Rating the Book Boyfriend (Book Boyfriend Builders)

16. Riggs

CHAPTER 16

Riggs

I force myself to read the rest of the script Lucinda expects me to recite, and I almost gag. It’s full of flowery language I would never use, not to mention it’s a load of crap, expounding on Lucinda’s “sweetness and goodness.”

Stuffing everything back in my pocket, a thought hits me. How did she pay for this ring? I think I know, and when I pull up my banking app, my suspicion is confirmed. I see a charge for almost forty-thousand dollars from a jeweler in Miami. Goddammit.

I march from the room in search of my not-fiancée with fire in my every step. The audacity of her, thinking she can dictate when and how I… god, I can’t even think the word. We are nowhere near that point in our relationship. I’m ready to end things, and she’s thinking about marriage? No.

Before I can find Lucinda, I’m waylaid by a ball of pure energy. “Riggsy!” Allegra shrieks, hurtling toward me and jumping. I grab the toddler in mid-air and pull her to my chest, twirling us around. Then I gobble at her face, making her laugh until she’s holding her stomach and informing me her giggler hurts.

My angry demeanor softens immediately. Besides being on the water, nothing is more soothing to my soul than a child or a dog. “How are you, kiddo?”

“Good. I go to preschool, and Timmy Noles is a poot-head.”

I laugh and prop the little girl on my hip, listening to her happy chatter. With her dark, wavy hair and big brown eyes, Allegra Romero is simply precious. When she informs me she has to go potty, I drop her off with her dad and resume my search for Lucinda.

I find her in the kitchen with Nana, Silvia, our mothers, and two of Nana’s household staff. After greeting everyone, I’m about to ask Lucinda to step outside with me, when my mother interrupts.

“Riggs, can you carry the turkey to the table?”

“Of course, Mom,” I say, trying to keep the frustration from my voice.

Everyone begins piling into the formal dining room and taking their seats, and I grit my teeth, wanting to set Lucinda straight as soon as possible. How the hell can she think this is okay?

She sits on my right side, and my sister plops down on my left as Dad begins carving the turkey. Our families celebrate Thanksgiving with a mixture of traditional holiday fare and Italian food, including my manicotti.

The mood is jovial, and as it always seems to do, the conversation shifts to the business. My father sits on Mercato’s board of directors, and at one point, he asks Leo when he plans to retire.

“Soon,” he says cryptically, “and then Riggs and Lucinda can take over.”

The table falls silent until Nana speaks up. “You know that’s not how it works, Leo. With each generation, the head of the company switches between the families. My Luca was Mercato’s president until I took over when he died. Then you became president. This generation, it switches back to the Romeros.”

Leo’s sly glance at me grates on my nerves. “But if Lucinda is also a Romero, they can run it together.” His lips curl into a Grinch-like grin, and my stomach curdles at the realization.

This is why she wants to marry me.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you two were thinking about that,” Nana says, shifting her eyes between me and Lucinda as the staff removes our dinner dishes and replaces them with dessert plates. Then her face creases into a tight smile. “I’ll not say no to more great-grandchildren. Allegra is such a blessing to us all.”

Great. Now Nana has her hopes up about marriage and babies. How am I going to break this news to her?

“I’m not having children,” Lucinda announces, and my mother’s mouth drops open. “It makes your body all… blehhhh.”

Nana looks like someone just clipped their toenails at the table, and to break up the uncomfortable silence falling around us, my mother begins dishing up the desserts the staff has brought in. As Mom slides a piece of pecan pie onto my plate, Lucinda nudges me with her knee beneath the table, lifting an eyebrow like she’s waiting on me to get the whole proposal thing started.

Her teeth sink into her bottom lip and she smiles in anticipation as I push back from the table and stand. The ring feels like an anchor in my pocket, threatening to pull me under and drown me. “Excuse me, I need some air,” I say, striding from the room and heading for Nana’s study.

I push open the french doors and inhale, the cool November air stinging my lungs as I step onto the stone patio. My mind is a jumble of thoughts, but I can’t even get my head around this day before my solitude is broken.

“What the hell, Riggs? You’re supposed to be proposing to me right now. You’re fucking it all up.”

