn’t intend to stay in Venice one moment longer than necessary. She was happy in Edinburgh. Well, if not happy, at least content. She and Annelise had opened a small business. They connected people who had either high-end items or entire estates to sell off with people who could bring them the best price. It was commission work, but lucrative enough to allow Gigi to send money each month to her mother.

  The perfect team. Annelise was a bouncy bookkeeping genius, and Gigi was the calmer face of their company with a good eye for antiques. Although they were young, they had built a reputation for impressive results that meant they didn’t have to advertise. Clients found them.

  Wiping her face with one of Gigi’s napkins, Annelise plopped down beside her on the bench. “So, you’re not interested in Greg?”

  “Greg?”

  “You know, the one who keeps dropping by with items to sell, one at a time, as if it’s not obvious he’s there to see you.”

  “Oh, Greg,” Gigi said with new emphasis on his name. She sighed. “He’s nice.”

  “I can’t figure you out. You attract good-looking, seemingly normal men with money. They show up here like you ordered them from a catalog. I’d kill for some of the ones I’ve seen moon over you, but you sit home every Friday without a date. What are you waiting for?”

  Gigi shrugged. “Money doesn’t matter. I’m waiting for someone who makes me feel . . . a zing.”

  “A zing?” Annelise asked, amused by Gigi’s word choice.

  Gigi blushed. “You know what I mean. Your heart goes nuts. Your whole body feels like it’s on fire. You want the person so much you can barely breathe.”

  “That’s what you’re waiting for?”

  Gigi nodded slowly. “Yes.”

  Annelise stood and began to stretch again. “You need to stop watching those sappy old movies. That shit’s not real.”

  Gigi looked up to the castle on the hill before her. In her mind, she was back on the bluffs of Slater Island again with Kane Sander. “I found it once.”

  Eyes round, Annelise asked, “Wait, are you referring to that guy you met right after college? At the wedding I’m sworn to never speak of?”

  Gigi stood and gathered up her bag. “Yes. Forget I mentioned him. I don’t like to remember that day.” She still cringed every time she thought about how she’d behaved on that trip. Even though it had only been a few years, she felt a millennium older than the young woman who had been so afraid to get hurt that she’d snuck into her own brothers’ weddings. When the humiliation of being turned down by Kane subsided, she had to admit he’d been right to walk away from her.

  She would have regretted it, even if it had been good. She remembered their kiss on the bluffs, and warmth filled her cheeks. It would have been great.

  Shaking her head, Annelise started jogging in place. “You know why it didn’t work out with him? Because you were a hot mess that day. You had mope goggles on. They’re worse than beer goggles. Anyone would have looked good to you. Forget that guy. You don’t want to wake up at thirty and realize you missed out on some really great men because of this zing thing you imagined. You need to learn to move on. Same thing with Venice. Memories only have the power you give them. Go home and make your mother’s birthday a special one. When you come back, ask Greg out. You might discover you like him.”

  “You are amazing, do you know that?” Gigi smiled and started walking beside Annelise.

  Annelise smiled back. “Oh, I know.” She gave Gigi a once over and said, “Now get your high-heeled, sophisticated arse back to the office. I’m going to run by the gym and take a quick shower. I’ll call Miss Fletcher when I get back.” She paused and added, “And don’t you dare bring any cake to the office. I don’t care how bad you feel.”

  Gigi was still smiling even after Annelise had run up the steps of the park and disappeared out the gate. The world according to Annelise.

  A sudden, amusing thought came to Gigi.

  Annelise was as wound up emotionally as Gigi was; she just talked a better game. She tended to date uptight men, and that didn’t help her. I wonder what she’d think of a man named Waffle?

  And pie?

  * * *

  Kane recognized the high-pitched voice of Scarlet King before she entered the dining room of the posh, uptown restaurant. She was riding high on the success of her latest big screen release, but her voice carried as if she were still on Broadway. Although she was physically stunning, Kane found speaking to her a lot like watching a Saturday morning infomercial; he’d only do it if there were no other option.

  His mistake had been fucking her the second time. He’d been drinking the first time, and she’d flirted with him outrageously at a dinner party they’d both attended. He’d been flattered, and she’d been willing. He couldn’t say it was the best sex he’d ever had, but he was getting used to not being wowed. A week later they were at another mutual event, and she’d hung on him most of the night then followed him back to his limo. He’d been clear that if she came home with him, she wasn’t staying over; he was too busy to be in a relationship with anyone.

