The CEO, the Puppy and Me

by Jennifer Faye

  Gia was still wrapping her mind around her sister’s life turning into a real-life fairy tale, including the evil mother-in-law. Okay, maybe evil was too strong. But the woman had certainly not made things easy for Bianca. But the queen didn’t know her sister like Gia did. Bianca never ever gave up on the people she loved. And she loved Leo with all her heart.

  “I’m not here to talk about me. I want to know what’s going on with you.”

  “I can’t believe Enzo ratted me out.” And then she recalled her run-in with him and Sylvie. “Is there something going on with Enzo and Sylvie?”

  “Ah...not that I know of. But I’m not here all that much. Why? What did you see?”

  Gia shrugged and then took a sip of coffee. “It’s not what I saw as much as a vibe I was getting. But then again, I was really tired last night. Maybe it was nothing.”

  “I don’t know, but what I want to hear about is you and what happened in Lapri.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” Gia drank more coffee as she avoided her sister’s narrowed gaze.

  “Don’t want to talk about what?” Enzo stood in the doorway of her bedroom.

  The gang was all here now, and Gia knew there was no way she’d be able to make it to the shower until she told them everything about her journey to find her biological father. She didn’t blame them for being curious. If she was in their shoes, she’d be dying to know what had happened.

  And so, with Bianca settled on the other side of the bed with coffee in hand, and Enzo perched on the end of her bed, Gia drew in a deep breath. She could do this—so long as she didn’t mention Ric or the puppies she missed so dearly.

  Gia told them about the dead ends she’d faced trying to find her father. And about Ric’s friend who was able to glean information from the journal that she couldn’t see. Then she came to the tough part of the story—about how her biological father was nothing like she’d imagined. She’d been so wrong about him—about their parents.

  “Now I understand why our parents kept the truth from me—from us. They weren’t trying to keep us apart, they were trying to shield me from a very selfish man. I don’t know if I’d have made the same decision as them, but I hope I never have to find out.”

  “They loved you.” Bianca leaned over and hugged her.

  Enzo placed a hand on her lower leg. “We love you, sis. And we’ll always be here for you. No matter what. We’re Bartolinis, and Bartolinis stick together—through thick and thin.”

  Tears of love and gratefulness rolled onto Gia’s cheeks. “Thanks, guys. You two are the best.”

  While Gia swiped away the tears, Bianca asked, “So what’s the deal with Ric? Did you leave early because you found out your biological father isn’t who you thought he’d be? Or did something happen with you and Ric?”

  That was Gia’s cue to get out of bed. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “When she says that—” Bianca looked at Enzo “—it means she left the best part out.”

  Enzo didn’t say anything, but he looked at her with those observant eyes of his.

  Gia grabbed some fresh clothes from the closet and headed for the shower. “Just leave it be. Please.”

  And then she shut the bathroom door. It was the shower that muffled her tears. She’d made such a mess of things. She’d risked her heart not once, but twice and been rejected both times. She was never going to trust a man again. Except Enzo. But he didn’t count. He was her big brother.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  TIME MARCHED ON.

  And he was more miserable with each passing day.

  Ric held the leashes of the pups as he walked them to the park where Gia used to take them. Even the dogs weren’t themselves since she left. They missed her too.

  He’d been telling himself that he didn’t need Gia in his life—that he’d be fine on his own. It didn’t matter how many times he told himself that though; it didn’t make it any truer.

  He’d gone back to working long hours. He’d put a hold on the remodel of his uncle’s villa. He’d picked up everything that reminded him of her in the apartment and placed it all in her room. He closed the door on it. Out of sight, out of mind. Ha! That just wasn’t the case.

  He thought of her in the morning when he went to the kitchen and found that she hadn’t beat him to the coffee. He thought of her at lunchtime when he thought of sneaking out of the office to surprise her with a picnic lunch at his uncle’s villa, where she’d been turning it from a rough stone into the true polished gem it could be. He thought of her when the pups whined at him and he had no clue what they were trying to say, but Gia would know—she had that way with animals and humans alike.

  And he thought of her when Vincent D’Angelo had given him a follow-up phone call, wanting to know more about Ric’s program. In fact, they’d already met to go over the details. They were even moving into negotiations for the rights to the program.

  And though his program was at last going to be sold and open the door to help others, he didn’t have a feeling of accomplishment—of fulfillment.

  He sat down on a park bench. The pups sat on each side of him. When they used to come to the park with Gia, they’d beg to go play with the other dogs, but not anymore. Nothing was the same for any of them.

  They all missed Gia.

  And it was his fault.

  He’d let his ego get in the way. He was a foolish man. How could he think Gia was doing anything other than what she always did—lending a helping hand? He’d measured her by the standards of the other women who’d passed through his life, and that wasn’t fair to Gia.

  There was only one thing to do.

  Ric looked at the dogs, who sensed something was up and stared back at him. “Who wants to go find Gia?”

  A round of barks ensued.

  It was unanimous.

