by J. S. Scott
The group collectively held its breath as Gio’s temper rose. His grip on Julia’s hand tightened. To his surprise, Julia stepped forward and offered her other hand to Nick. “That’s funny. A little inappropriate for the first time you meet me, but flattering if I overlook that last part.”
Max laughed out loud. “I am definitely glad I decided to come.”
Nick shook Julia’s hand, then looked over at Gio. “You finally found a girl with a personality. Hallelujah. Watch out, though. She may give you one. I hear they’re catching.”
Max laughed again. “Are you going to let him get away with that, Gio?”
The trouble with his decision to cut the darker emotions out of his life was how it had left Gio feeling empty. He wanted to be hopeful like Luke, or laugh along with Max, but he couldn’t. He and Nick had something in common. They were both broken in their own way. Instead of rising to Max’s bait, Gio looked at his watch and said, “We told them we’d be there for tonight’s party. We should get going.” He motioned for his driver to put their bags on the plane.
The small Embraer Legacy business jet taxied down the private runway. All five of them sat in one main area, facing each other. Julia was more interested in looking out the window than at the luxurious details of the multimillion dollar aircraft. She took Gio’s hand in hers. “I love flying. I haven’t visited many places, but the ones I’ve seen have all been amazing. So flying, to me, means an adventure is beginning. Thank you for letting me come with you.”
Her innocent enthusiasm pulled at a part of Gio he’d long considered dead. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck before he realized what he was doing. When he saw Nick’s mouth drop open in shock, Gio raised his head and glared at all of his brothers.
After a moment of awkward silence, Luke said, “If you mess this up, Gio, you deserve to grow old alone.”
Gio shook his head in denial. “We’re not . . .” He almost said serious, but he looked down into Julia’s trusting blue eyes and bit off the rest of his sentence.
I told her I’m not capable of love, but she doesn’t believe that, does she?
One of us is wrong.
* * *
Watching the Andrade brothers talk was more fascinating than any in-flight movie could have been. They all had dark hair, near-black eyes, and light olive skin. It was easy to tell they were brothers, but they were also very different. Julia studied each of them intently and listened with her heart.
Gio dressed in a classic style. Although all four were over six feet, Gio was the most intimidating of them. His features were harsher and his face most prone to frowning. He seemed to fill more space on the plane, and when he spoke his tone held a rigid authority. He was a walking ball of tension. Like a soldier asked to stand guard through the night, he never relaxed. Who are you protecting, Gio? What are you so afraid people will find out?
Nick had boyish good looks that he cultivated with expensive international flair. He belonged on a cover of GQ, with a drink in one hand, a woman on his arm, and a cocky expression on his face. Still, he shared a sad character trait with Gio: When he smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. Do you know why Gio isn’t happy? Is that what keeps you together but apart? Every once in a while, Nick would look at Gio with anger burning in his eyes, even as he kept his tone light and joking. What is it you can’t forgive him for?
Luke was every bit as striking in his good looks as his older brothers, but he dressed to play it down. He wore jeans and a polo shirt. He was the peacemaker of the family. Gio had said he was a doctor, and Julia could see why it was his calling. He listened when his brothers spoke, and his love for them was evident in everything he said to them. He seemed excited about attending the wedding in a way that none of his brothers were. He doesn’t know.
Max had a bit of all of them in him. He was tough around the edges like Gio. He dressed to impress with expensive clothing tailored to fit him, and every now and then he would poke fun at one of his brothers in a way that was almost playful. Gio had nailed him when he’d called him a wild card. Julia didn’t know what his motivation for coming was, but she didn’t believe that it was the same as he’d said. He didn’t appear to have ill feelings toward any of them. If he knows, he’d never tell. Gio said Max owned and developed casinos around the world. She could see that. He plays his cards close to his chest.
None of them mentioned their mother. Having met her, Julia wasn’t surprised, but still, she thought it was sad they were heading off to a large family event and not one had suggested she should be there.
Before she thought it through, she asked aloud, “Where’s your father?”
All conversation died. Although he didn’t look happy about it, Gio bent toward her and explained quietly. “My father passed away years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. The wedding we’re going to is for the son of one of his brothers?”
“Yes, my father was the oldest of three. The youngest of them, Victor Andrade, had one son—Stephan.”
“And Maddy?”
Luke jumped in. “Maddy is Uncle Alessandro’s daughter. She’s married to an amazing French chef. If he offers to cook you anything—I mean anything—just say yes.”
“I had the . . .” Julia stopped and decided to be less than completely honest, “pleasure of meeting Maddy. She was unexpectedly . . . welcoming.”
“Maddy is certainly a character.” Luke laughed, then grew more serious. “She keeps me up to date with that side of the family. They’ve had a rough time the last few years. That’s one of the reasons she’s determined to mend the rift in the family.”
Gio released his seat belt and stretched his legs out before him. “Don’t build this up into something it isn’t, Luke. I, for one, have no intention of seeing any of them again after this weekend.”
Nick left his seat to pour himself a Scotch from a crystal decanter.