  It hadn’t deterred her, and the sex had been marginally better but, a bit like fast food eaten in a pinch, she’d had left him swearing he wouldn’t go there again. He had no idea how she’d found him, but he plastered a smile on his face and stood to greet her.

  “There you are,” she exclaimed in a voice meant to be heard by others.

  “Scarlet,” he said in an even voice, “what a pleasant surprise.”

  She strode over to his table in a huff. “Pleasant? Not
at all. I’m here to tell you it’s over between us. We’re finished.”

  Kane raised a brow calmly, reasonably sure this show was not for his benefit. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Sorry? You should be sorry, you bastard.” She leaned in and snarled softly, “My publicist said you turned down my invitation to the San Diego gala. I’d already announced you would be there. Men don’t turn me down; I turn them down. You understand?” She raised her voice again. “No, I don’t care what you say, I’m not taking you back. Do you hear me? We’re over. Now let go of my arm.”

  “I’m not touching you,” Kane said dryly.

  She pulled back from him as if he had been. “Don’t beg. I won’t change my mind.” Even though he hadn’t said a word, she said loudly, “How dare you!” She raised her hand as if to slap him in the face, but paused to look around. She pursed her lips and said in a low voice, “How could not one person have their phone out to take a picture of this? Do they know who I am?”

  Kane flexed his shoulders and nodded at the familiar couple at the next table. Although the restaurant was well known, regulars also frequented it. The restaurant owner, Richard D’Argenson, had married into the Andrade family and in New York if you threw a stone, you were likely to hit one of them or someone who knew them. Gio had taken him there so many times, Kane had become comfortable and knew many of the people around him. “You chose your stage poorly if you were looking for publicity. I could probably kill someone here, and no one would say a word.”

  Scarlet’s eyes rounded dramatically and she shrieked, “Are you threatening me?”

  Kane rubbed a hand tiredly over his eyes and returned to his seat. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Scarlet. Somewhere else.”

  Scarlet bent down near his ear. Her skin-tight red dress barely covered the tips of her breasts, but Kane felt nothing at the sight. “Every time you see me in a movie you’ll think of what we had and what you’ll never have again.”

  “I’m sure I will,” Kane said with some irony.

  “Asshole,” she said, then flounced her way out of the restaurant.

  Kane pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. A much softer female voice interrupted his moment of reprieve.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  Kane stood to greet Gio’s wife, Julia, with a brief hug and a kiss to her cheek. She was the sweetest woman Kane had ever met and had a gentle, nurturing soul. When she’d called and asked Kane to meet with her privately, he hadn’t hesitated to agree. Like anyone he considered family, he’d move heaven and earth for her. “Not late at all. I was just seated.” He held out a chair for her.

  Julia sat with a smile and wiggled happily in her chair. “I just saw Scarlet King in person. I wanted to ask her for her autograph, but she was out the door before I could. Richard must be so happy she came here to eat. Clients like that are good for business.”

  “Sometimes,” Kane answered vaguely and retook his seat. He raised a hand and the waiter was instantly at the table. “What would you like to drink?”

  Julia sat forward in her chair and with her hands tapping on the table in excitement. “I’ll have a water this time. Can you guess why?”

  After the waiter left, Kane answered, “Because you’re thirsty?”

  Julia’s smile widened, if that was even possible. “No, because I’m pregnant. Gio and I are going to have a baby. Don’t tell anyone, though. I want him to be able to share the news at our next Andrade dinner. And it’s early, too early to make a formal announcement.”

  Kane reached across and gave her hand a warm, short squeeze. “I couldn’t be happier for both of you. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. A baby. We’ve been trying for years now, and I was starting to worry. So was Gio, even though he won’t admit it. I can’t tell you what this means for us. That is why Gio and I bought a place outside of the city; someplace big enough for my parents to come and stay with us and plenty of room for our growing family.”

  Two waters arrived and Kane took a substantial gulp. “Rena will feel the same when she and Nick get pregnant. My parents will be all over that.”

  “Children have a way of making the family you have even more important.”

  Kane nodded politely. “I imagine they do.”

  Julia put her hand on Kane’s forearm. “That’s why I’ve come to ask you for a favor. A really big one. I know how busy you are, but I hope you’ll say yes.”

  “Whatever you need, Julia. You know that.”

  “It’s not really for me, it’s for Gio. It’s something he needs that he’d never ask you for.”

  “Consider it done.”

  Plates of seafood crêpes arrived. Both Kane and Julia had eaten there often enough to know that regardless of what they ordered, Richard would send out what he considered his best that day. You didn’t ask what you were going to get, and you didn’t try to pay. Those were the rules of being someone Richard called family. It always amazed Kane how he kept his restaurants as profitable as they were.