  Ric pulled his phone from his pocket and called his pilot. They were leaving for Tuscany as fast as Ric could make the necessary arrangements. For the first time since Gia left, he smiled.

  He stood. “Okay. Let’s go get Gia and beg her to forgive me.”

  They barked in agreement before pulling on the leashes to go home.

  They had packing to do.

  * * *

  Hours later, they’d arrived.

  Ric and the two pups walked up to the door of the Bartolini Hotel. It was charming, just like the online photos had portrayed. He expected nothing less after getting to know Gia.

  He stepped inside. A tall man was passing through the spacious foyer. He paused and glanced up. “Welcome to the Barto Villa. Can I help you?”

  “I was hoping to speak with the woman in charge.”

  “Do you have a reservation?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “I’m afraid we’re fully booked. I can give you the name of another hotel—”

  “If I could just speak with Gia.”

  “She isn’t available.” The man’s dark brows drew together. “Do you know her?”

  Isn’t available? What did that mean? If she wasn’t working, where would she be?

  A young woman entered the room. Her attentive gaze moved between him and the man frowning at him. Ric wasn’t sure what he’d done to set off the man.

  “Can I help you?” the woman asked.

  Before Ric could answer, the other man spoke. “He’s looking for Gia.”

  The woman’s gaze moved to the dogs before returning to meet his gaze. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking. “You’re Ric, aren’t you?”

  So, Gia had told them about him. Interesting. “Yes, I am. If you could just tell Gia I’m here—”

  “No.” The man crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Then tell me where she is and I’ll go to her.”

  “No,” the man said again.

  This guy certainly didn
’t like him. So was this guy interested in Gia? Or was he the protective older brother? Ric studied the man. The eyes were similar to Gia’s. Ric was willing to bet this was her brother. And if that was her brother—he glanced at the woman with similar colored eyes—she was most likely the sister.

  “Why do you want to speak with our sister?” the woman asked.

  So he was right.

  “What does it matter?” Enzo asked. “He had his chance and he blew it.”

  Bianca frowned at her brother. “Would you let him speak?”

  “Won’t matter. I don’t care what he has to say. He’s not going to hurt Gia again.”

  A smile tugged at Ric’s lips though he resisted the urge. He loved that all along Gia had the family that she’d desired just waiting for her. It may not be the father she’d envisioned, but her brother and sister clearly loved her fiercely. Now he just had to convince them that he was here to fix things.

  “I don’t want to hurt your sister. I swear.” Ric searched for anything that would remove the frown from Enzo’s face.

  Bianca studied him. “I believe him.” And then she approached Ric. He wasn’t sure what she was going to do until she knelt to fuss over the dogs. “Aren’t you two cuties?”

  “I don’t believe him.” Enzo stood there with his arms crossed, not budging at all.

  “Just give me a few minutes to speak with her. If she wants me to leave after hearing what I have to say, I will.” Ric really didn’t want to have to fight his way past Gia’s brother, but he wasn’t leaving until he spoke with Gia.

  Bianca straightened. She turned to her brother. “Let him talk to her. You tried to stop me from seeing Leo and look how that turned out.” She leaned toward Ric. “We’re getting married at Christmas.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. But my big brother, he’s a bit overprotective.”

  Enzo’s frown deepened. “Fine. You can talk to her, but you leave when she tells you to.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “And I’ll take care of these cuties while you talk.” Bianca held out her hand for the leashes.

  Ric handed them over. “Thank you.” He glanced over at Enzo, who still didn’t look happy. “Thank you both.”

  And then Bianca directed him to Gia’s house on the property. He just hoped Gia wasn’t as stubborn as her big brother. Because she’d stolen his heart, and he couldn’t imagine life without her.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  WHEN SOMETHING WAS bothering her mother, she would clean.

  Gia decided to follow her mother’s example, and she set to work cleaning her one-bedroom house. She should be working at the hotel as Ric’s program had once more filled their reservations for the near future and beyond, but her manager, Michael, appeared to have everything under control. And he knew to call her if anything came up.

  Gia had stripped her bed that morning. Now her linens were fresh and the bed was made. After cleaning and dusting the bedroom and bathroom, she’d moved into the living room. She’d had to borrow a ladder from the main house to reach the curtains. She hadn’t decided if they needed dusting or something more drastic.

  Knock. Knock.

  “Come in,” she called from atop the ladder.

  She heard the door open and footsteps. She fully expected it to be her brother or sister. It seemed they were taking turns checking on her. How many times did she need to tell them that she was all right until they believed her?

  “Gia?”

  That voice. That was Ric’s voice. Ric was here?

  She spun around. She moved too fast. The old wooden ladder lurched to the side. Her body followed the ladder.

  And then Ric was there. He braced the ladder with his arms. She’d rather his arms were around her. As soon as the thought came to her, she dismissed it. She refused to let him see that his nearness got to her.

  She lowered herself to the floor before lifting her gaze to meet his. “Ric, you shouldn’t be here—”

  “We need to talk.”

  She shook her head. “We said everything that needed to be said back in Rome.”

