Page 12 of Twice Shy

Chapter Five

“Okay, don’t freak out.” Ollie braced himself as he hit the turn signal and headed down the long drive to the Majestic Hotel. “He might not even be there.”

True to his word, Ollie was visiting the hotel in person to ask about using their driveway for the charity car wash. But what Jackie Olsen and Mr. Morgan hadn’t known last night, at the PTA meeting, was that Ollie had an ulterior motive for approaching the Majestic.

He wanted to get to know the hotel owners. Well, one of them specifically.

Several cars were parked out front and Ollie pulled up clear across the gravel driveway from the grand old building. He didn’t have long—he was on his way to work—but allowed himself a moment to take a deep breath and calm down before trekking across the drive to the hotel. It was a cool morning, the tang of woodsmoke in the air heralding the arrival of fall, and the hotel’s elegant stained-glass front door stood closed. A door to both his past and his future, Ollie thought, and it felt momentous when he pushed it open and stepped inside. He found himself standing in a grand entrance hall with a sweeping staircase dominating the far side and a lingering scent of coffee and baked goods drifting from the dining room, along with the sounds of clinking crockery and quiet conversation. They were still serving breakfast.

To his left stood an old-fashioned reception desk made of dark wood and complete with an honest-to-god silver bell. He hesitated to ring for attention, afraid that ringing the bell would summonhim. Luca Moretti.

Despite the sounds coming from the breakfast room, the foyer was quiet. Ollie’s sneakers squeaked on the tiled floor as he walked to the desk. He hesitated for a moment, but nobody appeared from the back office and he didn’t have time to wait around. Wiping sweaty palms on the back of his jeans, he reached out and picked up the bell, giving it a gentle shake. The tinkling ring echoed around the foyer and he set the bell down quickly, backing up a step. But when the door behind the desk opened the guy who stepped out was smiling. Tallish and slim, with thick dark hair and a slightly awkward air, he was handsome—but he wasn’t Luca Moretti. Ollie recognized him from the hotel’s website as Luca’s partner, Theo Wishart.

“Good morning,” Theo said in a crisp English accent. “How can I help you?”

Thrown, Ollie hesitated. “Er—hi. I was looking for, um, Luca Moretti?”

“Luca? He’s not here right now.” Theo’s eyes didn’t quite meet Ollie’s, but he ran an appraising gaze over his worn sneakers and hoodie. “Is it about the surf school? Because if so, he’ll be heading down to the beach in a moment to take the morning class out. You might catch him.”

“No. No, it’s not—” Ollie cleared his throat and tried to pull his shit together. “I’m actually here on behalf of the New Milton Elementary School. I was hoping to talk to somebody about using the Majestic as a venue for a PTA fundraiser.”

“Oh!” Theo’s smile broadened. “In that case, you can talk to me. Luca and I run the hotel together. What is it you’re looking for?”

Ten minutes later, Ollie trotted down the porch steps with a grin on his lips and a list of three possible dates for the car wash. Pulling out his phone, he texted Mr. Morgan the potential dates, pleased when a reply shot right back.

Great job, Mr. Snow!

He wasn’t sure why, but Morgan’s praise—even for something so simple—gave him a buzz. Maybe it was because the guy was a teacher, but his approval made Ollie feel that maybe he reallycoulddo this fatherhood thing after all. Organizing events for the PTA had to be at least second-level parenting, right?

Smiling, he pocketed his phone and was about the head over to his car when he heard the hotel’s door open behind him. He turned and caught his breath. There he was, Luca Moretti in person. He wore summer well: tall, tan, and toned, with sunglasses pushed up into a disheveled mop of beachy-blond hair. He smiled as he headed down the porch—“Morning!”—and disappeared around the back of the hotel into the garden.

For a frozen moment, Ollie stood immobile.

And then he was moving, running after him. This was why he’d come, wasn’t it? He wasn’t about to waste the opportunity fate had landed in his lap. His heart raced, making him sound breathless when he called out, “Luca Moretti?”

Luca turned with a polite smile and the blank-eyed regard of a stranger. “Hey. Can I help you?”

Mouth dry, Ollie slowed as he drew nearer. His legs felt weak, palms tingling with nerves. He wiped them on his jeans. “I, uh… Wow, this is going to, um…” Luca watched him politely, but Ollie saw him glance subtly at his watch. “This probably isn’t the right time…” Christ,wasthere a right time? He offered his hand to shake, embarrassed that his voice trembled as he said, “My name’s Oliver Snow.”

A beat of perplexed silence followed. Luca showed no sign of recognition. “Uh, okay.” He shook Ollie’s hand, his grip firm. “Good to meet you.”

“You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“I’m sorry, no.” Luca laughed awkwardly. “Theo takes care of most of the bookings, so—”

“I’m not a guest.” Ollie’s face heated as he flexed his hand, the warmth of Luca’s grip still lingering. “I’m— I guess I’m not surprised you don’t know about me. My, uh, father…” The smile fell from Luca’s face, but he didn’t say anything, just stood watching Ollie with the look of a man eyeing a snake. Fingers clenching into a fist, Ollie plowed on. “My father was Marco Moretti. You and I are brothers.”

Nothing.

Silence, save the distant boom-crash of the surf and the breeze-stirred rustle of the trees that edged the Majestic’s garden. Ollie swallowed, thoughts spinning wildly.

Two years after the death of his sister, he’d decided to find his one remaining sibling. Well, half-sibling. He and Luca shared a father. If by ‘father’ you meant the guy who had impregnated your mother and then fucked off into the wild blue yonder. But they were still family. And it had seemed like a good idea when he was lost and lonely, a lifeline offering hope and a new start. A hope that had brought him to New Milton.

A hope that faltered in the face of Luca’s cold silence. Ollie cleared his throat nervously. “I, uh, I’m sorry if this is a shock but I wanted to—”

“No.” Luca put both hands up, stepping backward. “I don’t know who the hell you are, or what you want, but I’m not interested.”

It felt like a punch, knocked the breath right out of him. This wasn’t how he’d imagined their meeting. Hell, he hardly knew how he’d imagined this moment, he only knew that Rory and Luis had lost their parents and needed all the family Ollie could give them. And Luca Moretti was family. “All I want is for you to meet—”

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