Page 79 of Fool Me

“The universe or Satan?” Harlowe slings back.

Levi ignores her sass and holds out his hand to me. “I’m Levi. Mom sent me to grab you for lunch.”

“I’m going to try to keep you all straight, but your parents could’ve helped me out by not giving you all ‘L’ names.”

“Just wait until you meet Grandpa Lorenzo, Grandpa Luciano, and all their sons.”

“He’s fucking with you. His grandpas are named Fred and Bob,” Harlowe says, keeping her tone light.

I look between them, not sure who to believe because they both look like they’re in on a joke that I’m not.

I narrow my eyes on Harlowe. “You wouldn’t set me up to look like a fool in front of your best friend’s family.”

She rolls her lips together and shrugs. Levi starts down the stairs, but I pull Harlowe backwards until she hits my chest, lowering my mouth to her ear. “Feeling bratty, are you? Seeing that smile on your face again would make it worth it if you did trick me.”

She turns in my arms, her hands landing on my chest. “Now that you mention it, that would be cruel of me considering everything you’ve done for me since . . .”

Her voice trails off, and that smile fades, making my grip on her tighten. “I know you want to be happy for your friend, but two things can be true at once. You can celebrate Vivi while still mourning Morgan.” Just like I can want her and fight with the demons that are poking at her past.

She nods against my chest, her eyes soft when she cups my cheek. “I wouldn’t have made it through without you, and I don’t even think I’ve said thank you for that.”

“And I don’t want you to. Thanking me implies that any of the last week was a burden on me, and that’s not the case. I made the choice to be there and I don’t regret that. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you. Through thick or thin.”

She swallows, her hand snaking around my neck and her fingers snagging the hair at the base of my skull, anchoring us together. “The only thing between me and the Cardoza boys is brotherly affection. And, unfortunately for you, Levi was telling the truth. I made up alternative names for Vivi’s extended family when I was a kid, because keeping them straight when they all look alike is hard enough.”

The tightness in my chest unknots instantly. “Think they’ll let me get away with calling them by your fake names?”

“Not a chance. I might not be a Cardoza by blood, but they consider me family and will probably grill you the same as if you were dating Vivi or Tenley.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SEVEN

HARLOWE

After an afternoon of wedding prep and getting settled, the growing group sits around the patio getting to know each other.

It’s not just Vivienne and her family here. Tenley arrived, stealing Haze from my arms so she could meet her newest family member. Xavier’s former teammates from the Denver Bandits are also here, to Xavier’s absolute delight. Poppy, Hendrix, Cruz, Lilah, Mia, Dean, Dom, and Indie fit right in with the Cardozas. And with the kids down for the night, the adults are enjoying a late meal around a gas-fire pit, making for a much more chaotic dinner than the peaceful lunch we had earlier.

But I love it.

As predicted, the steaks aren’t the only thing getting grilled this evening. To Atlas’s credit, he’s fielding questions from every direction with ease. And they aren’t just about me and our fake relationship.

Which admittedly was a hot topic initially. The girls gave me a round of high fives when they learned how the whole thing started. Thankfully, the conversation shifted and now Atlas is fielding questions about animals from both sides, while the girls ask me about living in Timberline Peak.

Dom, who I’ve learned is the most outgoing of the Bandits, keeps asking questions about Muley, much to his wife, Indie’s, dismay. The rest of the guys are genuinely nice and seem to just want to get to know both of us.

The long travel day and an over-poured glass of wine have me dead on my feet, and when I find Atlas across the table, I see the same look on his face. Luca fires questions at him about the fainting goats he wants to get to make micro batches of cheese to sell in the tasting room. He, like all of Vivi’s brothers, works at the vineyard, but Luca seems to have a new interest in expanding and attracting new markets.

Standing from my chair, I round the fire, which is giving off just enough heat to combat the cool summer breeze.

“If you get fainting goats for your mico-batch cheese, I’m going to start a TikTok for them,” Gio threatens his dad as I steal Atlas’s attention with a hand on his shoulder.

I squeeze the corded muscle for no other reason than the fact that the solid connection to him is grounding. And after feeling like I’ve been floating outside my body for over a week, it’s welcomed.

“I’m ready to call it a night, but I understand if you want to stay down here—bond over baseball and goats for a while yet.”

His palm eclipses the back of my hand, traveling up my arm and over my shoulder until he urges me lower, guiding with the hand that now softly cups the back of my neck.

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