  His eyes pleaded with her, pulling at her heartstrings. “Just hear me out.”

  Her mind said no. She couldn’t risk being hurt again. But her heart urged her to listen to him. Torn between the two, she closed her eyes and shook her head, attempting to clear her mind.

  “I’m so sorry, Gia.” His deep voice was so close. “I was wrong.”

  What exactly was he saying? For so long she’d been making things up in her head the way she’d wanted them to be, and that had brought her nothing but pain. This time she wasn’t going to jump to conclusions. This time she needed Ric to spell everything out to her, clearly and with no gray areas.

  She opened her eyes and turned to face him. When his sorrowful gaze met hers, her heart leaped into her throat. How was she supposed to resist him when he looked at her with those sad puppy eyes?

  She swallowed hard. “About what?”

  “I was wrong to think I didn’t need anyone in my life.” His gaze searched hers. “I was wrong to accuse you of not believing in me.”

  His words were what she’d longed to hear. “I’ve always believed you could do anything you set your mind to. I just wanted to help. I never meant to make you doubt yourself.”

  “It wasn’t you. It was me. I thought I was past those old insecurities from when I was young, but I guess they’re still there lurking in the shadows. Will you forgive me?”

  Gia bit back the yes that rushed to the tip of her tongue. She wasn’t willing to let him off the hook just yet.

  As though he sensed her inner struggle, Ric said, “I need you in my life. I’ve missed your smile. I’ve missed your coffee. I’ve missed our talks. I’ve missed everything about you.”

  Gia stared up into Ric’s eyes. If she had any doubt about his feelings, they were quickly put to rest as the love was right there for her to see.

  She had some of her own explaining to do. “I’ve been searching for my biological father because I thought he was the only true family I have left.” Her voice grew thick with a rush of emotions.

  “Gia—”

  She shook her head. “Let me finish.” She quickly gathered her thoughts and searched for the right words. “I was so hurt when my parents died and then when that journal turned up, taking away what was left of my family. I’ve never been so lost—so hurt. And then you came along. You didn’t try to stop me from finding the truth. Instead, you helped me. You were by my side the whole time. Thank you for that. It meant so much.”

  “There’s not any other place I’d rather have been.”

  She needed to tell him the rest. It was too important not to say it all.

  “But when I found my biological father, it was not what I’d imagined. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I was so devastated that it took me a bit to regain my balance. But I have now, and you know what I figured out?”

  Ric stared deep into her eyes. “What?”

  “I didn’t need him to complete me. My parents didn’t tell me about him because they didn’t want me to be hurt. My parents loved me. And I always had a father. He may not have been of the same blood, but that just means his love for me was so great that it superseded any biological connection, and for that I am grateful.” Tears of joy and of loss spilled onto her cheeks.

  Ric swiped away her tears. “I didn’t know your parents, but after getting to know you, I have to believe they were good and loving people. They only wanted the best for you.”

  “I know that now. I know that I still have my family. I never lost them. My siblings are still there for me and I for them. And my parents are right here.” She placed her hands over her heart. “It just took me a bit to realize all of this.”

  Ric smiled at her. “I’m happy for you.”

 
“And there’s one more thing I realized.”

  “What’s that?”

  “How much I love you.”

  Ric’s smile broadened, lighting up his eyes. He reached out and drew her to him. “I love you too. You are my family.”

  More tears spilled onto Gia’s face—tears of an overabundance of love. She placed her hands on his firm chest as she lifted up on her tiptoes—

  Arff! Arff!

  The echo of barks filled the room. They both turned to find two happy puppies running toward them through the open door.

  Gia turned to Ric. “You brought them?”

  “Of course I did. I wasn’t the only one who missed you. And I wasn’t taking any chances. If you turned me down, I was going to pull out my secret weapon—puppy kisses.” Ric stared into her eyes. “I would do anything for you.”

  Gia leaned into his arms and their lips met. His touch sent her heart soaring. She would never tire of his kisses—just as she would never get enough of them. How had she gotten so lucky to find Ric? Now that she had him, she was never going to let him go.

  Arff! Arff! Arff!

  The puppies pawed at their legs, wanting some attention.

  Ric and Gia pulled apart to look down at their adorable family. She could hardly believe this was happening. Her life was overflowing with love, from the enduring passionate kind to the furry adorable kind. The puppies fussed to be picked up.

  She laughed. “Bringing the puppies for backup definitely would have worked.”

  They both knelt. Each picked up a puppy and then straightened. As though on cue, Blossom—she’d named the female dog before they’d left for Rome—stretched up and licked Gia’s cheek.

  “I see you weren’t kidding about the puppy kisses.”

  “I’d never joke about something that important. I just don’t know how they got down here,” Ric said as he ran a hand down over Gin’s back. “I left them with your brother and sister at the hotel.”

  Someone cleared their throat rather loudly.

  “That would be our fault,” the familiar female voice said.

  Both Gia and Ric focused on the doorway where Bianca and Enzo now stood.