Lodged (Kinsmen Billionaires #2)

31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Gio Bianchi

T here’s a ring in my bedroom, but I have no clue where it’s coming from. I’ve looked everywhere, but it just won’t stop. It stops, then starts again. Is there a landline around here? When I open the bottom drawer on the nightstand, I see it—an old-school phone.

“Hello?” I say, grateful the intrusive noise is gone.

“Mr. Bianchi, good morning. You have a guest in the lobby.”

What? Could it be Ruin?

“Good morning, I’ll be right over. Thank you,” I say as I hang up and quickly throw on a fresh T-shirt and my jeans from last night. I wish I had had more time to get ready—if it’s Ruin, I don’t want her to see me like I just woke up.

When I enter the lobby, a beautiful redhead is waiting for me. She’s wearing tight jeans and a Rustic Spoon T-shirt like the one Ruin was wearing last night, but it fits her much tighter. She has a full sleeve of tattoos on her right arm, and her eyes are gray. It's raining.

“Oh, wow. It’s really you,” she says in a stern tone.

“Hmmm, I’m sorry. I don’t follow,” I tell her in a hushed tone; I can feel Miss Callie looking at us with rapt attention.

“Would you like to take a walk with me? I promise I’m not a creep.” I nod and tell her I’ll be right back—I just need to put on some shoes.

As I make my way to my room. Rain says, “And don’t get any ideas in your head, Callie. I know how the grapevine works in this town, and I’m not interested in Mr. Bianchi in that way.” I can only imagine the face Miss Callie gave her because I can hear her chuckle all the way to my room.

“Okay, so what’s going on?” I ask once we’re out of the hotel, skipping the pleasantries. She blushes and extends her hand, and I shake it.

“That’s exactly my question, Gio. What’s going on? What are you doing here?” As nice as I am, I’m ready to tell Rain what’s what.

“I came for Ruin. It’s been six months.” I shrug like it’s obvious why I’m here. She puts her hands in her pockets and raises her shoulders to her head as she inhales a deep breath.

“First of all, yes I know it’s been six months, but we had a deal. We can’t overwhelm Ruin with her memories.” She gives me a pointed look, but I’m not going away, not this time.

“I’m not here to overwhelm her, I just want her to get to know me again.” Rain’s eyebrows raise almost comically, but I refrain from laughing. I don’t want her to tear me a new one.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about. She mentioned meeting a handsome guy yesterday, and I knew it had to be you.” Rain shoots me a glare, and I trip over my own foot.

Ruin said she met a handsome guy?

“So, I didn’t imagine it. She truly didn’t recognize me; she still has amnesia,” I say more to myself, but Rain nods.

“Yes, Gio. I don’t want her to stall in her recovery process. You need to give her space,” Rain says solemnly, and I feel like I’ve been stabbed. I can’t give Ruin more space without being near her.

“I’m sorry, Rain, but that won’t be possible. I promise I won’t mention anything about our past, but I want another shot. I’ll start slow, I won’t push for anything, but I want to be in her life again. If I have to make her fall in love with me again, so be it.”

Rain doesn’t say or do anything. She simply stares at me.

“Okay, I know how much you love her, and I know she loved you. I’ll allow you back into her life, but Gio, I’ll be watching,” she tells me, her face void of emotion, and I nod.

“Deal.” I reply, though I would do it regardless of whether Rain approved or not.

“You came back.” Ruin greets me as I enter the Rustic Spoon. Her smile illuminates her face and is contagious. I’m smiling big at her; there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to see that smile every single day.

“I told you I would.” She leads me to the same table as yesterday.

“Here’s the menu. Can I get you some water in the meantime?” I nod as she makes her way to check on other tables. I’m not sure how long it would take me to get used to the fact that I know how she tastes, and she doesn’t even remember me, but I need to play my part.

When she returns, she has a glass of water on her tray for me. Even though all I want to do is pull her close, have her sit beside me, and tell me everything I’ve missed in these past six months, I can’t. Instead, I thank her and order the platter she recommended yesterday.

