Best Man for the Bridesmaid. Jennifer Faye

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      WHY EXACTLY HAD he agreed to dinner out?

      Stefano sat stiffly in a chair in one of Rome’s finest hotels. Jules and Lizzie were chatting nonstop about wedding preparations. And he wanted to be anywhere but listening to things like guest lists, linen choices and table settings. All it did was stir up long-forgotten memories.

      His wedding to Gianna had started with such promise. Then the problems had set in—inconsequential things at first. A comment about a forgotten toothpaste cap seemed so minor. Then things escalated to a litany of how he’d lost interest in her. He’d thought it was what every married couple went through as they adjusted to married life.

      He tried to do better. He started taking Gianna to Rome as often as his work would allow him to be away. She’d always loved the city. And he’d loved spoiling her. But when he’d mentioned starting a family, she’d gotten angry. She didn’t want to be trapped at the vineyard with a baby. She wasn’t ready to settle down into family life. She wanted the money the vineyard provided, but she didn’t want anything to do with a quiet country life. Stefano tried, but he just couldn’t understand why she didn’t want a family of their own. Wasn’t that just a natural progression of marriage—having babies?

      “Hey, man, what has you so quiet?” Dante leaned back in his chair after the server removed the now empty dishes from the table.

      “Nothing.” He shrugged off the unwanted memories.

      “Don’t tell me that. I know you. And something is eating at you.”

      It was true. His brother could still read him quite well. He’d really been there for him after Gianna’s death. And the fact that Dante had witnessed what he’d gone through after losing Gianna either made Dante brave for going ahead with this wedding or foolish. Stefano wasn’t sure which was the case.

      “Are you really serious about wanting to move the wedding to this hotel?” Stefano wanted to turn the conversation away from himself. “I thought you wanted to get married at the vineyard. What changed?”

      Dante raked his fingers through his hair. “The television people. They’re making it nearly impossible to do what we want with the wedding.”