Turning to face her, I walk back into the room and narrow my eyes. “I’m not proposing to you, Lucinda. You can’t stuff a ring and a goddamn proposal instruction manual into my pocket and demand I ask you to marry me.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and rolls her eyes. “Fine. I wanted to do it at Thanksgiving so we could have a Christmas-themed engagement party, but I guess you can do it on Christmas Eve.”

My blood reaches lava levels, but I temper my tone. “We don’t even love each other.”

Lucinda scoffs. “That doesn’t matter. We make sense. Our families are friends and have the business together.”

“That is not a reason to get married. We don’t even want the same things. I don’t want to marry you, Lucinda,” I tell her, softening my voice. “I’m not going to propose to you.”

Her teeth grind audibly as she tosses her ebony hair over one shoulder. “Fine, then I’m breaking up with you.”

I nod solemnly. “I think that would be best.”

Shock paints her cheeks red, and she sets her hands on her hips. “You don’t mean that.”

“I’m sorry, but I do. I tried to make things work, but I’m tired of forcing it. We have nothing in common, and we hardly spend time together. That’s not the type of relationship I want, and honestly, you shouldn’t want that either.”

Lucinda runs her tongue over her top teeth. “Okay, if that’s the way you want it, but when you come to your senses and beg me to take you back, don’t get your hopes up. I’ll probably have moved on by then.”

I nod. “Then I’ll wish you all the happiness.”

With anger clouding her brown eyes, she spins on her high heel and storms from the room, calling out, “Fuck you, Riggs,” on her retreat.

It doesn’t surprise me when my sister walks into the office approximately thirty seconds later. Her nosy ass was probably listening to the entire exchange from around the corner.

“You okay?” she asks, and I nod.

“I’m more than okay. Would I sound like a giant asshole if I said I feel about thirty pounds lighter?”

Silvia’s lips flatten into a sarcastic line. “Not at all. It’s probably because you got rid of Lucinda’s giant head.” I chuckle, and she whispers, “Warning, Nana is on her way to talk to you.”

We hear the unmistakable sound of Nana’s footsteps punctuated by the clomp of her cane, and she appears in the doorway a minute later.

“Hi, Nana. I apologize if I ruined Thanksgiving.”

“Are you kidding?” she asks, walking straight to her desk and settling into her chair like it’s her own personal throne. Silvia and I sit across from her. “That was the most holiday excitement we’ve had since Theresa’s water broke at Christmas.”

I laugh. “That was memorable. Poor Frank fainted, and I had to carry him to the car.”

My grandmother levels a look at me. “Please tell me you’ve finally broken up with that shrew.”

Silvia and I exchange a shocked look. My sister jerks a thumb in my direction. “This moron has stayed with her so long because he thought that’s what you wanted.”

Nana literally clutches at her pearl necklace. “Oh, heavens no. Whatever gave you that idea?”

I shake my head to clear the cobwebs. “You… you seemed so excited when we started dating.”

“I was at first. Mary and I always dreamed that our grandchildren would marry, but it was just that. A dream. Lucinda was a sweet little girl, but she’s grown up to be exactly like Bianca. I can’t stand that heifer.” Silvia snickers as our grandma continues. “As time went on, I knew Lucinda wasn’t the one for my Riggs. I was just waiting for you to figure it out for yourself.”

“Oh, um…”

“Took you long enough,” she mutters. “And why the hell do you think I have any say in who you date?”

To say I’m flabbergasted would be an understatement. “Your health has been so good this past year, and I didn’t want to rock the boat.”

Nana Viv waves a hand at me. “The doctor put me on some new medicine about a year ago. It’s helped.” Then her shrewd caramel eyes shift between me and Silvia. “Did I ever tell you why we moved to this country?”

“You said it was to have a better life,” Silvia says.

“It was, but I think I need to tell you the specifics.” She leans back in her chair and stares at the ceiling. “My parents owned a grocery store back in Italy. They arranged for me to marry the son of a local dairy farmer for business reasons.”

Silvia and I share a wide-eyed look.

“But I wasn’t in love with this farmer. I had my eye set on Luca Romero, the most handsome boy in our town.” Her lips curve into a secretive smile. “We had quite the torrid affair.”