  “You know about his half-sister, Gigi.”

  “Of course.”

  “I know Leora asked us to back off and let her come to us, but I don’t think that’s going to ever happen. And no matter how happy Gio is about our life together and our baby, a part of him is still sad. I want to give him his sister back, and I’m asking you to help me.”

  Kane raised one eyebrow in surprise. “You want me to find her?”

  “We know where she is,” Julia answered sadly. “We’ve known for years. What we don’t know is how to get her to believe her brothers want her in their lives. I can’t even imagine growing up outside my family as she did. She must want to know them, but she shuts them out. She refuses to speak to them.”

  Gio had spoken of his sister often when he’d first discovered her, but when his attempts to meet with her had all been denied, he’d stopped mentioning her. Still, he couldn’t see how he was the right choice to reach out to her. Shaking his head gently, Kane said, “Wouldn’t you or someone from the Andrade clan have a better chance?”

  Julia turned pleading eyes toward Kane. “I might have thought that once, but we’ve all tried. She puts a defensive wall up instantly. It’s like she’s so afraid of getting hurt she can’t even hear what we say. Leora asked us to give Gigi a chance to come to us, but it has been years now. Maybe reaching out via someone who isn’t emotionally involved would work.”

  Kane took a bite of his crêpe and used that time to think about what she was asking him to do. “You know I would do anything for Gio, but—”

  Julia squeezed his forearm and continued to look up at him with the saddest puppy-dog eyes he’d ever seen. “I’ve seen you with Rena. You’re a wonderful big brother. You also understand how important a sister can be. Gio wants Gigi to be happy, but he also wants to be a part of her life and for her to be a part of ours. Imagine if Rena wouldn’t talk to you. How far would you go to try to repair that relationship?”

  Kane nodded in understanding. As frustrating as she could sometimes be, he couldn’t imagine his life without his sister. “Pretty damn far.”

  “Exactly. People tell him all the time to let it go. Let her go. But she’s never agreed to meet with him, and that leaves everything unresolved. It’s like that woman you used to ask about all the time. You don’t talk about her anymore, but I bet it still weighs on you that you never found her, doesn’t it?”

  Kane frowned. “Not at all.”

  Julia sat back in her chair and shot him a knowing smile. “Of course not. Sorry, I don’t even know why I brought her up.”

  “Me either.”

  “But you never did find her, did you?”

  Kane pushed a piece of lobster around his plate. “No. No I didn’t.”

  They ate in silence for the next few minutes. Kane’s thoughts drifted back to the night he’d met Luisella, and it filled him with the uneasiness he always felt when he thought of her. They had shared nothing more than a kiss and, as far as he was concerne
d, even that had been a lapse in good judgment. Still, no one he’d met before or since compared to her.

  There were still times he considered hiring a private investigator to find her. He hadn’t let himself go that far then and wasn’t about to now.

  Julia was right, though. He was haunted by questions that could only be answered by seeing her again. Would he want her as desperately as he had that night? Would the slightest touch from her still set his whole being on fire? Highly unlikely.

  Especially after all this time. She might be married. With children. Looking for her now made no sense. But wanting to gave Kane an understanding of how a yearning didn’t necessarily lessen over time. It could lay dormant, mostly denied, and still come robustly alive at the slightest query.

  Luisella.

  Fucking Luisella.

  Julia placed her fork down on the side of her plate and asked gently, “Will you do it? Will you talk to Gigi? Try to convince her to meet her brothers? Make her see they love her, and they would have come for her sooner if they’d known she’d existed? I think she needs to hear that.”

  “I’ll go see her,” Kane said. “I’ll explain what I know about the situation. That’s all I can promise you.”

  “Bring her home, Kane. Or get her to agree to let us visit her there. It would mean the world to Gio. And to me.” Julia laid a hand across her still flat stomach. “Our baby has another aunt, and I want her to grow up knowing her.”

  “I can’t force Gigi to do anything she doesn’t want to, but I’ll try, Julia. I’ll rearrange my schedule and fly out to see her soon.”

  “I heard she’ll be in Venice this weekend.”

  “This weekend? I’m committed to an event on Saturday.”

  Julia looked away, then back. “Stress is hard on a pregnancy, and waiting is very stressful.”

  Kane chuckled and threw his napkin on the table. “You did not just play the pregnancy card, did you?”

  Julia smiled at him innocently. “Only if it worked.”

  Sighing in resignation, Kane said, “Send me all the information about where she’ll be, and I’ll fly over Friday night. Do you have recent photo of her?”