Page 50 of 4 Weddings and a Feud

At the same time, Michael and Rafe crossed their meaty arms over their coveralls. They looked almost like twins if she ignored the grooves of worry on her older brother’s face.

“Go back to the shop,” she said. “We’ve got a busy weekend.”

They shot her matching mulish glares before clomping in their steel-toed boots through the door to the garage.

“Now,” Mary said, “we’ve got a liquor license problem to solve, Evie.”

“I scheduled a couple of phone calls for you tomorrow morning with vendors I’ve used before. You should be able to work it out pretty easily,” Evie said. “I could’ve done it for you.”

“No, you wanted to take a break from weddings. I’ll take care of it. Thank you for setting the appointments.”

“No problem.” Evie bit her lip. “You’ll be careful, though? With Alex. Your brothers are right about his dating history. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

Was it naïve to trust him? She couldn’t forget the honesty in his gaze when he’d told her why he never showed on prom night. He might wear custom suits and live in a penthouse now, but inside, he was still the same boy she’d known and loved.

He was worth a second chance.

ChapterTwenty

After his team of executives left his office, Alex ambled to the window overlooking the Strip. As always, his gaze arrowed to the Paradise, just visible on the other side of the Bellagio. In the daylight, she looked sun-bleached and worn as the sand dollar Mary had given him last week on the beach.

Still, the Paradise held her own magic for him, just like Mary. Reminders of past failures. Hope for the future. With both the Paradise and Mary, he’d taken steps to build something bright and new over the disasters of his youth. When he wiped the Paradise from the Strip and replaced it with something modern and gleaming, perhaps he’d finally be worthy of Mary.

When he turned his back to the window, his gaze snagged on the project Yasmin had created for him after she’d seen the sand dollar on his desk. She called it a shadow box. The shallow glass-fronted box held the sand dollar Mary had given him on the beach. It was glued in the box to lean against a printed copy of the selfie Mary had taken of them. Against the backdrop of the ocean, Mary’s wild tresses blew against his face and tangled in his stubble. His tongue poked out as he tried to eject one of her curls from his mouth. Laughing at him, she was captivating. She’d sent him other pictures where he looked less ridiculous, but this was the best one of her, the California sunshine sparkling in her eyes like cut topaz.

He resisted the temptation to call her. It was Friday afternoon, and she was working. Instead, he pressed the button on his phone. “Yasmin, get me Lev.”

“On it.”

Less than a minute later, his phone rang, and he picked it up. “Lev, what’s the word?”

“I hear Ray might be softening. Your good behavior is working, boss.”

“Any other opposition on the gaming board?”

“Ray’s cronies will vote the way he does. I’ve got most of the rest on your side. Only a couple on the fence. I think the Paradise is in the bag.”

Alex found his hand wandering to his crotch to ward off the bad luck. Instead, he muttered, “Tocchiamo ferro.”

“What’s that, boss?”

He yanked open his top desk drawer and pulled out the old iron amulet his nonna used to wear around her neck. He rubbed the twisted horn shape with his fingertips. “Knock on wood.”

“You Italians and your superstitions.”

“Watch out, or I’ll send you a dozen yellow sunflowers.”

“Fuck off. Only my babushka believes in that bullshit.”

“Liar.” Alex set the talisman back in the drawer and slid it shut. “The vote is August first, right after his daughter’s wedding. Anything I can do before then to grease the skids?”

“Stay on your best behavior, and be sure Rochelle is the happiest bride in the world.”

Remembering Rochelle was in Mary’s capable hands made him smile. “Consider it done.” Then another thought broke through his happy haze. “How’s Dante Campo doing with the clerical work?”

“Ah. I forgot to tell you. It happened while you were on your trip. He quit.”

“Quit? What did you do to him?”

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