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.”