Except it wasn’t.
The twilight deepened and he reached for her hand. “Come with me for a moment. I want to talk to you about something.”
There was an old bench down the path, almost forgotten among the grass and shrubs. But William knew it was there. He knew because when he was fourteen he’d spied on his sister one day when she’d gone walking with a boy and they’d sat on the bench to kiss. Charlotte had given him half her pocket money for the holiday to keep him from telling their father.
Now he sat on it with his brother’s ex-fiancée. He wondered what price Charlotte would demand if she knew, and he laughed
a little.
“What’s so funny?” Gabi sat beside him and tilted her head a little.
“I was remembering something from my childhood. It involved my sister, a local boy and extortion.”
“Oh, my.” A warm smile bloomed on her face. “I love stories like that. Those are the kinds of shared family memories that last, aren’t they? I hope you weren’t too demanding.”
“Half of her allowance for the six weeks we were here. I spent it unwisely and it was the most fun I’ve ever had.”
“Poor Charlotte. She’s too sweet for that.”
“Don’t let her fool you.”
They sat for a moment and then, when the silence drew out, Gabi said, “What did you want to talk to me about?”
He turned on the bench so he was facing her. “This business agreement with Baresi... I know Stephen set it up as a mutually beneficial arrangement. But the thing is... I think it’s mutually beneficial, even without the marriage. I’ve looked at our history with Baresi. I’ve looked at the quality. There’s no reason we can’t enter into some sort of agreement that benefits us both.” He held her gaze. “Without you having to marry someone you don’t love.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “But...” The word trailed away. He could see the question in her face, though, and he didn’t have a good answer.
“I don’t know why Stephen wouldn’t have just made the deal. Maybe it was pressure from our mother—she can be very persuasive. Or his way of dealing with his own broken heart—to give it to someone where it would be safe from harm.” He met her gaze steadily. “If you’re not in love, you’re safe from having your heart broken.”
“That seems a bit poetic for Stephen.”
“Maybe. I can’t speak to my brother’s motives, but truthfully...in my opinion this would be a sound deal, period. There’s no reason why we can’t partner with you. It gives us a steady supply of top-quality material, and to be honest, it would elevate Baresi’s status in the industry.”
She stared at him. “I didn’t have to marry him.”
“No. And he shouldn’t have asked it of you. I love my brother, Gabi. I’ll do what I can to protect him, always. But that doesn’t mean I agree with all his actions, and in this he was wrong.”
There was one sticking point, and he felt duty-bound to bring it up. “It’s not a sure thing yet. I’m head of the division, but Stephen is head of acquisitions. He’ll have to approve it.”
He watched carefully as her face fell. She tried to hide her disappointment, but it was impossible. “And he hates me right now.”
“Hate is a strong word. Besides, I’m positive that he’s going to come to the conclusion that you saved him from a very big mistake. Let me handle Stephen. You worry about your family.”
Her eyes widened as she reached out and touched his hand. “Why are you doing this for me? Why aren’t you as mad as Stephen?”
She was so beautiful in the fading light. Her eyes were soft velvet, her skin luminous. He couldn’t remember another woman capturing his attention this way, which complicated everything. He had to keep this just business, and when she looked into his eyes like she was right now, it was impossible to think in terms of dollars and cents. Yes, getting her back to Italy and leaving her there was a very good idea. Out of sight, out of mind.
“I wasn’t the groom, Gabi. My pride wasn’t crushed. I was called in to do damage control.”
“I know. It just baffles me.” She looked away. “You should be angry. I deserve for you to be angry.”
“No, not angry. Look at it this way. If I had the chance to make things right and maybe save my father, I’d do it. I can’t save him now. My father is gone. But yours isn’t. Why wouldn’t I want to help?”
Her eyes misted over as she looked back at him and squeezed his hand. “You’re a good man, William Pemberton. Better than I realized.”
“We barely knew each other before Saturday night,” he observed, keeping his voice light, but the compliment struck him right in the heart. If he was a good man it was because of his brother’s support and his father’s patience. He tried to remember that every day and let it guide his actions. His days of making messes were over. Now he tried to clean them up. Be someone his family could depend on. That person he was before could never be resurrected. He looked at Gabi, so forbidden to him, so beautiful. She could make him forget for a few moments, and that was dangerous.
“We should probably get back,” she said quietly after a few minutes of silence. The air was soft and the world around them seemed colored in muted pinks and periwinkle as the sun slid closer to the horizon. It was the time of day for whispered secrets and hidden smiles, forbidden touches and soft sighs. That in between time when possibilities were waiting to be plucked like fruit from the tree, and romance bloomed around every corner.