Max leaned forward and asked, “Weren’t you and Stephan close at one time?”
“No,” Gio answered succinctly. “Nick was. He and Stephan toured the global party circuit together, both believing the tedious idea of working belonged to the generation who had created the family business. Stephan outgrew that phase.”
Nick downed his glass in one shot and poured himself another. “We can’t all be you, Gio. The perfect son. The perfect businessman. Completely lacking in conscience.”
Gio stood slowly, his muscles flexing angrily as he did. “Stop drinking now, Nick, before you make a fool of yourself.”
Nick downed the second glass defiantly. “Or what? What would you do?”
Gio walked over and took the crystal decanter from the counter. As calmly as if he were merely picking up something he’d dropped, he smashed the container on the corner of the bar, then dropped the ragged top to the carpeted floor with the rest of the shattered glass and alcohol. In a controlled, cool voice he said, “Whatever is necessary to protect the family.”
Nick leaned down just as calmly, opened a door of the cabinet, took out another bottle, and placed it next to his glass. “There are at least ten more in there. How many will you break? Which one will convince you what I do is none of your goddamn business?”
Luke was out of his seat and between them. “Nick, enough.”
Nick turned on Luke angrily. “How far would he have to go for you to judge him? If he threw me from the plane, would you justify even that? Or would you finally find the balls to confront him?”
Max leaned over to Julia and said, “Which one do you think would actually get ejected from the plane if it came to that? My money is on Luke. It’s always the one in the cross fire that gets nailed.”
Gio ignored his youngest brother’s comment and said, “Go ahead and drink yourself into a stupor, Nick. Make a fool of yourself in front of everyone. Just stay the hell away from me while you do it.”
Nick looked over at Julia and opened his mouth to say something more, but Luke took him by the arm and guided him away from the bar to the small kitchen area near the front of the pla
ne. “Come on, let’s make coffee. I don’t care if you want it, I need some.”
Max raised an eyebrow at his oldest brother. “That was extreme, Gio. You couldn’t have made your point without making the entire plane smell like a distillery?”
“I went exactly as far as I had to,” Gio said coldly. He turned and walked to the other side of the plane where their bags were stored.
Watching the exchange between the brothers was heartbreaking for Julia. She wanted to yell for them to stop, but she sensed they had reached this place many times before. In such a case, it was more important to understand the cause than to treat the symptom. “Are they always like this?”
Max nodded. “I’m actually surprised they made it halfway across the Atlantic before they lost it. And they wonder why I’d rather work on the holidays. Gio and Nick are like oil and water. Or gunpowder and a match. However you describe it, you don’t want to stand between them. One day, one of them is going to snap.”
“Were they always like that?” Julia asked, watching Gio take his laptop from one of his bags. He’s going to escape to where he is successful—work.
Max shrugged. “I don’t remember them fighting like this before our father died. Maybe they did, and I was too young to see it.”
“How did your father die?”
“He was working in Venice. Don’t ask me what an oil company CEO needs to do in a sinking city, but that’s the story. A heart attack, I think. We don’t talk about it. Gio brought him back to the U.S., buried him, took over the company, and has looked exactly that miserable ever since.”
“Did Nick go with him?” Julia had to ask. She didn’t want to picture Gio collecting his father’s remains alone.
Max watched Gio walking back to sit with them and lowered his voice. “I don’t know.”
Gio returned to his seat and placed his computer on his lap, but he didn’t open it. Julia reached over and took one of his hands in hers, giving it a supportive squeeze. He looked down at her, his eyes dark with suppressed emotions.
The more Julia learned about the man beside her, the more her heart opened to him. Although the four brothers were confined in a small aircraft together, the distance between them was clear. More than anything, she wished she knew how to reach past whatever had separated them.
She looked across at Max and said, “I’m an only child, but I always dreamed of having brothers or sisters. You’re all lucky to have one another.”
Gio’s hand tightened on hers. “You can say that after what you witnessed a few minutes ago?”
Julia looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. “Being part of a family is a messy business, but it’s worth it. A good friend of mine comes from a huge family, and the stories she tells would make your hair curl. Someone is always fighting with someone else. Sometimes the reasons are funny, other times sad. But when one of them is in need, they’re there for each other. I imagine you and your brothers are the same.”
“Gio, you really should have told her more about us. It’s going to be depressing watching her lower her opinion of large families as she gets to know us.” Max stood and walked away to join his brothers, who were sitting around a smaller table near the plane’s galley.
In the quiet following Max’s departure, Julia said, “Gio, your brothers . . .”
Gio broke contact with her and opened his laptop. “I don’t want to discuss it,” he said dismissively and started typing as if Julia no longer sat beside him.
The temptation to slam the laptop closed on his fingers was strong. She was itching to tell him how rude he was being, but there was a hint of something in his expression that made her hold her tongue. He wasn’t trying to hurt her; he was hiding. The strong man beside her was lost when it came to overcoming whatever had happened to his family, and he dealt with it by withdrawing.