She gives me a pained smile, and I frown. “Oh, it’s nothing. Some days my ankle hurts more than others, I’ll be fine,” she says casually as she goes into the kitchen, but I can’t help noticing her limping. My blood boils at the fact that she’s working full shifts on her feet while still recovering. I need to find a way to make her share the details of her accident so I can offer my help.

“Here you go. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if there’s anything else I can get for you.” She brings me a huge plate of food, and my stomach immediately growls. I close my eyes as I feel the heat rising through my face. Her chuckle does something to my insides, but I know we’re not there yet.

“Thank you, this looks delicious,” I say. She stays in front of me, hugging the tray close to her chest, her eyes fixed on mine as she bites her bottom lip.

I gaze at her. She’s so beautiful it hurts. God, how was I able to live without her?

“Would you like to sit down?” I ask her, and she looks around the diner. She smiles and then sits.

“There’s not too many people here. I think it’ll be okay if I take a five-minute break,” she says, her eyes never leaving mine. “This might sound awkward, and I apologize in advance, but I need to ask you something,” Ruin says, exhaling slowly.

I can never say no to her, but I know I can’t lie. I just hope she isn’t about to ask something about the past. I take a deep breath and take a sip of water to steady my nerves.

“Yeah, sure,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant. She exhales again, a nervous chuckle escaping her pretty lips.

“Okay, here goes nothing.” She squares her shoulders, and I offer her a reassuring smile.

“Is there any chance we’ve met before?” My heart skips a beat at her question, but I try to mask it quickly with a cough.

“I’m sure if we had met, I’d remember you,” I say, watching her shoulders sag. I just hope if she ever gets her memories back, she’ll forgive me. She needs to know this has been as hard for me as it’s been for her. Life without her isn’t living.

“Thank you for going along with my question. I just felt I had to ask.” She shakes her head, as if clearing her thoughts, and when her gaze meets mine again, I smile at her—careful not to say anything that might force me to lie or evade the truth.

I take a forkful of eggs and biscuits covered in gravy. Goodness, this is delicious. I close my eyes and lift my head, savoring my food.

“That good, huh?” Ruin asks, and I nod.

“So good. You weren’t lying,” I tell her as I grab more food.

“Yeah, Rain is an excellent cook,” she tells me with a smile.

“Is she your sister?” I ask, showing my interest in getting to know her.

“Yeah, she’s actually my twin.”

“How was growing up with a twin?”

“She’s my best friend. You know, I love all my siblings, but my relationship with Rain is special.” I nod at her while I keep eating. This is so damn good, I can’t stop. No wonder why every time Ruin cooked for us, it was so good. They both must have a gift.

“Yeah, I can see that. I’m actually the oldest of three, and even though I love them, I feel responsible for them more often than not,” I say, and she gives me a knowing smile.

“Oh, I can totally see that. That would be my brother, River—always taking care of others. You have that same aura about you,” she says, looking at me intently. A second later, her eyes widen. “Oh no, that came out the wrong way! I mean, I don’t think about my brother in that way.” She quickly covers her face with her hands, and I chuckle.

“Hey, you didn’t say anything wrong,” I tell her as I sip my water.

“But now you know I think you’re cute. Ugh.” I laugh, and she groans.

“I think you’re cute too, Ruin. We’re even.” I reach across the table and trace my fingers over her forearm. Goose bumps rise on her skin, and she removes her hands from her face.

“Thank you for not letting me drown.” She smiles at me as she gets up and checks on her customers. I promised I wouldn’t overwhelm her, so after paying the check, I give her a wave and return to the hotel.

Today went great—it felt like how things were in the beginning. I’ll definitely be back tomorrow for more, and for as long as it takes.

I heard back from the community college, and they’re interested in meeting me to see what I have to say. I might not be a wizard with numbers like Penny, but I know I have enough to offer them, and not just financially.

“Dr. Bianchi, what a pleasure. Thank you for reaching out.” The community college president greets me in his office.

“Mr. Bates, thank you for making time in your schedule to see me.”

“What can I do for you? I’ll be honest, I’m curious why someone with your credentials is interested in working at a small community college like ours.”