I mask my chuckle with my hand.

“So you left Italy to get out of an arranged marriage?” Silvia asks.

“I did. Also, my best friend, Mary, was in love with the dairy farmer’s son.” Nana’s eyes came back to me. “His name was Salvatore Farina.”

My mouth drops open. “So you’re telling me you were supposed to marry Sal? Lucinda’s grandfather?”

The old lady smiles and nods. “Yes, so we all four snuck out in the dead of night and caught a boat to America. It caused quite the scandal in our little village from what I’ve heard.” Her mouth turns down into a frown. “Our parents disowned us.”

“Do you regret it?” I ask softly, and Nana’s face warms.

“Not for a second. I never could have been with anyone but your grandfather. I should have told you this story a long time ago, and maybe you would have realized that I’d never want you to marry someone because of the business or any other stupid reason.” She punctuated her next words by slapping the surface of her desk with her wrinkled hand. “You. Marry. For. Love. That’s it. Period. End of story.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I say, standing and rounding the desk. Dropping to my knees, I allow my grandmother to pull me against her. Despite her heart failure, her hugs never fail to be strong and sure.

“I love you, my boy. I want you to find the kind of love your grandfather and I had.” Tears sting my eyes as she kisses the top of my head. “You have such a pure heart, Riggs, and I never want you to give that heart to someone that doesn’t deserve it.”

“Thanks, Nana,” I tell her, resting my face against her shoulder and smelling her sweet pastry scent.

“Anything else you want to talk about?” I lean back and look into her watery eyes, and she reads my apprehension. “Be honest with me, mio nipote.” My grandson. I always know she means business when she speaks Italian.

“I don’t want to take over the presidency of Mercato.” Damn, that feels good to say out loud. “I’m so proud of our company, but I’m miserable sitting through endless meetings about carrots and shit. Being behind a desk every day.”

For about the millionth time today, I’m surprised when Nana Viv smiles and pats my face. “My boy has always liked the outdoors.”

“I don’t want to shirk my duties. I still want to be involved.” I flick my eyes to my sister. “But I think Silvia would make an excellent president.”

Silvia’s mouth drops open, and she blinks rapidly a few times. “A-are you sure? You’re the oldest Romero.”

“But it doesn’t make me happy, and I’m sick of doing crap that doesn’t make me happy. I don’t enjoy the corporate world like you do, Sil. You thrive there.”

Nana looks so pleased and holds out a hand for her granddaughter, who rises and takes it. “Is that what you want, sweetheart? To become Madam President of Mercato Industries?”

Silvia’s cheeks bloom with pride and joy, and she nods. “I would love to if you think I’m capable.”

“You’re more than capable, nipotina, and I would be proud to recommend you to the board.” Then Nana turns to me. “You can have a place on the board of directors like your father, if you still want to be involved.”

“I’d like that,” I say in relief.

“What would you like to do instead, Riggs?”

Taking a deep breath, I say, “I’d like to help Joe run the marina. A few years ago, he was struggling. Business was booming, but his boat kept breaking down, so I bought him two more. Now he thinks he owes me, but I won’t accept any money from him. He says he’s leaving the marina to me when he retires or dies.”

Nana smiles her approval. “I think it’s a fine idea. My grandson and my granddog can spend every day with their tails in the wind out on the water.”

As the matriarch of our family pulls my sister and I into a hug, my heart feels like it’s about to burst with happiness.

As soon as I get home, I stick the ring and note in my underwear drawer. I’ll deal with it later. The ring is probably custom, so I’m sure the jeweler won’t take it back, but maybe I can sell it.

My legs take me back and forth across the wooden floor of my bedroom. Things are finally starting to look up for me, but I’m restless, so Ace and I go for a run on the beach.

I wake several times during the night, inundated with thoughts of Libby. All I want to do is talk to her, tell her about yesterday, see if there’s any way she wants to explore a relationship with me.

After trying to distract myself by spending all of Friday outside with my camera, I can’t take it anymore. Yesterday started out shitty but ended better than I could have imagined.

As I grab my keys and head out the door, I hope my luck will hold out.