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Huh? More curious than before Ella forced her way to the front.
“Save me?” Joe scoffed. “I wouldn’t let you save me if I was drowning in the ocean and you were the only one with a lifeboat.”
Vinny started cursing in Italian words Ella would never dare repeat.
“Grandpa!” she exclaimed as she jumped in between the two bickering old man. “What is going on here?”
Vinny pointed to Joe. “This buffone won’t let me through the door.”
“Would you let him through our doors?” Ella asked.
“Of course not!”
“Then why are you over here?”
“I have a meeting.”
“A meeting?”
“Yes… that I’m late to now because of this stronzo.”
“Who are you meeting here?” she asked, so confused by the entire situation.
“That would be me.”
Her heart stopped—literally slammed against her chest and came to a screeching halt. She looked up, meeting familiar eyes that were just as blue as her memory recalled them.
“Lucas?” she asked, her voice a mere whisper. What the hell was he doing back? Why was her grandfather meeting with him?
She had so many questions, but she couldn’t manage to get her brain and her mouth on the same page. Instead she stared at him, lost in the depths of blue, wanting to hate him but unable to. Not when those eyes looked deep into her soul when they made love, when the man behind them shared his black jelly beans with her and knew exactly how she took her coffee. Not when she was still hopelessly in love with the jerk.
“I thought you went back to California,” she managed to say.
“I did.” Lucas patted Joe’s arm, encouraging him to drop his stance in front of the door. Joe was hesitant but finally stepped aside to let Lucas pass. He stopped in front of Ella, and she fought the urge to slap him again for all the pain he’d caused her and then pull him tight so she could feel his warmth against her.
“I don’t get it,” Ella said.
“That makes two of us,” Joe said. “Care to explain what the hell is going on?”
“I would, but I think Vinny could explain better. If you would’ve let him through the door, this all would’ve been discussed by now.”
“What the hell is my grandson talking about?” Joe asked, narrowing his gaze on Vinny.
“You’re a bad businessman,” Vinny started, and Joe grunted, swatting his hand at him. “What? You are!” Vinny said. “How else could you have managed to practically go bankrupt?”
“I’ve had enough,” Joe said. “I’m not going to stand here why he insults me.”
“It’s not an insult. Like my granddaughter, you lead with your heart. It’s admirable, okay? But you can’t save the world and not expect to go under. That’s always been your problem, wanting to take care of everyone else’s problems and ignoring your own.”
Joe crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, but continued to stand there while Vinny spoke.
“We were once partners, Joe.”
“What?” Ella exclaimed. “Partners?” Her whole life she thought her grandfather and Joe hated each other because they both claimed to have the best lobster roll. She never realized it went much deeper than that.
“Until he screwed me over,” Vinny said.
“I didn’t screw you over.”