“This is where my life is now, and I would like to help the community in any way I can. I plan on developing a curriculum for an environmental program and fund it. I believe it’s of utter importance to have such a program in the area, to help the mountains and their people to make the best use of the resources around us.”

Mr. Bates raises his eyebrows. “That’s very altruistic, Dr. Bianchi. I cannot begin to express my gratitude. If you have a written proposal, I’d like to share it with the board of trustees, and we could go from there.”

I smile big. I feel like I’ve finally found my calling.

“Absolutely. I’ll have my team send you all the necessary documents.”

“This is amazing. Thank you so much, Dr. Bianchi, for thinking about our school. This is going to change so many lives for the better.” Mr. Bates gets a little teary-eyed, and I can’t help it—I feel his emotion washing over me, too.

“My pleasure. I’ve been looking for ways to do the most good, and this is certainly one of them.” We shake hands and after some small talk about the weather and the upcoming festivities in the area, we say goodbye.

I leave the college campus with an extra pep in my step. I need to call Penny and let her know we need to send an official proposal to get the ball rolling.

“Hello there, how are you today?” Ruin greets me, and I follow her to what’s quickly becoming my usual spot at the diner. She looks extra tired today, with dark circles under her eyes. I wonder what happened?

“I’m excellent. How about you?” I ask, hoping she’ll tell me, but tonight, the diner is particularly busy.

“Hanging in there. It’s been a long day.” That’s all she says before leaving me at my table with a menu. This time, I decide to actually look at it rather than ask her for suggestions—I don’t want to add to her plate if she’s feeling tired.

“I think I’ll have the chicken and waffles tonight.” She smiles at me and writes down my order in her little notepad. “Do you think you can take your break with me again tonight?”

She bites her bottom lip, assessing the diner. “Yeah, I need a break. I’ll be back with your food in a jiffy.” She heads toward the kitchen, but she’s limping. Fuck, I hate feeling so useless right now. I’d wait tables for her, but I know she’d have lots of questions about my interest in taking care of her when we’ve only known each other for two days.

She comes back with my food in no time, holding a drink for herself—a milkshake. It looks so decadent that I can’t help but ask, “What flavor is it?” I point to it with my fork.

“Oh, it’s Fruit of the Forest,” she says, taking a sip before moving the large glass toward me, gesturing for me to try it. I give her a grateful smile and take a sip. A low moan escapes me after the intense flavor of raspberries, strawberries, and a hint of rhubarb hit my taste buds.

“This is delicious,” I tell her as I push the milkshake back to her, and she giggles.

“Why, thank you. I’m actually the one in charge of making the milkshakes,” she says proudly.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’m definitely ordering one tomorrow.” She smiles over her milkshake while I eat a bite of my food.

“I hope I’m not intruding, but I was wondering if you’re okay? I couldn’t help but notice you’re limping a little.”

Ruin winces, and I panic. Fuck, I’m going too fast for her.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked,” I hurry to say, but she waves me off.

“No, no. It’s okay. Actually, it feels nice to talk about this with someone who isn’t related to me.” She drinks from her milkshake and looks me straight in the eye. “I had an accident back in the winter.” She pauses, and I stop eating, giving her my undivided attention. “I can’t remember why, but apparently I was coming back home from Spruce Falls, and my car brakes stopped working. I lost control, and the road was slippery. As I was sliding side to side, a truck came on the opposite side of the road, and I went down the mountain.”

That must have been so scary. No wonder she lost her memories. I wipe a stray tear off her face, and she smiles at me.

“Anyway, I got several broken bones and had to do a lot of physical therapy to walk again, but I still need more therapy. My insurance decided I’ve had enough, so I don’t get it as often as I need anymore. But I had a session, and that’s why you see me limping. I’m just too tired.” She shrugs like it’s not a big deal, but I can’t believe she has to deal with this.

“Is there a way to hire more waiters? At least on the days you have therapy, so you can get some proper rest?” I ask, the wheels in my brain already turning, formulating a plan to get Ruin everything she needs.