Julia slid her arm beneath his and hugged it. He looked up from his laptop with a scowl on his face. Still, Julia didn’t let go. She held his eyes and continued to hug his arm to her. You don’t fool me, Gio. I know you’re upset. I’m here if you need me.
His expression softened. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then seemed as surprised by his action as she was. He cleared his throat and said, “You should try to sleep. It’ll be a long day if you don’t.”
She hid a smile and laid her head on his shoulder. She didn’t know what the trip held for either of them, but in that moment, she was glad she’d agreed to go.
* * *
The even rhythm of Julia’s breath as she slept was calming. Gio placed his laptop on the floor beside him and closed his eyes. Nothing about Julia made sense. Every time she spoke he was reminded of how very different they were. At first, he’d thought he was drawn to her for purely sexual reasons. But having her curled up against him, supporting him even without fully understanding the situation, filled him with a warm feeling he couldn’t deny.
Part of him wanted to push her away and list the reasons they didn’t belong together. Part of him wanted to hold her close and tell her that nothing in his life had ever felt so right.
I don’t want this.
Any of this.
Not her.
Not a weekend with relatives.
None of this.
Life is better when it’s uncomplicated.
In control.
The exact opposite of how it had been for him since he’d met Julia.
He turned his head and looked down at her sleeping profile. His breath caught in his throat. I shouldn’t have brought her. I need a clear head to navigate the weekend.
His three brothers returned to their seats across from him. Luke handed him a cup of steaming black coffee. He accepted it with a nod.
With Julia asleep at his side, he sipped his coffee and studied his brothers. Neither Nick nor Max would meet his eyes. Luke gave him a sympathetic smile.
What did Julia say about family? It’s messy?
What are they waiting for me to say?
Whatever I say will be wrong.
It always is.
He glanced down at Julia again. What would she do if our situations were reversed? She’d blurt out an apology. She wouldn’t dress it up with excuses or worry about the possible backlash. She’d dive right in.
Gio looked across at Nick and said, “I went too far earlier. What you do is your business.”
Nick propped an ankle on top of his knee, leaned back, and asked nonchalantly, “Are you actually apologizing?”
Gio straightened, inadvertently waking Julia. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked back and forth between them as if trying to remember where she was. She smiled up at Gio and—he couldn’t help it—he smiled back.
Luke raised a hand to catch the attention of the flight attendant. “Julia, would you like a coffee?”
She shook her head. “Maybe a snack, though?”
Luke called the attendant over. Julia and all four brothers put in a request for a light fare of sandwiches and finger foods.
In the quiet after the attendant’s departure, Julia asked, “How much longer until we arrive?”
Gio checked his watch. “Two hours at the most.”
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Julia asked.
There was a unanimous shake of heads.
“Play a game?” she asked cheerfully.
Although Gio shook his head, Max leaned forward in his seat. “What kind of game?”
Luke pointed a thumb at his younger brother with a knowing smile. “Max is a professional gambler, so don’t make it poker. We gave up trying to beat him back when all we had to lose was our allowance.”
Julia’s eyes rounded. “A professional gambler? What an interesting job.”
Max shrugged. “It is. Everything in life is a gamble. For a while I lived solely off my poker winnings. However, now I build casinos around the world. So, Gio can finally admit to knowing me again.”
Gio tensed at Max’s comment. “Your profession never bothered me.”
“Really?�
� Max asked, unconvinced.
Nick said in mock sympathy, “Don’t feel bad, Max. He’s ashamed of all of us.”
Luke interjected, “Nick, can we make it to the island without another scene?”
Normally, Gio would have ended the conversation before it went further. He regularly told himself he didn’t care what others thought, but this time he didn’t lie to himself. “I’m proud of all of my brothers,” Gio said, more harshly than he’d intended.
“Even me?” Nick pushed.
Gio answered without hesitation. “I may not agree with the choices you’ve made lately, Nick, but I understand why you make them.”
Nothing in his life matched the rush of emotion he felt in response to Julia’s light squeeze of his arm in approval.
Nick opened his mouth to say something, then closed it with a snap. Max looked like he wanted to say something more but decided against it.
Luke clapped his hands and said, “So, how about that game, Julia?”
She turned shyly to Gio. “It was a silly idea. We don’t have to.”
Although he usually viewed games as a waste of time, time was exactly what they had to fill, and he’d take anything that would distract from more excruciatingly awkward conversations. “We could use a game about now. What did you have in mind?”
Julia reached down into her bag and took out a small pile of index cards. “Rena thought I should know who I’m going to meet on the island. She made these index cards for me. One side has a name written on it. The other side has clues on how to recognize that person. We could see who is best at guessing the person from the description.”
Cocking his head to the side, Luke asked, “Rena did that for you? Interesting.”
Julia held the stack of cards to her chest for a moment. “She thinks I might be able to make a connection at the wedding.”
Nick looked at Max and shrugged. “Okay, I’ll bite. A connection for what?”
Julia instinctively brought a hand to her necklace, and she flashed a brave smile at Gio’s three brothers. “I moved to New York to try to sell my jewelry designs. So far, nothing, but I’m not giving up. I’m hoping to find an investor.”