SALVAGE PRIDE

10

“Housekeeping,” I say in a sing-song voice, holding up the fresh sheets.

“I was starting to think you’d gotten lost.”

“Nah, only delayed a minute. Come on, let’s finish the bed next door.” I lead the way back to the unfinished room, and we fall into easy teamwork.

“You know,” Gia muses after a bit. “I could get used to working with you. With Anna gone, we’ll need to take on someone new. You and I could get an apartment together nearby.”

“As tempting as it is to be closer to you, school and Mom make that impossible.”

“I figured, but I had to mention it. We could even hold off until after you graduate. I could do the extra work until then.”

“Oh, no.” I grin. “If one of us is making a move, it’s you. I’m going to have my own bedroom now.

We could share, like the old days.”

Gia won’t meet my gaze. “I know how excited you are to have your own space. And besides, I hate to leave when Marca is still here,” she says softly. “Liv and Marca need me now more than ever. They need a good influence in their lives.” She’s not wrong, but I hate that the burden falls on her. I’m not bothered enough to volunteer myself, but I understand.

“Livy may be a lost cause, as much as I hate to say it. I couldn’t believe how insensitive she was about Mr. De Rossi’s death right in front of Dad. All she’s interested in is getting her hooks in a man with money.”

“Trust me, I know,” Gia grumbled.

“As much as we want to help guide Marca, she’s an adult now, too. She may not even stay with Mom and Dad much longer. You sure the girls are the only reason you want to stick around?” I watch my sister closely.

A delicate flush creeps up her neck.

“Tell me something is going on between you and Carter,” I urge.

“There isn’t, I promise.”

“But you’d like there to be?”

“Isa, he’s a wealthy widower, twelve years older than me, with two kids and a real estate empire. And I’m … me.” “And?” I gape.

Her answering smile is so sorrowful that my chest clenches. “It’s just not meant to be.”

She continues with her task, effectively ending the conversation, but my thoughts continue down a dark path. I hate that she doesn’t see her own value. Aside from her loving temperament, she looks like an angel on earth. While my hair is a sandy color, she’s the only one of us girls who managed to snag Dad’s blond hair. Gia’s long waves are spun silk, and her warm brown eyes shine with love and acceptance. She’s a few woodland creatures shy of being a living, breathing Disney princess. It baffles me that she doesn’t see the immense worth of all her amazing qualities. I would find a way to show her how the world truly sees her if I could, but my attempts would be meaningless unless she’s willing to believe in herself.

What irony. The humility that makes her so loved by everyone she meets is the very reason she can’t comprehend their adoration. Then again, maybe it’s best to leave things alone. I love her exactly the way she is, and if Carter or any other man isn’t willing to swoop in and claim her, she’s better off without them. The only person worthy of Gia’s perfection is a man who appreciates his good fortune in earning her affection.

We spend the rest of the day in lighter spirits, finishing our work minutes before guests begin to arrive for dinner. Gia stays with Mom to help Cecelia with the meal while I walk back home with Livia and Marca. Dad is already at the cottage enjoying a cigar on the back porch when we arrive. I pause to say hello while my two sisters bolt inside and up to their room.

“I’m going to get stuck making dinner, aren’t I?” I ask Dad wryly with my eyes trailing after the girls.

“That’s the first time Livia’s put in a full day’s work in ages. You’d have a better chance conjuring dinner from thin air than getting her to help.” His rounded lips draw deeply on his cigar, making the embers on the end spark with life.

“She’s twenty-three! What’s her problem?”

“I prefer not to ask that question. It only brings on a headache.”

I roll my eyes and head into the house. Dad hasn’t forced Livia or Marca to do much of anything —ever—so I don’t know why I expect him to now. I guess I’m no better because I can’t summon the energy for an argument about his need to be firm with them. Instead, I check the fridge and find enough ingredients to throw together a simple meal.

The girls come down to eat, and as usual, Livia does most of the talking. Marca’s eyes light up when she watches her older sister, and it worries me. Marca is intelligent. She’s quiet and more rational than Livia, but her desire to gain her big sister’s approval has more sway over her than it should. Especially when Livy is such a hot mess. Throughout dinner, I try to engage with Marca but find Livia often interjects her opinions. Separating the two would be a difficult feat—more of a challenge than I am up for at present. With food in my belly and a long day on my feet, exhaustion fills my limbs with lead. I pile the dishes in the sink to be dealt with later and join my dad in the living room.

He pats the sofa next to him. “Come sit with me, Lulu.”

My chest warms in anticipation of snuggling with my dad. I miss having quiet time with him, just the two of us. Sinking into the old sofa, I sit with my knees up and lean into his side with his arm curled around me.

“Tell me about school. You’ve been able to keep your grades up while you work?”

“It’s a lot of reading and essays, but I manage.”

“You love to read, so hopefully, it’s not too much of a burden.”

I laugh. “Yeah. It would be more enjoyable if I wasn’t graded on that reading, but overall, I like my classes.”

Daddy grins down at me with adoration in his sad eyes. His eyelids sag above his eyes in a way that makes him look weary, regardless of whatever he’s actually feeling.