“I don’t think that’s feasible at the moment. My family still has a big debt from when my dad passed, and I don’t want to add to their plate. She lowers her gaze, and I reach for her hand. She squeezes my hand and tries to smile, but it comes off as crooked. “I know we don’t know each other, but I feel at ease when you’re around. Thank you for listening.” She gives my hand one more squeeze and gets up to go on with her job.

I need to speak with the hospital again. The way they phrased it to me when they told me Ruin was out of the hospital made it sound like she didn’t need anything else. I’m fucking livid at the thought I could have been helping her with physical therapy and didn’t do it.

It’s been nearly a month since I moved to Azalea Creek, and I’ve come to the Rustic Spoon every single night for dinner. I thought about coming for breakfast and staying all day to work from here, but I’d be distracted all day, and Ruin likely wouldn’t appreciate being stalked.

“Evening, Gio. What do you feel like tonight?” Ruin asks me as she leads me to my table.

“Why don’t you choose for me this time?” I ask with a smile, and right on cue, she blushes. She nods and makes her way to the kitchen.

It’s Wednesday, and it’s slower than usual. Maybe the summer crowds are starting to thin out as we get closer to the school season.

I’ve been working on the curriculum for the environmental program at the community college. As expected, the board of trustees is overjoyed with my generous donation and is working tirelessly with the town of Spruce Falls to get approval for the addition of a new building on campus.

When Ruin comes back with a tray full to the brim, I frown, and she laughs.

“It’s a slow day, and since you asked me to choose your food, I thought you wouldn’t mind if I joined you.”

“I love when you have time to join me.” I wink at her, and her blush deepens.

“You two should join me after dinner,” Ruin’s grandma tells us from a table across the diner, and I smile at her. Granny is a local celebrity. I’ve come to know her in the past couple of weeks. She likes to go to the diner every day and read the tarot to whoever would listen. The townspeople and tourists alike come for food and stay for the laughs. Some people say she’s pretty accurate, and others just shake their heads in amusement.

“Granny, I don’t think Gio here has time for your silly game,” Ruin tells her grandma as she pops a fry into her mouth.

“Actually, I’d love to learn what’s in my future,” I say as I give Ruin a mischievous smile. She laughs and shakes her head.

“Oh, you don’t know what you just agreed to,” Ruin warns with glee in her voice.

As promised, once we’re done with our dinner, I join Granny at her table. Ruin excuses herself to help her sister in the kitchen. Granny has a small tablecloth with zodiac symbols, a crystal ball with electricity inside, and a few gemstones. She has paid a lot of attention to all the little details. As she looks at me, she shuffles a deck of cards.

“I see my granddaughter didn’t want to join us.” I smile and shrug, not really sure what to say. “It’s okay, I wanted to speak with you alone, anyway. You look at her like a man in love.” I inhale a deep breath as my jaw clenches. I’m not sure how much I can share with Granny. “It’s okay, dear. I won’t tell Ruin.” She pats my hand, and I exhale.

“Thank you,” I tell her as I prepare to open my heart. “Ruin and I were together before her accident.” Granny holds my hand and gives me a kind smile, all playfulness is gone. “When I came to Azalea Creek in the winter, River and Rain told me to stay away, but I just couldn’t do it any longer.” My voice breaks, and my eyes fill with unshed tears. Granny’s eyes mirror mine.

“But now that you found her, I’m here to tell you that she’s worth waiting for. Things are going according to plan. You just have to be patient,” she says, taking a card from her deck. The card reads Worth Waiting For, with a picture of a couple hugging each other. I look at it, confused.

“I thought you read tarot?”

“I do, but I read the angels cards to my family.” She gives me a knowing smile, and I nod.

“Thank you so much, Granny. What do I owe you?”

She waves me off. “You’ve already paid. We haven’t seen Ruin smile this much since before the accident. You just keep coming and making her happy, alright?”

I nod at her with a smile as I get up. “That’s the plan.”

She extends her arms, and I lean down for a hug.

“Okay, Granny. That’s enough. I’m sure Gio has things to do,” Ruin says as she steps out of the kitchen, and we all laugh.